Book Review: Innocent as Sin

Last summer I wrote about The Innocents, the first book in a series in the Old West that follows Abigail McKay, a female Pinkerton agent, and nephew/uncle duo Nat and Jake who are infamous robbers. I loved the book so much that immediately after finishing it, I asked if I could be sent the second book. Yes, that was months ago but I just got around to finishing it as I had a growing list of books I needed to finish and life got really busy.

To catch you up, Abi is a Pinkerton agent and technically she should be trying to capture Nat and Jake. But, upon meeting them in The Innocents she realizes that while they do steal from banks and trains they’re not bad men. In fact they are pretty honorable or at least as honorable as robbers can be. Not to mention there is an undeniable chemistry between Abi and Nat. That book ended with the men getting away and the thought that maybe they’d all see each other again one day.

In Innocent as Sin, the men come across Abi again while robbing a bank where she is undercover as the fiancée of the bank manager. This book is a little different because there are actually 2 mysteries that are going on (back to back, not simultaneously) so it’s almost like 2 stories that just connect chronologically. The 3 of them work together in the first half of the book to bring down a violent bounty hunter and then afterwards they all find themselves in the same snowed in town trying to solve a murder.

As I was reading I thought for sure the two mysteries had to somehow eventually connect, but they are in fact separate which is what makes this book different. It’s not so much about solving the cases, although those are interesting, but it’s more about the characters and their relationships since we follow them around. Nat and Abi’s relationship has grown from chemistry and flirting to actually loving each other, but there are obvious conflicts and complications with a Pinkerton agent and wanted criminal being together.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m living for Abi and Nate to get together. Now, I need to get my hands on book 3!