HART'S RIDGE by Kay Bratt

 

MY THOUGHTS

I love Kay Bratt's books. They always leave me feeling so good and so happy. This one was no different except I was crying at the end. Of course if you've read it you know why. That letter just about did me in. 

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It's about a young woman named Taylor. She's a cop and good at her job. When a big case lands in Hart's Ridge she's on the case. She leaves no stone unturned. Despite the way the other males in her department treat her she is tough. She's resilient. And she's stubborn. She won't give in to their antics. Clint is the worst of course. He tends to hate female cops. Taylor is also taking care of her dad as best she can and looking for her youngest sister. Her life is a mess but she doesn't give up easy. She's full of heart and caring. I think I would have told my dad to get lost after the kind of life he gave his daughters. Taylor practically raised them on her own. Their mother died so it was up to her. Between that and going into foster care many times it's a wonder she had feelings for anyone. But she does. And she is very smart. Very good at her job and, well she is just tender hearted in so many ways. 

I didn't care for Clint or Shane. Shane came across as so nice and a good friend but I just didn't like him. Something is just not right with him. That's my thoughts so no spoiler here. I just feel we will hear more about him and something that happened. Clint is obvious. He's a jerk. The one character that I fell for completely was Bernard. When you find out his story you will love him even more. He's the best. He's also a dog. A big beautiful dog that has so much to offer. I think he and Taylor are a great match.

This book takes you on a mystery hunt for a missing woman. A missing young woman who's daughter turned up at a store alone. Something has happened and it's up to Taylor and Shane to find out what. To find her and reunite them. Her mother is a piece of work but her sister is great. The sister is likable but not the mother. I liked how Taylor handled the mother. It was a bit comical in ways but also got Taylor in a bit of trouble with her boss. 

Kay has written a great story here. It has several things going on and each is perfectly handled by Taylor. It's one that will give you a chuckle then make you cry those big ugly tears. It is different from her other books that I have read. I loved this book. It's my new favorite by one of my favorite authors ever.

Oh yeah, I did not figure this one out so that's a huge plus. I usually do with mysteries. 

SYNOPSIS

★ If Robyn Carr and Melinda Leigh had a book-baby, Hart’s Ridge would be it. Join Kay Bratt in this small town mystery series with cases to solve, and a small-town deputy determined to do it.

When five-year-old Molly walks into a gas station on the outskirts of town, alone and barely speaking, one sheriff’s deputy is determined to reunite her with her missing mother.

Nestled gently in the Blue Ridge mountains, Hart’s Ridge is a small and yet undiscovered quaint town. That is until you dig a little deeper and learn that no matter how perfect things look, every town has its secrets. Taylor Gray has lived there since she was a kid and has clawed her way out of poverty, foster care, and then the police academy to reach her dream of being in law enforcement.

However, the townspeople aren’t the only ones that she is committed to serve and protect. She’s also the unofficial caretaker of her father and adult sisters, a family fractured by tragedy and barely keeping it together. Her role is heavy and rarely appreciated, but she’ll stop at nothing to try to piece them back together one day.

The mother of a young girl is missing. Time is of the essence and Taylor plunges into the investigation, determined to find her and reunite mother and child. When the sheriff brings a familiar face in to take charge, things begin to unravel at a pace hard to keep up with, and what they find is every law enforcement officer’s worst nightmare.

Hart’s Ridge is a standalone novel and book one of the new Hart’s Ridge mystery series, written by Kay Bratt, International Best-Selling Author of Wish Me Home and True To Me.