Book ~ "Heroes & Lovers" (2012) Wayne Zurl

From WayneZurlBooks ~ Sam Jenkins might say, “Falling in love is like catching a cold. It’s infectious and involuntary. Just don’t sneeze on any innocent people.”

Getting kidnapped and becoming infatuated with a married policeman never made TV reporter Rachel Williamson’s list of things to do before Christmas. But helping her friend, Sam Jenkins, with a fraud investigation would get her an exclusive story. Sam’s investigation put Rachel in the wrong place at the wrong time and her abduction by a mentally disturbed fan, ruined several days of her life.

When Jenkins learns Rachel has gone missing, he cancels holiday leaves, mobilizes the personnel at Prospect PD and enlists his friends from the FBI to help find her. During the early stages of the investigation, Sam develops several promising leads but as they begin to fizzle, his prime suspect drops off the planet and all the resources of the FBI aren’t helping.

After a lucky break and a little old-fashioned pressure on an informant produce an important clue, the chief leads his team deep into the Smoky Mountains to rescue his friend. But after Rachel is once again safe at home, he finds their problems are far from over.

Sam is a 60-year-old police chief in a small town in Tennessee.  In the past, he was in the army and a New York cop ... which he brings into action when he needs to.  He doesn't hesitate to rough someone up a bit to get the information he wants.  He's been married to Kate for almost forty years.

Rachel is younger than Sam, is a TV reporter, married to Boyd and mother of two sons.  Though Sam and Rachel love their spouses, there is an attraction between them that they both know is there and enjoy but they don't cross the line.

When Sam discovers that a garage in town is ripping off women who bring in their cars, he investigates and gets the proof.  He lets Rachel in on it so she can report on it.  But something goes wrong.  John, her cameraman, gets knocked out and Rachel gets kidnapped.  Was it the owner of the garage?  Or was it someone from one of the stories she had investigated in the past?  Because of their special connection, Sam is determine to find her.


I liked the writing style.  It is funny and sarcastic at times.  Given the storyline, though, the writing style didn't pull me in as a story like this usually does ... I found it less intense, probably given the locale and the fact the author actually lives there.  When the locals speak, it is written phonetically so you get a feel of how the conversation actually is.  Despite being a tough guy, Sam can be quite a charmer to the ladies.  There is some mature language.