Marilyn Pappano - Detective On The Hunt

They’re tracking a missing person

But will they be the next victims?

New-in-town detective Jennifer “JJ” Logan is thrown into the deep end with her first case. Assigned to unearth a missing socialite, JJ must also deal with a new colleague: Officer Quint Foster.

Quint bristles at having to work alongside JJ. But as they dig for clues, he feels alive for the first time in years. The hunt puts them both in the crosshairs, and their deepening emotions have to take a back seat to getting out alive.

Oklahoma, dogs, beaches, books, family and friends: these are a few of MARILYN PAPPANO’s favorite things. She lives in imaginary worlds where she reigns supreme (at least, she does when the characters cooperate) and no matter how wrong things go, she can always set them right. It’s her husband’s job to keep her grounded in the real world, which makes him her very favorite thing.

Also By Marilyn Pappano Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Note to Readers Introduction Dear Reader Dedication Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 About the Publisher

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Undercover in Copper Lake

Bayou Hero

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Detective on the Hunt

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Detective on the Hunt

Marilyn Pappano

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09465-8

DETECTIVE ON THE HUNT

© 2019 Marilyn Pappano

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“I said, thanks for your time.” JJ left it at that, but her smile suggested what she left unsaid. Though it wasn’t your choice.

“Not a problem.” Another of those annoying phrases. When had people stopped saying “you’re welcome”? He couldn’t recall.

She dug out her car keys and used the remote to unlock the Challenger before she opened the door. He watched her slide into the seat, a fluid movement of heavy brown coat and snug-fitting denim. When she moved to close the door, he hastily spoke.

“If you have any trouble with the neighbors…”

Now, why had Quint gone and said that? He was done. He’d followed Sam’s orders—had gone beyond them by going shopping and having lunch with her. Why give her even the faintest idea that he might be willing to do it again?

But he couldn’t take back the words, and when that naughty-little-girl grin lit up her face, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Note to Readers Introduction Dear Reader Dedication Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 About the Publisher ,

There’s an old saying to write what you know, which is one of the reasons I write so many small-town books, but not the only one, mind you. I know small towns, and I love them. Though our few big-city years created great memories—hello, San Diego—I can’t see myself living anywhere now but the little Oklahoma town where I grew up. Granted, there’s a shortage of restaurants, and shopping’s limited pretty much to Walmart and the farm-supply store, but I can cook, and shopping’s overrated, anyway. Besides, where in a big city can you buy fried frog legs to munch on while you fill your gas tank?

This particular little town, Cedar Creek, is my hometown in disguise. Well, maybe not fully disguised. Slightly camouflaged might be more accurate. There are a few fictional places mixed in with enough real ones that the locals recognize it in spite of made-up names. It makes writing the books feel like…well, coming home.

In this book, I combined a second love—heroine JJ is from South Carolina. We lived there three times while my husband was in the navy, and it’s a special place. Of course, by the end of the story, JJ is willing to leave home and settle in Cedar Creek with Quint, just like I once moved from Oklahoma and settled a lot of places with my husband.

Because, after all, home is where the heart is, isn’t it?

Happy reading,

Marilyn

To my childhood partner in crime, my cohort and conspirator, and one of the very few people I know who really would be sitting beside me if I ever wound up in a jail cell, saying, “Dang, that was fun!” You’re the best cousin ever.

Yes, Hope Cooper, I’m looking at you. Love you!

Contents

Cover