Good suspense story with a paranormal element and fast-paced romance. One of a set of triplets with unique gifts, Elizabeth's early life was traumatic. After their mother's murder and father's disappearance, they bounced around foster care until they were thirteen, then went out on their own. They were later taken in by a businessman who treated them like his own children. They went to work for him as adults, specializing in retrieving stolen items.

Elizabeth's brother, Anthony, is super-protective of his two sisters, causing them to feel smothered. In this book, Elizabeth sets off on her own after a big argument with him, looking for some freedom. On her first night, she attends a showing at an art gallery where one item draws her attention. Something about it strikes her as wrong, but she can't get close enough to be sure. Determined to confirm her suspicions, she made an unauthorized visit to the gallery later that night. I loved seeing her use her intellect, training, and gift to gain access. It was intriguing to see how she managed it. The one thing she didn't expect was to find the gallery owner, Cole, waiting for her.

Cole is a very wealthy man who prides himself on his honesty in both his personal and professional lives. He was horrified and angry to discover that the centerpiece of his upcoming art show was stolen. With the help of a contact, he could open the show as scheduled but with a twist. The night of the show, he noticed a beautiful woman paying great attention to the sculpture. After a brief conversation, he was even more intrigued by her, but she also raised his suspicions.

I loved watching the relationship between Cole and Elizabeth develop. I loved their interactions when he caught her with the statue. Elizabeth is confident and unflappable, while Cole is suspicious but intrigued, especially when she claims she can find and retrieve the real statue. I loved their back and forth as they negotiated their partnership. Simmering under their banter is an attraction neither can deny. As they prepare to retrieve the stolen statue, the sparks between them grow stronger, but there are obstacles to doing anything about it. Cole is still somewhat suspicious, but his growing feelings for her lead him to trust her. However, he fears for her safety, and there are some signs of jealousy. Elizabeth finds Cole's protectiveness irritating and reminiscent of Anthony's control issues, leaving her wary of getting too involved with him. It takes facing danger for them to admit their feelings to themselves and each other. One of the things that impressed me was Cole's respect for Elizabeth and her abilities and his promise not to interfere in her work. I like the outlook for a happy future together.

The mystery of the statue was well done. It didn't take long for Elizabeth to figure out the culprit. She also had other suspicions that Cole disagreed with. I loved watching them plan their operation and carry out the steps. Their quarry was sufficiently creepy to be completely unsympathetic, and I enjoyed seeing Elizabeth thwart his advances. I laughed out loud when Elizabeth demonstrated her camera-placing technique to Cole, leaving him stunned. I loved their teamwork on the statue retrieval, which went well until suspect number two showed up. The confrontation was intense but had a great ending, thanks to Elizabeth.

The story arc of this series is that someone knows about Elizabeth and her siblings and their unique abilities. He wants control of them for himself and will stop at nothing to get it. In this book, their adoptive father, Jeremy, becomes a target. He is saved thanks to an intense scene involving Elizabeth and Anthony. I'm looking forward to tracking down and reading the rest of this series. ( )

Much better (than the previous book, A Cry in the Dark). The characters are just as determined to be independent, but much lighter about it - Elizabeth really enjoys her breaking in and sneaking tricks, Cole enjoys catching her and (most of) their plan to fix things. And Elizabeth is capable of distinguishing between Cole and Anthony right from the start. Possibly because she left without such a crisis, but still. Fun. ( )