Still Life

In the second installment of her Chesapeake Valor series, Pettrey picks events up six months after the end of Cold Shot with Avery Tate returning to the Baltimore art scene at the request of her friend, Skylar Pierce. She is no longer Parker Mitchell’s crime scene photographer, since she realized her deep feelings for him weren’t reciprocated, but when a disturbing photo is found in the place of the original at a gallery opening where Skylar was supposed to showcase her art, Avery calls in Parker. Unable to ignore her plea for help, Parker is divided between his affection for Avery and the love that he still feels for Jenna McCray. Skylar’s case takes them both down the twisting path of the past and present, pulling in the rest of the investigative team from Cold Shot, with each member using a different area of expertise to help uncover the truth about Skylar and the switched photograph. Pettrey has a knack for keeping the reader one step behind the unfolding mystery, and the romance between Parker and Avery is a nice relief from the mounting danger that the case reveals. Their history, and their constant reminders of faith and God’s love, makes the romance that much sweeter and heartwarming. Agent: Janet Kobobel Grant, Books & Such. (Feb.)