WINTER'S SECRET

In this first book in the projected Northern Intrigue trilogy, Cote plaits together faith, love and suspense for an inspirational romance set against the snowy backdrop of Steadfast, Wis. Tall, handsome sheriff Rodd Durand is hot on the trail of "the Weasel," a burglar who targets isolated homes of the elderly. Raised by his father and great-uncle, Rodd considers all women a mystery, until sweet home nurse Wendy Carey piques his interest. But Wendy has kept her heart under wraps too long and has sworn off romance. Love is inevitable, but first Rodd and Wendy must make peace with their pasts. To Cote's credit, there are some fairly original snowmobile chase scenes, and the "bad guys" are somewhat multifaceted (the nefarious Uncle Dutch is shown as both a drunken brawler and also a softie who put Christmas gifts under Wendy's tree when she was a child). There are contrived situations to allow Rodd and Wendy to spend the night together, but things never heat up past a kiss. An unlikely scene has Rodd miraculously pull a baby from a car before it explodes, killing the parents, then conveniently place the baby in the care of Penny Weaver, who has suffered several miscarriages. Despite some weak spots, this full-length novel is an improvement over Cote's most recent novella, For Varina's Heart, which appeared in Tyndale's Letters of the Heart collection. (Mar.)