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Cooper Justice #1
Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming
What was supposed to be a quiet vacation in scenic Wyoming turned deadly when Hannah Cooper became the target of a serial killer. Although she survived the attack, the ordeal was far from over. But she wasn't alone. Not when Riley Patterson appointed himself her protector.Beneath Riley's strapping, solemn exterior hid a hard-driving sheriff who would stop at nothing to catch a killer. He promised Hannah safety, but it was the danger he posed that drew her in. Riley was as much a mystery as the man who sought to take her life. Trapped on his ranch, with no one but each other to trust, only justice could set them free...and possibly separate them forever.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2009
23 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Paula Graves
154Ìýbooks135ÌýfollowersI was raised in Alabama, so I know we Southerners don't hide our crazy people—we showcase them. Eccentric people make for the best stories, and we Southerners do love our stories. The need to tell stories has been a driving force in my life from childhood.
As a girl, my favorite books were mysteries and romances. When I realized there were books that featured both romance and mystery, I knew I'd found my calling. Now I get to play both matchmaker and murderer and get paid for it. Could there be a better job anywhere?
I love to hear from readers, so don't be shy! You can email me through my website, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page and interact with me there: And of course, you can always talk to me here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ!
Are you interested in subscribing to my newsletter? Go here and I tell you what to do:
I look forward to chatting with you!
As a girl, my favorite books were mysteries and romances. When I realized there were books that featured both romance and mystery, I knew I'd found my calling. Now I get to play both matchmaker and murderer and get paid for it. Could there be a better job anywhere?
I love to hear from readers, so don't be shy! You can email me through my website, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page and interact with me there: And of course, you can always talk to me here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ!
Are you interested in subscribing to my newsletter? Go here and I tell you what to do:
I look forward to chatting with you!
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 28, 2009
Escaped the attempted kidnapping (and possible murder) on a Wyoming highway, Hannah Cooper seeks shelter with Canyon Creek Deputy Chief Riley Patterson, a man who has a score to settle with her would-be kidnapper - once they find him.
Apparently it's a time for firsts this month for me. This is the first book by I've read and the first in the Cooper Justice series...And it won't be the last, because I'm curious about the close-knit family, and what Hannah's six older brother will do once they get their story, but mostly because I liked Ms. Graves' narrative style.
This was quite an intricate plot with a serial killer kidnapping their victims on the highway, disabling them with pepper spray, killing them, and leaving them wrapped in plastic in a body of water. No one has been able to connect the dots between the murders (two to three per year), until Riley Patterson, whose wife was one of the victims three years ago. Since his wife's murder, Riley's been doggedly trying to find the killer, shrouding himself in loneliness, living with his wife's ghost.
He gets his lucky brake with Hannah, the only one who escaped the killer. Unfortunately she suffered a concussion in her escape and her memory is a bit hole-y, but she's determined to help however she can, before her vacation time is over and she needs to return to Alabama.
The amount of emotional baggage Riley schlepped around was staggering, and usually it would make me shy away from the story, but this time it somehow worked out for the best in illustrating Riley's character, determination, and protectiveness. Go figure.
Hannah seemed more like an afterthought, a "plot-pusher", compared to the complexity of Riley, but she served her purpose in helping the investigation and Riley's moving forward.
There wasn't much romance involved (the turnabout happened fairly quickly), I also didn't notice much chemistry between Riley and Hannah, but somehow it didn't bother me as much as it should have. I guess I have to thank the suspense subplot for distracting me.
Because this was one heck of a murder investigation. Clues were sparse, the key witness had short-term memory problems, suspects were nonexistent, the killer was toying with the investigators, and in the end pulled a stunt that almost worked. If it wasn't for Riley and Hannah's boat-load of brothers...
Apparently it's a time for firsts this month for me. This is the first book by I've read and the first in the Cooper Justice series...And it won't be the last, because I'm curious about the close-knit family, and what Hannah's six older brother will do once they get their story, but mostly because I liked Ms. Graves' narrative style.
