Against the Storm (Raines of Wind Canyon Series #4)

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Overview

Redheads like Maggie O'Connell are nothing but trouble. But Trace Rawlins, a former army ranger turned private investigator, takes the case anyway. After all, he knows a thing or two about women.

Trace can sense that something is wrong—Maggie isn't telling him everything. If these menacing calls and messages are real, why won't the police help her? And if they aren't real, what is she hiding?

As Trace digs deeper to find the source of Maggie's threats, he discovers a secret that no one was meant to uncover. And the only puzzle left to be solved is whether the danger comes from an unknown stalkeror from the woman he's trying his hardest not to fall for.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780778312925
Publisher: Mira
Publication date: 10/25/2011
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 400
Sales rank: 41,608
Series: Raines of Wind Canyon Series , #4
Product dimensions: 4.21 (w) x 6.62 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Read an Excerpt

Houston, Texas

Snow Dogs. Trace Rawlins sat at a table in back of the Texas Cafe thinking of his client and her white rapper husband, Bobby Jordane, the lead singer of the wildly successful rap music group, the Snow Dogs.

It seemed the perfect name for the mangy group, who sang about decadent society yet seemed to be the root of the problem. Only Bobby was married, his beautiful wife of the last three years was a creamy cocoa-skinned African American. Why she had ever married the guy, aside from his seven-figure bank account, Trace couldn't imagine.

Apparently, Shawna had come to the same conclusion, for she sat a few tables away next to her attorney, Evan Schofield, there for a meeting with Bobby.

Bobby Jordane was a wife beater par excellence, and he was extremely unhappy that Shawna had filed for divorce. But Schofield had managed to set up a meeting at a neutral location kept secret from the media, in the hope something could actually be accomplished.

The restaurant was old and narrow, with wooden floors and a long, varnished-wood lunch counter, a place for locals where a guy like Bobby wouldn't even be recognized. This time of day, the lunch crowd was gone and it was too early for dinner patrons. Only two other tables were occupied, one by an older man and his wife drinking chocolate shakes, another by two young women eating hamburgers. One of them was a foxy redhead Trace tried not to notice, but his gaze wandered back to her again and again.

Unfortunately, he seemed to have a penchant for trouble where redheads were concerned.

He returned his thoughts to the meeting at hand, which was supposed to include only Bobby and his attorney, Shawna and Evan Schofield, Trace's longtime friend.

But Bobby was a hothead, and Evan was no fool. He didn't trust Bobby, and neither did Trace. Everyone in Houston had read about the couple's fiery clashes and Bobby's out-of-control behavior, which recently had landed him in jail. Shawna had threatened to file a restraining order, and Evan had hired Trace, a private detective and the owner of Atlas Security, to keep a protective eye on his client.

The bell above the cafe door rang, flipping the little ruffled curtain above the glass. True to form, Bobby sauntered in without his attorney, just the other two obnoxious members of the Snow Dogs.

Clyde "The Mountain" Thibodaux hailed from New Orleans. Big, bald and tattooed, he was bare-chested beneath his leather vest. A small black goatee clung to his chin.

Lenny Finks, known to his fans as Lenny the Sphinx, was the nerd of the group. Skinny and homely, with kinky auburn hair, he was the talent behind the act, the guy who wrote the music, though Trace refused to call it that. Lenny was harmless, except for the viperous tongue he used to lash at the group's critics. He was a necessary component and the reason for the group's unbelievable success.

Bobby himself was as tall as Trace, about six-two, and as lean and solidly built. Having taken years of martial arts, Bobby thought he was a tough guy. Trace flicked a glance at the bruises on Shawna Jordane's beautiful face, clamped down on a surge of anger and wished he could show him ex-Ranger tough.

Instead, he tipped back his white straw cowboy hat, shifted in his chair and sipped his coffee, his gaze fixed on Bobby, who swaggered over to Shawna's table, his friends close behind.

"Hey, babe."

"Hello, Bobby." Her voice held the faint edge of fear.

