Julia Ridgmontgrew up in the American West, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she knows how
to ride a horse. What it does mean, however, is that she loves to weave the
country’s rich history into riveting tales full of romance and intrigue.
When she’s not writing, Julia enjoys cooking, sewing costumes for her children,
spending time with her husband, and watching her children perform in sports or
plays—or, if she’s really bored or stuck on a plot twist, cleaning the house.
She also writes contemporary inspirational romance under her real name, Laura
L. Walker.
Follow Julia as she unveils heroes whose strength and courage are only
surpassed by their tenderness, and heroines who hide their lonely hearts with a
cover of steel. It will take overcoming insurmountable odds and an iron will
for them to find a love that lasts forever. Luckily, they have Julia to help
them along.
To guard his heart or protect two little girls . . . Is he willing to risk it all?
1871
Pinkerton detective Chas Bryant's last job for the agency is supposed to be
easy—deliver a cache of stolen items back to Mount Vernon after recovering them
from profiteers. Soon, however, Chas discovers that nothing in this case is
simple. When he’s called upon to search for a little girl gone missing after
her parents are murdered, there’s only one woman who can help him . . . but
he’ll need to make her his wife in order to complete the investigation.
Jessica Flanders is only trying to rescue her younger sister from a fate
bleaker than death. How can the powers that be possibly think that separating
them from each other is a good idea? Jessica made a dying promise to her
parents. Now she needs Chas’s help to get her sister back, but when they dig
deeper into the matter, they discover another little girl with an even greater
need for being rescued.
Soon it becomes clear that someone else is searching for the missing girl, too.
Can they keep her safe until the case is solved and the murderers are caught?
If so, Chas and Jessica will need to forge a bond that is stronger than the
evil forces surrounding them, and in the process, a love that will never be
lost.
Read each of the Pinkerton Matchmaker stories in any order. These agents give
the phrase "married to your work" a whole new meaning!
Pinkerton detective Chas Bryant's last job for the agency is supposed to be
easy—deliver a cache of stolen items back to Mount Vernon after recovering them
from profiteers. Soon, however, Chas discovers that nothing in this case is
simple. When he’s called upon to search for a little girl gone missing after
her parents are murdered, there’s only one woman who can help him . . . but
he’ll need to make her his wife in order to complete the investigation.
Jessica Flanders is only trying to rescue her younger sister from a fate
bleaker than death. How can the powers that be possibly think that separating
them from each other is a good idea? Jessica made a dying promise to her
parents. Now she needs Chas’s help to get her sister back, but when they dig
deeper into the matter, they discover another little girl with an even greater
need for being rescued.
Soon it becomes clear that someone else is searching for the missing girl, too.
Can they keep her safe until the case is solved and the murderers are caught?
If so, Chas and Jessica will need to forge a bond that is stronger than the
evil forces surrounding them, and in the process, a love that will never be
lost.
Read each of the Pinkerton Matchmaker stories in any order. These agents give
the phrase "married to your work" a whole new meaning!
Snippet:
A low growl came from Jessica’s
throat. The nerve of this man! “You’ve put my sister in danger without my
consent.”
throat. The nerve of this man! “You’ve put my sister in danger without my
consent.”
“Hold on!” Chas put his palm out to
stop her verbal attack. “The girls are safe where they are. No one else knows Sarah
is there, remember? Mark hasn’t told anyone except me.”
stop her verbal attack. “The girls are safe where they are. No one else knows Sarah
is there, remember? Mark hasn’t told anyone except me.”
“You’re taking him at his word.”
Chas nodded. “Yes. I’m a Pinkerton
agent. I’ve learned to read people quite accurately. I know when they’re
telling the truth and when they’re lying.”
agent. I’ve learned to read people quite accurately. I know when they’re
telling the truth and when they’re lying.”
“Some people happen to be pretty good
liars,” she insisted. “You can’t always know the truth just by looking at
them.”
liars,” she insisted. “You can’t always know the truth just by looking at
them.”
He tilted his head and said, “That’s
an interesting statement. Care to elaborate?”
an interesting statement. Care to elaborate?”
Jessica hesitated before plunging on.
“My father owned a trading business here in Alexandria. Every week, he carted a
load of goods up north into Pennsylvania, sometimes even into New York. Once in
a while he even went south to make what he was really doing appear legitimate.”
“My father owned a trading business here in Alexandria. Every week, he carted a
load of goods up north into Pennsylvania, sometimes even into New York. Once in
a while he even went south to make what he was really doing appear legitimate.”
“Which was?”
“Transporting people. I never once
suspected it. He was very good at keeping it a secret. He even told me to my
face one time that he was merely a man of trade.”
suspected it. He was very good at keeping it a secret. He even told me to my
face one time that he was merely a man of trade.”
“He wasn’t lying,” Chas pointed out.
Caught up as she was in her passionate
speech, Jessica said vehemently, “Oh, strictly speaking, the phrasing was
accurate. But he knew full well that I didn’t know what he was really talking
about. That, to me, is lying. Telling someone something with the intent to
deceive.”
speech, Jessica said vehemently, “Oh, strictly speaking, the phrasing was
accurate. But he knew full well that I didn’t know what he was really talking
about. That, to me, is lying. Telling someone something with the intent to
deceive.”
His jaw tightened, and she knew she’d
hit a nerve. As a Pinkerton agent, he probably had to do his fair share of
lying. It was part of the job. A job that brought people to justice, she recalled
with chagrin. “I’m sorry. I realize there is a good reason to lie occasionally.
I just wonder about this boy, if he’s really telling the truth.”
hit a nerve. As a Pinkerton agent, he probably had to do his fair share of
lying. It was part of the job. A job that brought people to justice, she recalled
with chagrin. “I’m sorry. I realize there is a good reason to lie occasionally.
I just wonder about this boy, if he’s really telling the truth.”
Chas leaned back in his seat, his eyes
becoming shuttered. “He is an orphan himself. His growing up years took place
in that orphanage. He knew it was a safe place to take her. Also, he said the
house went up in flames in two minutes flat. That tells me an accelerant of
some kind was used on the property. There was literally nothing that could save
the house or the people inside.”
becoming shuttered. “He is an orphan himself. His growing up years took place
in that orphanage. He knew it was a safe place to take her. Also, he said the
house went up in flames in two minutes flat. That tells me an accelerant of
some kind was used on the property. There was literally nothing that could save
the house or the people inside.”
“Kerosene, perhaps?” Jessica whispered
as the enormity of his description engulfed her. It sounded like murder, plain
and simple. Except nothing was simple about this case. It sounded very
complicated. Oh, what had she gotten herself and Amy into?
as the enormity of his description engulfed her. It sounded like murder, plain
and simple. Except nothing was simple about this case. It sounded very
complicated. Oh, what had she gotten herself and Amy into?
This sounds like a Great read, i love the cover. Thank you for sharing about the book.
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