The Dying Breath by Alane Ferguson

This is the fourth book of a series that I have always been skeptical about. While it has been a few years since the last book and this one continues with the previous cliffhanger, I was pleasantly surprised with how the book connected everything and how it turned out.

Kyle O'Neil from the previous book, The Circle of Blood, wants Cameryn. However, he's a psychotic killer, so Cameryn doesn't really want him. As she deals with the stress of a stalker (thankfully the FBI is helping and she's in tight with the local police department) Cameryn is also helping explain the deaths of Leather Ed and a celebrity who all died in their town with an odd substance in their lungs. Why a seventeen year old is able to solve these crimes and not the professionals I still don't understand, but she figures it all out and just has to survive O'Neil's deadly plans for her. It's not all bad, though, since Justin - the local deputy - admits his feelings for Cameryn and their relationship blossoms - much to O'Neil's displeasure.

I have always been on the fence about these books but this one wasn't too terrible. I liked how the author threw in a romance (that's right, I'm a girl and I've always enjoyed a little romance with my murder mysteries). True, it was a little unsettling that he's 22 and she's barely 18, but what are you going to do when the spark happens? This book had a steady pace and it all worked - even the science lessons. The climax/resolution was a little lacking, however, because I really didn't think a psychotic killer would act like he did when he already knew she'd tricked him once before and then to finish it like he didn't wasn't much of the blaze he wanted. Then again, I'm very critical and maybe I just want to have a reason not to like this book.

Compared to the other books in this series which I didn't really buy into, I could swallow this one a little more. It was decent and makes me wonder if there will be any more.
MMK