Bait the Devil

Bounty of Shadows, #2

by

Winter Austin

A simple job to corral a "Failure To Appear" turns complex and deadly.

Bait the Devil is the second book in author Winter Austin's outstanding Bounty of Shadows mystery series, and it absolutely hits the ground running and never lets up as Dot Ybarra and her partner, T.J. Roman, track down a defendant as a favor for attorney and Dot's cousin, Vivian Montgomery. However, the marine veteran they're after doesn't want to be 'retrieved,' and he's got the special skills needed to avoid collection. But as the body count in his wake increases, so does Dot, T.J., and Vivian's determination to find him, and they don't give up. 

What a great new adventure for Dot and company! This time around, the action moves from Dot's home territory in the Idaho mountains to Boise, where she's living and working to become a certified bounty hunter, and beyond, as they track a fellow veteran who's on his own personal mission. I loved seeing that Dot is in a better headspace since recuperating from the events of the debut novel; the truths she learned then and her successes have started to pay off. She seems even more confident and settled than ever. I enjoyed seeing her get to use some of her own special skills as a helicopter pilot, marksman, and horsewoman to exciting effect. While Dot is carefully working through her past experiences, the same cannot be said of T.J., who is struggling with PTSD associated with his Army service. 

With the case they're working on marked "Confidential" and rife with redacted government reports, TJ, Dot, and Vivian operate in the dark for much of the book's beginning, but bit by bit, the secrets come out. A good twist later on, and this book became impossible to set down. Besides the engaging main characters and the mysterious, compelling plot, the author's writing style draws readers in and makes them forget there's anything else outside their story. 

I recommend BAIT THE DEVIL to readers of crime fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and suspense. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.