This was quite an intricate plot with a serial killer kidnapping their victims on the highway, disabling them with pepper spray, killing them, and leaving them wrapped in plastic in a body of water. No one has been able to connect the dots between the murders (two to three per year), until Riley Patterson, whose wife was one of the victims three years ago. Since his wife's murder, Riley's been doggedly trying to find the killer, shrouding himself in loneliness, living with his wife's ghost.
He gets his lucky brake with Hannah, the only one who escaped the killer. Unfortunately she suffered a concussion in her escape and her memory is a bit hole-y, but she's determined to help however she can, before her vacation time is over and she needs to return to Alabama.
The amount of emotional baggage Riley schlepped around was staggering, and usually it would make me shy away from the story, but this time it somehow worked out for the best in illustrating Riley's character, determination, and protectiveness. Go figure.
Hannah seemed more like an afterthought, a "plot-pusher", compared to the complexity of Riley, but she served her purpose in helping the investigation and Riley's moving forward.
There wasn't much romance involved (the turnabout happened fairly quickly), I also didn't notice much chemistry between Riley and Hannah, but somehow it didn't bother me as much as it should have. I guess I have to thank the suspense subplot for distracting me.
Because this was one heck of a murder investigation. Clues were sparse, the key witness had short-term memory problems, suspects were nonexistent, the killer was toying with the investigators, and in the end pulled a stunt that almost worked. If it wasn't for Riley and Hannah's boat-load of brothers...
December 30, 2015
Why I Read this Book: Case File: Canyon Creek Wyoming is a book from Harlequin’s Intrigue line, a line of romantic suspense novels. Back in my earlier reading days, I was into suspense and mysteries like books from Dean Koontz. But then I discovered Nicholas Sparks and realized that romance was my liking as well. I didn’t realize until this year that these two genres that I enjoy so much could blend and compliment one another so well.
What I Liked: Case File: Canyon Creek Wyoming had the perfect blend of suspense and romance. Neither of the two elements overshadowed the other. I loved the characters of Hannah and Riley. These two are both realistic people with believable emotions.
The POV was told in third person narrative for Hannah and Riley. There was also little snippets of the story told from the villain’s POV. I like that the villain’s POV wasn’t overbearing in Case File: Canyon Creek Wyoming, like I find in some novels. It can be helpful and it can bring the story forward when we see what the bad guy is thinking and/or doing from time to time but I don’t want their POV to be a main focal point, especially in a romantic suspense novel. It was quick, to the point and the story got right back to our hero and heroine.
What I Didn’t Like: I would have like to have seen a little more sizzle between Hannah and Riley.
Overall Impression: This was a fast read; I read the book in less than 24 hours. Seriously, I can’t remember that last time I read a book so quickly. I was so engaged into the storyline and with what was going to happen between Hannah and Riley. I am definitely looking forward to more books from this author and from Harlequin’s Intrigue line!
What I Liked: Case File: Canyon Creek Wyoming had the perfect blend of suspense and romance. Neither of the two elements overshadowed the other. I loved the characters of Hannah and Riley. These two are both realistic people with believable emotions.
The POV was told in third person narrative for Hannah and Riley. There was also little snippets of the story told from the villain’s POV. I like that the villain’s POV wasn’t overbearing in Case File: Canyon Creek Wyoming, like I find in some novels. It can be helpful and it can bring the story forward when we see what the bad guy is thinking and/or doing from time to time but I don’t want their POV to be a main focal point, especially in a romantic suspense novel. It was quick, to the point and the story got right back to our hero and heroine.
What I Didn’t Like: I would have like to have seen a little more sizzle between Hannah and Riley.
Overall Impression: This was a fast read; I read the book in less than 24 hours. Seriously, I can’t remember that last time I read a book so quickly. I was so engaged into the storyline and with what was going to happen between Hannah and Riley. I am definitely looking forward to more books from this author and from Harlequin’s Intrigue line!
June 28, 2012
Hannah is on her way to see the national parks in Wyoming for a few days after doing some fishing. A cop pulls her over, but Hannah knows she was not speeding. As she gets her papers together to show the officer what he needs is sprayed in the face with pepper spray. She is lucky to get away, but fears for her life when a nice looking cowboy cop, Riley, comes to talk to her. Hannah finds out that this person has killed Riley’s wife 3 years ago. She is the only one who has survived this man. He needs her help to find this killer before he kills again.
