Carly Sanderson and Sergio Martin are back in book #6 of Dan Alatorre’s suspenseful and romantic Double Blind series. Although both detectives are in the book, their two stories are entirely separate. Also back is sexy PR consultant Averie Fox, who was bound to be a love interest for Sergio since her first appearance. Now, with Carly and Sergio taking a pause in their romance, Sergio is a free agent and Averie is very much available. Meanwhile, Carly gets some concerning news about her health and faces a difficult decision about how much to share with Sergio. These are the romantic subplots of this thriller, which skillfully balances a missing persons/murder investigation with the personal/romance issues.

The mystery/thriller plot here involves Gabriella, the miscreant daughter of the Tampa police commissioner (and, ultimately, Sergio’s and Carly’s boss). She has recently married a man with ties to the Miami mob. When she attends a magic show at the county fairgrounds, she disappears – literally – but leaves behind a trail of blood. She is missing and presumed dead and Sergio is assigned to track her down. After the book begins with a harrowing drug bust and chase through the Tampa sewer system, Sergio is immediately thrust into the non-stop investigation into Gabriella’s disappearance. Over two suspense and action-filled days, Sergio and Avery together follow the clues and unravel the mystery.

The author sets up a scenario where the reader easily figures out that Gabriella’s apparent murder is not what it seems. The fact that it occurs during a magic act where the participants are clearly engaged in an elaborate process of distraction and misdirection makes it pretty obvious that all things are not as they seem in the police investigation. The buxom blonde magician’s assistance who seems to know more than she’s letting on is herself quite distraction, even as Averie is also taking up a good amount of Sergio’s attention. The plot would have been a disappointment if it had gone the way it seemed to be going. But Alatorre makes sure to provide a twist that I did not see coming. Still, it was the romantic subplot that proved to be the more interesting and it’s that story that leaves the reader hanging by an emotional thread at the end.

There are a few places where the plot stretches the bounds of police procedural reality and a few loose ends that may leave questions in the minds of readers who look for every possible nit to pick, but these minor blemishes did not significantly diminish my overall enjoyment of the story

Six Sisters is a quickly-paced and engrossing read that will satisfy all the fans of this series and leave them anxious for more in the next book, for which there is a teaser at the end of the current book. For new readers, it will be time to go back and start from the beginning while waiting for book #7. I can easily recommend Six Sisters for every mystery/suspense fan and particularly those who enjoy a splash of romance.