Bobby turned a hard look on the man beside her. "SoEvanyou wanted me to come down here so we could have a little chat. Is that right?"

The lawyer, a slender man with sandy brown hair and intelligent eyes, sat up a little straighter in his chair. "I was hoping we might be able to make some progress in the matter of your divorce," he said.

Bobby shifted, his legs splayed in a belligerent stance. "You get my wife to file for divorce and you want me to come here so we can talk?" Reaching out, he grabbed Evan by his red-striped power tie and hauled him to his feet. Shawna screamed and Trace went into action.

Tossing Lenny out of the way like the skinny little runt he was, he reached out and grabbed hold of the back of Bobby's black, silver dragon T-shirt. Trace spun him around, waited an instant for Bobby to throw the first punch, then ducked and nailed him solidly in the jaw. Bobby went down like a sack of wheat, his head hitting the wooden floor with a melonlike thump that had his eyes rolling back in his head.

"You son of a bitch!" Clyde's blunt, meaty hands balled into fists as he lumbered forward, swinging a roundhouse punch meant to send a man to his knees. Trace ducked, turned a little and threw a straight-from-the-shoulder blow that sank four inches into the big man's stomach. Clyde grunted, doubled over, and Trace took him out with an uppercut to the chin.

Blood gushed from his nose and Clyde flew backward, knocking over a table and sending the surprised older couple scrambling out of the way. It was exactly the kind of thing Evan Schofield had hoped to prevent when he had hired Trace.

"Sorry, buddy."

Evan held up a hand. "Not your fault. I should have known this wouldn't work." He grinned. "Besides, it was worth it to see Bobby get what he had coming."

Shaking off the ache in his hand, Trace reached down and picked up his cowboy hat, settled it once more on his head. Lenny stood next to Bobby with his mouth gaping and his eyes wide. "Y-you shouldn't have done that."

"You don't think so?"

"BobbyBobby's gonna be really mad."

Trace chuckled softly. "If you're smart, you'll get him out of here before somebody calls the police. He doesn't need any more trouble."

Evan pulled out Shawna's chair. "Let's go."

She rose shakily to her feet and turned to Trace.

"Thank you, Mr. Rawlins. You have no idea how good that made me feel."

A corner of his mouth edged up. "Oh, I think I do."

Shawna turned and started walking, but before she had reached the door, a camera flashed, capturing her retreat. Then the photographer turned toward the man moaning softly on the floor. The camera flashed again and again, taking photos of Bobby Jordane that would be wildly embarrassing to a guy with an ego as massive as his.

Trace inwardly cursed. The redhead. Just as he'd figured, they were nothing but trouble.

Striding toward her, he reached out and jerked the camera from her hands, turned it around and deleted the last series of digital photos.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? You can't do that!"

"Nice camera," Trace said. Walking over to the lunch counter, he handed it to Betty Sparks, the owner of the cafe.

The sexy redhead raced along behind him. "Listen, whoever you are—that's my camera! You can't just—"

"I just did. And you can have it back as soon as they're gone." Trace tipped his hat to the redhead and her friend, a tall, svelte brunette a year or two older. "Have a nice afternoon, ladies."

Turning, he strolled out of the café.

"Did you see that? Oh, my God!" The brunette's attention followed the man who strode down the sidewalk outside the window. "Who was that gorgeous hunk?"

Maggie O'Connell's gaze jerked toward the window just as the tall, lanky cowboy in the white straw hat disappeared from view. "What are you talking about?

That bastard just ruined my pictures. Bobby Jordane and his estranged wife? You know how much photos like that are worth?"

Maggie turned at the sound of a groan, saw the guy with the kinky hair—Lenny the Sphinx, his fans called him—help Bobby to his feet. Clyde the Mountain swayed upward until he was standing. Wordlessly, the small group staggered toward the door.

Maggie looked longingly at the lady who held her camera, but the older woman just shook her head.

Maggie sighed. She wouldn't be getting photos of Bobby Jordane sprawled on the old plank floor, beaten to a pulp. Not today.

