Crossfire (Extreme Measures, Book Two)

 

LYNETTE EASON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2022.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: FBI Special Agent Julianna Jameson glanced at the alert on her phone.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This is the second book in the author’s Extreme Measures series, and a great follow up to the first book. Julianna is a hostage negotiator, a profession I’ve not come across in my reading before now. Her younger sister Dottie, a senior in high school, moved in with Julianna as soon as she turned eighteen and could get away from their sorry excuse of a mother. So there’s some baggage from her upbringing, but also from an event that occurred during Julianna’s own high school days.

Clay, a police officer, is an SRO – school resource officer – at Dottie’s school. There are tons of books with police officer heroes out there, but an SRO was another first for me, and I really liked it. I remember a police officer at my high school, some of us called him CC, for “cool cop”, because he’d smile and wave at us as we walked out to our car to leave when we should’ve been in class. Something I’m pretty sure Clay would not do – he’d be questioning the students and sending them back to class. Clay enjoys his job and seems to be well liked by the kids, providing them with encouragement and a willing ear if they want to talk about anything, even making sure that one of the students gets breakfast every morning, and calling the middle school to be sure that student’s younger brother is also getting breakfast.

When the story opens, Julianna is called to a hostage situation at the courthouse. A high profile defendant has taken over a courtroom. Clay also rushes to the scene when he learns about it, as his younger sister, Reese, is one of the jurors. Watching Julianna at work was tense and fascinating, as she tries to get control over the situation. We’ve all seen hostage situations play out in TV shows and movies, but seeing it from Julianna’s point of view gave me a much more detailed look at and understanding of a negotiator’s role/process.

Once it’s all over, a grateful – and impressed – Clay invites Julianna and her sister to meet him and Reese for dinner, and a very quick close friendship develops between Reese and Dottie. It’s a little slower for Clay and Julianna, what with the baggage I mentioned earlier, which Julianna doesn’t like to share or talk about. And Clay has some serious baggage of his own, from an incident that occurred when he was deployed. He avoids relationships because he’s convinced that when a woman hears his story, she’ll turn her back on him.

But it’s not all quite over, as Julianna finds herself and Dottie in danger from someone who appears to be watching them, following them. From there it’s a roller coaster ride as Clay sticks close to his new friends, determined to help Julianna keep Dottie safe, and do whatever he can to keep Julianna safe. At one point, when Julianna is called to another hostage situation, Clay has to force himself to stand down and let her go on her own, knowing she could be in danger, but also realizing she’s very capable at her job, and of taking care of herself. The women in this series, and all of Revell’s romantic suspense line of books, are definitely not helpless victims who need a man to protect them, which is a big part of their appeal to me. But it’s more than just that, of course. There is lots of action, some tender moments, and believable, well written characters who you’d love to be friends with.

All in all, this is a gripping read, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: FBI special agent Julianna James is a top-notch negotiator who has never lost a hostage. Surely, she can manage to take care of her much younger sister, Dottie, who showed up unannounced to live with Julianna while she finished her senior year of high school.

A former sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Clay Snyder left the army after a tragic incident that he can't get past. Now he's working as a high school resource officer until he can figure out what to do with the rest of his life. 

Their paths cross when Julianna is called in to negotiate a courtroom hostage situation involving Clay's sister. Impressed and a bit intimidated by the calm, capable woman with the dark hair and blue eyes, Clay invites her to speak at his school. Dottie's school. 

But as the anniversary of a school shooting from Julianna's past approaches, it becomes clear that her perfect record is about to be tested and that Dottie is at risk. If Julianna and Clay can't figure out who's behind the attacks, more innocent people will die--and Julianna just might be one of them.

This intense story of revenge and redemption from bestselling author and master of suspense Lynette Eason will have you up all night as you race toward the explosive finish.