The Last Speaker of Skalwegian

 

DAVID GARDNER

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Encircle Publications, 2021.

How acquired: From the author via Cozy Mystery Review Crew.

First line: Lenny Thorsen watched the red pickup roar into the parking lot, a statue propped up in back.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book, but the synopsis intrigued me. What I got was an amusing and somewhat quirky story filled with outrageous characters and situations that still came across as believable. I never knew from chapter to chapter what to expect. Well, that’s not quite true. The further I read, the more I did expect twists and turns and the unexpected.

To give you an example, Lenny, our protagonist, lives in an abandoned top floor revolving restaurant, that has a mind of it’s own. Meaning periodically, with just a few warning clicks, the restaurant would begin revolving, often sending items, such as Lenny’s breakfast, flying, while he grabbed onto something to keep himself from flying. Which I thought just sounded like an utterly fascinating and fun way to live! Lenny is a linguistics professor, who is often distracted by words and their origins. For instance:

‘Disperse’ came from the Latin disperses, which was was the past participle of dispergere (‘to scatter’). Lenny wanted everyone in the world to disperse.

Being a reader who often pauses to look up a word I’m unfamiliar with, I began to look forward to those musings.

All in all I enjoyed my time with Lenny and his group of wacky friends and colleagues.

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

Synopsis from Goodreads: Professor Lenny Thorson lives in a defunct revolving restaurant, obsesses over word derivations, and teaches linguistics at a fourth-rate college with a gerbil for a mascot. Lenny's thirty-four years have not been easy—he grew up in a junkyard with his widowed father and lives under a cloud of guilt for having killed another boxer as a teenager.

Desperate to save his teaching career, Lenny seizes the opportunity to document the Skalwegian language with its last living speaker, Charlie Fox. Life appears to have finally taken a turn for the better...

Unfortunately for Lenny, it hasn't. He soon finds himself at war with Charlie, his dean, a ruthless mobster, and his own conscience.

Caught in the Middle (Amhearst Mystery, Book 1; (Love Inspired Suspense)

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS.

GAYLE ROPER

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired Suspense, 2007.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: “It was a dark and sleety night,” I muttered as I slid behind the wheel and slammed the car door, grateful to have reached protection without drowning.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I was thrown off just a little as soon as I started this book because it’s written in first person POV, which I don’t think I’ve come across before in a Love Inspired. Not that I’m complaining. Merry is very likable and self-deprecating. Something else I’m not used to seeing in a Love Inspired. There was quite a bit of humor. Not laugh out loud, or even chuckle humor, but witty, bantering humor.

Merry is a journalist for the local paper, writing up mundane stories about Board of Education meetings and the like. After finding a dead body in the trunk of her car, Merry finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, and the killer seems to have turned his focus to her. Giving her the opportunity to write the biggest story of her life.

When her boss sends her to interview a local artist, she chafes at the thought. “A personality puff piece was the last thing I wanted to do now.” However, that interview introduces her to Curt, “a man in his early thirties who exuded energy, whose mass of curly dark hair was a far cry from the sparse gray I had anticipated.” Now, at this point you’re probably thinking Curt is the hero of the story and at the end he and Merry will have an HEA. It is a category romance after all. But no. Don’t get me wrong, he is the hero, as far as I’m concerned anyway, but by book’s end, while they’re squabbling like an old married couple, there is nary a kiss in sight, and certainly no declarations of love. Apparently their relationship will play out over the course of the series. Another thing I’m not used to in a Love Inspired!

The mystery was intriguing, with a couple of red herrings, and an on-the-edge-of-your seat chase through a steel factory. My only issue with the story was that when Merry realizes who is trying to kill her, it was quite obvious to me also, even though she doesn’t say his name. Then when he shows up immediately after, she only refers to him as the gunman, and doesn’t reveal his identity until the police close in on him. Which I understand as a narrative choice to keep the reader guessing, but I can’t imagine any reader not having already figured it out at the same she did.

