Review: Body Heat by Brenda Novak

First line: Benita Sanchez was almost as afraid of running into a rattlesnake as she was U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

From the back cover: Twelve people have been shot at point-blank range and left to rot in the desert sun. It’s Sophia St. Claire’s job to do something about it. She’s Bordertown, Arizona’s new chief of police – and she’s out of her depth.

Help arrives in the form of Department 6 hired gun Roderick Guerrero. As far as Sophia’s concerned, his involvement only makes things worse. Maybe he’s managed to turn his life around. And maybe he’s a good investigator. But as the bastard son of a wealthy local rancher, he has a history he can’t get past. A history that includes her.

Rod refuses to leave town until the killer is caught. He’s not worried about the danger posed by some vigilante. It’s Sophia who threatens him. Because he’s used to risking his life – but his heart is another story.

My thoughts: This is the second in Brenda Novak’s Heat trilogy to be released August 31st and it is another romantic thriller. Again, the private security company, Department 6, is involved, but this time it’s due to a personal request. Roderick Guerrero, a Department 6 employee, heads to his hometown of Bordertown, AZ, at the request of his estranged father. Chief Sophia St. Claire has her hands full trying to solve the twelve murders in her town – all while the town council watches, hoping she fails. When these two cross paths, it’s animosity at its best. Can they put the past behind them and work together to solve these murders and find out who’s out to ruin Sophia at the same time? This action-packed read will keep you hungry for more, devouring the pages to see what happens next and to see if Rod and Sophia can put that past behind them once and for all. I thoroughly enjoyed Body Heat and look forward to the final installment of this trilogy, Killer Heat, due out the end of September.

About the author:  Brenda readily admits that it took her five years to teach herself to write and finish her first book when she decided to become a novelist.  “I learned how to write by reading what others have written.  The best advice for any would-be author:  read, read, read….,” says Novak.

Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history.  She’s hit various national bestseller lists, including Borders/Waldenbooks and The New York Times, and many of her novels have won or placed in contests such as the National Reader’s Choice and the Bookseller’s Best.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. Brenda also runs an annual fund-raiser for diabetes research, dedicated to her youngest son, Thad, who has the disease. 

Thank you to the author for sending me this book to review – I thoroughly enjoyed it!