Well done suspense featuring a wild life officer - Jena Sinclair- and a sort of hermit named Cole, who is more than he seems. She's called in to the small bayou town when a body believed to have been attached by an alligator turns up,. And then an alligator acting strangely (for an alligator) turns out to have been dosed with Black Diamond, a drag quickly becoming a scourge. No spoilers from me about Cole's secret. I liked Jena, who has the fortitude to deal with all of it, especially after she was scared. It's not really romantic suspense but there is a nice relationship between Jena and Cole which I expect will grow. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The story began out on a chilling note. It gave me the chills, and of course, I had to continue, as I had to know how the story would unfold.

Jenna has been through so much and she bears the physical and emotional scars of her experiences. She has returned to fieldwork after the accident that left her with those scars. She gained a new partner, a new home.

A new drug has taken Terrebonne Parish by storm. This drug is addictive, and it makes users’ behavior violent and out of control. Jenna is invested in the investigation as someone close to her has been exposed to the drug.

Cole lives his life in recluse determined to escape his past. His story will break your heart. After hearing his story, I understood his reasons for choosing to live as a hermit.

There was literally no romance. This is one of biggest peeves when it come to this genre. It is classified as a romantic suspense but when you get between the pages, there is suspense served with a pinch of romance. The characters did not spend lots of time together, so there was no time for their romance to blossom. They were drawn to each other because they recognised they had emotional pain in common. I sensed the magnetic pull between them and I believed they had a connection.

The story moved at a pace. There was never a boring moment. At the eighty percent mark, the author stepped it up and at this point, the nail biting feeling came over me. I figured out the mystery from early in the story and as to the parties involved, this too came as no surprise. This however, did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. Instead, it piqued my curiosity as to what their next move would be.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, I enjoyed this installment. I will definitely read more from this author. Fans of the genre will enjoy Black Diamond.

This was a great romantic suspense and a good follow up to the first book in the series. This one features Jena and Cole and a storyline that involves a dangerous designer drug called Black Diamond. Jena is a Louisiana wildlife agent searching for a murderer, and Cole is a reclusive man with a troubled and secret past who knows a little more about Black Diamond than he should.

This one had two great characters, both damaged by their pasts, but incredible together. The storyline kept me interested and I loved the Louisiana bayou setting. I hope there will be more in this series!

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this title, therefore I will not be leaving an online review.