"I hate to remind you, but you aren't the tabloid type," said her best friend, Roxanne De Mers. "You didn't come here to take pictures. You came for a late lunch with a friend. It just turned out to be a little more exciting than we planned."

Roxy swung back to the window, watching the rap stars as they made their way to the long white limo waiting out front. "I wonder who he was."

Maggie didn't have to ask who her friend was talking about. The cowboy was, at the very least, impressive. Tall and lean, with wide shoulders and slim hips, he had thick, dark hair neatly trimmed, golden-brown eyes and a set of biceps that were impossible to miss.

Still, she didn't appreciate his interference in her business. As the limo door closed, shutting the three men inside, she walked over to the counter to collect her camera, which the broad-hipped woman readily handed back to her.

"So who was he?" Maggie asked, nodding toward the window. "The Lone Ranger out therewhat was his name?"

"You a reporter?"

"I'm a photographer. Mostly I do outdoor shots. I just saw an opportunity and took it—or tried to."

"Sorry it didn't pan out."

"Me, too. I can always use a little extra money."

"Name's Betty Sparks," the woman said. "Me and my husband, Bill, own this place."

"Nice to meet you, Betty. I'm Maggie O'Connell. You make a great burger."

"Thanks."

The woman, who was in her late fifties, with a cap of short, curly gray hair, tipped her head toward the door. "His name's Trace Rawlins. Owns Atlas Security. He's a private investigator."

Walking up beside Maggie, Roxanne sighed dramatically, a hand over her heart. "I think I'm in love."

"The redhead's got a better chance," Betty said. "Trace has a weakness for 'em."

"No, thanks. I don't do cowboys."

Betty chuckled. "If I was twenty years younger, I'd dye my hair."

Maggie laughed. "How much do we owe you?" She walked over to the purse hanging on the back of her wooden chair and started digging for her wallet.

"On the house," Betty said. "It's the least I can do."

Maggie smiled. "Thanks."

"You new in the neighborhood?"

She nodded. "I just bought one of those town houses they built a few blocks away. Vaulted ceiling upstairs. Good north light, great place to work, you know?"

"Welcome, then. Maybe we'll see you again."

"If it's always this much fun in here," Roxanne said, "I'm sure you will."

Betty just laughed.

Maggie put her Nikon back in its case and slung the straps of the camera bag and her purse over her shoulder. Roxanne tossed a couple bills on the table for a tip, and the two walked out the door.

"You know that trouble you been having?" Roxy said.

Maggie paused. "What about it?"

"That cowboyhe's in the security business and he's an investigator. He might be able to help you."

Maggie started to argue, to say she didn't need any help. Then she thought of the way Trace Rawlins had handled those three men. "I hope it doesn't come to something like that."

But it might and both of them knew it. For more than a month, someone had been following her, phoning her and hanging up, leaving messages on the windshield of her car. So far it hadn't been more than that, but it was frightening just the same.

When she got home, she was going to look up the number for Atlas Security.

And write it down beside Trace Rawlins's name.

Trace returned to the Atlas Security office on Times Street. He lived in a house in the University District not far away, a place with a yard for Rowdy, his black-and-white border collie, with big shady trees and an old-fashioned, covered front porch. When his dad died, Trace had inherited the house along with the business, a company his father had started when he first got out of the army.

Seth Rawlins had been a Ranger, a tough son of a bitch. Following in his footsteps, Trace had also enlisted and become a Ranger, figuring on a career in the military. Then six years ago, his dad had been killed in a car accident and Trace had come home to take over the business as he knew his father would have wished.

He slowed his dark green Jeep Grand Cherokee, pulled into the parking area in front of his office and turned off the engine. Recently, he had purchased the two-story brick structure—or rather, he and the bank owned it together until he paid off the mortgage. Which, since his profits were up and he was making double payments, he hoped wouldn't take too long.

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The_Reading_Reviewer

Posted November 1, 2011

more from this reviewer

I Also Recommend:

Why is it that the one thing you want the most is the last thing you should have?

