Wow, what an intense read! This is the third book in the JD Pickens detective series but can be read as a complete stand alone. What I like most about this book was the fast paced action and intensity. It was a definite page turner with action and suspense throughout the book. Definitely recommended for criminal action mystery fans!

5 stars

This is the latest remarkable entry into the Sheriff J.D. Pickens saga.

In this book, someone is targeting the police officers – and even the support staff at the station. If that is not bad enough, murders are being committed against couples in the county. Detective Sergeant Marge Dunne and Detective Sergeant Amy are handling the cases separately. J.D. calls two retired detectives in to assist. They provide much needed support and stability.

As more murders occur and more drive bys happen, with the result of the death of one of J.D.'s deputies, tempers begin to flare. When J.D. and Amy are targeted outside the hospital, the results are dire.

Sterling computer searches by the office computer whiz and the cooperation of other counties in which these horrible events are also occurring, the cases take on lives of their own. However, through perseverance and determination, the cases are finally brought to a conclusion – after a few jurisdictional debates.

This is a great police procedural. It illustrates well the small triumphs and the red herrings and disappointments of everyday policing – especially murder cases. This book is very well written and plotted. Except for a few typos, I could find no fault with the plotting or story content. The writing is consistent and of high quality. I really enjoy reading about J.D. and his crew. I was disappointed in Amy's behavior in this novel, but I guess her competitiveness and the aftershock of being shot at got the best of her. I like Pickens' wife Marge and their relationship. She can really give him heck when he needs it.

I want to thank NetGalley and Gatekeeper Press for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

law-enforcement, procedural, Florida, family-dynamics, friendship, serial-killer, murder-investigation, networking, PTSD, suspense, survivor-s-guilt*****

Worst case scenario for any law enforcement agency. Multiple murders including targeting officers in Pickens jurisdiction and discovering similar messy murders occurring in nearby jurisdictions. It even includes the sheriff getting shot in a hospital parking lot. Very convoluted trails to follow and a lot of networking to get around the red tape and red herrings. There are some disturbing aspects to the multiple homicides that add to the stress To top it off Pickens and several of his staff are showing symptoms of acute PTSD related to the deadly shooting of one of their own. It's a good procedural with a solid plot and believable characters. It's a really good read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Gatekeeper Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

A deputy stops a car and is shot. A 911 call is a set-up and the responding cops are fired upon. Someone managed a drive-by shooting .... of the police station. One deputy has died of his injuries ... another one is wounded.

Who has declared war on the police .... and why?

Sheriff JD Pickens has had to call in some help .. in the form of two retired homicide detectives. And the bodies keep falling ....

This is a well written crime fiction/mystery. Although third in the series, this is easily read as a sand alone. I do recommend starting at the beginning because all the characters are so diverse and so intriguing. I enjoy how they all relate to each other. The action bursts forth from the very first page and the suspense lasts to the very last page.

Many thanks to the author / Gatekeeper Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.