Tag Archives: Lena Diaz

Missing in the Glades by Lena Diaz – a Review

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Missing in the Glades by Lena Diaz – a Review

 

Missing in the gladesAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
He was looking for a missing person. What he found was a beautiful stranger. 

Looking for a fresh start, detective Jake Young headed south on a case that could help launch his PI business. He knew no amount of work would make him forget his tortured past, but maybe Faye Star could help. Caught up in Jake’s missing persons case, the distracting Faye was hiding a secret he was begging to find out. Expertly guiding him through the swamps, Jake’s job grew more complicated when someone started taking shots at the free-spirited beauty. As much as she protested she could take care of herself, Jake stepped in, refusing to admit how desperately he needed someone to save. Especially since he’d never be able to save himself…

Review:

I saw an episode of Burn Notice once where someone was lost in the Everglades and they were worried about panthers mauling the person. Panthers, as in, that’s not outside the norm of animals found in that area. Wowzers. Lena Diaz allots a huge amount of respect to this “unpredictable, dangerous, land-that-time-forgot section” of Florida. That’s almost incomprehensible to this city girl, but it lends itself perfectly to a missing persons case and a unique love story befitting the town of Mystic Glades. Please welcome back the wonderful Lena Diaz and her first book in the Marshland Justice series, Missing in the Glades.

Jake Young is trying his hand at PI work. Police work wasn’t boring per se, but he partnered up with his friend to expand his horizons. What a first case! Just when Jake catches a break and finds the abandoned vehicle of the victim, a shot rings out too close for comfort. Gorgeous or not, Jake’s going after the gypsy-looking woman with the amazing aim!

Faye Star is a free spirit with a degree in biology and killer survival skills to rival any local’s. When she sees Jake lurking through the ‘Glades, we quickly deduce that she’s worried about being associated with the case.

All she knew for sure was that a private investigator was trying to find Calvin. But he hadn’t mentioned anything about finding her. If someone from Tuscaloosa had hired him, they’d have wanted both her and Calvin, wouldn’t they? But Jake hadn’t tried to grab her…or kill her. Which meant he didn’t know about her connection with Calvin…”

Not only is Jake not trying to kill Faye, he’s killing himself trying to keep his hands, especially his heart, away from her! The attraction is a distraction, of the best kind. Faye may say she’s willing to collaborate on the investigation, but it’s, HE’s, too tempting to ignore. Jake can lose himself in Faye if he’d let his heart dictate, but his gut is telling him not to indulge…and his reasons aren’t entirely noble, either.

He looked down at her fingers working his belt loose, and that brief moment of lost contact between them was just enough for the haze of lust to allow his brain to switch back on. What was he doing? This was crazy, wrong on so many levels. She trusted him, and he was betraying her with every breath he took. He couldn’t cross this one last line. Once she found out the truth about him, she’d hate him forever.

Can withholding information, delivering bold-faced lies, and general deceit (with a healthy helping of subterfuge) be forgiven…all in the name of love? Neither Faye nor Jake can point fingers here. The plot deepens as thick as the marshland when new characters are introduced and seem beyond eager to find (silence?) Calvin. Is Calvin “an idiot tourist with no common sense and a lousy sense of direction” or is he a man with valuable information? Any just why does Faye care so much about what happens to him?!

Oh, this was good! Lena Diaz deftly threads a needle of intrigue throughout the story and subplots. We gain necessary insight, but delight in the unexpected outcomes! Jake and Faye surprised themselves by how quickly they clicked; their chemistry both compatible and steamy. Separating romantic emotions from duty was challenging Jake and Faye gravitated so naturally towards each other, but Ms. Diaz writes it with a fine tension; just with that bit of edge to keep you engaged.

In less than 250 pages, Missing in the Glades is fast-paced and meant to be concise. Do not confuse those features as a sign of mediocrity. I read a complete, fleshed out story unearthing secrets amidst an exotic backdrop. The wow factor is all Lena Diaz.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Author

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Exit Strategy by Lena Diaz – a Review

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Exit Strategy by Lena Diaz – a Review

 

Exit StrategyAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
When Sabrina Hightower awakens to the sound of an intruder, she figures he’s there to rob her, murder her— or worse. She doesn’t expect to be carried off by a muscle-bound stud with male-model good looks… or that he came to rescue her.

