Silenced by Dani Pettrey

  Silenced is the fourth book in the Alaskan Courage series, a Christian romance thriller series by Dani Pettrey.  The romance in this book centers around Kayden and Jake.  The thriller part of the story starts when Kayden discovers a dead climber while rock climbing, but then turns into something else when Kayden starts getting death threats.  Jake, a former detective from Boston, is deputized and put on the case and in a totally unrealistic plot move, Kayden, who is no way close to being a police officer, is allowed to help with the investigation simply she because she discovered the body.  Together the detective and the not-a-detective set out to solve a murder.

The romance between Kayden and Jake has been a long time coming.  Up until this book Kayden has been mostly rude and dismissive of Jake.  He's not from Yancy, the Alaskan town where Kayden and her siblings grew up, and he hasn't shared much about his past.  Kayden seems to consider this a good enough reason to not trust Jake and treat him like a criminal.  In book three (Stranded), Jake's past is revealed and it turns out he's a pretty good guy.  It was easy to see why Kayden eventually falls for Jake.  He's handsome, kind, always there to help her family when they need it.  It was less easy to see why Jake falls for Kayden given the way she treated him in the past, but he does and pretty quickly too.  They both are pretty tentative in the beginning but eventually it all comes together.

What I like most about this series is the Alaskan setting.  In every book people are climbing, hiking, diving, or otherwise enjoying the natural wonders of the 49th state.  The thrillers usually involve some aspect of the outdoors as well.  I also enjoy the familial relationships of the McKenna family - Cole, Gage, Kayden, Piper, and Reef.  After their parents died the older siblings stayed to raise the younger siblings.  They're a tight knit family, which is something I don't see in many books that I read.