Vigilant

In the suspenseful but uneven launch of the Night Guardian series from Davison (The Morning Star Rises), a waitress aids an investigation into the disappearance of missing children and finds romance along the way. Nicole Hunter is working late one night in a Toronto diner when lawyer Gage Kelly asks her to join him for coffee. The two have instant chemistry and begin to date. Meanwhile, detective Daniel Grey, a devout Christian and bachelor whose sister keeps nudging him to get married, only has time for his latest case, two children who have recently gone missing. He meets Gage, whose firm advocates for the rights of children, while investigating a connection between the kidnappings and child protective services. Grey’s sleuthing reveals that the kidnappings may be connected to the Child Services Administration, where Gage’s brother works, and he begins to investigate Gage. Then, after randomly stopping into Nicole’s diner and finding Gage there, Grey begins to talk to Nicole to help figure out exactly what is going on—and takes an interest in her beyond his investigation. As children continue to disappear, Nicole must rely on her faith to guide her decisions. While the dialogue is overly cute (“So, Gage. That’s an unusual name. Let me guess, your mother is a big fan of romance novels?”), fans of Terri Blackstock’s inspirational thrillers will enjoy this fast-paced outing. (June)