Riley is a broken mad since his wife has passed way by the killer. He has closed himself off to almost everyone. When he takes in Hannah to protect her she hits a cord in his heart, but is he ready to let go of the past and move on?
The story was great. I read this in one sitting as I could not put down the book. Faced paced read with a few surprising turns. I enjoyed the characters especially Riley’s brother-in-law Jack. He brings in some humor to the story. The setting was right as the author made you feel you were part of the story.
An easy fun read.
February 9, 2013
Another good book of Harlequin Intrigue. I find it very hard to find ones that I can read without finding too many flaws.
Hannah has come to Wyoming from Alabama to have time to herself. A few years ago she found out a day before her wedding that her fiancé still loves a woman from his past and it still hurts her to think about it. As she is driving alone on a road one day, she is attacked with pepper spray but manages to save herself and crashes into a tree near a truck stop. When she wakes up, she doesn’t recall everything that happened during the attack.
Riley lost his wife to a serial killer, or at least he believes there is a serial killer while the FBI refuse to connect several murders that took place in the past few years. He believes Hannah was attacked by the same man and has her stay at his home for the rest of the week that she had planned to stay in Wyoming. As they fight their attraction, they try to figure out the details that Hannah can’t immediately remember from her attack. Hannah knows that Riley loved his wife deeply and is still grieving for her and it is the reason that makes him extra focused in finding the killer. Despite knowing that, she becomes intimate with him later on.
There was only one flaw, or one thing that did annoy me. Before going back home, Hannah decides to bait the killer by talking about her attack. The plan is that she will only give a few details to the newspapers so that he can come to her current location. That’s sensible. However, the fact that Hannah talked happily about where her hometown is and what she does there and nobody made a big deal about it, did not make sense. The authorities tell her that she will be perfectly safe when she goes back, nobody will follow her home. Well, obviously the killer will be smart and not look for her in Wyoming but wait for her to reach home, in Alabama. But Hannah obviously gushed away her location and made it sound appealing so of course the killer will go to her in her hometown. You just knew what was going to happen.
Hannah has come to Wyoming from Alabama to have time to herself. A few years ago she found out a day before her wedding that her fiancé still loves a woman from his past and it still hurts her to think about it. As she is driving alone on a road one day, she is attacked with pepper spray but manages to save herself and crashes into a tree near a truck stop. When she wakes up, she doesn’t recall everything that happened during the attack.
Riley lost his wife to a serial killer, or at least he believes there is a serial killer while the FBI refuse to connect several murders that took place in the past few years. He believes Hannah was attacked by the same man and has her stay at his home for the rest of the week that she had planned to stay in Wyoming. As they fight their attraction, they try to figure out the details that Hannah can’t immediately remember from her attack. Hannah knows that Riley loved his wife deeply and is still grieving for her and it is the reason that makes him extra focused in finding the killer. Despite knowing that, she becomes intimate with him later on.
There was only one flaw, or one thing that did annoy me. Before going back home, Hannah decides to bait the killer by talking about her attack. The plan is that she will only give a few details to the newspapers so that he can come to her current location. That’s sensible. However, the fact that Hannah talked happily about where her hometown is and what she does there and nobody made a big deal about it, did not make sense. The authorities tell her that she will be perfectly safe when she goes back, nobody will follow her home. Well, obviously the killer will be smart and not look for her in Wyoming but wait for her to reach home, in Alabama. But Hannah obviously gushed away her location and made it sound appealing so of course the killer will go to her in her hometown. You just knew what was going to happen.
August 6, 2011
Hannah Cooper is on vacation in the Grand Tetons when she becomes the near victim of a serial killer. She gets away but the killer doesn't like leaving unfinished business. Riley Patterson's wife had been killed by this monster and no one seems to realize there is a serial killer on the loose except him. It's been three years and Hannah is the only survivor. When Hannah realizes that she could have the key to solving or at least identifying the killer, she wants to do whatever it takes, even at risk to her own life. However, Hannah is not a case of "too stupid to live". She takes calculated risks, with calculated police support. The characters were well created, like puzzles pieces, and while they eventually fit together, there were a lot of well done false starts. Graves wrote the kind of Category Intrigue that makes me forget that I don't like the Intrigue line as a rule.
