Feature Post and Book Review: Identity by Nora Roberts

Book Description

A new thriller about one man’s ice-cold malice, and one woman’s fight to reclaim her life.

Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan’s job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who’d been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. “Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn’t his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan’s nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother’s home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn’t flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn’t forgotten the one who got away.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61885098-identity?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=vR0GFawbku&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

IDENTITY by Nora Roberts is a perfectly balanced romantic suspense that I read straight through in one sitting. This is a standalone story featuring a young, vibrant professional bartender who becomes “the one who got away” from an obsessive serial killer who steals his victims’ identities, drains their accounts, strangles them, and then robs all their valuables.

Morgan Albright has been uprooted her entire life as an Army brat, but now outside of Baltimore, she works two jobs and has a roommate to own her own home. Morgan and Nina have become very close and are more than just roommates, they feel like sisters. When they decide to have a dinner party at their home, Morgan does not realize the charming man she has met at the bar she works at is not an IT executive but a conman and killer, who targets a particular type of woman.

Morgan comes home from work to discover her home robbed, her car gone and her roommate dead on the floor of her office.

Morgan learns from the FBI that the man she knew as Luke, was not, but is a serial con artist, thief, and murderer. Morgan moves home to Vermont to live with her grandmother and mother as she begins to rebuild her life. Her new job introduces her to an interesting new man who helps her enjoy herself again as they build their relationship, but there are messages sent to her from all over the country reminding her that she will not get away forever.

I always look forward to a new Nora Roberts or J.D. Robb book because they just never disappoint. I fell right into this story, the characters lives, the suspense and the romance and I never looked up again until ‘The End’ very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on how you look at it. Morgan is a wonderful heroine with an upbeat attitude towards her customers and life itself. She worked so hard, not once but twice in her life to make her personal dreams come true. I also love how she worked to make herself physically stronger. The generational household showed the deep connections the women had and their love for each other. The dialogue between them was very entertaining. Miles was a swoon worthy alpha hero who shows his love for family and Morgan through what he does for them even when he seems a little overbearing, Morgan stands up to him. The cat and mouse suspense plot between Morgan and Gavin kept me turning the pages.

I highly recommend this great romantic suspense and author!

***

About the Author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 — The Becoming — the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Social Media Links

Website: https://noraroberts.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noraroberts

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nora-roberts

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Collateral Damage by J.A. Jance

Book Description

After spending twenty years behind bars, Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, is out on parole and focused on just one thing: revenge. The wife who abandoned him after his arrest, the mistress who ratted him out for abetting a money-laundering scheme, the detectives who presided over his case all those years ago—they all have targets on their backs.

For Ali Reynolds, the first Christmas without her father is riddled with grief and uncertainty. And with her husband and founding partner of High Noon Enterprises, B. Simpson, preoccupied by an upcoming New Year’s trip to London, she is ready for a break. But when Stu Ramey barges into her home with grave news about a serious—and suspicious—accident on the highway to Phoenix involving B.’s car, things reach a breaking point.

At the hospital, a groggy, post-op B. insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London, as troubles brimming around High Noon come to light. But questions remain: Who would go to such lengths to cut the tech company from the picture? And what if Ali and the rest of the team are also in danger?

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Collateral Damage by J. A. Jance blends a very twisted story involving security, battered women, organized crime, murders, corruption, and revenge. It is told from different points of view between High Noon characters, several police forces, and investigators trying to piece together a puzzle that spans many different jurisdictions.

Readers soon learn about Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, out on parole after twenty years. He is focused on revenge for those who helped to put him behind bars: The wife who abandoned him after his arrest, the mistress who ratted him out for abetting a money-laundering scheme, and the detectives who presided over his case all those years ago.

Ali and her husband B. Simpson are drawn into the situation when B’s airport shuttle is run off the road, with he and the driver hospitalized. Was B. the target or just collateral damage since the driver was a retired detective?

The added twist is that B. suspects someone might have tried to prevent him from attending a London Conference on cyber security. He insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London.  But she knows she would be an inadequate substitute, so she convinces Cami, an assistant, to make the presentation with Ali as the face of the company.

Jance has an uncanny way of bringing the plots together.  Ali and company unravel this complex plot that allows readers some thrilling scenes.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Rumor has it you had a hard time writing this story?

J. A. Jance: This book took a whole year to write.  In 2022 I was working on it.  After writing nine chapters I handed the draft over to my husband, Bill.  He handed it back to me and said, ‘I cannot read this.  It is a mess.’  He is a very brave man. I reread what I had written, and he was correct, it was a mess. What was wrong, is that the bad guy had not appeared in the first quarter of the book. There was no foundation in the first draft. I did a complete rewrite. Bill, my agent, and my new editor all liked the new story. 

