Dead Ringer by Susan Sleeman

When a woman goes missing Sheriff Blake Jenkins knows he only has hours to be able to follow her trail. To expedite getting DNA results Blake takes the samples gathered to the Veritas group. When he sees Emory Steele coming out of her office Blake is totally ticked because she is a dead ringer for the abducted woman. Quickly learning that Emory had no idea that she was adopted, let alone a twin, she agrees to use all of the Veritas teams resources to help find her abducted sister. Why were they given up at birth and why did her parents never tell her that she was adopted, and can they find her twin before she is murdered and before they find out what happened in the past?

Blake has no interest in getting involved with a woman. In fact he cannot allow himself to get involved with a woman. He failed his sister many years before and he has no intention of failing another woman in his life. But Emory's combination of vulnerability and tenacity slip under his radar and touch his heart before he knows what has hit him! Will he once again be able to put his trust in God to help him solve this crime and protect the woman that he has come to care deeply for?

This is the first in the Truth Seekers series and in perfect Susan Sleeman fashion starts off capturing the readers attention and gathering momentum as the pages turn! If you've read the COLD HARBOR series then you know we have met Blake before. He's the Sheriff from those books. In fact the Blackwell Tactical Team also make an appearance in the Truth Seekers series. We also met Emory Steele in the last COLD HARBOR book COLD DAWN. So DEAD RINGER sort of picks up where the COLD HARBOR series left off. I love Blake and Emory. Both have had experiences in their backgrounds that cause them to shy away from any relationship, yet both, of course, are inexplicably drawn to each other. Emory frustrated me a couple of times at the beginning of the book when she rushed in to situations after Blake had told her to stay put. She was a mixture of frayed nerves because of her past and a strong independent woman wanting to exert herself and her skills. Admirable, but dangerous. Blake of course was a character of contrasts as well. He was decisive in his job and single-minded as well, but he could also turn on the charm and warmth that caught Emory off guard. The mystery of why the girls were given up for adoption and why they were separated was interesting and kept the reader wondering what was in the past and what could happen next. DEAD RINGER was a great introduction to the TRUTH SEEKERS series and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series!