The Devil’s Daughter

In this unorthodox romantic thriller, Robert (the O’Malley series) brushes a gloss of romance over the intense tale of warfare between a cult and small-town cops. Former Marine Zach Owens, now sheriff in Clear Springs, Mont., is determined to stop whoever is kidnapping and killing the teenage girls in his town. Since they all had been known to visit the Elysian cult compound, he knows the cult is somehow involved, but proving it is going to take more than his small police force. When FBI agent Eden Collins receives a picture of a dead teenager whose body is marked with the tattoos of the cult—which is run by Eden’s mother—she unofficially joins the investigation. Zach doesn’t trust Eden for obvious reasons, but he needs some intel, and she’s the only one who can get through the well-guarded gates. The lovers are both complex characters with extreme trust issues, but they manage to set aside their differences to focus on their jobs of saving lives. Readers will be caught off guard by the sudden development of Zach and Eden’s relationship, but thriller fans will enjoy the action and suspense. (Jan.)