Impact Zone - Julie Anne Lindsey (HI #1971 - Jan 2021)

Series: Tactical Crime Division: Traverse City (Book 3)

When Grand Rapids falls victim to a serial bomber,

the Tactical Crime Division launches into action.

Veteran TCD special agent Max McRay is the definition of unflappable. But when a serial bomber wreaks havoc in the town where his ex-wife, Allie, and infant son live, suddenly a high-profile case becomes personal. The bomber is ruthless…and now Max's family is in his sights. Can the TCD stop this killer's deadly rampage before Max and Allie pay with their lives?

Excellent blend of suspense and a second chance romance. Max is the explosives expert on the Tactical Crime Division team. When he hears about the bombs in Grand Rapids, he suggests to his boss that the team get involved. Max has an ulterior motive in that his ex-wife and infant son live in that city. They may be divorced, but Max still loves Allie and wants to protect her. Allie divorced Max a few months earlier because she couldn't handle how work always came before the family with Max. She moved to Grand Rapids to put some space between them and try to move forward with her life.

I liked the rekindling of the relationship between Max and Allie. It is evident from the start that they still love each other. Max is super-protective thanks to the things he has seen, and even though divorced, he calls Allie to warn her of the bombings. Allie tends to be a bit more relaxed and trusting, which was one of their marriage issues. Be that as it may, they still have an amicable relationship. Allie welcomes Max to her home when he arrives in town. I loved Max's sweet scenes with his son and the evidence of how much love he has to share. The time he spent away from Allie made him realize how many things he did wrong during their marriage. He yearns for a way to fix it but doesn't know if he can.

Spending time with Max reinforces that Allie still loves him and reminds her of why they parted. She had a hard time with the way he put other peoples' families ahead of theirs. But when Allie gets an up-close and personal view of what Max does, she begins to understand him and what drives him. The ending had me on the edge of my seat as Max was in the fight of his life to save Allie. Both of them realized life was too short to throw away what they had together. I loved the epilogue and the changes it showed in their relationship.

The suspense of the story was fantastic and kept me turning the pages far into the night. The team's pursuit of the serial bomber was well portrayed in its successes and frustrations. An early look into the mind of the serial bomber showed his determination. The intensity ramped up as Max and the others closed in on the bomber. The apartment scene had me glued to the pages as I felt like I was right there with Max. When the final confrontation came, the bomber's methods and intentions were terrifying. Max's coolness under pressure was terrific, and I loved how Allie kept her head and found a way to help.

Toxin Alert - Tyler Anne Snell (HI #1965 - Dec 2020)

Series: Tactical Crime Division: Traverse City (Book 2)

After biological terrorism rips through an Amish community,

the Tactical Crime Division is called in to find out why.

Following a deadly anthrax attack, TCD's biological weapons expert Carly Welsh springs into action. Problem is, the Amish trust no one -- especially not an FBI special agent. That's where Noah Miller comes in. Even though the rancher left the fold decades ago, the community trusts him…and so does Dr. Welsh. But even their combined courage and smarts might not be enough against sinister forces that want them both to perish.

Good book with romance and some intense suspense. The Tactical Crime Division is sent to investigate biological terrorism in an unexpected place - a local Amish community. Someone spread deadly anthrax around three Amish farms, killing cattle and murdering two people. As the team's biological weapons expert, Carly becomes the lead agent for the investigation. She runs into trouble right away because the local Amish don't trust outsiders, especially law enforcement, and no one will answer questions. Fortunately, they find Noah Miller to help them.

Noah is a former Amish farmer who left the community when he was sixteen. He has a tenuous relationship at best with his family and keeps mostly to himself. The Amish community trusts him, and he often serves as a link between them and the English world. Though reluctant to get involved at first, Noah agrees to help them get the answers they need.

