Tag Archives: FBI Thriller

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

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Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

 

Amazon / Bookouture

 

Description:
The tears fall down the girl’s pale face as she desperately tries to struggle free from the ties around her wrists. The only sound in the room other than her muffled cries is the ticking of a clock. Her mother has less than one hour to find her alive.

It’s been more than thirty years since Special Agent Sandra Vos’s twin brother was shot dead, an innocent victim caught in a kidnap gone wrong. It devastated Sandra’s family, but it made her who she is today, one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators.

After dropping her teenage daughter, Olivia, at school, Sandra is alerted to a potential hostage situation at her local grocery store and races to the scene. A man has pulled out a gun and is refusing to talk or let anyone out of the building until his demands are met. The fate of dozens of lives rests in Sandra’s hands.

But as Sandra starts to make a breakthrough with the hostage taker, she receives a call that makes her blood run cold. Someone has taken Olivia, and their demand will push Sandra to her absolute limit. If it’s not met within twenty-four hours, she will never see her daughter again.

Sandra knows she should step aside, letting her team take over, but she doesn’t trust anyone else to bring Olivia home alive. Breaking every rule in the book, Sandra is ready to go into her most personal negotiation yet. But how much will she have to sacrifice to save her daughter?

 

 

Review:

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold is the first book in her new Sandra Vos series. We meet FBI Special Agent Sandra Vos, who is a long-tenured negotiator. On her way home from testifying at a parole hearing, Sandra gets a call to help at a store, where customers are being held hostage in a tense situation at a grocery store.  Sandra is determined to convince the man holding them hostage to free them, but a few hostages were hurt. Sandra does all she can to get him to give up, but hours pass, until she finally gets him to give up.

While Sandra is back in the office filling out her paperwork, she discovers that someone has taken her daughter, Olivia.   With help with the FBI team, they try to figure out who is behind the kidnapping.  Sandra has a very little time to find a way to rescue Olivia, and when they narrow down the possible suspects, she recognizes who the kidnapper is.  The man who she attended the parole, turns out to be one of his cronies, and he wants the gold that only the imprisoned person knows where it is. The kidnapper demands Sandra to find where the gold his, and if she doesn’t find it, he will kill her daughter.

Sandra knows she should let her team take over, but she is desperate and insists that she needs to trust only herself to bring Olivia home alive.  Sandra finds herself trying to fill two roles as an investigator and a mother. The pressure rises, as he ex-husband, Nolan arrives to help; and the FBI team escalates as they get closer. She has to race against time to save Olivia, not losing sight of the ticking clock.

Safe Her Life was a tense, exciting, emotional story line, that kept me glued to my kindle.  Sandra turned out to be a fantastic heroine, especially with her whole team cooperating and sympathizing with her. Her ex-husband nearer to the end, also helped to save Olivia. Safe Her Life was so very well written by Caroyln Arnold.  I suggest you read Safe Her Life was a fantastic thriller.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy mysteries, police procedurals, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

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Vortex by Catherine Coulter – a Review

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Vortex by Catherine Coulter – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
Seven years ago, Mia Briscoe was at a frat party with her best friend Serena when a fire broke out. Everyone was accounted for except Serena. She was never heard from or seen again. Now Mia is an investigative journalist covering the political scene in New York City, but she hasn’t given up trying to find out what happened to her friend that night. When an old photo taken at the frat party gives her clues, Mia realizes she knows just where to look. She enlists FBI agent Sherlock’s help to uncover a sinister string of events going all the way back to that disastrous party. But some very powerful—and very dangerous—people will do anything to keep the past buried.

CIA Operative Olivia Hildebrandt is a team leader on a mission in Iran to exfiltrate a betrayed undercover operative. She’s nearly killed by an exploding grenade and saved by a team member. After leaving Walter Reed Hospital, not only has that team member disappeared but two men come to her house to kill her. Savich believes their attack on Olivia is a direct result of the compromised mission in Iran. What intelligence was at stake? Who betrayed them? Savich quickly finds he is now a target himself and unseen enemies will stop at nothing, including murder.

 

 

Review:

Vortex by Catherine Coulter is the 25th book in her FBI Thriller series.  I am a big fan of Coulter’s FBI series, and looked forward to seeing our wonderful FBI heroes, Savich and Sherlock. In Vortex, both Savich and Sherlock are called into separate cases, with each case being led by great heroines.

