After Midnight

Sheriff Steve Paxton puts his attraction to Jess on the back burner and his investigation of two suspicious deaths on the front. Two men are dead that Jess had reason to hold a grudge against, but this time Steve can't trust his instincts. Although trying to think with his brain, when it comes to Jess he tends to think with anatomy that is farther south.

I really enjoyed this book. The suspense was very good. It was emotional and heartbreaking to read about the struggle Jess went through as a child and now as an adult who loved her mother as much as she did. Steve tries to be objective, but find that all objectivity flies out the window when it comes to Jess. I thought that there was few too many facts about Jess's job that can make the reader become confused. Besides that, it was a great book and I would definetly reccommend it!

Sheriff Steve Paxton knows that Jessica's at the heart of the sudden rash of deaths...and he's also discovering she's somewhere in his heart as well. Dangers pursue them both as they try to unravel the truth...the truth about the past and the truth about the nature of their feelings.

Merline Lovelace is a masterful storyteller, and After Midnight is a prime example of her talent.

Lt. Col Jess Blackwell has come back home to Florida after being stationed at Eglin AFB. She left Florida as a child in the middle of the night and has not returned since. Her childhood was not picture perfect and she found herself constantly getting into fights protecting her mother's name. Now Jess is all grown up and has a respectable job but the past comes back to haunt her.

Steve Paxton in the Sheriff of the county that Jess has just moved back to. It's a quite part of the Florida Panhandle so it raises eyebrows when bodies start turning up dead in his little corner of the world. It's even more so when one of the deaths lead him to Jess Blackwell. His cop sense tells him that she is connected in someway but the man in him wants it to be anyone but her. She is the first woman that he has been attracted to since his divorce.

Jess and Steve find themselves drawn to each other even though they both know that it's not in their best interest to act on their mutual attraction. Despite the complications of the investigations that Steve is running, and the connections that Steve finds to tie Jess to the string of murders he still can't stay away. One way or another he will prove that Jess is innocent of the murders, and prove to Jess that loving him is not a bad thing.

This was a fast paced book that I managed to inhale in one day. The mystery surrounding the deaths of the the diffent men that are connected to Jess's past is well written and will keep you glued to the pages. The chemestry between Jess and Steve is hot and steamy! This was a great blending of suspense and romance!

After Midnight is hence an accurate and realistic story on Lt. Col Jessica Blackwell who is newly transferred to the base and is thrust with the unpleasant task of disciplining Sgt. Babcocks who vents his rage when his marriage went awry. Could he be the one who sideswiped Jess's vehicle?

It proves to be more of a red herring when Jess discovers the death of realtor Ron Clark and Reverend McConnell is linked to the rape of her mother Helen, repudiated by the town as a loose woman. Walton County Sheriff Steve Paxton investigates and protects Jess from a vicious killer in the midst.

This lean pulsating thriller brims with intelligence and is peopled with two strong protagonists with emotional complexities and wits. It is equally fascinating in its scope of oil distillation and barges. However none of these elements can rival the razor-edged suspense that comes fast and furious.