I liked seeing Carly and Noah together. Not only did they work well as a team, there were sparks of attraction too. Both of them have events in their pasts that made them who they are today, things that they don't share with others. As they spend time together, they get to know and trust each other. I especially liked how Noah was protective toward Carly but also respected her abilities. I loved seeing him call out his father on his attitude toward Carly and the rest of the team. Noah's ability to listen and understand Carly led to several sweet and emotional scenes. I loved the ending, and seeing how nearly losing each other opened their eyes to what is important. Noah's big moment was beautiful (I loved the ring).

The suspense of the story was excellent. The anthrax angle reminded me of the stories years ago of mysterious white powder mailed to prominent people. The knowledge of how deadly anthrax gave an added layer of intensity to the book. There were some interesting twists as the team began unraveling what happened. A boneheaded move on Carly's part put her in extreme danger, and I was on the edge of my seat until it was all over. I loved the instincts that told her that something didn't add up and the team's persistence in figuring out what it was. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with Carly in the hot seat again.

Rookie Instincts - Carol Ericson (HI #1959 - Nov 2020)

Series: Tactical Crime Division: Traverse City (Book 1)

Two women dead…with the same ID?

Time to call the Tactical Crime Division.

New TCD team member Aria Calletti is determined to find out why women are turning up dead -- especially since an infant was left at the most recent crime scene. Fortunately for the TCD's newest operative, the baby's uncle, Grayson Rhodes, has sacrificed everything to discover the truth following the disappearance of his half-sister. But can a civilian-turned-undercover-dockworker and a brand-new agent take down a formidable drug kingpin?

Good story that had me hooked from beginning to end. Aria is the newest member of the Tactical Crime Division team and arrived just in time to participate in their most recent case. Young women have turned up dead, each bearing identical IDs. In a strange turn of events, a baby was found with the most recent victim. While investigating that murder, Aria learns of a missing person report filed for a woman and her baby. This puts Aria in contact with the woman's brother, Grayson.

Grayson is worried about his half-sister, Chloe, and her son, Danny. They never showed up for Thanksgiving dinner. Chloe may be an addict, but when she makes a promise, she keeps it. The last time he talked to her, she mentioned Port Huron, so he is now pretending to be a dockworker and hopes to learn something about her disappearance.

I liked both Aria and Grayson. Aria is very good at what she does. She began her career as a Detroit street cop and did some undercover work before the TCD recruited her. She has excellent instincts, and though she was a little nervous at first, she fit in with the team very quickly. Grayson is a successful businessman who loves his younger sister. He blames himself somewhat for Chloe's problems and is determined to do whatever he must to find her and Danny.

I liked the first meeting between Aria and Grayson. There was no doubt about the immediate connection between them, though Aria was careful to be professional. I ached for Gray when he was so hopeful that she was in jail, only to find out that she was dead. The scene at the morgue was heartbreaking, and Gray's determination to find her killer was understandable. As Gray carried out his plans and Aria worked the FBI side, they spent more time together. The sparks between them continued to grow, sometimes at inconvenient moments. Aria tries to resist, aware that her job makes relationships difficult, but she can't deny her growing feelings for him. It was interesting to see Gray interact with Aria. He knows that she is a fully capable FBI agent, but his innate protectiveness makes him worry over her safety. He tried her patience a few times with that protectiveness until one event brought the reality into focus for him. I loved the ending and seeing how Gray and Aria took a realistic look at their prospects for the future. I hope to see them in future books and catch up on their romance.

The suspense of the story was excellent. From the moment of Chloe's shooting to the end of the book, I was hooked on the story. I loved seeing each of the TCD agents put their unique talents to work to solve the case. Aria's instincts in thinking outside the box were excellent, and she arrived at some interesting conclusions. I understood her skepticism over Gray's "undercover" intentions, but she quickly learned that his instincts were also good. As Gray's actions led to an arrest, the intensity steadily increased, and more information came to light. The search for the "kingpin" took an unexpected twist, and the final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

I enjoyed meeting the other members of the team and look forward to reading their stories. Max and Alex both have fascinating histories, and I am intrigued by the relationship between the two sisters, Ophelia and Selena. There was a heartbreaking scene with Aria and the team's leader, Alana, that made the book's theme even more poignant.