But the fact remains, this is a delightful, amusing, suspenseful and engaging read, and I can’t wait join Merry in her next adventure.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Amhearst, Pennsylvania was just the kind of place for new beginnings for brokenhearted reporter Merry Kramer. But she soon discovered that danger lurked behind the lilac tree when a dead body turned up in her car!

The trouble didn’t end there—gunshots, attacks, and a handsome new friend who might not be what he seemed. Surrounded by suspects, Merry would have to use all her investigative skills to keep from becoming front-page news—as the killer’s next victim.

Running for Cover (Heroes for Hire, Book 1; Love Inspired Suspense)

 

SHIRLEE MCCOY

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired Suspense, 2010.

How acquired: Via Book Mooch.

First line: Pain.

(Goodreads synopsis below)

My thoughts: In 2013 I read UNDERCOVER BODYGUARD, the sixth book in this series, and in 2014 I read NAVY SEAL RESCUER. I must have liked them, since I added the series to my list of series in progress, and hunted down and collected copies of the first five books, plus books eight and nine. So after finally getting around to starting at the beginning with book one, I looked up the two I’d read, only to discover that not only did I not write any type of review on either book, but I didn’t even add them to my Goodreads shelf. Maybe I wasn’t really using Goodreads a lot yet, even though I’ve been a member since 2008.

That being said, I loved this first book. Page one throws us right into the action, as Morgan wakes up on her kitchen floor, in serious pain and lying in her own blood, while two men are tearing apart her gallery downstairs. Meanwhile, Jackson is in town for a wedding, looking for a last minute wedding gift, which brings him knocking on the gallery door and right into the action, and subsequently appointing himself Morgan’s personal bodyguard, against her wishes.

Morgan’s backstory was heartbreaking, abandoned by her mother as a child, never feeling like she really belonged with her adoptive family. Divorced from a cheating husband, who then murdered his business partner and went to prison. Now there are men after her, demanding a disk that belonged to her ex, of which she knows absolutely nothing. Jackson has his own baggage, blaming himself for his sister’s death two years ago, believing that he should have been able to save her from her abusive husband.

Jackson was such a great character. A private investigator, and former police officer. He sticks to Morgan like glue, even buying a last minute plane ticket and flying across the country with her, without a suitcase or anything, determined to protect her and keep her safe. When she gripes at him and tells him she doesn’t need him, she can take care of herself, he just smiles and follows along behind her.

Fast paced, with plenty of suspense, some edge of your seat moments, and of course the requisite happy ending. I would have liked to immediately start the second book, but alas, I still have boxes of books in my garage that haven’t been unpacked since I moved, and no idea which box it is in, so it’ll have to wait a bit. But I’m eager to continue the series.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Morgan Alexandria moved to Virginia to escape her past...but her past isn't ready to let her go. Thanks to her ex-husband's shady dealings, someone's after her, and if it weren't for Jackson Sharo, she might already be dead. Can Morgan trust Jackson? Maybe not. The former big-city cop is practically a stranger. But trying to handle everything on her own just leads to new disasters. And without Jackson's help, she could find herself running right into a trap....

Empty Stockings

 

DENIS HAMILL

Stats for my copy: Mass market Pocket Star Books, 2003.

How acquired: Via Book Mooch.

First line: Rory Maguire helped get Jack Kennedy elected president.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: A fascinating look at tenement life in 1960s New York. Fourteen year old Rory is such a well defined character. He goes to school, he works after school, and his earnings contribute to supporting the family. His father is a veteran who was wounded in the war, and then later was injured on the job and is now in a wheelchair or struggling with crutches. His mother works in a laundry and does her best to keep home and hearth running.

