Whisper of Warning is the second Glass Sisters book and the stronger of the two.
Courtney Glass has a fatal attraction for married men. Literally. When she arranges to meet John David Alvin, a particularly persistent ex, she does not expect to be ambushed by a gun-toting man in a ski mask. Powerless to stop him, she’s forced to watch David be gunned down. After a struggle with their attacker, Courtney manages to escape and call the police. Unfortunately, all the evidence points to Courtney’s having done the deed.
Will Hodges is ex-military and a newly-assigned homicide cop. He suspects Alvin’s murder was a set-up and doesn’t think Courtney was involved. He wants to take a closer look at Alvin’s law firm and the various women in his life. Will’s commanding officer, however, is determined to wrap the case up quickly and charge Courtney with murder. Will is attracted to Courtney but is determined not to let her manipulate him or distract him from doing his job. Courtney being Courtney, this is no easy feat.
Meanwhile, Will’s partner, Nathan Deveraux, is working a case involving the mysterious disappearance of a college professor. When he and Will find a link to the Alvin case, they are determined to pursue it. Courtney decides to take her fate into her own hands and hires PI Alex Lovell to help her disappear…
I was really enjoying this book until the last few pages. Unfortunately, a few unresolved plot threads and an abrupt conclusion left me frustrated.
On the positive side, Laura Griffin writes believable suspense plots and doesn’t resort to melodrama to racket up the tension. I liked Courtney and Will and was especially impressed that Will chose to take himself off the case – at least officially – once he fell for Courtney.
The resolution to the mystery was credible but I would have preferred more details on the killer’s motivation, which I never fully understood. The backstory with Courtney’s stepfather interested me but this was sort of left hanging, as was her relationship with her sister, Fiona. Finally, Will’s declaration of love and subsequent marriage proposal were too sudden.
Despite my criticisms, Whisper of Warning is a good read. If it hadn’t been for the last few pages, it could have been a great one. Grade: B
