Melinda Leigh's Book 2 See Her Die is a good follow up to Book 1 Cross Her Heart of the Bree Taggert novels.
Bree Taggert is the newly appointed sheriff, replacing the crooked but apparently well-liked man before her. There are still some loyalties to the former sheriff, but mostly she's earned the respect of the deputies even though there seems to be a residual resentment from a couple of them. Now she's facing a mysterious shooting on the frozen lake at a closed resort where two young women have been squatting in one of the cabins without heat other than the fireplace and no plumbing.
Besides no evidence of blood on the ice, there is no body. The young woman who reported the shooting of her friend said she woke up to the absence of her friend, her keys and wallet also missing. She went outside to see her vehicle still there and looked through the snowy woods to find her friend but instead came upon a male and her friend out on the lake.
When Bree takes her to the station for questioning, she learns the two girls are homeless but met in a shelter. This girl, Alyssa, is holding something back although her fear is real. Bree decides to put her up in a motel and takes her shopping for some necessities since her backpack is in evidence but she experiences a harrowing incident inside the store.
Meanwhile, the man Matt Flynn, who used to be an investigator with the police force until he was injured, is still hopeful that he and Bree can make something work between them. He's a K-9 specialist and his sister operates a dog rescue that Matt helps with. Bree is terrified of dogs after having been mauled as a child by one of her dad's dogs. Matt does his best to help her address her fear.
When mutilated bodies start turning up in places on the frozen lake, Bree hires Matt to help with the investigation since he's trying to find a missing young man who could be related to the case.
It's not an uncommon plot where the killer's motivation is concerned, but there are multiple crimes and suspects to keep the story interesting. Melinda does a good job of disguising the killer, making the reader shiver in the icy cold, fear for potential victims, and feel the frustration of hitting dead ends in the pursuit of a vicious murderer.
See Her Die covers a lot of territory as far as human emotions, fears, psychopathy, and real needs. The conclusion counters the ugliness of the murders and provides the reader with a positive ending - and two effective visits from characters in one of Melinda's other series.
Profanity present.
Father, you know hearts and minds and the thoughts of humanity. Only you save souls. Please continue to bless Melinda's life and her writing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.