Rory’s father was in the Merchant Marine during the war. I’ve never heard much about the Merchant Marine, and had always thought it was a branch of the Marine Corps that served at sea. I didn’t know that the Merchant Marine was not actually considered part of the U.S. Military, and its veterans received none of the benefits that soldiers and sailors did. They were not given veteran status until 1988!

Rory is proud of his father, and desperate to find someone who will help him get the benefits he should be entitled to, and this drives much of the story. In the process, he learns a lot about the Merchant Marine, and we learn right along with him. The book left me wanting to learn more, and sent me searching for non-fiction about the Merchant Marine.

But I digress. EMPTY STOCKINGS is about more than that, of course. It’s about the mourning and heartache that followed President Kennedy’s assassination. It’s about the day to day life of a young boy who wants to be a journalist. A young boy falling for a pretty girl, worrying about his family not having Christmas, trying to steer his younger brother away from the rough crowd he hangs out with, from gang life.

Well written and mesmerizing, I enjoyed this book so much more than I had anticipated. I also teared up at the end, which I so had not anticipated.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Rory Maguire is a fourteen-year-old boy looking for a better life for himself and his family in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Harry, had a terrible accident that cost him his job, his ability to walk, and his dignity. His brother, Dermot, is hanging out with a local gang called the Shamrocks, and his two little sisters are growing hungry in the Maguires' frigid tenement apartment. Rory's dreams of becoming a writer seem hopelessly out of reach, as does winning the heart of Carol, the daughter of a prominent Brooklyn lawyer. What Rory needs most this Christmas is a miracle -- and even though he can't bring his hero John F. Kennedy back to life, he might be able to give his father, an ex-merchant marine, the recognition he deserves...and offer his family the gift of hope, health, and happiness for years to come.

Sunrise (Sky King Ranch, Book One)

 

SUSAN MAY WARREN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 1/4/22.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: By the time Dodge got to the hospital, he’d already broken his first promise.

(For Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’d not previously read anything by Susan May Warren, but I have a fascination with Alaska and the Antarctica, and reading about snow and ice, despite the fact that I hate to be cold and don’t leave my house when it snows here (which thankfully isn’t often). So the cover and the synopses (“When one of Echo’s fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold.”) drew my attention. And wow, was this book good!

The characterization is wonderful. The story is action packed, but at the same time it’s a riveting character study. And not just regarding Echo and Dodge, but Alaska itself. Alaska is definitely one of the main characters of the book. Along with the actual story line, the author provides a ton of detail about the Alaskan wilderness, mushing/dog sledding, and flying. Echo has a team of dogs and when she is out on her sled behind her dogs, the author goes into a lot detail about the terrain, her route, her handling of the sled and the dogs. Dodge is a pilot, and when he’s flying, the author goes into a lot of detail about all the steps he takes to check over the plane before taking off, the terrain below him, his route, and his handling of the plane. I’m talking step by step detail. And it was all completely fascinating.

Then you throw in the thoughts and feelings of the characters. Echo and Dodge had been friends since a young age, which grew into love. But then Dodge left, and now they haven’t seen each other for ten years. At first we don’t know why he left, but eventually the author gives us that backstory, which I’m not going to reveal here. But the incident that drove Dodge away has had a profound effect on both of their lives, so now they have a lot of baggage to unpack. In addition, Echo has abandonment issues from her mother leaving when she was very young, and Dodge has issues with his family and a father who he believes does not love him. Oh, so much beautiful angst for both of them!

Don’t get me wrong, the book isn’t all just detailed narrative. There’s lots of plot, action, suspense and thrills rushing across the pages at a quick pace. It was all very enthralling. I’m already a little disappointed that the next book in the series is not set in Alaska, but I can’t wait for it, and I anticipate the author will make me fall as in love with Nigeria as I am with Alaska.

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

Synopsis from Goodreads: Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him.

That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her.

When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .

Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?

Never Leave Me (Waters of Time, Book Two)

 

JODY HEDLUND

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 1/4/22.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: “I’m dying, and we can’t change that.”