Mason Hunt became an enforcer with EXIT Inc. to eliminate the bad guys—terrorists, militia groups, all those who would do America harm. But his latest target is innocent. If EXIT could lie about sultry, strong-willed Sabrina, what darker truths might they be concealing?

Going rogue in the rugged North Carolina mountains, Mason risks everything to keep Sabrina close, especially now that EXIT’s lethal assassins are chasing them down. The heat is on… but it’s nothing compared to the slow burn of seduction.

Review:

Killer opening scenes have become synonymous with Lena Diaz. Sabrina slipping on blood while scrambling away from the stranger who broke into her house puts you so on edge, you’re holding in an empathetic breath. EXIT Strategy is the first book of a new series although the agency was introduced in her Deadly Games series by the delicious Buchanan brothers. Never fear: Ms. Diaz reclaims her stride with excellent, suspenseful, thrilling writing.

“You’re here to protect me, right? Someone other than my family is after me? They want to hurt me?”…

He shook his head as if she were daft. “They don’t want to hurt you, Miss Hightower. They want you dead…

A renewed stab of fear shot straight to her gut. “Why are you so sure?” she whispered.

“Because I’m the one they hired to kill you.”

How do you rationalize desire for the man who knocks you out and kidnaps you: Stockholm syndrome? Far from it as that would imply a devious nature from Sabrina’s captor and Mason Hunt is not going Freudian on us.

He had a rugged, wild, bad-boy charm that could melt away a woman’s defenses with one well-aimed grin. And while Sabrina certainly wasn’t immune to his particular twist on tall, dark and handsome, it was his quiet strength, his confidence, and the way he’d risked his own life to protect her that had her so confused.

Mason has been thrust into an extraction where EXIT (officially Extreme International Tours specializing in dangerous, thrill-seeking adventures. Unofficially, an agency “sanctioned by the government as a weapon of last resort”), the company he’s been loyal to, is accused of behaving unethically. Before proof of complete compromise, Mason goes off grid, a breath away from wanted rogue, to rescue Sabrina. It helps that swoon-worthy Devlin Buchanan is orchestrating the mission (Take the Key and Lock Her Up review available here), but Mason is an enforcer NOT a goon. He researches and goes with his gut (which fortuitously coincides with Devlin’s, lol): Sabrina has been erroneously targeted for termination based on fake charges.

The chemistry was on point! Not only was Sabrina a sound companion (a dead shot and fast learner to boot), they connected on an emotional level despite their rough introduction. Steeeaaamyyy cornfield sex – Mason can rock ANY location, I’m certain. They’ve even got humor to keep them endlessly amused. It’s not all perfect; they clash on a number of issues (mostly involving Sabrina’s safety), but they shine as a couple!

For as efficient a company as EXIT is, Ms. Diaz did an amazing job of describing some of the key players as bumbling amateurs. As despicable as the head of the snake is, I actually felt bad for “the big bag” to rely on an inept second. EXIT is imploding and failure trickles down from the top. Is there a way to salvage this once respected organization?

I downplayed the impact of this book, my friends. Not only has Ms. Diaz maintained strength in awesome storytelling, she’s exploded onto the scene with EXIT Strategy. Compelling subplots increase interest and tension. Everyone has a back story and Ms. Diaz makes you reconsider even the most dastardly. Action is ratcheted up to the very end; intense does not suffice!

There’s no denying the feeling that Lena Diaz clearly enjoyed writing this book because when you create a hotter than hell character like Mason, your writing must be as fiery and intriguing. Nailed. It.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Author

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Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Lena Diaz – a Review

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Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Lena Diaz – a Review

 

Take The Key and Lock Her Up
The Deadly Game series – Book #4
by Lena Diaz
Release Date: August 5, 2014

Take the Key and Lock Her UpAmazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Description:
Detective Emily O’Malley just stumbled upon a killer’s lair—and the remains of a woman he kept locked away for years. But this killer isn’t done yet. More women are missing, and all clues point to Devlin Buchanan—the man who seems to know just a little too much. Emily’s instincts are rarely wrong, and now they’re telling her this sexy, mysterious man is hiding something big …

As a trained assassin for EXIT Inc—a top-secret mercenary group posing as an international tour company—Devlin “Devil” Buchanan isn’t afraid to take justice into his own hands. But when the hot new detective on his trail gets too close to the organization and a contract is placed on her life, Devlin does the only thing he can: he turns rogue agent and kidnaps her to save her life.

With EXIT Inc closing in and passions running hot between them, Emily and Devlin must work together to find the missing women and clear both their names before time runs out … and the key to freedom is thrown away.

