Book Review: In the St. Nick of Time by K.M. Daughters

A sexy, suspense-filled mystery concludes the award-winning Sullivan Boys series by K.M. Daughters.

In the St. Nick of Time finds Kay Sullivan Lynch returning to the Chicago Police Department, much to the dismay of her family. She's not sure it's the right move for her either, but the widow needs to make a life for her and her children so they can move past their loss.

Captain Flynn Dowd transfered to the CPD to escape his own troubles. He hasn't thought about having a woman in his life for a long time, but beautiful and dedicated Detective Lynch sets his pulse to racing. When Sidewalk Santas collecting to feed the hungry are dropping dead all over Chicago, Kay and Flynn are hard pressed to find a motive or MO. They do however, find a strong mutual attraction they can't deny.

Racing against time, Kay and Flynn try to connect the pieces of this strange murder mystery, while exploring their feelings for each other. Will the Lynch children's opposition force Kay to choose between her family and her man?

I am both excited and upset at the same time. I've loved The Sullivan Boys series since the first book, Against Doctor's Orders. Now that the series has come to an end, I'm sad to know I won't have more Sullivan family stories to look forward to.

In the Saint Nick of Time is a romantic, suspenseful conclusion to a great series. The strength of this series has always been its characters. K.M. Daughters creates wonderful, complex characters whose stories you want to follow. You root for these couples to get past all the obstacles standing in their way.

We see the focus shift to the one girl in the Sullivan family, Kay. Having given up her job with the CPD years ago in exchange for life as a wife and mother, she is at a crossroads. Her husband is gone, her children are growing up, and she's not quite sure what she should do. She's only sure that being a depressed, grief-stricken widow isn't the only thing in her future. Her decision to be reinstated is met with mixed feelings in her family. Add in her attraction to Flynn, and her plate is more than full.

What I truly appreciated about In the Saint Nick of Time is that we get to experience all of Kay's doubts and triumphs with her. When she and Flynn are together for the first time, we see the shyness of a mature woman who is exploring a new relationship, unsure if she is still attractive after giving birth to four kids. We see how she is accepted by her peers, despite that her brother Pat doesn't give her a break and treats her differently than the rest of the members of the department. We witness Kay in all her roles: mother, detective, sister, and daughter.

While Bobbie and Joe's story in Beyond the Code of Conduct remains my strong favorite (I still re-read passages from it), In the St. Nick of Time is a close second. The motive and modus operandi are unique, the storytelling spectacular, and the conclusion very satisfying.

I highly recommend In the St. Nick of Time by K.M. Daughters. If you want sexy romance and suspense, you'll find it in this book.

Title: In the St. Nick of Time
Author: K.M. Daughters
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN-10: 1601549032
ISBN-13: 978-1601549037
SRP:  $11.99
Also available in a Kindle edition.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide this review.