Strong characterizations make for an effectively emotional read in Jo Leigh’s Nightwatch, one of the better entries in the Code Red continuity series so far.

One stormy night a pregnant teenager arrives in Dr. Rachel Browne’s emergency room. Already in labor the girl gives birth to a son, only to die soon afterward. Then Rachel learns the girl was the stepdaughter of E.R. chief Dr. Guy Giroux.

Guy hadn’t seen his stepdaughter Heather since he and her mother divorced years earlier. He always regretted not keeping in touch with her, and now it’s too late. He’s shocked to learn that neither of her birth parents were aware Heather was pregnant, or even where she’d been living for the last few months, each believing she was with the other. The girl must have come all the way to Courage Bay, California, to seek his help. Guy can’t help but feel guilty that he wasn’t there for her when she needed him most.

Guy wants answers, and Rachel soon joins him in his search. She has a reputation for being a cool professional who always keeps her emotions under tight control, but the more time they spend together, the more Guy can see how much heart she has. But Rachel has her reasons for always keeping a tight rein on her feelings, reasons that make her hesitant to become involved with Guy, no matter how much she might want to.

What makes this story work is the excellent character development. Guy and Rachel are both complicated and very sympathetic individuals. Although there is a mystery element as Rachel and Guy try to learn where Heather was in the months before her death and who got her pregnant, this isn’t a particularly suspenseful read. It’s mostly character-driven, as they fall in love while each deals with their respective issues. Guy faces off with his ex-wife over the best interests of the baby, who was born sickly and left fighting for his life. He is determined to make up for not being there for Heather by finding out what happened to her. Rachel’s issues are a bit different from anything I’ve seen before. Her ambivalence about her emotions is interesting and nicely portrayed.

The story is slow at times and the middle sags somewhat. While I was engaged in the characters enough to want to learn the truth about Heather’s pregnancy, the mystery is the least interesting part of the storyline. The emotions it raises in the characters are compelling, but the actual details of the mystery itself aren’t.

Even so, as a character drama about two people dealing with this emotionally charged situation, Nightwatch is a good read. I’m just about giving up on finding some real action and excitement in this series, but if I can’t get that, strong characterizations and involving emotional drama seem like a fair trade-off. This book provides them.