Dark Ambitions

Hannon (Dangerous Illusions) concludes her Code of Honor trilogy with another rip-roaring crime thriller based on a disappearance. In rural Missouri, former army captain Rick Jordan is running his winter camp for foster children when he notices blood in the snow and finds a good luck charm from his old army buddy, Jackson “Boomer” Dunn. Believing Boomer is in trouble, Rick hires private investigator Heather Shields. There are immediate romantic sparks, but the two try to ignore them as they piece together clues. After tracking down Boomer’s ex-girlfriend and discovering she died under mysterious circumstances, Heather suspects the case has moved beyond a mere missing person. When the last person to see Boomer alive turns up dead, the tension rises and Rick becomes convinced Boomer is being tracked by a killer. Hannon nicely blends developments in the case with Rick and Heather’s emotional and romantic progress. Both devout Christians, their faith ends up playing a crucial role in how they handle adversity and temptation. A fitting finale to the fast-paced series, Hannon’s electrifying tale works just as well as a standalone. (Oct.)