As an infant, Kit McKittrick’s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman who says that she knew her birth mother but refuses to divulge any details except in person. Akiko is nervous but also thrilled at the prospect of finally learning about her blood relations.
Kit has a bad feeling about this and insists on accompanying Akiko to meet the woman. Sure enough, as they stand on Mary Sherman’s doorstep, shots are fired and Kit is hit…and inside the house is a corpse: Mary Sherman herself.
Although she’s on medical leave and forbidden to work the case, Kit cannot rest. With police psychologist Sam Reeves, she undertakes a covert investigation into the mysterious Mary Sherman. Was she Akiko’s birth mother? Why did she reach out after all these years? And who had a motive to kill her?
As more bodies pile up, Kit starts to put together the pieces of the frightening puzzle that is Akiko’s birth family, and she’ll come to wonder whether some secrets should stay buried after all.
Release Date: Mar 31, 2026
Series: San Diego Case Files
Book: 4
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $14.99
Kit McKittrick is determined to help her foster sister, Aiko, track down her biological mother. Aiko received word from an unknown woman who may have some information, but when Kit and Aiko arrive at the location given, the woman is dead. To make matters more complicated, someone fires a gun at them, injuring Kit.
Things get worse as Kit is forced to put this case on the back burner due to her injury and closeness to it. However, that has never stopped her, and she really wants to help Aiko. She decides to stay involved regardless, and has help from her lover, police psychologist Sam Reeves.
The story didn’t land like it normally would for me. After all this time, I didn’t feel the burn between Sam and Kit. Of course, Kit is not as open and affectionate as Sam due to her own traumatic upbringing. I just felt she could have been a bit more loving in some ways because she did get good foster parents and a sister despite her challenges. As an adult, when do we let go? Sam is a saint because he is very calm and patient with her. His family (when they finally meet Kit) is open and understanding.
The suspense pace was action-packed. Bodies were turning up, and more drama ensued. The problem with that is the introduction of multiple characters. I learned early on in the book that I had to pay attention because there were so many characters being added to the story. They each had some special relation to Aiko or one another. I didn’t really like that.
While this story didn’t necessarily wow me, I can say that I did enjoy it. The ending of the book definitely leaves more to come in this series, which I look forward to. If you like a slower paced romantic suspense (slower on the romance), then this one is for you.
~ Samantha
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