This book was definitely not as good as the others in the series.The mystery seemed to be almost secondary to Desiree's relationship with Nick. Even Ellen's marriage, which has been built up for so many books, was just a passing chapter with very little detail or information. And while there was a whodunnit, that's all there was -- Desiree figured things out pretty much out of nowhere, but she never confronted the murderer and she never wrapped up the case. She didn't even confirm that this is indeed what happened and that this was actually the person who did it. I was very disappointed in the way things ended -- I actually had to look twice to make sure I hadn't missed a chapter.I hope this author isn't moving this series on to where Desiree's personal life is more prominent than her cases. There are enough of those types of series out there.