Maggie O'Connell is a well respected professional photographer with a great life, a future of success, and numerous professional accolades. Her philanthropic deeds have made her well respected in Houston which is one of the many reasons she is questioning why someone appears to be stalking her. Maggie needs help in figuring what these creepy notes mean and how they broke into her home. She turns to Trace Rawlins, a reliable private detective and ex-Army Ranger who is absolutely a cool drink on a hot Texas day.

Trace has always had a weakness for redheads and this one in particular is really ramping up his "I want that" meter. Trace is dedicated to his business and realizes that mixing some great pleasure in the "she is a client" pot is a recipe for disaster. So concentrating his efforts on finding whoever is after Maggie and stopping this person quickly because whoever it is has decided to ramp up their actions and is getting more aggressive with each passing day. Despite other cases that may distract him, his one true goal right now is to find the stalker and stop whoever it is.

The one clear objective Trace had was the truth and it appears Maggie is still holding back some important details he needs to know. She doesn't tell him all her secrets, refuses to acknowledge that anyone in her past could be the problem, and just won't let Trace know her true feelings. Trace has been burned and knows the pain that comes with betrayal but in order to make their personal and working relationship work Maggie has to stop the smoke and mirror routine and give everything to their partnership.

When the security system fails, Maggie's house is set on fire, and tracking devices are found, Trace knows it is time to set the trap. His plan is brilliant and will work if Maggie can keep her cool and play her part without going off the script. Trace won't admit his feelings for her but they are true and run deep so nothing is going to harm a hair on that perfect red head of hers - you can take that to the bank.

As a fan of Kat Martin's and in particular this series I was looking forward to where she was going with the books. The wait was worth it as this book is a total delight with a Texas background, great storyline and well developed characters. Ms. Martin knows how to entertain the reader by giving them just enough information to make sure they are so intrigued you never want to put the book down or have it end. This book is a sure winner and great addition to the series.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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DebR97

Posted January 18, 2012

more from this reviewer

Kat Martin does it again....Great Read!!

Redheads like Maggie O'Connell are nothing but trouble. But Trace Rawlins, a former army ranger turned private investigator, takes the case anyway. After all, he knows a thing or two about women. Trace can sense that something is wrong—Maggie isn't telling him everything. If these menacing calls and messages are real, why won't the police help her? And if they aren't real, what is she hiding? As Trace digs deeper to find the source of Maggie's threats, he discovers a secret that no one was meant to uncover. And the only puzzle left to be solved is whether the danger comes from an unknown stalker… or from the woman he's trying his hardest not to fall for. Kat Martin writes powerful stories that sweep the reader along for a fast paced ride. Trace and Maggie both have issues from their past that help shape who they are now. Their love story has twists and turns but it's well worth the journey. What follows is a suspenseful, wildly romantic story, which will have you turning the pages to find the outcome. Ms. Martin is very good at delivering a suspenseful mystery interlaced with the right amount of romance. Even the side story of Maggie's sister is a great addition. I recommend Against the Storm to anyone who enjoys suspenseful mysteries and spicy romances. It is a quick, easy, and delightful read. I am looking forward to the next book in the series entitled, Against the Night which is being released February 28th.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted May 14, 2012

Bluestar

*She heads to rain warrior*
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Anonymous

Posted May 2, 2012

Darkflame

Youre stormkit if you wanna be my kit..
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Anonymous

Posted March 19, 2012

Great read -you must check this out

This is a good series and is enjoyable to read
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rrusso

Posted March 9, 2012

Highly Recommended!

Love Kate Martin and this whole series. Really enjoyed this addition.
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Anonymous

Posted January 2, 2012

recommended highly.. a must to read

Kat Martin has done it again. Just about the time you figure all is good and they know who it is, you're wrong. You know Trace is going to come out the hero, he has to but the things our hero has to go through to win is what keeps you wanting more with each page you read. You just don't want the book to end but it will and it ends great. Can't wait for the next one..
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Judy_F

Posted December 21, 2011

more from this reviewer

Another wonderful book by a favorite author

Kat Martin continues her The Raines of Wind Canyon series in her book, Against The Storm.

