Hidden Target (Otter Creek 2) by Rebecca Deel

Synopsis:

"No murderer is going to unravel Madison Ryder's new life.

Following the deaths of her husband and unborn son, Madison spent two years knitting her life back together by returning home and opening a yarn store. Now the stalker who murdered her family means to finish the job. After someone sabotages her car and torches her store, Madison joins forces with Nick Santana, her husband's former partner, to capture the killer. She refuses to let the stalker unravel her life a second time--not without a fight.

Ex-cop Nick Santana searched two years for his partner's killer and, after a failed attempt on his life, the hunt leads him to Madison's doorstep. Nick's determined to capture the killer--if he can stay out of jail. Following his arrival in town, he's framed for murder. With evidence mounting and the law closing in, Nick must prove his innocence and win Madison's heart. Nick and Madison pursue the killer, but uncovering his identity could be fatal."

About the Book:

Hidden Target is the second book in the Otter Creek Series. Following on from the events of Witness, Hidden Target follows Serena Cahill's sister Madison as her history becomes her present when somebody begins sending her white roses with notes. When an old friend and former partner to her late husband comes to town, he and Madison must figure out who is stalking her, before they get to her first.

This book provides an intriguing plot, characters, and mystery to keep the reader intrigued. Full of twists and turns and whodunnits, this book is original to the very end. It is the perfect book for lovers of crime, romance and mystery. I would recommend it to everyone who asked for a good book and/or series to read!

The plot of this book is very interesting and action-packed. I would rate it 9/10.

Initial Impression:

After reviewing the first book of the series, Witness, I can tell you that my initial impression of Hidden Target was all the better. Though it threw me off at the beginning when I realised that the book focused on two different characters than the first book, it wasn't long before I was curious to know what would happen next. In the end, I loved how each book tells the stories of other characters you meet throughout the series - it truly allows for an entire community to develop within one series of books! The more I read, the better it got!

The Characters:

I've already mentioned how the character focus shifts with each book in the series. In the first book, we had Serena Cahill and Ethan Blackhawk. In the second, we have Madison Ryder and Nick Santana:

Madison - After experiencing a traumatic accident two years prior, Madison is still mourning the death of her husband and child. Madison is one of the Cahill Triplets, only differentiating from looks by the scar along her face. She owns her own yarn shop - The Bare Ewe, and enjoys the company of her customers. Madison is a very likeable character, you just have to root for her!

Nick - An ex-cop turned PI, Nick is loyal, protective, and totally in love with Madison Ryder. After disappearing for weeks, Nick shows up in Otter Creek when Madison needs him the most. He cares for those he loves, makes the women fawn over him, and drives his flashy car. When those he loves most needs him, Nick is there to step up and do what needs to be done.

Though Hidden Target focuses on Madison and newly introduced Nick Santana, we still see many characters from the previous book. This allows incredible character development for all characters, and definitely impresses me! My character rating is a solid 8/10.

The Writing:

It is my firm belief that with each Otter Creek book that is read, the writing improves. Hidden Target produced a well written perspective topped off with a satisfying narrative. As with Witness, it is written in the third person perspective and changes the perspective to various characters throughout each chapter in the novel. Personally, I love books that are written in this way as it maintains a level of professionalism while ensuring that the reader gains the perspective thoughts and emotions of different characters throughout the novel. I rate the writing at 8/10.

The atmosphere:

Again, I will note how Hidden Target succeeds in further establishing and developing the atmosphere that is Otter Creek which was introduced to us in the first novel of the series. It is, by far, very well done.

There are small aspects of the atmosphere that change though - which is expected - as the characters telling the story has changed between books. Where Witness portrayed a more romantic atmosphere between the two protagonists, Hidden Target's atmosphere tends to be more tense and mysterious.

The sense of community evident in this book between the characters and their hometown provides a much more realistic atmosphere of the town, which helps the reader feel more connected and like this is a real town with real people. My rating is 8/10.

Logic:

The logic of this book is satisfactory. Everything that occurs is portrayed through events that you would more than likely see happening in real life; if a person was receiving threats, the police would investigate; if somebody showed up dead, the police would investigate etc. Every character has very realistic and logical reactions to the events that occur within the book, and it provides a sense of realism for the reader.

The only thing that might stick out to a reader that may not be logical, is the amount of crime based solely around one family in a town as small as Otter Creek. In the first book, we had Serena being targeted by an international assassin. In Hidden Target, Madison is being targeted by a stalker. The next book, Written in Blood, will focus on the final Cahill triplet, Meg, and so on. If you're a reader who believes that all of these crimes can't happen to just one family within the space of a few months, it might be best if you don't read this series, but if you enjoy crime and romance and mystery and don't mind this detail, all of the books are available on Kindle Unlimited! My rating for the logic within Hidden Target is a total of 7/10.

Intrigue:

I will admit, I was very curious throughout the entirety of this novel. I wanted to know who the stalker was, why all of this was happening now, and what would happen to our protagonists. Deel did a very good job at keeping the intrigue alive throughout the novel, ensuring that we'd just want to turn the page and start the next chapter. It is a very good thing to be able to do when writing within the crime genre and I am very impressed. I give it a 9/10.

Enjoyment:

If you couldn't already tell, I enjoyed this novel very much. In my opinion, it is better than Witness. It has a new, intriguing story, more new characters to get to know, and the story is very well written. From the moment I started this book, I couldn't put it down. If I remember correctly, I finished it in about 3-5 days. My enjoyment would definitely have to be a 10/10. Though it seems very generous, this book honestly deserves it. It's the best novel in a series that I have read in a while, and the following books only get better!

Overall Rating:

My overall rating of Hidden Target is that it's a brilliant book if you want crime with a bit of romance. Honestly, it's one of my favourites.

I have to give Hidden Target by Rebecca Deel a total rating of 8.43/10 and 4 stars.

Enjoy the read!