EC:  In this book Ali Reynolds is not endangered?

JAJ:  Yes.  This is unusual. I wanted to show how it takes a village of law enforcement officers to solve a crime.

EC:  You made the police officers come to life?

JAJ:  These days the press has the police as bad, uncaring, and evil. A scene in the story really underscores how much the police characters in the books cared. I had goosebumps when I wrote it.  The bad guy from the Arizona Highway Patrol is arrogant and an a-hole. But all the others are good and are lined up against evil. The vast majority are not bad.  Part of the purpose of this book is to give their stories, such as Hal.

EC:  How would you describe, Frank Muñoz, the bad guy?

JAJ:  He is resentful and has a motivation of revenge, to kill those who have wronged him.  He is angry, dangerous, arrogant, an abuser, and corrupt.

EC:  This book includes domestic violence?

JAJ:  It was the whole point of the book. The Dahlke House was made up but based on my knowledge of domestic violence and the counselors. Often the people involved also have been abused. Domestic violence workers are heroes and are at risk.  The guys who perpetrate domestic violence think it’s my way or the highway and anyone who gets in their way will be run over. The initial murder of Danielle had her husband as a suspect. The police cleared him and was able to give him his whole life back, totally exonerated. This is important because in solving long cold cases justice is served but also clears the names of those thought to be perpetrators but were not, getting rid of the suspicions hanging over their head.

EC:  You have different types of characters in your books?

JAJ:  What makes a painting, the contrast.  In my books, there are little pieces of lightness, such as Cami taking down that attorney in London. B. is somewhat MIA because he is in the hospital getting a shoulder replacement. Instead of using the saying, ‘follow the evidence,’ I follow the story.

EC:  What about the next book?

JAJ:  The Brady family shows up in the next Walker Family book due out next fall.  In September it will number six, titled Blessing of the Lost Girls.  It is set on a reservation.  The stories and legends I learned as a storyteller on the reservation are weaved into the background. There will be missing and murdered indigenous girls, which I knew about since the early 90s. Readers might want to look at my blog on my website.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Feature Post and Book Review: If a Poem Could Live and Breathe: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt’s First Love by Mary Calvi

Book Description

A fact-based romantic speculative novel about Teddy Roosevelt’s first love, by Mary Calvi, author of Dear George, Dear Mary.

Studded with the real love letters between a young Theodore Roosevelt and Boston beauty Alice Lee—many of them never before published—If a Poem Could Live and Breathe makes vivid what many historians believe to be the pivotal years that made the future president into the man of action that defined his political life, and cemented his legacy.

Cambridge, 1878. The era of the Gilded Age. Alice Lee sets out to break from the norms of her mother’s generation. Women are fighting for educational opportunities and exploring a new sense of intellectual and personal freedom. Native New Yorker, Harvard student Teddy Roosevelt, is on his own journey of discovery, and when they meet, unrelenting currents of love change the trajectory of his life forever.

If a Poem Could Live and Breathe is an indelible portrait of the authenticity of first love, the heartache of loss, and how overcoming the worst of life’s obstacles can push one to greatness never imagined.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784584-if-a-poem-could-live-and-breathe?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=wZ69vLLdhJ&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

IF A POEM COULD LIVE AND BREATHE: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt’s First Love by Mary Calvi is a speculative historical fiction based on Theodore Roosevelt’s first love and marriage to Alice Lee. This is a beautiful young love story based on actual letters. Set in the Gilded Age, two young people are discovering themselves, their possibilities, and their love.

In 1878, Alice Lee is fighting the strictures of her mother’s generation. It is a time when women are fighting for educational opportunities and intellectual freedom. Alice wants to be able to receive advanced education in the newly opened women’s annex at Harvard, but her mother has other plans for her as she is a beauty many eligible and wealthy young men are interested in.

Harvard student, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt is finding a world of opportunities with his new friends. He has survived a childhood plagued by asthma and has grown into a young man who wills himself to fight through his asthma attacks and enjoy everything life has to offer. When he attends a weekend away with one of his Harvard classmates, he finds himself in the presence of the most beautiful young girl he has ever seen and instantly falls in love for the first time in his life. He is determined to make her fall for him too.