Trace Rawlins knows better then to get involved with a red head but he realizes that photographer Maggie O¿Connell is in some serious danger. Trace knows his skills as a former Army Ranger and currently as a private investigator will be able to keep Maggie safe. Trace tries to keep the relationship professional but there is something about Maggie that makes his pulse race.

Maggie O¿Connell has no choice but to put her faith and trust in Trace¿s hands. The menacing calls and written threats are taking their toll on her and her friends. When her younger sister and newborn son come to live with her she will stop at nothing to protect them both.

Trace and Maggie join forces to determine who is out to harm Maggie. Spending so much time in each others life¿s has their fiery chemistry boiling over. Their passion is hot and can not be ignored. But the danger is closing in on Maggie? Will Trace be able to save the woman he is falling in love with first?

Kat Martin writes powerful stories that sweep the reader along for a fast paced ride. Trace and Maggie both have package from their past that help shape who they are now. Their love story has twists and turns but its well worth the journey. Looking forward to reading more stories in this powerful series.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted December 1, 2011

The best

I loved the book I can't wait for the next book in the Against The series
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Anonymous

Posted November 27, 2011

Wonderful!

I have read all four books and have enjoyed them. Worth it!
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Anonymous

Posted November 23, 2011

Kat Martin is great!

I enjoyed all the books in this series. Can't wait till the next one comes out
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kimba88

Posted November 14, 2011

more from this reviewer

suspenseful romance

Against the Storm is the fourth installment in the Raines of Wild Canyon series by Kat Martin. Fear not, each book can be read as a standalone. In each tale Martin gives us a suspenseful situation, a female in distress and a sexy cowboy to help save the day. Maggie O¿Connell is a strong, successful photographer. Recently, she has been finding little notes on her car and they are beginning to scare her Encouraged by her friend she goes to the police. A youthful mistake makes the police department believe that Maggie is simply crying wolf. When she sees private investigator Trace Rawlins working another case, she realizes he might be able to help her. When Maggie walks into Trace¿s firm asking for help against a stalker, Trace takes one look at this redheaded beauty, and is ready to run. Everybody knows Trace has a thing for redheads. Two years ago he divorced one, and he still hasn¿t recovered from her lying, cheating ways. Despite his personal concerns, his instincts tell him this is a serious threat to Maggie. What follows is a suspenseful, wildly romantic story, which will have you flipping the pages to reach the outcome. Martin is very good at delivering a suspenseful mystery interlaced with the right amount of romance. I am looking forward to the next book in the series entitled, Against the Night. I recommend Against the Storm to anyone who enjoys suspenseful mysteries and spicy romances. It is a quick, easy, delightful read.
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frosty1

Posted November 4, 2011

Good addition to the "Against" series

We met Trace in one of the previous "Against" books, and I loved him since then. A rugged cowboy type that has a military background and a love for life...and redheads. I really liked the secondary characters, I enjoyed getting to know them almost as much as the main characters. Roxanne, the bestfriend....I sincerely hope she gets a story, she seems like she has a lot to say, I think she would be a kick in the pants. The flow of this story was good, and I didn't ever feel like I was bored, but I also wasn't riveted to the pages like I have been with previous Kat Martin books. So while this was a good edition to the "Against" series, I guess I look for more action when it comes to this series. I did like it though, and am looking forward to the next book.
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beckymmoe