(Goodreads synopsis is below.)

My thoughts: This second book in the Waters of Time series picks up about a year after the events of the first book. Ellen, the sister of the heroine of the first book, has a genetic disease which causes cancer, and is slowly dying. She’s resigned herself to her fate, and spends as much time as she’s able with the children staying at Serenity House, a non-profit she started where families with terminally ill children can stay and receive assistance with caring for their child day to day. She herself is staying at the home of Harrison, who she’s known practically all her life, as he was her father’s research partner. Unbeknownst to Ellen, Harrison, who has been secretly in love with her for some time, is still searching for more holy water in hopes of using it to heal Ellen. If you’ve read the first book, then you know about the holy water. If you haven’t read the first book, I urge you to do so before reading this one.

I really like Ms. Hedlund’s writing. I’ve not read any of her other books and was completely unfamiliar with her before reading the first book in this series, but I’ve already ordered the first book in her Colorado Cowboys series (unfortunately she doesn’t have any other time travel stories!). Her characterization is wonderful, with each of the main characters being fully explored and brought to life. And her narrative descriptions are vivid, setting each scene in detail, but not overly detailed, so that I felt I could see what she was describing. As with the first book, Ellen seems to adapt very quickly to the time and there were only vague mentions of missing electricity or other modern conveniences, without really exploring the culture shock aspect of suddenly being in 1832, but the book raced along and I was so invested in the story that I didn’t really mind.

There was a bit more suspense in this story, with Ellen being kidnapped and forced to go back into the past to find more holy water, and then being in immediate danger in the past, though thankfully she was reunited with her sister fairly quickly. But the action never lagged even then, as Ellen was desperate to find a way back to her own time before her kidnappers harmed Harrison or the kids at Serenity House as they threatened to do. I was happy to see Ellen’s sister, Marian, and her husband again and learn how Marian was doing after living in the past for a year. And as the book neared the last page, I was genuinely worried about there not being a happily ever after for Ellen and Harrison, but everything was resolved quite nicely.

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

Synopsis from Goodreads: In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he's never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he's desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.

When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug--including sending her back into the past to find it for them.

Bestselling and award-winning author Jody Hedlund plunges you into the swiftly flowing river of history in a race against the clock in this breathtaking, emotional second Waters of Time story.

Life Flight (Extreme Measures, Book One)

 

LYNETTE EASON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 1/4/22.

How acquired: Revell Reads Bogger Program for review.

First line: Today was not going to be the day they dies – not is she had anything to say about it.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: The action starts from page one and the adrenaline rush doesn’t let up! This is the first book in a new series, and the series is off to a great start. Penny (who, of course, in my head, looks like Penny from The Big Bang Theory!) is an EMS helicopter pilot. When the book opens, she and two paramedics have rescued a teenager who had hiking accident in the mountains and is in critical condition, and thanks to a storm Penny has to make an emergency crash landing, and then hike down the mountain for help. Unbeknownst to her, an escaped serial killer is on the loose in the mountains, with FBI Special Agent Holt in hot pursuit. Penny and her crew saved Holt’s life some time before, and they casually dated after that, but living so far apart kept a real relationship from developing.

I loved Penny and I really loved Holt. When Penny becomes the serial killer’s next target, Holt goes all out to protect her, and amidst all the danger and excitement I loved watching how their relationship deepened. They both have secrets, and when Penny’s comes out Holt is hurt and disappointed that she’d never trusted him enough to tell him about it before. And yet he has his own secret that he keeps trying to bring himself to tell her. The serial killer is as creepy as all get out, especially when we learn the reasoning behind his actions.

I wasn’t familiar with Lynette Eason prior to this book, though a quick look through my reading log shows I did read one of her category romances back in 2012, although I have no memory of it now. But I’m very impressed with her writing and her storytelling. There are quite a few characters involved in the story line, but they are all well drawn and easy to keep track of. The descriptions of the mountain and the storm and the terrain are vivid. This fast paced adventure kept me up past my bedtime, and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series.

