A Promise Kept by K.S. David
Romance Suspense
Ebook
February 1, 2015
Self Published

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I must have done something wrong in a past life to end up with you as a friend.”

Well known criminal defense attorney Quinn McGuire has come back home to Haydon County, Kentucky to see her mother buried then she plans to leave as quickly as possible. When her brother is accused of murder 24 hours later, Quinn finds herself deeply submerged in a murder mystery that is layered in secrets & deception. As Quinn digs deeper into the taint that surrounds her hometown, a killer stands in the shadows waiting for his chance to strike again.

Quinn McGuire doesn’t want to stay in Haydon any longer than necessary but when her brother is arrested for murder & demands her as his lawyer, Quinn is forced to don a hat she voluntarily placed aside a while ago. Growing up in Haydon was not idyllic for Quinn & her siblings. Viewed as trash, they suffered because of their roots and after graduation they all ran as far as they could. Her only friend was Jack Lassiter, now the town sheriff. Jack has always loved Quinn but her prickly nature & the fact her infamous family reigns from the hills while Jack’s family are local royalty had her always keeping him at arm’s length. When she disappeared two years ago with no contact, he was forced to give her space but always kept an eye on her. Now that she’s back home, Jack will do everything to keep her here with him forever but he first he will have to discover what kept her away to begin with.

A Promise Kept is a well plotted and action packed suspenseful who dun it set in a small Kentucky town. The fast pacing works well with the twisting multi layered conflict David builds; keeping readers on their toes & their attention firmly focused.  Eccentric residents litter the landscape as our heroine, Quinn, attempts to keep her own secrets buried while digging into the secrets of the town in order to clear her brother of murder. Effortless dialogue & witty banter allows our protagonists to develop from merely names on paper into engaging characters. A slow developing best friends to lovers romance slides alongside the conflict, blending effortlessly and used to dig deep into the heroine’s psyche and explain the reasons she never returned home after she left.

Quinn has some serious issues & David takes the time to develop them, giving them the gravity they deserve. A former defense attorney, she fell victim to a manipulative client and made some serious ethical mistakes that inadvertently hurt her and someone she very much cared for. This scarred Quinn causing her to not only second guess her career and her intuition but also wall herself off both emotionally and physically in penance and shame. Jack treads carefully, dividing his time between trying to solve the mystery of Quinn and the mystery of who shot a local resident and why. Jack himself has some secrets he kept from Quinn, secrets that concern the shooting.

David does a fabulous job of drawing Jack and Quinn out as the story plays out. They may have come from opposite sides of the tracks but at their core they are very similar. Strong, intelligent, loyal, & committed to justice. Intense chemistry is made even stronger by their lifelong friendship. The transition from the love between friends to the love between two people attracted to one another is seamless & entertaining. Jack knows Quinn and uses that knowledge to gently guide her in the direction he wants her to go. She knows his game but the heart of her wants to be with him so she goes willingly though not always quietly.

A well-developed cast of secondary characters enhance the story with their thoughts and actions. Each one is a puzzle piece in the backstory of the murder victim, eventually leading us to the answers we seek. The villain remained hidden in plain sight and I enjoyed how David manages to not only incorporate them into the story but does so without any awkwardness. The mystery wraps up in a climatic finale as each puzzle piece falls into place and the enormity of the situation becomes clear.

I genuinely enjoyed this story and hope David returns to this town, perhaps introducing us to and writing a story about each of the McGuire siblings. There were a few grammatical errors but nothing that took away from my enjoyment or comprehension.

RATING: B

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