#BookReview–> Whitehorse, Montana: Winchester Ranch Series Book #3- Twelve- Gauge Guardian by B.J. Daniels

P.I. Cordell Winchester was not inclined on a reunion with his estranged grandmother, Pepper Winchester but agreed only for the sake of his brother, Cyrus who wanted to see the Winchester Ranch if only for the last time.
But on arriving in Whitehorse, he finds a mysterious woman breaking into his brother’s hotel room. According to Raine Chandler, Cyrus has been a victim of a hit-and-run while trying to save her and is now in a hospital. But Cordell has his doubts about her story. Soon his fears become a reality when he finds his brother in a coma in the hospital. Vowing to catch and bring the people responsible to justice, he is forced to take Raine’s help who has her own dangers to keep at bay and keeping her safe as well as catching the culprits is going to be a hell of a job for him.

BJ Daniels has succeeded in giving to the reader an engaging mystery with several sub plots and with each character having its own story to tell in Twelve-Gauge Guardian. The book has dark overtones and the atmosphere is that of nail biting, bone chilling suspense and lurking danger at each turn with shocking and unexpected turn of events. The author creates a sense of urgency in the reader to solve and save the innocent victims. Even the surroundings have a character of their own and are effectively used as a tool to enhance the feeling of dread with the easy and admirable use of storms, lightning filled sky, secluded farm houses, roads that become so risky that the characters are stranded, a harsh and remote terrain from where you just wish you can leave alive quickly !!

“Do you believe in evil?”
“I don’t know if it is this place or what this place does to people.”

The only down point is that the story does nothing to progress the base mystery of finding the killer of Trace Winchester who was always thought to have run away but whose remains had been found after twenty seven years buried on a hill overlooking the Winchester Ranch.

“Twenty seven years ago…”
“Her youngest son had disappeared, believed to have run off,”

The chemistry between Raine and Cordell is scorching and at the same time touching. I don’t like anything more than a satisfying solution to a good mystery and the happily- ever- after of two love struck people and I am happy to say that I got both in this story.

“Raine realized for the first time she wasn’t worried about the future…. But as Cordell Winchester came towards her, she realized she was Raine Chandler, a woman who could finally dream of a happily ever after.” 


A 4.5 out of 5 for Twelve-Gauge Guardianand a strong recommendation to read the book as well as the whole series which provides a strong family drama and some very expertly devised and executed mysteries.