After a strong and excellent debut novel earlier this year, author Patricia Bradley comes out with her sophomore effort, A PROMISE TO PROTECT, the second book in her Logan Point series.

Dr. Leigh Summerall fled Logan Point to get as far away as she could from the love of her life, Ben Logan. Nine years later, she is back in her hometown, now a widowed mother of an eight-year-old son, TJ, and is harboring a secret. Leigh works her tail off at a local hospital to pay off her debt and put in enough hours so she can pursue her dream --- well, her late father’s dream --- of landing a position at the prestigious John’s Hopkins hospital. It can’t be soon enough for her. She can’t wait to leave Logan Point for good, especially since the last thing she wants is to run into Ben, who is now the town’s Acting Sheriff.

"A PROMISE TO PROTECT is another impressive release by Patricia Bradley. As with the first book, the storyline is solid and intense, the characters well-developed, and the mystery cleverly crafted."

Leigh’s brother Tony is in trouble, and despite not wanting to see Ben, she feels she has no choice but to ask her ex-boyfriend for help. But before she can ask, her brother is murdered. And whoever killed him seems to think that Leigh is in possession of a flash drive she knows nothing about. Now Ben insists on being her personal bodyguard. After what seems like an attempt on her life, she and TJ move in with Ben’s parents. His father is unable to speak because of a recent stroke, but Leigh can see from the way he looks at her son that he has discovered the secret she is determined to keep.

Ben is at Tony’s side as Tony dies from a gunshot wound. Tony begs Ben to watch over Leigh and TJ after he’s gone. Ben still doesn’t understand why Leigh left town all those years ago, not even bothering to say goodbye. No matter how difficult it’s been to get her out of his mind even after nine years, seeing her again doesn’t seem like a good idea. But he can’t deny the dying man’s last wish and finds himself agreeing. It’s difficult to be around Leigh, not only because old feelings are resurfacing, but because of her son. Ben likes TJ but feels uncomfortable around kids in general, due to the fact that he was unable to rescue a boy from drowning a few years ago. He has yet to forgive himself, and the father of the young boy is more than willing to remind him of how he “let” his son die. 

Leigh is strong-willed and determined to do things on her own, resisting Ben’s help. Ben, on the other hand, is trying to face his discomfort while keeping his promise to Tony and protecting Leigh and TJ But the killer is just as determined to do whatever it takes to get the flash drive he’s certain Leigh has, even if it means leaving more dead bodies in his wake.

A PROMISE TO PROTECT is another impressive release by Patricia Bradley. As with the first book, the storyline is solid and intense, the characters well-developed, and the mystery cleverly crafted. While the romance between Leigh and Ben is sometimes frustrating, mostly due to Leigh’s stubbornness, there is an element of believability in her actions. A couple of characters from SHADOWS OF THE PAST, the first installment in the series, make an appearance, but the story stands alone, so reading the previous novel is definitely not necessary in order to follow this one. Still, once you read A PROMISE TO PROTECT, you may just find yourself heading to the bookstore to pick up a copy of the first.

On par with authors like Lynette Eason and Irene Hannon, Patricia Bradley seems to be on her way to becoming a more well-known name in the Christian romantic suspense genre.