Mia Briscoe, our heroine, is an investigative journalist for a local newspaper.  Mia still thinks about her friend from college, who disappeared 7 years ago.  When her boss assigns her to be the main reporter for Alex Harrington, the new candidate to be mayor of New York, she does some research and finds a dark blurry picture that a friend found, and sent to Mia.  In a short time, Mia utilizes another FBI friend, who was the boyfriend of the missing girl, to see if he can improve the quality of the picture, which was taken at the college 7 years ago.  After she interviews Harrington, his friends, Mia begins to suspect that there is more to the story, and with her FBI friends help, she meets Special Agent Sherlock, who will begin to work with Mia to find the truths, about now and what happened years ago.  Sherlock was in New York consulting on a serial murderer case, which she will help solve, and she fully becomes invested into Mia’s findings.

CIA agent, Olivia Hildebrandt, was on a top mission, when she was injured, as the mission was compromised.   One of her agents is now missing, and Olivia is determined to find him, since she feels he is in hiding, against foreign terrorists.  Savich is called to represent the FBI in investigating why Olivia is being targeted, as attacks have been made on her life.  Savich will take over the case, as the CIA is not happy about this.  Olivia knows someone from her team has betrayed her, and works closely with Savich to protect her, as well as find the agent who is in hiding, with the flash drive (important data) that is important to both sides. 

What follows is a non-stop exciting and intense adventure with two different cases. Both cases escalated, with many twists and surprises, which is another reason not to reveal these spoilers, so not to ruin the book.  I love Savich and Sherlock, even when they worked separately; They are a fabulous couple and super agents.  I really thought Mia was a fantastic character, as she was fearless to find the truth about her friend’s disappearance, as well as working closely with Sherlock.  Olivia too was a very good character, and was willing to put her own life in danger, working with Savich.  Coulter not only gives us wonderful characters we care about, but she also creates evil villains.

Vortex was a thriller from start to finish, and even if it was tense at times, as I was unable to put the book down from start to finish.  Catherine Coulter once again gives us a fabulous story, with so many different surprises and excitement all the way to the climax.  Vortex was a fast-paced, exciting, intriguing, suspenseful mystery.  If you like suspense, mysteries, espionage, especially in the world of CIA/FBI, I wholly suggest you read Catherine Coulter.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Deadlock by Catherine Coulter – a Review

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Deadlock by Catherine Coulter – a Review

 

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Description:
A young wife is forced to confront a decades-old deadly secret when a medium connects her to her dead grandfather.

A vicious psychopath wants ultimate revenge against Savich, but first, she wants to destroy what he loves most—his family.

A series of three red boxes are delivered personally to Savich at the Hoover Building, each one containing puzzle pieces of a town only FBI agent Pippa Cinelli recognizes. Savich sends in Cinelli to investigate undercover but someone knows who she is.

Savich and Sherlock are up to their eyebrows in danger, but can they figure out the red box puzzle and the young wife’s secret before it’s too late?

 

 

 

Review:

Deadlock by Catherine Coulter is the 24th book in her FBI Thriller series. I looked forward to returning to this series, and it’s wonderful FBI heroes, Savich and Sherlock.  Though this is the 24th book in the series, it does read very well as a standalone. Deadlock has two cases, with one involving a past case, but it is easy to follow without a problem.

Savich begins to receive strange violent puzzles from an unknown person, and knows that this is some sort of threat.  We meet FBI agent Pippa Cinelli, who recognizes the puzzles from her old hometown, and Savich gets permission from Pippa’s boss to allow her to investigate the puzzles in her hometown to figure out who and why. 

At the same time, Savich is in the right place and the right time to rescue a kidnapping attempt of Rebeka, a congressman’s wife. Savich with some help from Sherlock, will begin to investigate who is trying to hurt Rebeka. They learn that she had gone to a medium, who claimed her deceased grandfather was trying to talk to her, and the medium kept talking about stolen money hidden many years ago; Rebeka claims she knows nothing, as her grandfather’s stories were not real.  But Savich knows this is the why Rebeka’s life was in danger, and assigns Agent Griffin Hammersmith (whom we have met in previous books) to protect Rebeka.  The investigation begins with many surprising twists, with Savich being pulled between two intense cases.

Pippa begins to work with Police Chief Wilde to investigate the puzzles, and finds herself under attack by someone who is trying to stop her from going further.  Sherlock and their son are rescued from a fire in their house, which was also a threat.  We the reader, know from the start about the past case, where psychopath Marsia Gay, whom Savich sent to prison, is hell bent to enact her revenge against Savich by hurting those close to him before she has him killed.  This is a vicious and complex web going back years, and Savich, Pippa, Police Chief Wilde need to tie the missing pieces to prove Marsia is behind the threats.