Posted November 1, 2011

more from this reviewer

Good, but not great--still an enjoyable series

A solid addition to the Raines of Wind Canyon books, Against the Storm was an enjoyable read but not my favorite in the series. It had all the elements of the first three--strong alpha hero, a heroine who is in distress yet not helpless, an intriguing mystery to solve and a developing relationship--yet it just didn't pack the same punch as the first three. The main reason, I think, is in the hero and heroine themselves. Trace has a weakness for redheads and a disasterous marriage that has caused him to have trust issues. Maggie has a past that she's ashamed of and a history of hiding from it, often omitting the details (which, since it happened when she was a minor, she is well within her rights to do) when questions are asked. In and of themselves, these traits were not a problem. However, Trace seemed just a bit too quick to form snap judgements about Maggie the second he found out that she might not have told him the whole truth about something but once he confronts her he just as quickly forgives her and moves on to...other things. It was just such a quick turnaround that it got to be a bit much at times. Maggie's neglecting to learn from the first three times that Trace is going to expect total honesty from her stretched credibility as well. Either bite the bullet and tell him everything or tell him it's none of his darn business, I say. However...then they had the big misunderstanding, broke up, went their separate ways, and then wham! all was good again in the blink of an eye. I guess I was just looking for less mercurial characters here, with a bit more of the gray areas in between the extremes--it was almost as if the easy way out were being taken over true character and plot development in that aspect. Overall, though, I did enjoy the book and will eagerly look forward to the next installment in the series...and hope to actually see a Raine or two in it, not just the mention of them. ;-)
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SaraBetty

Posted October 31, 2011

WOW!

Kat Martin continues to climb the ladder of my favorite authors... I have read all 4 books in this series and they keep getting better and better... I can usually figure out "who done it" by page 100 but this author continues to blow me away... I didn't have a clue... And if Trace and Maggie, could have a hotter love affair I don't know how... I read till 11 pm and got up at 5 am to finish this one... This love story/mystery includes an ex wife, a jilted lover, a runaway sister with a baby, a murderer, a stalker, a high ranking politician and an arsonist all linked in a truly exciting read... The 5th book in this series, Against the Night, due out in March 2012 is another Must Read for me...Don't miss this series of books... They are "can't put down" reading...
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literarymuse

Posted October 20, 2011

more from this reviewer

Stalking Passion!

Maggie O'Connell is sitting in a bar when she sees a wild conflict break out between a young famous rock singer and his wife and her lawyer, the spark being the fact his wife wants a divorce. A young, sexy-looking, powerful guy breaks in and manages to take out the singer and his companions. Maggie tries to take pictures but the guy takes away her camera and erases the photos. She's annoyed but drawn to this guy who brooks no disagreement. Her friend reminds Maggie of her own present problem and how she might want to connect with this guy after getting his card and phone number. It's not too long before she receives a frightening message on her phone machine that makes her quickly decide to try to engage his help.

Nothing is simple in this multi-layered-plotted story. Trace quickly decides to help Maggie, although his stronger instincts tell him he should walk away and stay uninvolved. He learns she's got a secret that is obviously an obstacle in her inability to get police help and protection for an obvious stalker. Add to that he finds her ultra-sexy, having a penchant for attractive red-headed women. At a certain point, he's sure he's had enough when he learns she's lying to him, plus his ex-girlfriend keeps showing up at the wrong times and always begging for more of what he's left in the past.

Meanwhile the phone messages and written messages inside her apartment heighten the suspense and Maggie's fear. It seems strange that her half-sister and baby appears in the middle of all this chaos and Trace learns one of his former clients has met an untimely and very suspicious end. The pace quickens as does Trace's decision to forgive Maggie; the passion quickly develops along with the threats. Trace is no dummy and while sharing his love of the ocean and ranches manages to solve the prevailing two mysteries of the novel, with a most satisfactory ending that is both surprising and thrilling.