Synopsis from Goodreads: EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations, but being forced to land on a mountain in a raging storm with a critical patient--and a serial killer on the loose--tests her skills and her nerve to the limit. She survives with FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield's help. But she's not out of the woods yet.

In the ensuing days, Penny finds herself under attack. And when news reaches Holt that he may not have gotten his man after all, it will take all he and Penny have to catch a killer--before he catches one of them.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason is back with another high-octane tale of close calls, narrow escapes, and the fight to bring a nefarious criminal to justice.

Holding Out For Special

 

K.T. RAINE

Stats for my copy: Kindle Edition, 9/15/21.

How acquired: Via BookSirens for review.

First line: Emory Dockins navigated the busy onramp onto Interstate 270 outside of Baltimore, her eyes blurred with tears.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This was an absolute delight. When you pick a random book from an author you’ve never heard of, you never know for sure what you’ll get. Sometimes you get a dud, and sometimes you get a gem.

It’s billed as a “Clean and sweet contemporary romance with a dollop of suspense”. It is sweet, and it is clean, with just some kissing between the hero and heroine, but there is also some heat and palpable chemistry. I love a law enforcement hero, and I think this is the first romance I’ve read where the hero was a Secret Service agent. Emory and Vince both have some baggage, and I wouldn’t have been surprised to get a lot of angst, but it was light in that department. What we do get a lot of is amusing banter. I smiled a lot, and I laughed out loud, and then suddenly I was crying, real tears running down my face. And I was only at the 50% mark!

The narrative alternates between Emory’s and Vince’s POV, and I loved both of them. Emory is a teacher, and I really liked how Vince was very respectful of her profession, describing her as “An underpaid, self-sacrificing teacher…”. When she asks how does he know she’s underpaid, he responds “All teachers are underpaid in my book”.

There’s also a cute little girl named Macy, whose mother, a politician, has been receiving threats. Vince’s current assignment is protection detail for the child, and the relationship that he develops with her was just adorable.

This is a breezy, fun and heartwarming story, with well written characters, including the child and her dog, that I probably would’ve finished in just a couple of days if I didn’t have a freakin job to go to. From what I read about the author, this is her first adult book, with her previous books being for young readers, but she has more coming, and now that she’s on my radar I’m eager for more from her!

Synopsis from Goodreads: After 32 years of no luck in the true love department, sweet, unassuming school teacher, Emory Dockins, has pretty much given up on ever finding the right guy. Never in a million years does she expect to catch the eye of the intimidating, but swoon-worthy Secret Service agent, Vince Murano, who comes to question her about death threats against an aunt she never knew existed. Yep, life's funny like that. And maybe Emory shouldn't give up on her happy ever after just yet.

Hot Chocolate on a Cold Day

 

ROZ DENNY FOX

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Harlequin Signature Sagas, 2006.

How acquired: Bought.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: We first met Megan Benton (or at least, I did) in ANYTHING YOU CAN DO…, which was an absolutely delightful book. Megan was a teenager, and the hero and heroine of that book were her mother Emily, and her now stepfather, Camp. That book was followed up with THE BOSS NEXT DOOR, which starred Camp’s sister, Sherry, and which I just loved. So when I finally found a copy of this book, I was eager to revisit the characters.

Megan is an adult now, and working for the Coast Guard in Michigan. Her brother Mark has graduated from college, and Emily and Camp are expecting him to take a job in the child psychology field in their tight knit community. But he’s decided he wants to try his hand at photography and he’s come to Michigan to stay with Megan and take some pictures around the island where she lives.

