I had tried hard to try and clear my TBR bookshelf this month in June. However, the majority of books I tried, I just couldn't get into. Therefore, my trusty Kindle came in handy, and turned to ebooks that had been sitting on my ebook reader for a while. I have always enjoyed reading Melinda Leigh's mysteries and so I turned to one set in Scarlet Falls. Minutes to Kill starts by us reading as a young teenager is trying to escape her pimp as her dream of living a new life turned into a nightmare. On this evening, she runs into Hannah who is a lawyer. Hannah does her best to try and help, but in doing so is attacked and almost left for dead. The young teen is snatched and Hannah ends up in hospital. This event coincides with her heading back home to Scarlet Falls as she is planning to housesit for her brother and also learn some more about her sibling's case who was recently killed. During this time back home, Hannah reunites with Detective Brody McNamara, and sparks fly, but will it last as the kidnappers have tracked Hannah back home and now, they are determined to kill her and tie up loose ends, of course not before leaving a trail of dead females along the way in the small town of Scarlet Falls. Minutes to Kill was a fast read and fans of authors like Melinda Woodhall and Kendra Elliot will love Melinda Leigh's mysteries as much as I have.

If you haven't read this book yet... you're really missing out! A whole lot of suspense to keep you glued!

This is the second in the Scarlet Falls series, but the first I read/listened too. This was a romance hidden in the pages of an intense suspense book. The subject matter was quite disturbing as it dealt with human trafficking of underage girls as well as rape and murder. This stuff actually happens all over the world, so sometimes it is hard to read about. This did not take up a lot of the book, but enough to make it hard to read at times. Hannah, a successful lawyer, finds herself in the middle of a kidnapping and unfortunately fails at saving the young teenage girl. She can't forget the look of terror in that poor girl's eyes, and she can't give up on trying to find her. The kidnapper, gets her back, but is concerned that he can be identified. Grabbing Hannah's purse, he now knows how to find her and he will not give up even if it means traveling cross country to do it.

The criminals in this book are psychopaths. They are nasty and leave a trail of bodies in their wake. With all this going on, you would think this book would be a depressing story, but the romance kept it headed in the right direction and saved the story for me. Brody was a great hero. He respected Hannah and was a perfect match for her strong willed personality. I loved hearing about her family and how her father made sure all his children had the skills to protect themselves in any situation. My one complaint was that the ending was a bit anti-climactic. I would rather that all the girls had been saved and the ring squashed, but that isn't the way most things end. Jewel survived and Hannah was happy about that, but it was just meh. I recommend this for readers who like a little romance with their suspense, and those who prefer a little less heat. If you can not stomach the topic of sex trafficking and rape, then you might want to pass on this one. Once again, I love being able to read and listen to this book at the same time from Kindle Unlimited.

Great read! Easy to follow story line. I read it in a day at the beach. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read mystery.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

After corporate attorney Hannah Barrett tries—and fails—to stop a kidnapping in Vegas, she can’t shake the haunting image of the terrified young girl she couldn’t save. She tells herself that a visit to her hometown in Scarlet Falls could be a welcome distraction. But soon, Hannah realizes the kidnappers have all the info they need to track her every move. And when chilling e-mails about the victim appear in her inbox, it’s frighteningly clear what happened in Vegas has followed her home.
Eight months after a terrible family tragedy, Hannah turns to Detective Brody McNamara once again. Brody is eager to help, though he’s embroiled in the investigation of a brutal murder. But the closer they work together, the stronger their feelings grow…and the more they stand to lose when two seemingly unrelated, but equally deadly, cases collide.

This is the second book in the Scarlet Falls series. I don't think it is necessarily important to have read the first one before getting into this one.

I don't know - these stories seem to be starting to feel the same. Terrible things happens to / witnessed by beautiful woman, usually a professional. Turns to hot, alpha male detective / private eye to work with her to get to the bottom of it. Throw in the romance between the two and we get a happy ending.

One good thing about this story is Hannah - she is a tough woman who doesn't necessarily need to be saved, but does need help to get to the bottom of the kidnappings. She is smart, independent and willing to do things for herself. I think she was, by far, the stand out of this story.

The story itself was okay but it was a little predictable and somewhat flat for the first half. It started to heat up after that but I was already dwindling in my interest so, even though it got more interesting, it still only really managed to get to three stars (and I think I am being a tad generous there.)

The sad thing is - I have read so many really good books by Melinda. This wasn't up to her usual high standards...


Paul
ARH

I AM SO EMBARRASSED ... JUST NOW FINDING THIS ONE ON MY KINDLE/AMAZON. WAS NEVER READ SO NO REVIEW COMING AT THIS LATE DATE. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES. BOOK HAS BEEN ARCHIVED.

I really enjoyed this romantic suspense. Leigh takes us back to Scarlet Falls with Hannah and Brody, who are great main characters. The storyline kept my attention, and I enjoyed the balance of romance and suspense. A great 2nd book in the series! I can't wait for more!

It was a good book. I would recommend this book for people who like mystery

Great read and easy to follow story line. Look forward to reading more from this author.