Minutes to Kill

Scarlet Falls

By: Melinda Leigh

Narrated by: Cris Dukehart

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

After corporate attorney Hannah Barrett tries - and fails - to stop a kidnapping in Vegas, she can’t shake the haunting image of the terrified young girl she couldn’t save. She tells herself that a visit to her hometown in Scarlet Falls could be a welcome distraction. But soon, Hannah realizes the kidnappers have all the info they need to track her every move. And when chilling e-mails about the victim appear in her inbox, it’s frighteningly clear what happened in Vegas has followed her home.

Eight months after a terrible family tragedy, Hannah turns to Detective Brody McNamara once again. Brody is eager to help, though he’s embroiled in the investigation of a brutal murder. But the closer they work together, the stronger their feelings grow...and the more they stand to lose when two seemingly unrelated, but equally deadly, cases collide.

Minutes to Kill is the pulse-racing second novel in bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s Scarlet Falls series.

2015 Golden Leaf Award Finalist

2016 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Winner

©2015 Melinda Leigh (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Excellent detective novel!

Minutes to Kill is an excellent detective novel with lots of suspense. Narration is disappointing.

Action Suspense and Sizzling Romance Riveting Read

Following in the heels of Hour of Need, this second Scarlet Falls story picks up with the second of the three Barretts, Hannah, who stumbles into the dark, stomach-twisting world of human trafficking when her work takes her to Vegas and she can't complete the rescue of a young teen begging for her help.

This could be read standalone, but it works best following Grant Barrett's story in Hour of Need when many of the characters are introduced and began their story.

Hannah Barrett, cool, driven lawyer seeking the prize of partner in her international firm is just leaving a party that was the celebration of a successful business deal when she encounters a teen girl begging for her help getting away from her pimp. The rescue was unsuccessful and Hannah goes home to recover. But unbeknownst to her, the girl's pimp is a sadistic fiend and his eyes are set on Hannah.
Brody McNamara knows better than to start something with a woman who hates Scarlet Falls and only talks of leaving, but Hannah Barrett got under his skin and he's tired of letting his cheating ex and his past call the shots.
But brutal murder and dark deeds have followed Hannah so Brody will stand by her as she hunts for a trail to find the girl she failed to rescue and deal with her own shadowed past.

The first book taught me to enjoy these gritty, dark thriller style romantic suspenses and like the characters and the setting that were introduced. I was eager to return for Hannah's story even though her issues with her dad, her mom's death, her constant need to remind everyone that she's 'out of here,' and she's not capable of relationships or tenderness got a little old. It was fun seeing Brody and her family work on all those hard, prickly edges and prove her wrong.

Hannah was one serious kick-butt woman who was a little impulsive, but still a capable fighter with her wits or physically. She needed to be because she was the target of an evil slime who really needed to be destroyed. The author wasn't afraid to put her in situations where she had to take action.
Brody was great. He's a police detective and a steady guy. He wasn't intimidated by Hannah and loved her just the way she was. He stood pat even against her when he had to and when he had to be there for his former alcoholic partner who never got over his wife's death or his daughter running away.

Brody and Hannah made a great team on the case, but they were full of crackling electricity as a couple. I thought this story had a much better pace and clipped along better than book one which had the job of introductions. I can't wait to move forward into Mac's book. He's so different from Grant and Hannah that it will be interesting to see how his story goes.

Cris Dukehart continues to dazzle me. I really love her storytelling. She has such a wide range of voices and does well with both genders, tone, and pacing. She's a great fit for this series.

All in all, this was thoroughly engaging and I think would be a big hit with romantic suspense fans who like the suspense a little darker and the romance with a bit of spice.

Good read.

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leigh book

loved this one very much....couldn't wait to finish and hear the ending. love it .

Great story!

I enjoyed this book immensely and have already ordered the 3rd book in the series! Unfortunately I can't recommend it to family and friends because the sex is slightly explicit in a couple of places.

Very entertaining story

This was a very engrossing story. I listened to the other book by Ms. Leigh about the Barret family in Scarlet Falls. It was great. This one was too. It kept me walking for 5 miles a day just to listen.

Minutes to kill

Enjoyed the story and the fact that the main character was able to utilize teachings of her ear veteran parent to extricate herself from a bad situation.

great story!

well written. lots going on but easy to keep track. not too much of anything but a little of it all. enjoyed listening for sure!!

Loved it

Once again the author creates A great page turning story. She has a flair for describing the scene and the characters. I look forward to the next one. Just FYI there is some steam but nothing inappropriate.

Great story line with lots of suspense.

I have really enjoyed this serious of stories about this family. Love the author too.