Called to Protect

In Eason’s well-crafted second installment of her Blue Justice series (after Oath of Honor), a family dedicated to law enforcement has crime strike too close to home. Chloe St. John and her K9 German Shepherd partner, Hank, stumble upon a drug and human trafficking ring. One of the victims offers clues to the disappearance of Chloe’s niece, who vanished six months earlier while on a date. Chloe pulls in her fellow law enforcement siblings—including Izzy and Ryan St. John from the previous book—to pursue leads. Meanwhile, U.S. Marshall Blake MacCallum, a long-time friend of the St. John family, is offered an impossible choice: murder the judge he’s protecting, or his captive daughter, Rachel, will be killed. Chloe and Blake quickly realize their cases connect. As the officers work together, their feelings for one another develop, but the action and suspense dominate this fast-paced drama. Eason’s page-turner is energetic and tense until the end. Hints of faith and romance are scattered throughout, but this is best read as a novel of suspense. (July)