Library Loot Review: Danger Next Door

CW: murdered child 

Having enjoyed several books by Donna Alward in the past (she's written some great Harlequin Romance and Harlequin American Romance titles...) I was curious to try her first Love Inspired Suspense novel. For her first romantic suspense title, she certainly didn't take the easy way out. It's not exactly cheery holiday reading (hey, my library hold came in - whatcha gonna do?) and I suspect the dark plot of Danger Next Door is going to give more than a few romance readers pause.

Seven years ago Andi Wallace's 3-year-old daughter, Chelsea, was taken from their Cadence Creek home and was found dead in the woods.  Andi was suffering from a cold, and fell asleep after taking cold medicine. Consumed by guilt and grief, her marriage to Jim eventually disintegrated and now Andi lives alone.  Every year on the anniversary of her child's murder she goes to the woods where they found her body to leave a bouquet of daisies and mourn. However this year something is waiting for her. Chelsea's stuffed bunny rabbit. The toy she never let out of her sight. The toy she took with her everywhere is nailed to the tree where they found Chelsea's body.  The stuffed rabbit that hasn't been seen for seven years.

Andi is, understandably, upset. She knows she needs to call the cops. But how she was treated 7 years ago (as a suspect) and the fact that her daughter's murder was never solved, makes her distrustful.  So she calls Ryan Davenport. He's her BFF's brother and he's a cop.  He knows her. Their families go way back. He's a safe alternative and will likely believe her (also he won't think she's nuts if the stuffed toy nailed to the tree turns out to be a grief-induced hallucination - although, of course, it isn't).

Ryan was a rookie RCMP when Chelsea was murdered and it's a case that's always haunted him.  Now, with the case cold, the killer has resurfaced to toy with Andi. Incidents start happening.  Vandalism, gaslighting, and it looks like someone has broken into her house on more than one occasion. As he turns up the heat to solve this case, he and Andi get closer - further complicating an already extremely complicated situation.

Right up front I want to disclose that this book isn't graphic (Love Inspired books aren't graphic) but it doesn't have to be to be "dark." I mean, a murdered toddler is Dark AF. It's the kind of plot you'd expect in a grim suspense novel with doom closing in from all angles.  Alward doesn't write dark, the Love Inspired lines aren't dark, so the tone of this story isn't dark.  It's a weird juxtaposition - to have such a grim plot thread but the tone of the story isn't swaddled under a cloak of depression and angst.  I suspect the author realized this, and having the story set seven years after the crime, I think, helps add a certain perspective.  But still, murdered toddlers are Dark AF.

For her first time out of the gate, the author does a good job building suspense.  After the appearance of the stuffed toy, she slowly ramps up the incidents targeting Andi. Who is toying with her? What will happen next?  Andi is, naturally, scared and I loved the turning point when she goes from scared to seriously pissed off.  Someone murdered her child. Someone is screwing with her. She wants answers and justice. There's a couple of possibilities and even though I thought I had it all figured out, I was only partially right - so the story did keep me guessing.

The romance here is a slow-burner and of the just kisses variety but it moves along at an expected pace for a plot of this nature.  It could have ended on a happy for now, but the author chose to put an epilogue in (fast-forwarding a year later) which I thought worked things out nicely.  Given this is a Love Inspired, there's going to be some God Stuff - and I'd call it slightly more than middle of the road. Andi has lost her faith (like, duh), characters go to church, they pray, there's a Bible verse thrown in at one point, but I never felt like I was trying to be converted. It was more of a "characters struggling leaning on faith/God" variety of inspirational.

I have a complicated relationship with romantic suspense and while I wasn't in love with this one, and the Dark AF plot is a lot, it didn't annoy me or make me want to rip my hair out - which is more than I can say for a lot of romantic suspense.  Andi and Ryan are nice people, the bad guy gets caught and Chelsea gets justice. It delivered what I wanted and kept me reading. A solid first suspense offering from a veteran author.

Final Grade = B-