Title: Back from the Brink by Emery Hayes
Nicole Cobain Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Dead bodies and bad cops make for a brutal Montana spring-and a small-town sheriff’s worst nightmare in the second thrilling installment of the Nicole Cobain mysteries.
It’s a glorious spring in Blue Mesa, Montana, but not all is well in paradise. The authorities have been waging war against drug traffickers who use “mules” to carry the dope and cash across the Canadian border. And murder gets thrown into the equation when sheriff Nicole Cobain is called to the lake to assist Border Patrol but finds their boat adrift and a dead man in the ice. When the police drag the lake looking for bodies, they recover a satchel containing money and drugs–a satchel marked with the Border Patrol seal.
The evidence points to corrupt elements within the Border Patrol who are involved in the drug trade. Then, another murder victim turns up–the brother of Frank, a Border Patrol agent who’s been trying to root out the bad agents.
Nicole suspects that the two missing agents may have been responsible for the theft of the money and drugs, but when one of them is found dead from a single gunshot wound, the trail suddenly grows cold. As the bodies pile up, Nicole begins to feel that she’s the only good guy on the scene–and on the brink of a terrible discovery that could shake the community to its core.
Review:
The second installment in the Emery Hayes’ Nicole Cobain Mystery series, Back from the Brink, is a gripping mystery set in northern Montana.
Sheriff Nicole Cobain knows when the phone rings in the middle of the night, trouble is brewing in Blue Mesa. Border Patrol North Agents Kyle Monte and Melody Baker have discovered a body encased in a block of ice on a nearby lake. By the time Nicole gets her team together and arrives on the scene, she, Medical Examiner/Dr. MacAulay, and Deputy Ty Watts find the BP boat abandoned and adrift. While they are very concerned about Monte and Baker, their first priority is retrieving the body. BPN Commander Larry Green also shows up and very reluctantly agrees the case belongs to Nicole. Another unexpected discovery stretches the team even further when they must expand their search farther than anticipated.
Nicole is a single mom who has a strong relationship with her eleven-year-old son Jordan. She works long hours but she is lucky to have found the perfect woman to help out with Jordan. Free to put all of her energy into solving her current case, Nicole has her hands full as the investigation proceeds. Green reluctantly admits his unit is under a corruption investigation. Nicole must now figure out if whatever happened to Monte and Baker is associated with the grift occurring within BPN.
While waiting for more details about the frozen corpse, Nicole turns her attention to solving another murder that occurred close to the lake. When she finds out the deceased is related to BP Agent Luke Franks, she becomes suspicious the murder might be connected to the BPN corruption. Nicole is grateful the Attorney General sends Agent Devon Gates to assist in uncovering the truth. But is Gates being completely forthcoming with her?
Back from the Brink is a riveting mystery with an atmospheric setting. The cast of characters is plentiful but fully developed. Nicole is a tough as nails sheriff who has moved on from the mistakes of her past. She is well-respected by her colleagues and she has complete trust in her team. MacAulay has worked hard to gain all of the skills he needs in his capacity as an ME and he is an important part of the investigation. With cunning twists and devious turns, Emery Hayes brings this exciting mystery to an action-packed, thrilling conclusion. Although this latest release is the second installment in the Nicole Cobain Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone.
