Review: Hot Water, Hot Read!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
When I first began reading Maggie Toussaint's HOT WATER, I was immediately engaged by the main character, Laurie Ann Dinterman. Attentive to the point of being obsessed with her work on the Mossy Bog Police Force, Laurie Ann is so engrossed in her work, she has no time for romance. Called to a torched restaurant that contains the body of a homeless man, Laurie Ann is quickly embroiled in a murder investigation and a serial arson investigation. The problem, however, is that she is forced to work with and babysit for the politically connected arson investigator, Wyatt North. She is not happy; she's been forced to take the back seat many times because of her gender. However, with a promotion in the wings, she swallows her anger and partners up with the new guy--who turns out to be a smart hottie with an urge to find and bring the serial arsonist who killed his partner to justice.Wyatt is enraged over the loss of yet another person to this monster. Now he has to work with this no nonsense woman cop who is smart, dedicated, and attractive. Unhappy with the fact that he is being looked after, he at least has a cute baby sitter. Unfortunately, she just happens to keep getting in the way of his investigation and keeps insisting it's hers, too.Sparks fly and the pages heat up in this romantic suspense set in a small town setting. Readers who enjoy small southern towns will warm up to Mossy Bog and its cast of characters. Everyone is a suspect, and Laurie Ann wonders if this out of towner will cut anyone a break. Besides, as soon as he finds his arsonist, he's just going to blow out of town and go back to his White House connections, isn't he? Why does she keep wishing he'd settle down in her little burg? She should know better at her age, shouldn't she?No spoilers coming from me! I very much enjoyed this story and learned a lot about arson without lectures. Maggie Toussaint really did her research and it showed over and over. I was delighted with her off beat, quirky characters and the sense of a place where time slows down and the pace of life is a little more civilized and charming. This book took me for a fun filled ride with enough twists to keep me flipping through my Kindle late at night. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 blazing stars.