Detective Steve Burke has recently returned to Stokesville himself. Almost three years after the death of his wife, he is going through the motions while doing his job and caring for his young daughter. Arriving at the scene after the death of Helen Ellis, Steve is immediately drawn to Bailey and struggles to maintain a professional distance as the investigation gets underway.

Knowing that she, along with Paul, is under a cloud of suspicion, Bailey puts her research skills to use and does what she can to clear her name and learn the truth - all the while fighting her attraction to the seemingly aloof Detective Burke. As the evidence mounts, and Bailey and Steve get closer to the truth, the danger to them both also gets closer.

In Home Before Midnight, Virginia Kantra has written a fast-paced mystery with characters that come to life. Bailey transcends the typical damsel in distress and is a feisty heroine. While the identity of the killer is made clear to the reader midway through the novel, it is still edge-of-your-seat territory as Bailey and Steve race to find the truth. Fans of the romantic suspense genre will not be disappointed.