Book Review: Don't Keep Silent by Elizabeth Goddard

Don't Keep Silent (Uncommon Justice #3). Elizabeth Goddard.  Fleming H. Revell Co. (2020). 368 pages.  Genre:  Suspense.

First Line: "Dread warred with hope as Rae Burke shivered in the cold outside on the porch."

Summary:  Rae Burke's sister-in-law is missing.  Her brother has asked for her help in locating his wife.  Rae is an investigative reporter who has used her skills to find people and information.  Her brother is hoping those same skills will help her find Zoey.  Rae and Zoey were roommates in college and during that time Zoey went missing for several days.  That was five years ago.  Could the two be related?

Liam McKade has returned to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to help his brother at his ranch.  Previously, Liam was was an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Several months ago he took a bullet in order to save a woman's life.  That woman was Rae Burke.  As far as he's concerned, Rae used him to get what she wanted.  He is still kicking himself for being taken in so easily, not to mention risking his life for her.  So, when she approaches him asking for his help, he wants nothing to do with her.  But, frankly, he is surprised that she would even approach him.  So, he listens to what she has to say.  Liam realizes that Rae is putting herself in a dangerous situation as she looks for her sister-in-law and he knows he can help her and protect her in the process.  But, the clock is ticking, will they be able to find Zoey before it's too late?

My thoughts:  From the beginning I felt like I was missing something in this book.  It is the third book in the Uncommon Justice series, and it has been a while since I read the second book.  But, the books don't include the same characters each time, rather the focus is on a woman who becomes involved with one of the McKade men.  I kept thinking that part of this story had been told in another book.  I don't think it had, there were just some things that happened between Rae and Liam in their past and it wasn't all revealed at once.  Unfortunately, that caused the characters to feel a bit shallow.  

However, the mystery was a good one.  The whole idea of Zoey having disappeared previously in her life and wondering how and if they were connected was interesting.  Rae was truly the best person to investigate this because of the connection she had to Zoey in the past and what she knew about her.  She did work with the police, but because the clues or information she had weren't real solid, they often couldn't follow up on the leads she gave them.  This is where it was helpful to have Liam involved.  There were plenty of suspicious characters involved.  Several who were good at hiding the truth.  Then there were some who were telling the truth, but seemed suspicious.  

Much of the action took place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming during the height of skiing season.  The author brought the wilderness areas and ski slopes to life.  

Rae was being targeted and harassed, but she had no idea who would even know what she was investigating, so that made it really suspenseful.  There were a few treacherous situations on the ski slopes and snowy mountains.  

As Rae and Liam worked together, they attempted to work through their past.  In the process they found that they truly cared for one another.  

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but given that the characters felt a bit shallow, it was my least favorite of the three in the series.