Obsession by Patricia Bradley

This is the second book in a series featuring Natchez Trace Park Rangers but does read well on its own. You can read my review of the first book in the series, Standoff, here.

In this novel, Emma is a ranger and historian and is excavating an area next to the Natchez Trace where slaves lived and were buried. Someone shoots at her. An old flame and enforcement ranger, Sam, investigates and a potential renewal of the old romance is set.

The plot centers on an unsolved murder from years ago as well as someone who seems to be obsessed with Emma today. Those two aspects form an odd juxtaposition in a plot. There is quite a bit of suspense as there are more shootings.

I liked the suspense part of the novel. Like the first book in the series, I wish there had been more about the park, its formation and what it contained. I would have also liked more setting description as it is a location I have never visited. We do learn a bit about erotomania and there is a good exploration of the difficulty of forgiving a parent for deep hurts from childhood.

I did find the novel entertaining even if it was not as informative as I'd like. You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Patricia Bradley is the author of several novels. She won an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award in Romantic Suspense, a Daphne du Maurier Award, a Touched by Love Award, and was a Carol Award finalist. She is the cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She lives in Mississippi. You can find out more at www.ptbradley.com.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)