The Tactical Crime Division -- TCD -- is a specialized
unit of the FBI. They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations.
When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown,
every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn't
be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when
he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in
a school for the gifted. He'll need every resource available at TCD and every
ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission
-- and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.
This was a good second chance romance combined with an
intense suspense story. Annalise is a teacher at a school for gifted, underprivileged
children. As the story opens, she and three students are doing some afterschool
computer work. Their activities are interrupted when the school is invaded by a
cult leader and several of his followers. It develops into a hostage situation
when the rapid police response traps them in the school.
Evan is a hostage negotiator with the Tactical Crime
Division. He is very good at what he does, and is ready to go when he hears about
the lockdown. When he learns that children are involved, he knows that the
stakes are high. But when he learns that Annalise is one of the hostages, the
situation becomes personal.
Evan and Annalise have a history together. They were a
couple for two years, then three years ago Annalise left Evan, breaking his
heart. He thought their love was strong, and had no idea why she left. Though Evan
thinks he is over her, it is obvious from the start that he still cares. When
Annalise hears his voice, it gives her hope that the situation will be resolved
successfully. As the story progresses through the lockdown and the kidnapping
that follows it, the time that Evan and Annalise spend together stirs up the
old emotions. A little bit older and wiser, both of them take the time to talk
about what went wrong before. When Annalise learns about Evan's tragic past, it
gives her insight into the issues that caused their breakup. She also has the
confidence to push back against Evan when she needs to. Evan is warier. He's
not sure that he wants to give his heart to her again and risk having it broken
again. I loved his "aha" moment as he realized where he had gone
wrong and how it opened his heart to trying again.
The suspense of the story was intense from beginning to
end. The cult leader, Jacob, was one scary man. His actions during the lockdown
kept the tension high from the moment it started. His refusal to talk to Evan
made Evan's job even harder. I was very impressed with Annalise's ability to
stay calm and her cleverness in finding a way to use her cellphone to contact
Evan. The longer the lockdown went on, the harder it was to see a successful
resolution. I loved the courage of the little girl, Sadie, especially when she
interacted with Jacob. The rescue operation was a nail-biter and didn't go as
well as they planned, when Jacob and his wife escaped and took Sadie with them.
I loved the teamwork of the TCD, and how Annalise was a big part of that team.
It was fascinating to follow the thoughts and procedures that went into Sadie's
rescue. There were several twists, including the realization that there was
someone on the inside working against the good guys. The final confrontation
with Jacob was intense and led to the unmasking of the insider.
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