When I picked Bitter Roots up (as a LibraryThing early reviewer), I admit I missed the fact that its author is billed as a leading exponent of “romantic suspense”. That isn’t really my bag so I may be doing the book a disservice by wanting to think about it as a crime drama. Actually, the crime drama aspect isn’t too bad there is a mystery and the protagonist, Zac, works it out with a combination of brilliance and hard work even though, as a police dispatcher rather than a police officer, he has to drive from the back seat.

However, I still found the characters and the writing style pedestrian rather than thrilling. A lot of details are merely written down rather than evoked and I was left feeling that I was reading a detailed set of notes rather than a truly gripping and suspenseful story. I don’t feel bitter about having put the time into reading it but I’m not inclined to put my roots into the rest of the series.