Review:

…here she was, once again forced to do what she did not do best – make life-and-death decisions under pressure.

When Emily’s own partner helps her pass the detective test, ensuring she’s off the streets, “to keep the public safe”, your faith in that person is rather shaky. A profound evolution is about to take place, my friends. True to her penchant for rich, intense storytelling, Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Lena Diaz will insert you into Emily’s head, gauge options in heady situations she confronts, and suffer through doubts that have lived for too long. This is my third Diaz thriller and she never ceases to wreak a little havoc in my life – the consequences of reading till the early hours! This is me not complaining. 🙂

When Emily tracks an abductor to a basement more akin to an abandoned prison, she falls prey to a diversionary tactic (he literally locked her inside a cell and got away with his victim), but Emily’s life (and fate) is irrevocably changed by Devlin “Devil” Buchanan (older brother of the swoon-worthy Matt from Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead – available here). Devlin’s presence isn’t immediately questioned at the crime scene, weird, but even more interesting is his lack of interest in the police investigation. Oh, he was happy to make Emily’s acquaintance (her unforgettable soft curves), but cooperating with law enforcement doesn’t appeal to his sense of civic duty. Still weird, right? Devlin’s a hard one to figure out (and very good at hiding things), but I remember him as a background character and Ms. Diaz just makes him irresistible here. His initial approach might be crude, but it’s soon tempered by genuine vulnerability and charm (it runs in the Buchanan family).

An incidental, but impactful discovery of a gruesome, years-old corpse where Emily was locked up seizes Devin and thickens the plot.

“Holy shit,” he whispered.

“Ditto.” She lowered her phone. “Who gets to tell Devlin Buchanan that this skeleton is what’s left of his mother?”

Far from a doting mother, Carolyn was the love of Devlin’s father’s life, even though she divorced him (and abandoned the whole family) when Devlin was only 13. The knowledge of Carolyn’s forced captivity suddenly changes impressions and throws the Buchanan men into upheaval; a loyal force to protect their father. To add fuel to the fire, the first victim saved relays she’s only one of three women who were kidnapped by the mad man. So much going on, right?! The case progresses and expands; infiltrates what once was safe. Emily is swept up by the emotions and swears to bring the fugitive to justice alongside Devlin to repay him for saving her own life. Maybe it’s time they shake hands and call it a day because Devlin’s methods of apprehending fall way outside the police scope:

If Devlin had talked, he would have used the term enforcer, his actual job title. Enforcer was somewhat synonymous with agent at one of the alphabet agencies like the CIA or FBI, but without the shackles of laws and political policies to tie him down. The assassin role was only part of what he did, and only when absolutely necessary.

I couldn’t even begin to explain the twists and connections linking Devlin and his family. It is marvelously layered and worst of all, a real threat. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling that for you let alone capsulize or tiptoe around key clues. That’s the thrill in thriller and it’s wicked! What I can expand upon is the building sexual tension that stays unexplored for far too long, IMO, lol. Undeterred, but mostly out of insane, implacable desire, Emily vows to maintain ethical standards in the midst of hot pursuit (and that has little to do with the perp!) I’m not downplaying the chemistry because Ms. Diaz delivers shivers, but the beauty lies in watching Emily and Devlin begin to trust one another, develop strong feelings for one another, and recognize that they’re stronger together.

“Maybe you’re right that I shouldn’t have forced you to come with me in the first place. And maybe I shouldn’t have locked you up. But I did what I thought I had to do at the time to keep you safe. If you come with me now, we can be a team, find the missing women together. That way I’ll be able to protect you from my enemies and you’ll be able to do what you want to do – solve the case. You won’t be my prisoner. But don’t ask me to leave you here to die, Em. I can’t do it. I won’t do it.”

There were moments, several in fact, where I found Emily to be downright inept and a liability to her profession. Be it inappropriate, illegal interrogation or brandishing her gun on unarmed Devlin, it really got under my skin. In all fairness, due to time constraints (constant attacks and a general reticence on his part), Devlin has only skimmed the surface of his job description to Emily. Based on opposite sides of the spectrum, I suppose it’s natural to form an opinion, but never was there a couple more in need of a sit-down than these two. Devlin’s brash confidence and/or lone wolf mentality was a bit off-putting, but when their disparities leveled, so went their judgments and an innate strength, possessed by both, rose to the occasion.  