This is such a beautiful story of young, first love. Due to this time in history, societal expectations play a large role in their friendship and then courtship. The book is written in “The Present” with Teddy on his ranch in the Badlands after the death of his wife and “The Past” with their meeting through first year of marriage until Alice’s death. The letters between Alice and Teddy give the readers a look into their relationship with Ms. Calvi giving the readers a well-researched and realistic look at the culture and mores of 1878-1885 New England society. Alice had my heart from the start with her love of education and freedom of choice and that Teddy accepted that in her and stood up for her ideas and beliefs in public made me appreciate him even more. Although Alice and Teddy’s love story was just a short period in his overall lifetime and he refused to discuss it after his return from the Badlands, he honored that relationship in action with the freedom from societal norms he allowed their daughter, Alice.

I highly recommend this bittersweet and yet beautiful young love historical fiction romance.

***

About the Author

MARY CALVI is an author of historical fiction. Her upcoming book, IF A POEM COULD LIVE AND BREATHE: A NOVEL OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT’S FIRST LOVE, is based on never-before-published love letters to and from Roosevelt, which Calvi researched and transcribed from the originals. The publication is set for Valentine’s Day 2023 (St. Martin’s Press). Her in-depth research for her debut book, DEAR GEORGE, DEAR MARY: A NOVEL OF GEORGE WASHINGTON’S FIRST LOVE is the basis of a Smithsonian Channel documentary, airing now. Calvi is a 14-time New York Emmy® award-winning journalist, the morning news anchor for WCBS-TV, and national anchor for Inside Edition Weekend.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.marycalvi.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryCalviTV/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marycalvitv?lang=en

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-calvi

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler

Book Description

“Sacrifices must be made; battles will be lost. It is always this way in a quest for change.”

In the near future, Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations grapple to find an alternative energy source. Terrorists race for control over world resources. And the Syndicate―a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies―struggles to maintain peace.

Syndicate operative Juliet Arroway and her best friend, Mariam, a progressive Saudi princess, are tasked with hunting down terrorists and putting an end to the global energy war, the same mission that cost Juliet’s father his life. But when multiple terrorist attacks result in devastating losses, including the death of Juliet’s longtime boyfriend, and the Syndicate begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is somehow involved, Juliet must rise above her heartbreak to discover the truth.

In her quest, Juliet is paired with Graham―a dashing yet arrogant FBI agent―and embarks on a dangerous journey toward love and survival as they race to obtain the formula that could solve the energy crisis. But when peace demands a stunning betrayal, Juliet must decide how much she is willing to pay for the success of her mission. Brilliantly weaving fact and fiction, Butler tells a story seldom told―how female heroics can change the course of war.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler is an intriguing story that allows readers a glimpse into the espionage world. A former CIA operative, Brittany uses her personal experience to take readers on a thrilling ride.

Brittany Butler spent nine years as a targeting officer within CIA’s Directorate of Operations, Counterterrorism Center. Both at Langley and on temporary assignments in the Middle East, Brittany spearheaded operational efforts to achieve some of the most sensitive foreign intelligence objectives abroad. She uses her first-hand knowledge of targeting methodologies to recruit spies along with extensive field experience to discover and apprehend terrorists abroad.

As a staunch advocate for women’s rights in the Middle East, Brittany has worked for human rights campaigns in Afghanistan to protect and promote the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls.

She tries to incorporate her feelings into the novel. The story takes place in the future where the Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations grapple to find an alternative energy source. Terrorists race for control over world resources. And the Syndicate, a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies, struggles to maintain peace.

Both heroines, Juliet Arroway, and her asset, Saudi Princess Mariam, are trying to hunt down the Islamic terrorists responsible for many murderous attacks. A member of Mariam’s family is suspected as the main instigator of the war and terrorist attacks. Juliet is paired with FBI agent Graham in the task to obtain the formula that could solve the energy crisis.

This is a story of deception, double-cross, heroism, and female empowerment.  Both Juliet and Mariam are independent, self-assured, and self-sufficient women trying to change the culture of how women are treated.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper:  Did your professional experience influence the story?

Brittany Butler:  I really feel passionate about women’s rights in Afghanistan. My last assignment was in the Pakistan-Afghanistan division where I worked for about three years.  I saw all the abuses of the Taliban. I now volunteer for an organization called, Women for Afghan Women. They provided funds for shelters there. One of the Afghan women I became friends with has worked for the US military and intelligence community quite a bit, becoming a translator.  I wrote the novel as fictional to go into the moral dilemma of espionage with internal struggles.

EC:  It seems to be you have the same uphill struggle J. A. Jance went through, writing in a man’s world?

BB:  I looked at a statistic.  Out of 127 spy authors only two were female. I thought about changing my name or just putting my initials, to hide the fact I was a woman.  But I want to showcase the female perspective, so I do not want to hide behind a different identity. I also wanted to point out in the book that doing this type of job many women feel they cannot espouse femininity.

EC:  You have in your book strong women?

BB:  The Afghan woman who is my friend showed strength, even after so much hardship.  They did not want to be victimized, but wanted to educate themselves, to have a better future for their children, and to be given opportunities to work. I decided to write a story that showcased a powerful Arab woman, Mariam. I also wanted to change the narrative about female intelligence officers.  We do not use our bodies and sex to obtain information. We use our brains, tradecraft, with the same training and skills as our male counterparts. Twenty years in this war and the country is back to where it was, regarding the women there.

EC:  How would you describe Juliet, the intelligence officer?

BB:  Strong, feisty, has her own mind, reckless, independent, and a former Army Ranger turned spy. She grieves the loss of her father and is determined to end the energy war that cost her boyfriend and father’s life. She is also passionate and becomes frustrated as I did with ending these wars, while trying to achieve something.

EC:  How would you describe FBI Agent Graham?

BB: He deals with a lot of the same pitfalls as Juliet.  He is loyal, protective, brash, brave, bold, powerful, and strong.

EC: The relationship between Juliet and the hero, FBI Agent Graham?

BB:  They can push each other’s buttons.  Juliet is guarded and likes to avoid attachment. I drew this from my own relationship with my husband. The dynamic is that he is supportive and empowering.  His love for me allowed for me to be who I am, which is the same case with Juliet. This made me feel more secure which is how I wrote their relationship, to do the difficult work. Juliet and I are accepted for who we are.

EC:  What about the Arab asset, Mariam?

BB: Strong, a feminist, defiant, reckless, and courageous. She uses the same tactics as her male counterparts, just like me, but is judged in a more severe way.

EC:  How would you describe the Islamic terrorists?

BB:  They are vindictive, Chauvinists, evil, violent, not empathetic, and egotistical.

EC:  A scene in the book reminded me of the Khost bombing where many CIA people were killed?

BB: Yes, it mirrored the operation in 2009. This had a tremendous impact for my decision to leave after my good friend, Darren LaBone died there. We worked together as case officers in Jordan.  He felt bad he was not there for his wife and three-year-old girl. We were desensitized from the danger, until this happened. Regarding that scene, my dad died while writing the book, so I drew my personal grief from his and Darren’s death.

EC:  What is the Syndicate Organization based upon?

BB:  I mirrored it on what the CIA does in terms of working with foreign liaisons.  We operate as a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies. We work hand in hand together. We share information from sources.

EC:  The scene between the Saudi Royalty, Salmon and Aziz,-what does it represent?

BB:  Trying to find ways that unite people versus what divides them. There was a quote in the book, “We all worship the same G-d.  Why can’t we unite on that fact.”  Salmon wants to continue to achieve economic growth and prosperity for the Saudis through cooperation. Aziz has the alternate viewpoint, to maintain monopolies on all energy sources, to wage the Jihad War.

EC: Next book?

BB:  My next book will involve Russia and China. Mariam is waging a war in support of the Feminists, based on what is happening in Iran.  She needs the Syndicate’s help, but they are intimidated by her accumulative power. There is no title and release date.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Emperor by John Fullerton

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for EMPEROR by John Fullerton on this Black Tide Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Can ex-NSA agent Ava stop the Emperor’s war plans before he kills millions – and her?

There’s a new Cold War…and it’s about to erupt into World War Three.

Emperor Qin – absolute ruler, dictator for life – has one task before he succumbs to brain cancer, and it means war. Can ex-spy Ava stop him in time to save millions – and survive?

Qin will ‘unify’ China by ordering the conquest of Taiwan, a democratic nation of 23 million people just 100 miles off the mainland, a pledge the Chinese Communist Party has made every year since the 1949 Revolution.

But there’s a leak, a flood of state secrets.

They land in the lap of the former NSA analyst in Washington DC. Ava Shute hasn’t sought the material. On the contrary, she’s a most reluctant recipient.

One thing keeps Ava going: the prospect of a nuclear Armageddon. The clock is ticking as Chinese agents hunt Ava down with orders to kill.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63922170-emperor?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=sm0ySMxfMw&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

EMPEROR by John Fullerton is a twisted espionage thriller that immerses you in a fictional and yet realistic game of politics, propaganda, and spies from the point of view of the Chinese Supreme Leader Qin and American former NSA analyst, Ava Shute. This is a standalone novel.

