WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD
Samantha "Sam" Kennedy is still grappling with the aftermath of to being captured and tortured by a serial killer (in Deadly Fear). Her belief in herself as an agent was a bit shaky to begin with, and she is still beating herself up at being taken. And then there are the nightmares and fears that bubble up when she remembers what happened to her.
She has always felt a bit like an outsider - she is incredibly bright and earned 2 masters before most had completed undergraduate studies. She was recruited by the elite Special Services Division (SSD) of the FBI - a unit dedicated to catching serial predators - mostly to leverage her superb computer skills, and not so much to serve as a field-agent. And she couldn't help feel both young and inadequate among her SSD colleagues - especially the legendary (and contained) Monica Davenport.
One night, she goes out to a bar hoping to find someone that can help her forget. She wants to be someone different, for one night, and leave her baggage and doubts behind. This behavior is very out of character for her, but she's feeling desperate to do something to shake off her malaise.
She meets Max Ridgeway, and it's instant attraction. They have one night together, and then she leaves while he's sleeping - but not before she figures out who he is, as she recognizes his stepfather in a photo). Fast forward a little bit and she realizes she wants one more night, so she tracks him down at a black tie event. Still, she is determined to keep her 2 worlds from meeting - she does not want him to know what she does, even though she does give him her full name.
Unfortunately, her worlds don't just meet, but they collide when his stepbrother becomes the victim of a serial kidnapper-turned-murderer who is targeting the sons of wealthy families.
The suspense plot is quite well-done, since it is clear that nothing is as it seems. How it all unfolds reveals quite a bit about the terrain of truly disturbed individuals - especially one who lacks empathy and actually likes physical pain.
Along the way, Max and Sam clash - particularly when he fears that her involvement is putting his stepbrothers life at risk. But as much as Max tries to hang onto his ire, something about Sam gets to him. And when she tells him what she went through so recently, he is so wonderfully loving and supportive.
Sam and this case also bring out additional elements of/insights into the other characters previously introduced in this series - especially Hyde, Luke and Monica. They are all worried about Sam, and are struggling to find the right way to support her. They want to be caring without making her feel weak. They want her to recognize that she actually IS strong - but they can't force her to do so. Her well-being, whether that is aided by remaining with SSD or leaving, is clearly important to these people who clearly care about her. Still, they have to worry about the case and SSD's effectiveness - and some tough decisions may have to be made if Sam can't find her footing. These parts of the story were not over-dramatized, but for me they added texture, since the caring way her teammates dealt with her also revealed more about them.
In the end, it felt right that Sam and Max were together, and they seemed a believable couple. They had bonded before the case had ever thrown them further together - much to both of their surprise - and it was plausible that they had a foundation upon which they could build a lasting relationship.
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2013
Top reviews from other countries
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in Canada on November 25, 2015
Cynthia Eden creates exciting characters and interesting story lines. ...
