Books 1-3

 Captured Lies by Maggie Thom

She was kidnapped not once but twice and now someone wants her dead because of it....
Her life was a lie!
Bailey knew her upbringing wasn’t normal but she’s worked hard to stabilize her life. At 29, she finally has a good business, a stable home; her life is miles from that of her childhood. Then suddenly her mother dies, leaving a gaping hole and a discovery that they may not even be related. If Guy, the private investigator is to be believed, her life is a lie. Using the skills she learned on the streets, Bailey travels back through a sketchy and dangerous past, to find answers. Dodging bullets, staying ahead of those who want her dead and convincing Guy she can do it alone, are making it difficult to discover not only the secrets of her mother’s past but that of a family claiming she is theirs.
Everyone seems to have a story... but who’s telling the truth? And who wants her dead? Is Guy part of the solution? Or part of the problem? To discover the facts, she’ll have to untangle a web of deceit, lies, and secrets, dating back over thirty years.

I enjoyed this book. Part of it was because a lot of the book took place where I live or have visited. It was very fast paced and a bit hard to sort out all the different players.  I would read the next book in the series.

Final Look by Dianne Scott

Policewoman Christine Lane felt the humiliation like a slap. Transferred to a sleepy island station, she could almost hear her career screeching to a halt.
During a violent protest on Toronto Island, a resident is found dead and Christine is hurt. Her boss threatens to sack her for incompetence and she vows to maintain a low profile.
When the homicide leads dry up, Christine is shocked when investigators move on to their next case. So she secretly gathers information on suspects, digging up local dirt. When Christine is ambushed, she knows she is closing in on the perpetrator. Can she flush out the murderer before she is shut down for good.

This was another book set in Canada. I have been to Toronto but not Toronto Island where this story takes place. Christine is treated very poorly as a female police officer and gets so beat up during her investigating.  It was a pretty light, interesting read.

The Journey Home by Fiona Hood-Stewart

They met in the wilds of Scotland, as a winter storm approached. Complete strangers, they were uncannily drawn to one another. India Moncrieff, grief stricken over her mother's sudden death, a woman desperate to hold on to Dunbar House, the majestic family estate. And Jack Buchanan, the American tycoon enchanted by the land, who sees the house as a business opportunity. Business and passion soon unite them. But shocking revelations will alienate the two lovers in their desperate battle over a legacy neither will surrender. Family secrets and a murder spanning 200 years have left too many souls lost and alone. Now it's up to the heart to illuminate the way home.

This book was listed as a contemporary romance so the outcome was inevitable from the beginning.  It's all based around a mansion whose real inheritor is unknown due to bloodlines and legal rights. The constant arguing, lack of trust and immaturity of the two main characters got old pretty quick.