Hostage Negotiation/Deep Cover Detective by Lena Diaz – Reviews
Hostage Negotiation
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Description:
Many women went missing outside Mystic Glades. She escaped.
When he took the job, Zack Scott heard about the horrors waiting in the swamp. So when Kaylee Brighton dashed into the road like the devil was on her tail, the new police chief gave her a safe place to recover. Imprisoned for months, Kaylee could lead Zack to her captor. Though Zack swore to protect her, only Kaylee knew the darkness that awaited them if she returned. She couldn’t begin to understand what drove Zack, but she knew the importance of having him by her side. Because it wasn’t enough for Kaylee to have escaped. Now it was time to take back her life
Review:
Lena Diaz has remained consistent throughout her Marshland Justice series, genuine excitement and enthusiasm, so it’s a bittersweet feeling to have reached its conclusion. Book 4, Hostage Negotiation, is a lovely tribute to the heart of the eccentric town of Mystic Glades. Kaylee and Zach are the featured H/H in this book and their journey is one you won’t soon forget. Leave it to Ms. Diaz to send us off with her most intense and action-packed story yet! I knew the subject of abduction was going to make me anxious and Lena Diaz delivered. Pulse-pounding and terror-infused descriptions gave me goosebumps, chilled me to the core. That’s the kind of dynamic storytelling you’ll find in this swan song.
The synopsis reveals that Kaylee is recovering from being held against her will for several months, so this is not a spoiler. What’s more vital and a testament to Kaylee’s character, is her commitment to justice.
“And even though she desperately wanted to forget each of those sharp little pieces memory, instead she forced herself to think about them and try to put them together into a cohesive whole.”
It’s not easy for Kaylee to be under so much pressure during physical and mental recovery, and only newly appointed Chief of Police, Zach, seems to be sympathetic. With his help and support and endless patience, Kaylee begins to trudge through the horrible memories of her captor and his twisted treatment. It was a triumph of the spirit to say the least. I was so proud of Kaylee’s strength and determination to hunt down “the devil”. She showed perseverance and grace while facing her trauma. And just as beautiful was Kaylee’s resolve to trust and love again. It was a slow build-up of the relationship, in obvious deference to her attack, but it’s nigh impossible not to swoon for Zach. He was her pillar of strength and partner.
When Kaylee no longer tolerates stall tactics, she vows to prevent her captor from ever endangering another person, search parties rally to retrace her steps and expand their investigation. When tireless efforts produce new developments, could some volunteers be actually sabotaging the mission? Hostage Negotiation introduces characters with nefarious plots who muddy up the waters of Mystic Glades. Gators and other exotic animals native to the Everglades of Florida have nothing on the devil in this book! Lena Diaz will show you very ugly souls. Lena Diaz will always give you hope. Hostage Negotiation endeavors to save the damage done.
Mystic Glades, the “land of the lost” is a fascinating location imbued with magic and unforgettable characters. I will miss them all!
Deep Cover Detective
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Description:
A detective needed a mysterious woman’s help—even if she had secrets to spare…
In the heart of everglade country, Detective Colton Graham lays his plans to catch a robbery kingpin. What he fails to plan for is Silver Westbrook. Proprietress of a local B and B, Silver is as sharp-witted as she is easy on the eyes. But Colton senses Silver is hiding something. Suspicious that she might be harboring the very criminals he’s tracking, Colton keeps a watchful eye on her. It doesn’t take long to learn her true motives and her involvement in the case. But unfortunately for both of them, attraction can be the deadliest distraction.
Review:
Catch the little fish in the pond to get to the bigger prize, or something to that effect, right? What undercover detective, Colton Graham, doesn’t realize is that the waters of Mystic Glades run deep with interesting (suspicious) characters. None more so than B&B proprietor, Silver Westbrook. She has a way of diverting Colton’s attention, but is it all for good? Lena Diaz will intrigue you, thrill you, and shake you up before the full reveal in Deep Cover Detective. This is book 3 of her awesome Marshland Justice series.
While Colton is working hard to infiltrate young Eddie’s ring of thugs, Silver is sabotaging his efforts — a silent tug-of-war for Eddie’s “connections”?
“If he ever suspected what she knew about him, and her ulterior motives for coming back to Mystic Glades, he’d disappear faster than a sandbar in high tide. And then she’d have no way to protect him or help him out of the mess he was making of his life.”
When details unfold and turn deadly, Silver and Colton join forces. Will Silver give Colton her full, honest support or lead him on with false hope to maintain some sort of advantage? Secrets and truths too important eke out. How bad is the burn when Colton is supposed to be experienced at keeping relationships professional while on a case? Something tells me both of them knew better.
Ummm…sooo good, so enjoyable, so worthy a read! Colton and Silver are bright and loyal individuals. When they work together, there’s some real magic happening. Mystic Glades won’t make life easy, being host to illegal activities, so innocence will be hard fought and lost. Will Colton and Silver get to the head of the snake before another burglary…or worse?
Deep Cover Detective almost got away from me and I would have regretted it because this whole series is just that good. I’m keeping this review brief to make room for the final book, Hostage Negotiation. Oh, look at that: It’s right above! 😉
Reviews by Carmen
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