I honestly don’t remember who was the first to recommend Julia Spencer-Fleming’s Clare Fergusson/Russ van Alstyne series to me. but whoever it was, I have to say that I agree with them that these books are fabulous. Spencer-Fleming gives readers good mysteries, but more importantly, her characters are intelligently written and over the course of the series and she takes readers through a complex relationship arc. The history between Episcopal priest Clare and police chief Russ requires both characters and readers to wrestle with some tough questions, but the more I get to know these characters, the more I care about them even if some of the dilemmas they wrestle with make me uncomfortable on occasion.

And now for the obligatory spoiler warning – this review contains spoilers for some of the earlier books in Spencer-Fleming’s series. Through the Evil Days, while not my favorite in the series, is still a very solid entry. It’s not a DIK for me, but it’s mighty close.

This book picks up not long after where One Was a Soldier leaves off. Claire and Russ are now married and awaiting the arrival of the child they never planned to have. Given that it’s obvious Clare got pregnant before the wedding, she has possible church disciplinary proceedings to look forward to, and she and Russ are also working through the tension related to their new marriage and unplanned pregnancy. And if that wasn’t enough, their honeymoon trip happens to coincide with a storm of epic proportions. And yes, they also get sucked into a murder investigation.

This time around, a couple has died in a mysterious fire and officers soon learn that they had been serving as foster parents for a recent transplant recipient. Not only must the police solve the killing, but they must find a missing child in time to get her back on anti-rejection meds. Russ and Clare find themselves wrapped up in the investigation, but readers also get a chance to catch up with Hadley Knox and Kevin Flynn, police officers who have something of a secondary romance in the series.

For most of the book, I found myself caught up both in the suspense plot as well as anxious to see how the romantic relationships would continue to develop. It took me a little while to get into the book because I found myself getting frustrated at both Clare and Russ, and their inability to communicate. Things pick up pretty quickly, but the first few chapters of this book were slow going for me.

I also found myself frustrated by the ending, though I don’t hold this against the author. In a way, it’s rather to her credit because my annoyance at the ending was due to a cliffhanger. If I hadn’t gotten so invested in the characters and their stories, I wouldn’t care so much. However, because this was such a compelling read, I’m now dying to read the next installment.