C+

Safety Breach

CW/TW: Kidnapping, murder, stalking, the usual myriad evils of a serial killer.

You know those paint by numbers pictures where number-by-number you recreate the Mona Lisa? The result is an imperfect version of a masterpiece. It’s not high art, but it’s still a satisfying exercise and, when framed, makes a lovely addition to a wall, even if only a bathroom wall. This novel is an imperfect version of a masterpiece, with a few wildcards thrown in – silver eyes, a gold lame dress – just a few surprising tweaks.

Gemma Hanson is a self-defined “failed” profiler. Before the book opens, Gemma was working to track down a serial killer, only to realise that the serial killer was her assistant, Eric Lang. In the big showdown at Serenity Inn (insert side eye here) Eric reveals himself as the killer and allegedly kills two people, one of whom is Kellan Slater’s father. In the melee, Gemma is shot three times. This doesn’t stop her from feeling guilty for not identifying the murder sooner. Here lies the main tension between Gemma and Kellan: Gemma’s “failure” resulted in the murder of Kellan’s dad. So while they had been lovers before, this incident now stands between them. In the aftermath, Kellan takes up the reins as Sheriff (the position held by his father) and Gemma goes into witness protection because Eric is apparently very determined to kill her.

In the cold light of day, that summary seems ridiculous, but in the INTENSITY of the book, it makes a kind of sense. Because so much has taken place before the book opens, you hit the adrenaline rollercoaster hard right away. To the book’s credit, that rollercoaster just keeps on going. This novel revels in High Drama which fits given the circumstances, but if you’re looking for nuance, well, maybe skip this one.

If you’ve gone a little cross-eyed trying to keep track of the various characters in this summary, then you’ve hit upon one of my main criticisms of this book: a little too much detail, which can be difficult to keep track of. I haven’t even mentioned the (potentially dirty) FBI agent and his long-term lover. Oh, and the lover is Gemma’s ‘handler’ in Witness Protection… so, yes, it’s a big ol’ mess.

Despite my rather faint praise, I did keep reading the book. I didn’t switch it out for another or DNF it (something I have done to countless books). That this book kept me interested and kept me reading says a lot for the creativity and ingenuity of the plot. It can be difficult for a book to be truly unique and original to me in the romantic suspense genre – I read a lot of it. “It’s my fault your dad died” was a whole new kind of conflict to have between the main characters. And to plot such a twisty-bobcat-pretzel plot with no (obvious) plot holes is a feat in itself. 99% of the time I had no idea what was going to happen next. It must be said that there might well be plot holes, but I was focused on trying to keep track of who did what to whom and where. It’s a bit like driving on a deeply rutted gravel road. The faster you go, the smoother the ride. In this case, don’t look down, keep your eyes forward and surrender to the ride.

Great literature it is not, but competent escapism it certainly is.

– Lara

Can a Texas lawman capture an escaped serial killer after a witness’s location is breached?

The serial killer Gemma Hanson narrowly escaped just discovered her WITSEC location, and he’s coming after her to finish what he started. That’s the message Sheriff Kellan Slater personally delivers. Although Gemma and Kellan share an intense past, escaping the violence surrounding them is all that matters. Especially once Gemma realizes there is no safe place—not even protective custody…