The First Shall Be Last (Avalon Mystery)
Montgomery County, North Carolina, sheriff Sharyn Howard is determined to bring down Senator Jack Winter, the man she holds responsible for her father's death, as well as the corruption in her jurisdiction. She teams up with FBI agent Brewster in an elaborate scam that involves Sharyn breaking up with her beloved boyfriend, Montgomery County medical examiner Nick Thomopolis, in order to date Winter. In addition, she must find the hit-and-run driver who killed young mother Michelle Frey. Sharyn hates the subterfuge of being Winter's girlfriend—a man despised by her family and friends—and she mourns the loss of her relationship with Nick, who doesn't know the reason for their breakup. With intersecting plotlines—will Sharon be able to resolve the long-standing question of her father's death?— this volume will be particularly satisfying to followers of the series. Others will find it an entertaining if ordinary mix of small-town procedural and domestic drama. O'Brien, Sue