While TRACK HER DOWN is the ninth book in Melinda Leigh's Bree Taggert series, it works well as a stand-alone. Of course, starting with the opening installment gives readers a chance to understand Bree’s whole backstory and how she came to be the sheriff in upstate New York. But each novel provides enough about all the main characters to ensure a satisfying read.

This mystery just might be among the most thrilling of the entire series as one of the "victims" of the killer is the daughter of the couple murdered in their bed. And that's just in the first chapter. Teenager Claire Mason finds her adoptive parents slaughtered in their bedroom when she arrives home from her part-time job. She calls 911, and the dispatch operator asks her if the killer could still be in the house. The chapter ends, and naturally we are going to keep reading.

"The twist at the end of TRACK HER DOWN and the action throughout are extremely compelling, and Leigh makes it all work."

Bree works in Randolph County, where she had moved to care for her niece and nephew after their mother, Bree's sister, was killed. Matt Flynn is a former deputy who handled a K9 before an unfortunate incident ended his career. He now works as an independent investigator for the county and helps Bree in her investigations. He also is her boyfriend, and over the course of the series, their relationship has developed.

Bree and the other detectives are stumped by this murder case. It turns out that the couple's lives were fake. They were not the lawyers they proclaimed themselves to be. In fact, they were scammers and had a well-developed charity scam that was fruitful enough to fund their rather expensive lifestyle. Why were they killed?

When it develops that someone is attempting to harm Claire, more questions arise. After the midpoint of the story, Leigh keeps the twists coming nonstop. There are seemingly unrelated events, pieces of the puzzle, that she masterfully places on the table without any connections to the other pieces. But one by one, she adds a piece here and a piece there, forming a complete picture as surely as any complex puzzle.

Leigh's love of animals comes through every book in the series. It's touching to read about Bree’s loving dog, Ladybug, who actually was Leigh's dog in real life and who recently passed away. Leigh is a big advocate of rescuing dogs, and Matt's sister runs a dog rescue. She is adamant and dogged (pardon the pun) in her quest to help animals in need. We all root for Greta, the K9 who had been an unadoptable stray when Matt realized her potential to be a police dog.

Bree Taggert makes a wonderful protagonist as Leigh demonstrates her determination, frank nature and lack of political acumen, but also her vulnerability. Her nephew is the same age as Claire, and her heart breaks for the young woman who has lost her family just as Bree lost her loved ones as a young girl. But when you’re the sheriff, you can't allow your emotions to overtake running an investigation that must be based on facts and evidence.

The twist at the end of TRACK HER DOWN and the action throughout are extremely compelling, and Leigh makes it all work. While she has created characters who exemplify the best of human nature, she also gives us a dark look at those who do not.