What follows is a non-stop exciting and intense adventure with two different cases. Both cases intensified, with wild endings that was so very well done.  This review is difficult to write, as there are so many surprises, twists, game changers, and to tell too much more would be spoilers. I love Savich and Sherlock together, as they are a great team.  The addition of Pippa, Wilde, Griffin was also very good.  Coulter not only gives us wonderful characters we care about, but she also creates evil villains.

Deadlock was a thriller from start to finish, and even if intense at times, it was an enjoyable ride, especially with terrific our marvelous heroes.  Catherine Coulter once again gives us a fabulous story, with so many different surprises and excitement all the way to the climax.  Deadlock was a fast-paced, exciting, intriguing, suspenseful mystery.  If you like suspense, mysteries, espionage, especially in the world of CIA/FBI, I wholly suggest you read Deadlock.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Labyrinth by Catherine Coulter – a Review

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Labyrinth by Catherine Coulter – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository


Description:
On a dark night, Agent Sherlock is driving along circuitous mountain roads in West Virginia when her car is suddenly T-boned at an intersection. As her car spins out of control, a man’s body slams against her windshield and then—blackness. When she finally comes to, Sherlock has no memory of the accident, nor of the moments that led right up to it. But what she does know is that the man she hit is a local CIA analyst…and now he’s missing.

Meanwhile, in the small town of Gaffer’s Ridge, Virginia, Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith has just rescued a kidnapped woman who claims her captor admitted to the murder of three teenage girls. However, the man she accuses is related to the local sheriff and a member of a very powerful family. Special Agent Hammersmith reaches out to Sherlock for help, and they soon realize that the disappearance of the CIA analyst is actually connected to the string of murders. But how?

 

 

Review:

Labyrinth by Catherine Coulter is the 23rd book in her FBI Thriller series.   I have read a few books in the series, but this read very well as a stand alone.  Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, both FBI agents, return as our heroes in Labyrinth.   Almost at the start, we are caught by surprise, as Sherlock is in a terrible car accident, having be hit by another car, as well as someone bouncing off her windshield.   Savich runs to the hospital worrying about his wife’s condition, and though she was lucky, she now has amnesia from her concussion.  She finds some familiar things, but she does not remember her husband, Dillon.  While many of the FBI agents close to Dillon and Sherlock stick around concerned about her, another mystery is happening in Virginia.

Agent Griffin Hammersmith is on vacation with friends in Gaffer’s Ridge, when he hears a woman screaming.   He manages to help her escape, and between himself and the rescued woman, Carson DeSilva, they manage to stop the kidnapper and call for help from the local police.  Unfortunately, the police turn things around and put both Griffin and Carson in jail for harming the local resident.    Griffin manages to call Dillion for help, and the FBI will come in full force to help Griffin, and try to solve the disappearance of three 16 year old missing girls.

When Sherlock is released from the hospital, even if she cant remember a lot, she insists to work with Dillon to help Griffin, and eventually dig deep to find out the missing man (who bounced off her car, and is a CIA Analyst) as well as discover why the CIA is involved in some kind of behind the scenes mystery.

With Sherlock at his side, they go first to Virginia to help Griffin, and discover a family that controls the town and police.  There is a slight element of psychic attacks, that someone is leashing out at first Sherlock, but Dillion will rescue her.  However, this is an important part of the Virginia story, which has some twists and surprises.  Griffin and Carson work together to get to the bottom of the missing girls.

Dillon and Sherlock return back home to slowly piece together who is the villain at the CIA, and why.  What follows is a non-stop exciting and intense adventure with two different cases. I was great to see how despite her amnesia, Sherlock as an agent was masterful, something she did not forget.  She worked so well with Dillion and other members of the FBI Team.  It was tough for Dillion as she didn’t know him, but slowly their love for each other will be instrumental in her recovery process.  Griffin and Carson had their lives on the brink, but the wild ending was so very well done.  This is a difficult review to write, as so much happens, especially with two different cases, and to tell too much more would be spoilers.

Catherine Coulter once again gives us a fabulous story, with so many different surprises and excitement all the way to the climax.  Labyrinth was fast-paced, exciting, with marvelous heroes, who have to delve deep within the CIA resolve the crimes.  If you like suspense, mysteries, espionage, especially in the world of CIA/FBI, I wholly suggest you read Labyrinth.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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