I loved Emily and Camp in their book, but it was a little disconcerting to now see them heaping expectations on Mark and belittling his love of photography and his desire to pursue that. And then Megan and Mark’s grandmother, Mona, also comes to visit. Megan is not happy about that at first, as Mona and Emily have never gotten along. In fact, the whole point of Emily taking Mark and Megan on the wagon train trip in the first book was because she felt her deceased husband’s parents were interfering in their lives too much and constantly trying to buy the kids. She hoped to spend some time with them and try to ground them in reality, and when I read the book I agreed that they needed it. They started out as spoiled, coddled kids who looked down their noses at their mother and couldn’t stop talking about their grandparents’ money. Since then, Megan has come to realize her mother was right, and she’s pretty much cut off ties with Mona, but Mark has stayed close to her, and Mona provided Mark the money to launch his photography efforts.

Megan quickly comes to realize that Mona has changed, and now that she’s no longer under her late husband’s thumb, she’s sold her huge house, is planning a trip around the country, and has become a softer, nicer person, who has some regrets about the past. Unfortunately, every time Megan tries to tell Emily and Camp that, or talks about Mona at all, they get angry and yell at her on the phone, and it just really gave me bad vibes.

Ok, so getting past that. Sterling moves into the apartment below Megan’s, with his four year old son, Tyler, and his late wife’s younger sister and brother, who he is guardian of. They are sullen and angry about Sterling moving them away from New York. Sterling’s wife was a police officer, and he recoils from Megan initially because of her job, putting her life on the line. It didn’t make him very likable to begin with, but he grew on me quickly, and I knew he’d get past it eventually. And of course it provided some conflict for them to overcome, which I always like.

Megan is constantly making hot chocolate, and it inspired me to do the same, so I bought some Hershey’s Cocoa and followed the recipe printed on the label, and oh my god, it was soooo good. And my three year old granddaughter loved it also, although her mama added milk to hers because she thought it was too sweet. But back to the book.

There were some tense scenes towards the end, a couple of scary rescues at sea, and of course Sterling, and then Megan, realizing they love each other and a great happy ending. Although I never did warm back up to Emily and Camp. I definitely recommend reading the first two books, and I also recommend reading TROUBLE AT LONE SPUR, which is my favorite of Ms. Fox’s books, followed closely by ROMANTIC NOTIONS, which was my introduction to the author.

Synopsis from Goodreads: After a family tragedy, Captain Sterling Dodge and his kids move into the apartment below Coast Guard Lieutenant Meagan Benton. Soon they all learn to love and care again--together.

Lights Out (The SNAP Agency, Book 1)

 

NATALIE WALTERS

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: I’ve only read two of Natalie Walter’s books, the first and second book in her Harbored Secrets series, and loved both of them, so I was excited to get this first book in her new The SNAP Agency series. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with it. The author’s writing is wonderful, as always, and I loved the scenes where it was just Brynn and Jack interacting, or when they were apart and being angsty about each other. But the international terrorist/cyber terrorist plot just did not appeal to me, and I had trouble staying interested in it. The characters are all richly drawn, and the action is non-stop. I’m not sure if I’ll want to read the next book, but I do still want to read the rest of the Harbored Secrets series, and whatever I can find from the author’s backlist.

Synopsis from Goodreads: CIA analyst Brynn Taylor developed a new program to combat terrorism, and she invited members of foreign intelligence agencies to America to foster cooperation between countries. Now one of them, Egyptian spy Remon Riad, is missing.

Jack Hudson has been working for the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency (SNAP) for almost nine years and takes the lead in hunting down the missing spy. But he isn't at all pleased to find out Brynn is involved. It's hard to trust a woman who's already betrayed you.

Every lead they follow draws them dangerously deeper into an international plot. Kidnapping, murder, explosions, poisoning--the terrorists will do anything to accomplish their goal of causing a digital blackout that will blind a strategic US military communications center and throw the world into chaos.

Can Brynn surrender control to a man who doesn't trust her? And can Jack ever get over what she did to him? The fate of the world--and their hearts--hangs in the balance.