Kat Martin's writing gets better and better. She writes a great mystery and adds just enough romance to entice and endear every reader. Great, haunting, and sizzling story, Ms. Martin!!!
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rhonda1111

Posted October 3, 2011

enjoyable mystery

4 STARS
It was a great mystery,romance novel that I enjoyed reading. Would not mind reading any more of her books.
Maggie is a Photographer and is making a name for herself. While she was at lunch with a friend a celebrity couple was meeting with their lawyers,band members and a bodyguard to keep the peace. But the husband was abuser and he was mad and started to reach for his wife and bodyguard stopped him and also took one other band member out. Maggie had her camera and started taking pictures of band members on floor when Trace the bodyguard took her camera erased the pictures. Then took her camera away till she left.
Maggie's friend told her that she might want to hire him to help her with her stalker. Maggie has red hair and everyone was already warning her about Trace liked red hair ladies.
Maggie called Trace's security company when she had another note left on her car. She did not call cops, because when she was 16 she said her boyfriend raped her and a week later said , she lied. His father was a cop so no one trusted her or wanted to help her.
Then someone broke into her house and Trace had alarms put in plus security cameras on front and back. Then the stalker called and left messages on her answering machine.
Her half sister Ashley that she only saw a few times showed up with a baby asking for help. Ashley and Maggie started to get a long and know each other. Ashley loves to cook and wants to go to chef school when she ready.
Maggie started seeing Trace apart from just working to find her stalker and she left his house to go home in the middle of the night and found her condo on fire.
Lucky Ashley and her baby got out safely and were going to stay with Trace. Jason met Ashley when he followed Trace over their wanting to know if he had found out any new information on his father's sucide. He could not keep his eyes of Ashley and their first date was the night of the fire. He found a place where they could stay at a friends apartment who was away for weeks. So Ashley and the baby stayed there. Maggie stayed with Trace till her stalker was found.
Their was a whole lot more going on with Maggie and Trace besides trying to find the stalker and see if he was also had paid someone to destroy her office and all photos and memory cards.
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Anonymous

Posted September 29, 2011

Readers aren't going to be able to put the lights out until the past page. 4 1/2 STARS!

4 1/2 STARS "Fans of Martin's Rains of Wind Canyon trilogy are going to love meeting this testosterone-and-honor-laden family. Trace is an upright guy with a predilection for redheads in distress and Maggie is a redhead with a big problem. The chemistry between them sizzles, the romantic suspense is tautly compelling and the psychological terror ratchets up with each red herring. Readers aren't going to be able to put the lights out until the last page." -RTBOOK Reviews
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Anonymous

Posted September 29, 2011

Truly a gifted author, I've never read a book by Kat Martin that wasn't immediately headed for my keeper shelf.

Trace Rawlins has major trust issues. Issues that sound warning signals when he meets Maggie O'Connell. Maggie comes to Trace for help in identifying and protecting herself from a stalker. The more they are together, the hotter the fire between them burns. Can Trace overcome the past to find a future with Maggie, all the while trying to save Maggie's life before it's too late? Truly a gifted author, I've never read a book by Kat Martin that wasn't immediately headed for my keeper shelf. Historical or contemporary, she's a must read for me. With Against the Storm she proves once again why I keep coming back for more. Trace is exactly what I'm looking for in a hero while Maggie's spunkiness makes her a heroine that I can root for! I can't wait for Kat Martin's next offering!! -Joyfully Reviewed/Melissa
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harstan

Posted September 21, 2011

more from this reviewer

a tense psychological thriller

In Houston, former Army Ranger, private investigator Trace Rawlins will tell you dames are trouble; but redheads are the most troublesome of the breed. He knows first hand as his argument is built around his ex wife Maggie O'Connell the photographer.

Someone stalks Maggie sending her nasty messages and calling her with ugly threats. Though he feels he was born yesterday when it comes to her, Trace knows nothing adds up as he senses she conceals something from him and the cops appear indifferent to her plight. Still in love with her, Trace distrusts his former spouse but he cannot help himself as he has a deep gut need to protect her from whoever is assaulting her.

The third Raines of Wind Canyon (Against the Law and Against the Wind) romantic suspense is a tense psychological thriller in which the terror campaign takes top seat over the second chance at love subplot. Fast-paced with two obstinate fully developed protagonists, readers will feel the growing tension but are unsure what is going on as reasonable twists fool the audience and the hero. Kat Martin is at her best with Against the Storm.

Harriet Klausner
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Against the Storm (Raines of Wind Canyon Series #4)

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a tense psychological thriller