Qin is the type of totalitarian leader most westerners picture as the leader of China. Qin is isolated, ruthless, and even with a brain tumor able to outwit any opposition. Before his tumor kills him, the legacy he wants to leave is the reunification of China and Taiwan.

There is a leak of Qin’s military plans and Ava Shute is the recipient of the information. The informant wishes to remain secret and have their information released to the press rather than government agencies so that it cannot be buried. With Chinese agents out to shut down the leak permanently, Ava must trust an old acquaintance from her NSA past with her life.

This is such a great thriller. It does not rely on fast action scenes to carry the story, although they are there, it is more of game of political chess. There are in depth descriptions of military equipment and maneuvers beside the examples of types of espionage which show a voluminous amount of research and knowledge. While the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat about whether there will be a world war or not, whether the leaker will be unveiled or not, or if Ava will survive, the author brings the reader to a brilliantly executed, twisted, and yet believable climax. Sorry, no spoilers here. You have to read this book.

I highly recommend this espionage thriller!

***

Author Bio

John Fullerton worked briefly during the Cold War as a ‘contract labourer’ for Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, an episode that fired up his interest in fictional espionage. He failed spectacularly in his efforts as a farmer in Zimbabwe and as a trainee financial manager in Cape Town.

All told, he’s lived or worked in 40 countries as a journalist and covered a dozen wars. For 20 years Fullerton was employed by Reuters as a correspondent and editor with postings in Hong Kong, Delhi, Beirut, Nicosia, Cairo, and London.

His latest thriller, Emperor, was published in 2022. He has an MA with distinction in Buddhist Studies and was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund at Roehampton University in 2006/7.

He lives in Scotland.

Social Media Links

Website: https://johnfullertonauthor.scot

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnfullertonauthor.scot

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fictionarrative

Purchase Link

https://www.bookgoodies.com/a/B0BPGCB3JF

Feature Post and Book Review: Igniting Vic by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for IGNITING VIC (On Call Book #8)(Police and Fire Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Victoria “Vic” Paige thought she was firmly back in the saddle since returning to her job as a firefighter after a three-year hiatus. These past twelve months with her new crew at Station 3 have rebuilt her confidence. That is until they are called to a motel fire where she stumbles onto the scene of a murder, which has her shaken to the core. But a pair of calm blue eyes and the deep composed voice of the first detective on the scene restores her equilibrium.

As a recent transplant from the Denver PD to the smaller Durango force, Detective Bill Evans is enjoying the slower pace. So when he is called to a motel fire, he doesn’t expect it to be the first in a series of gruesome murders, bringing back unwelcome memories. The only high point is finding the familiar, beautiful, blond-haired firefighter on the scene. Despite the heavy workload inevitable with a difficult case like this, he’s determined not to let that stroke of good luck go to waste.

However, when the killer turns the investigation personal, Evans finds himself reconnecting with his former partner, Quint Axton, as he scrambles to keep those he cares about safe.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63255718-igniting-vic?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=dpLKxEly24&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

IGNITING VIC (On Call Book #8)( Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker is another exciting romantic suspense and wonderful new couple in the On Call series. While some characters crossover between books, they can be easily read as standalones, but this book does follow the sister and family from Watching Trin, book #7 so I would suggest reading that book first. I have read the entire series and always look forward to Ms. Barker’s mature, intelligent, and sexy heroes and heroines.

After one year back on the job, Victoria “Vic” Paige is feeling secure with her new firefighter crew after a three-year hiatus caring for her father. When they are called out to a motel fire, Vic discovers a horrific murder scene.

Durango Detective Bill Evans is called to investigate the murder. The scene is reminiscent of a gruesome serial killer case he solved while on the Denver PD, but that killer is sitting in prison for life. While the crime is terrible, Bill is glad that he will get to interact with Vic, the beautiful, but intense firefighter who discovered the body. When another victim is found, the police know they will have to stop this killer because he won’t stop on his own.

While Vic is dealing with her father’s declining health and the unwanted attention of a co-worker, Bill is working overtime with all hands-on deck, but both are still finding time to get to know each other. When the killer threatens those close to Bill, he scrambles to find the killer and keep them all safe.

Another wonderful romantic suspense in this On Call series! The serial killer suspense plot and investigation is well paced with an ever increasing sense of dread and a climax that had me glued to the page. Vic and Bill are a mature H/h who believe they are good with their lives where they are at, but as they get to know each other, they find they compliment each other and can rely on each other. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous and have a believable feel as both are older and know what they want. I started reading this romance and fell right into the story and did not stop until the end.

I highly recommend this gripping romantic suspense, the entire series, and any of this author’s books!

***

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook

Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter

Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram

 BookBub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub