This was my first time reading a romantic suspense novel by Lori Ryan, and I was immediately struck by her character-driven style. The story follows Detective Cal Rylan of the New Haven PD, who is paired with FBI Agent Eve Sands after one of the Bureau’s witnesses is killed by a sniper while being transported from the police station to the FBI office. The attack leaves Rylan’s partner, Jarrod, critically injured—a devastating blow that stirs up guilt from losing a former partner in the past.
With Eve now at his side, Rylan struggles to balance his instinct to protect with his respect for her skills. He admires her sharp mind, steady composure with the press, and undeniable strength. Though he feels an instant pull toward her, he knows their focus has to stay on catching the sniper before more blood is shed.
As the investigation unfolds, the sniper strikes again—taking out men in the middle of violent crimes, from an attempted rape in a park to a gas station holdup. What begins as a suspected mob hitman evolves into the chilling possibility of a lone vigilante doling out justice on their own terms.
This fast-paced read is packed with action, secrets, and tension, both professional and romantic. I found the characters well developed, the dialogue authentic, and the push-and-pull between Cal and Eve full of sparks. The cat-and-mouse chase with the sniper, always one step ahead, kept me hooked until the truth was revealed—and when it came, the motive made sense. While a few moments were slightly confusing, the story’s momentum and the simmering attraction between the leads more than made up for it.
Overall, Lori Ryan delivers an engaging romantic suspense with plenty of twists and just the right amount of heat. I’ll definitely be picking up more of her work. Two thumbs up!
Rating: 4 stars
Some of my favorite lines:
He didn’t
introduce himself. He had more than one reason for going on the offensive with
her. The fact his witness and partner had both been shot was only the start of
it. The kick of attraction he felt for her was another. He didn’t know where
the hell it came from, but he didn’t want it getting in the way. “Why the hell
weren’t we told this guy was high value? What the hell kind of clusterfuck is
the FBI running?”
He would
have known she was FBI without the badge. She had it written all over her
buttoned-up suit and the way she’d twisted her hair tight to the nape of her
neck.
And where the hell had thoughts of the nape of her neck come from? Why did he even know those words? Cal shook his head to clear it and focused on the anger. He had every damned right to be angry here. The FBI’s screw-up had just put his partner in the hospital.
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