ABOUT THE BOOK
Nurse practitioner, Dana Kerrigan, finds her steady and comfortably predictable life suddenly turned upside down as the result of a family emergency. With no choice but to take a leave from work, she has to hustle to keep Silence’s favorite pub running and her parents looked after.
When heartbreak brings with it an unexpected opportunity to realize a long-held dream, it presents a new set of problems. One that involves murder, and the man sent to investigate.
As a recent transplant to Silence, sheriff’s detective, Rick Althof, was aiming for less stress and more solitude. Instead, he finds himself frequently drawn to The Kerrigan, a popular pub in town, to enjoy a meal, a beer, and—if lucky—a friendly chat with the owner’s pretty daughter.
Still bearing the invisible scars of past mistakes, he’s determined to keep things friendly, despite a growing attraction.
However, his resolve is put to the test when she lands in the middle of an elaborate development scheme involving bribery, blackmail, and even murder.
MY REVIEW
When I want to read a good small-town romantic suspense, I pick up a Freya Barker book, and Dana and Rick’s story didn’t disappoint. A nurse and a cop find solace in each other when her life is threatened.
Dana is a nurse practitioner who has received a property from her recently deceased mother. Grief-stricken, she spends her time fixing up the rundown house with a beautiful view, but someone else has eyes on her property and will stop at nothing to get it. Fortunately, a knight in cop’s clothing is willing to protect her at all costs.
I like Dana’s maturity and common sense as she handles life’s struggles with capable, responsible hands. The love and respect for her father is expressed by her help at the family’s restaurant despite her busy job and renovation of her new home. Her kindness to help others is another trait that makes her stand out. The friendship-to-lovers trope with Rick is believable and refreshing to watch as they let down their walls and let each other in.
Rick has experienced heartbreaking loss himself, which explains his aloofness and slow acceptance of the town of Silence, Washington. However, he does his job well when he discovers the plot that puts Dana in danger, as his protective instincts turn into much more. I appreciated Rick’s kindness toward Dana during her grief and his unexpected gestures of affection that even surprised him.
Dana and Rick’s slow-burn chemistry and the mystery are well done, which kept me hooked and eager for a happy ending.
Ms. Barker knows how to draw the reader in with lots of action, intense emotions, and flawed and complex characters. It is a great combination that keeps me coming back for more.
If you enjoy well-written mature romances with suspense, I recommend giving this book a try.
Thank you to Ms. Barker for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
Silence Series
1 Finding Silence (2025) – My review
2 Inside Silence (2025)
3 Guilty Silence (2026)
4 Cold Silence (2026) – My review
5 Craving Silence (2026)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.
Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
Follow Freya on her website, Facebook, Facebook Group, Instagram, Goodreads, Newsletter, Bookbub, TikTok, and YouTube.
EXCERPT
“What’s the deep sigh for?” he asks from his perch on the ladder, as I fold the last of the towels.
“It’s a satisfied sigh,” I explain, picking up the stack of laundry to carry upstairs. “The kind that comes with being able to check a box off my list.”
A faint smile appears on his lips.
“You’ll have another to check off soon,” he offers. “I’m almost done here.”
I’ve been so busy studying the man, I failed to notice how quickly he’s made his way around to the last remaining wall in the kitchen.
“I see that. It looks amazing.”
I glance around the space, mentally noting some patchwork that will need to be done, but at least the horrific wallpaper is gone and the walls will be ready for some paint soon. Maybe I can do some of that after work this week.
“Let me run these upstairs real quick, and I’ll help with the clean up.”
My linen closet sports organized stacks of linens and towels, everything sorted by type and size. I guess I’m a little anal, but I love when everything has a place. It makes life so much easier.
Maybe that need for predictability is why my life had become such a rut before Mom’s health took a nosedive and forced me to pivot and adapt. But that process also showed me there is so much more to life if you can be open to change. That kind of flexibility takes time though, and like a muscle that has been dormant for a long time, it needs to be used and exercised.
I’m working on it.
Half an hour later I haul the last garbage bag stuffed with discarded wallpaper to the back porch. Leaning over the railing, I twist my head to look up at the sky which is studded with stars. I missed the sun going down, and the temperature must’ve dropped about fifteen degrees. It’s cold out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we drop below freezing tonight.
Inside, I find Rick in the kitchen with a serious expression on his face. He may have been watching me.
“You have to go…” I guess.
He shakes his head in response and slowly approaches. His hands slide around the sides of my neck as he tilts my chin up with his thumbs. His eyes are deep blue pools I find myself drowning in. His voice is low and his words send a delicious shiver down my spine.
“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.”
Closing my hands around his wrists, I lift up on my toes until my lips almost touch his.
“Yippie,” I whisper, before taking the initiative.
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