On the outside, Arizona chief prosecutor Janet McNeil is the epitome of a driven, daring attorney who lives life by her own rules. But inside, her world is in chaos. Terrifying nightmares keep her in a constant state of anxiety. Yet saving face is imperative now that she's prosecuting a member of a white supremacy organization, a killer who wouldn't think twice about using his twisted followers to silence Janet for good.

Neighbor Simon Green is the only person who isn't begging her to quit the case. Simon, an ex-police officer with dark secrets of his own, understands how vital it is to obliterate violence and hate. But when one word from the most unlikely source threatens to change their lives forever, Janet must decide what risks she's willing to take.

Jan’s home life is focussed on one aim: to adopt eight year-old Hailey Miller, a young offender she prosecuted for shop-lifting. Jan sees promise in the girl, whose crimes were the result of caring about another. But Jan’s own background has left her with nightmares she hopes will disappear when she finally has Hailey in her home. When her motorcycle-riding younger brother Johnny turns up for a visit, Jan thinks it must be about her depressed mother, but Johnny’s concern is for his sister’s safety.

Jan’s next-door neighbour is Simon Green. Simon writes text books. At least, that’s the cover he’s working under. Simon is ex-FBI, writing an anti-terrorist manual and doing some undercover work for an FBI colleague investigating terrorist training. But as Simon sits in his study, in front of his computer, he watches the neighbourhood. He knows about Jan’s latest case, and begins to worry for her. He soon realises their cases intersect, and is torn between protecting Jan and allowing someone to depend on him. Ever since he lost his brother, he’s been afraid to let anyone get close.

Taylor Quinn gives the reader a believable plot that centres on white supremacist groups, their actions and recruitment methods, while also touching on domestic violence, adoption and the vulnerability of disaffected youth. Not all the characters are quite what they first seem, and there are a few twists before the gripping climax. The pace is a bit slow, and it is more suspense than romance, but still a fairly good read.
4 stars