Take the Key and Lock Her Up is a complex story made up of unfolding details, misinformation and transformation. While I wouldn’t call it a cliffhanger (you don’t see frown-y faces of utter frustration), the story is not over. Is there a way to embrace HEA on the run? Please read this story and let me know your theories! Or better yet, can I get a spoiler, Ms. Diaz???

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Author

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Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead by Lena Diaz – a Review

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Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead by Lena Diaz – a Review

 

Ashes, AshesLinks to order Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
What she doesn’t remember … will kill her.

One by one the letters arrive at the FBI office in Savannah, Georgia. Inside, each bears a name—a victim of a twisted crime—and the singsong phrase Ashes, ashes, they all fall dead. Special Agent Tessa James becomes obsessed with finding the killer whose victims are crying out to her for justice.

When sexy, brilliant consultant Matt Buchanan is paired with Tessa to discover who’s sending the “Ashes” letters, he discovers a serial arsonist who is leaving nothing but murder in his wake. Inexplicably, the clues point to Tessa herself, forcing her to realize that if she can’t remember the forgotten years of her past, the name on the next letter will be hers


Review:

I’m usually very resistant to take on an entire series for review, but starting out with the latest installment is SO out of my comfort zone, thank goodness Lena Diaz writes incredibly intriguing books!  Ashes, Ashes, They all Fall Dead, book 3 in the Nursery Rhyme series, was so thrilling, I propose to think outside the box more often.  In fact, I intend to retrace my steps and start at the beginning.  I will delight in every delicious detail of suspense Ms. Diaz supplies.  Oh, yeah…I’m a fan (of alliteration, too!).

“I’ll give you one week, seven days, to prove this isn’t a hoax and develop at least one solid lead – and I do mean solid, like granite.  If at the end of the week you can’t convince me this isn’t a hoax, then you agree to drop this and never bring the letters up again.”

The 3 year hunt for a serial arsonist has resulted in unsolved, cold cases.  A fierce determination to bring closure to families and a niggling, unswerving desire to decipher the taunting, sing-song nursery rhyme “Ashes, ashes…” (included in letters found at the crime scenes) forces Special Agent Tessa James of the FBI to work alongside P.I./consultant, Matt Buchanan.  Ms. Diaz had me swooning pretty early on over the physical attraction and seductive banter between Matt and Tessa (their 6 year age difference was a modern-day nod), but once they displayed their expertise, their unique abilities contributing/flowing seamlessly together, you recognize their compatibility.  These two worked together before on the “Simon Says Die” investigation (Top of my To-Be-Read list!) and the bickering didn’t bode well for this current assignment.  But differences (denials of attraction) aside, two heads are better than one to track a killer. 

Matt’s customized software and state-of-the-art equipment, that gives Quantico a run for their money (add genius innovator right after swoon-worthy), begins to transmit more data than ever and they hit the ground running.  When Tessa’s own name pops up as a match from partial fingerprints found on the most recent letter, the investigation (and Tessa’s back story) goes into overdrive.  As does their attraction for one another.  Matt silently fantasizes during a pause in their research:

If she’d just get past her silly hang-up about their age difference and let that luscious hair of hers down out of the tight braid she wore, he could show her the advantages of making love with a younger, more energetic, enthusiastic man.  There was something to be said for stamina in the bedroom.           

I know you’re swooning.  I swooned just now in solidarity!  🙂  I thoroughly enjoyed being a fly on the wall during their investigation/brainstorm sessions; two brilliant minds collaborating to bring resolution to the murders. Of course believing myself to be Tessa, particularly during flirtier, more sensuous moments made a great book even more delicious! 

The scenes provided by Ms. Diaz to depict an arsonist’s compulsion were disturbingly fascinating.  Comparing living room wooden floor planks to matchsticks waiting to be lit…*shudders* This, and more, is what will grip you in Ashes, Ashes…An underground enclosure had me gasping in oxygen with empathetic gulps!  The overwhelming darkness pervading every possible angle…Ms. Diaz’s descriptive writing thrills the senses.

I hope you can tell I really enjoyed this book.  Ms. Diaz’s website referred to this book as her “newest” and “third installment”.  Do you think that means there’s more to come?  I’ll despair if she planned to end the series here! 

Ms. Diaz even interspersed Star Wars references throughout the book for a little levity!  I’m obsessed.  🙂    Get ready to readjust your mountain of TBR – this one deserves to be devoured!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Author

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