Lately I’ve been on a streak of discovering good romantic suspense reads, and Waking the Dead is the most recent. Although it’s not the first title in Ms. Brant’s Mindhunters series, Waking the Dead easily stands alone – which I can testify to, as it’s the only one of the series I’ve read. It certainly won’t be my last, though.

When the skeletal remains of seven bodies are discovered in a cave in the remote Oregon wilderness, the local sheriff’s department hires forensic anthropologist Caitlin Fleming to investigate. When the course of the investigation requires Caitlin to investigate leads in the vast Williamette Forest, the sheriff ropes in local outdoor adventure guide Zach Sharper to assist.

After witnessing unspeakable atrocities while serving as Special Forces in Afghanistan, Zach Sharper wants nothing more than to be left alone. He certainly doesn’t want to be forced to play tour-guide for a gorgeous geek-slash-cop. But he soon learns that there’s a whole lot more to Caitlin Fleming than meets the eye.

There’s so much to like about Waking the Dead. You’ve got a smart, capable, and mildly tortured heroine who gives as good as she gets, and a tortured alpha hero who’s finally met his match. Although their relationship starts off rocky – due to Zach’s much deserved reputation as a reclusive jerk – it slowly builds to one of mutual respect and admiration. This is not a romance that’s heavy on mental lusting or has an exaggerated focus on sex, which made it feel both different and refreshing. Instead, as Ms. Brant peels away the layers of both Caitlin and Zach, it becomes a story of two people finding solace and love in one another.

Then, of course, there’s the mystery/suspense plot, which is quite good. I loved the mixture of forensic anthropology and good old fashioned investigation, and enjoyed that for much of the book Waking the Dead is more mystery than suspense, although the suspense is definitely there. I didn’t figure out the identity of the villain too much more before Caitlin – although admittedly I read suspense novels from a kick-back-and-enjoy-the-ride mentality – which was perfect timing because it made for a nice heightening of suspense leading up to the mystery’s climax.

If you’re a fan of CSI or Bones, or just enjoy a good dose of science/technology mixed in with your romantic suspense, I think you’ll find Waking the Dead well worth the read. Meanwhile I’ll be checking out the rest of Ms. Brant’s series.