Read
July 27, 2011I very much like this book and have few bad things to say about it. First the time line is just too fast for me. If it were stretched to even twice or three times as long (not a big deal once you realize how short it is) it would have been more believable to me. Also, I wasn't sure about how the killer was portrayed throughout the book. It seemed a little inconsistant to me, the shift toward the end was just a little odd. That said I love the interactionsn between the two main charachters and also the perifery charachters. The plot is suspensful and intruiging (haha) and I would definitly recomend it to everyone!
March 9, 2011
What was supposed to be a quiet vacation in Wyoming turned deadly when Hannah Cooper became the target of a serial killer. Sheriff Riley Patterson promises Hannah safety, but that was just from a murderer.
Who would protect her from her heart?
This is a nice little romance with mystery, suspense, murder, mayhem, and, of course, lots of love. Like many category romances, it is predictable, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story.
If you love romantic intrigue, happily ever after endings and cowboys, you’ll love this story.
Who would protect her from her heart?
This is a nice little romance with mystery, suspense, murder, mayhem, and, of course, lots of love. Like many category romances, it is predictable, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story.
If you love romantic intrigue, happily ever after endings and cowboys, you’ll love this story.
October 8, 2010
My kind of book. The setting (rural/small town midwest ranch), the hero (cowboy, man's man, law enforcement field), the heroine (knows what she wants, sweet but not timid) are the kind that I like to read and this had it all. Not a lot of characters, leads being close together because of a dangerous situation.
I really enjoyed reading this book. And I think I'm going to enjoy the other books from Paula Graves.
I really enjoyed reading this book. And I think I'm going to enjoy the other books from Paula Graves.
January 28, 2013
This was a beautiful story that felt so real. I could feel all the emotions Hannah and Riley were feeling. I could feel Hannah’s adrenaline rush as she was fighting off her attacker; I felt Riley’s pain of losing his first wife. I felt the love between both Hannah and Riley. I honestly don’t think any review will do this book any justice. It’s just one of the books you must read for yourself. It was a perfect blend of action, suspense and romance.
October 3, 2016
3.5 stars :-)
April 27, 2019
A book that will have you gripping your chair. When a serial killer can't get to Hannah Cooper and the sheriff is trying not to fall for this sexy women well trouble is growing to have their guard down and a killer to try for the final time.
August 18, 2017
Reread
March 12, 2017
After the initial attack, this was a little slow going throughout most of the book. The end wraps things up rather quickly. So it starts and ends with a bang, but the middle felt slow and long.
September 23, 2017
Wonderful and exciting
I love law enforcement, they are my heroes and I love cowboys. I married a cowboy who became a Deputy Sheriff. This book has a cowboy law enforcement officer and all the characters that jump off the pages with the exciting and wonderful story they were created for. Kathy
I love law enforcement, they are my heroes and I love cowboys. I married a cowboy who became a Deputy Sheriff. This book has a cowboy law enforcement officer and all the characters that jump off the pages with the exciting and wonderful story they were created for. Kathy
February 5, 2014
This book was good. I'm not big on western-themed books but there's an exception to every rule and this one seems to be that exception for me. I found it good and entertaining and I was certainly left guessing. All-in-all, it was a good book.
April 23, 2013
It was a little romancey for me. I was more hoping for a western, but it was good and had likeable characters.
August 28, 2013
Good Series
October 14, 2018
71% dnf
heroine is TSTL with a death wish
heroine is TSTL with a death wish
April 20, 2019
Case File: Canyon Creek review
Case File: Canyon Creek is the first romantic suspense book in the Cooper Justice series written by author Paula Graves.
Case File: Canyon Creek is the first romantic suspense book in the Cooper Justice series written by author Paula Graves.
August 11, 2016
Enjoyed this book!! review to come
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