Hard Justice (Cobra Elite #3) by Pamela Clare-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 17, 2019

Elizabeth Shields has always craved adventure. That’s why she went to work for the CIA straight out of college. That’s probably also the reason she feels drawn to Quinn McManus, a veteran of the British Special Air Service. The big Scotsman gives off a dangerous vibe that she can’t resist. Yet, resist she must. She and Quinn both work for Cobra International Security, which has a strict policy against hook-ups between employees, and she’s too much of a professional to date a coworker. She and Quinn can never be more than friends. But when his best buddy from the SAS is found murdered on the streets of Glasgow, Elizabeth will do all she can to help Quinn cope with the loss … and find the culprit.

Quinn McManus escaped a life of poverty by joining the British Army. His fellow soldiers became his family, forging a bond stronger than blood. Now, with his best friend dead, he needs Elizabeth’s special skills to help track down the killer. He has no intention of getting physical with her. Rules are rules. But as their unofficial investigation heats up, so does the attraction between them. Still, he refuses to surrender. Because if they cross the line from friends to lovers, there will be no going back.

But some battles can’t be won, and soon the passion between Quinn and Elizabeth ignites, hot enough to melt the cold Glasgow winter. As they move closer to the truth and to each other, they find themselves in the sights of a stone-cold killer, who won’t hesitate to destroy them both to keep a terrible secret.

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REVIEW:HARD JUSTICE is the third instalment in Pamela Clare’s contemporary, adult COBRA ELITE erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Cobra International Security. This is former SAS agent Quinn McManus, and former CIA agent Elizabeth Shields’ story line. HARD JUSTICE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. COBRA ELITE is a spin-off from the author’s I-Team Series.

Told from dual third person perspectives ( Elizabeth and Quinn) HARD JUSTICE follows in the aftermath of the murder of Quinn McManus’ best friend Jack Murray. Quinn and Jack were soldiers in the British Army but upon release Quinn headed to America and joined Cobra International Security, while Jack remained in Europe working as an independent contractor but Jack’s death pulls Quinn to his boyhood home, a home that brings with it too many memories of sins of the past. With the unexpected help of Cobra teammate Elizabeth Shields, Quinn goes on the hunt for a killer, a killer that will target our story line couple. What ensues is the building relationship between Quinn and Elizabeth, and the potential fall-out as Quinn and Elizabeth rattle too many cages in their search for the truth.

Quinn McManus is devastated by the loss of his best friend but days before his murder, Jack left a message for Quinn, a message that meant nothing yet so much more. Working with former CIA operative Elizabeth Shields finds Quinn in the middle of a possible terrorist threat, and the potential to uncover what the police have been unable to do but going home meant facing his past, a past he was hoping to forget.

The relationship between Quinn and Elizabeth is one of forbidden attraction. Since meeting Elizabeth years earlier, Quinn hasn’t stopped thinking about the possible future, a future cooled by the workplace policy of no office romances. Neither one wants to lose their job but time spent together meant time to explore their mutual attraction. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to the Cobra International Security Team: Co-owners Javier Corbray, and Derek Tower; Navy SEAL Dylan Cruz; Malik Jones and Thor Isaksen; as well as Jack’s wife Ava, and local Scottish law enforcement The requisite evil has many faces.

HARD JUSTICE is a story of friendship, vengeance, power and control; romance and relationships; heart break and love. The premise is intriguing and engaging; the characters are colorful, energetic and strong; the romance is steamy and seductive. HARD JUSTICE is a fantastic addition to the author’s Cobra Elite series.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Hard Target
Hard Asset
Hard Justice

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy