Detective Sarah Kingsly of the Crimes Aganst Persons division in Dalas Texas recently lost her partner in an undercover gone bad and she was forced to shoot a 14 year old boy. Now she's under investigation for the shooting plus for the fact she's a white cop involved in killing a black teen.

Detective Angel Johnson is new to the detective bureau. She wonders if her promotion was because of her brains and hard work or because she's a black woman. Even more questions pop up for Angel when she's partnered with Sarah. Is she partnered with Sarah because she needs a partner or is it political or to please the media and public? Did she really need to shoot that boy or is she racist?

Sarah has everyone breathing down her neck about the shooting, especially the African - American community led by the righteous Reverend Billie Norton calling for her to be fired and prosecuted. The only one sticking up for her is her Lieutenant, he's doing all he can to defent her.  Angel has her own problems outside of work, her mom is in the hospital, hit by a drunk driver and her dad thinks she's a traitor for allowing herself to be partnered with a white cop. Now on top of all of this they're thrown into an investigation into murders beng committed in malls. It's kind of hard to solve a crime with someone who doesn't want to be your partner. Sarah and Angel both have issues with each other but can they put them a side to solve this case?

This is a fast paced thriller that also touches on the relationship between race, politics and the police. I love the fact that the two main characters are strong women who know their own minds. The fact that they're different races only added to the tension between them, and both of them being strong and stubborn didn't help ease them into being partners. Neither wanted to give an inch so it was a battle of wills while trying to do their job. The way the author touched on race relations was done with respect and dignity and was written so well I actually started to dislike both their attitudes toward each other.

If you're into thrillers with strong female leads then don't hesitate to grab this one right now, it's definitely worth it. I plan to read the next book with Sarah and Angel, they make one hell of a team.

Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.

The characters were well developed and sympathetic. The plot moved well and kept you hoping Sarah would find her man. I do not like the unresolved ending. Does the next book tell whether Sarah comes to grips with her problem s - is this a Cliffhanger? I hope not, but if not, the ending is disappointing!

“Open Season” by author Maryann Miller is an engaging story of two female police detectives in Dallas who are partnered and must work together whether they like it or not. And they don’t, not much. Sarah Kingsly is senior to her new partner, Angel Johnson. Sarah has recently been involved in a police action that killed her much-loved partner and forced her to shoot a young black man. Although she’s cleared in the after-action investigation, public opinion runs high against her, making it all the more difficult for her to overcome the pain of those moments. Then her boss partners her with Angel, a young black woman who comes from a family with little love or trust for white people, let alone those who shoot one of their own. Amidst this tension the partners are tasked with solving a series of baffling murders, each occurring at a Dallas mall. The author offers an intriguing premise and fleshes out it with interesting plot twists and well-drawn characters. As book one of a series, “Open Season” offers a satisfying ending and several questions for readers to explore in the next book. The book has mystery, police action, romance, and addresses topics that are as current and relevant as today headlines. Highly recommend.

Ms. Miller has given us a well written and developed police procedural. The characters are strong, yet believable. Their actions are what one might expect in the circumstances. Well worth the time to read.

I put it down at page 25. Maybe it gets better later. Read it if you are patient with books developing slowly.

This book as well as the next in the Season books, Stalking, are suspenseful page turners. The characters are well developed and the plot is very believable. I am looking forward to Ms. Miller's next book in the series. In the meantime, I shall read the award winning book of hers, Doubletake.

While I’m primarily a fantasy and romance junkie, I thoroughly enjoyed "Open Season". This novel isn’t just about race and murder—it also touches on the intricacies of the partner relationship and differences in the individual grieving process. My heart broke for Sarah as she struggled her way through losing her partner John and the little details—such as the message from his wife, telling Sarah how much she was missed—were heartbreaking. Angel had her own personal woes and family difficulties, and handled them with a strength I found very admirable. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives and getting to see things from both Angel and Sarah’s points-of-view. Ms. Miller did an excellent job of showing both sides of the issues at hand and providing little glimpses into each woman’s personal life as well. It made them that much more real and relatable. The murders became more of a backdrop for these bigger issues, and it felt…appropriate. Don’t get me wrong, the killings were important too, but it was nice to find such depth in what I’d originally anticipated to be just a good detective novel.

The only complaint I have about “Open Season” is related to the killer. I wish those segments had been a bit longer and that we could have been given a more detailed glimpse into his motives and reasoning. This aspect of the story felt somewhat rushed and flat, but not so much so that I felt the need to knock off points. The outcome was still everything I’d hoped for and then some.

Bottom line: This is a novel that will hit you like a kick to the gut. It’s raw, intense, and emotional while also driving you to finish once you start. Lovers of police procedurals, suspense novels, mysteries, and thrillers will love this one!

Take one female police detective, white, who shot and killed a young black man after he shot and killed her former partner, and pair her up with one female police detective, black, who's been raised to distrust all whites, and there's bound to be tension. But there's no time to resolve it now, because these new partners have a serial killer to catch. And while they're trying to do their job, black activists are protesting, the Police Review Board is putting on the pressure, and a meddling reporter's nose for the news is only making matters worse.

This is a well-written book with a new perspective on race relations, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. What can I say? It's an all-around great read.

A well-constructed plot with plenty of police procedural detail. The analysis of the relationship between Sarah and Angel was thought-provoking. In the end I realised this book was more about the characters than the murders they were trying to solve. An interesting series to follow, perhaps?