Occasionally, I like a break from reading romance, and Every Breath You Take was the perfect break I needed.

When I read the back-cover copy, I expected this to be a nail-biter of a suspense: “Detective Kristen Conner may not be able to figure out her own love life, but she is about to get a crash course on finding Mr. Right, even as she finds herself in the crosshairs of a determined killer’s gun.”

Based on that, I expected to be holding my breath until the end of the book. But that wasn’t the case.

According to one of the endorser’s comments, the book is an “intense roller-coaster ride.” But that’s not the case either. I never once felt on a roller coaster.

But the same endorser said this: “Gilroy’s writing feels effortless”—and that’s right on point. Even though I didn’t feel like it was a gripping book, I couldn’t put it down.

Every Breath You Take is book 2 of the Kristen Conner series, and I’m sorry I missed the first one (got it on my wish list). Kristen is a typical tough-as-nails, never cries, lives for a workout heroine found in police procedurals, but she has a charming soft-spot for her high-volume nephew and his soccer-princess sister. In fact, Kristen coaches her niece’s team, the Snow Flakes. Can you get any farther from “tough” than that?

Instead of reading like a driven, get-the-bad-guy mystery, Every Breath You Take is like reading a month in the life of a detective. There’s one primary case to keep the novel in the genre and a couple of side cases that illustrates to the idea that detectives often have more than one case file open. There’s an awkward romance, a family crisis, and lots of references to football. And lots of action.

In other words, the novel reads a lot like an episode of Rizzoli & Isles, Tess Gerritsen’s novel series-turned-TV show. And it competes well with it.

Then, as the novel draws to a close, all the clues start falling into place, and you experience the fun part of reading mysteries: Hot dog! I guessed right! or Wow, I didn’t see that coming! Followed by a gripping scene of catching the bad guys and a strong, satisfying conclusion.

Yep. I’m glad I read this one.