Killer Instinct

Why the devil was "Devereaux" sending Amanda "Phoenix" McClintock on a last mission when she was due some time off? This "op" just didn't go right. She meets up with Grigorii Kriskin in Marina Subova's dressing room and he dies rather than talk. Taylor "Falcon" Roberts first venture into the field, for which he was not well prepared, entailed listening to some high brow pianist. Why? Thus begins a hot, fast paced tour of the world in the search of diamond smugglers and arms runners. There is one man tracking them, the German, Max Ebhardt who workes for and sticks close to the Russian Consulate, Nikko Biryayev. Nikko is bound and determined to track down Amanda, as her father Christopher McClintock ruined his career. Christopher McClintock was deemed "crazy" at his death and Amanda worried that she was on the brink of losing her mind. It was rumored that he had stolen the "Udarsky cache" from the Russians but Amanda never understood her father's ravings. Amanda's go-between Devereaux and herself was Harry Trumpman, another great character. He thought he could help her by giving her her father's last journal. There appeared to be so many people to beware of that it keeps you hoping, along with the two characters getting into trouble. This great plot was fast paced - hot intrigue - a couple of mysteries to be solved - and a tour of some hot spots. Can't believe how they made it out alive a couple of times. Finally a woman [not just female] with a killer instinct for self-preservation. This she tries to teach to Taylor and as she pulls out of her burn-out he falls into one. I hope the "Medusa's" follow this line. Let's hear more of Devereaux and his covert spies, Trumpman must have more on the agenda. HIGHLY, HOTLY, RECOMMENDED + --m - Very Definitely a keeper.

Cindy Dees tells a tightly woven , well crafted action packed thriller that goes beyond the romance genre. Written in the style of a James Bond espionage story , mixed with romantic suspense our story begins with Amanda McClintock sneaking into her friend Marina's dressing room at Carnegie Hall and having a retired Russian agent take a cyanide pill rather than tell Amanda what he is hiding!Taylor Roberts is a clinical psychologist assigned more to watch out for Amanda than really take part in her case tracking down illegal diamond smuggling for arms. They travel all over the world from one exotic locale to another, dodging bad guys and bullets. Taylor learns how to be an agent and Amanda learns how to put her cold exterior aside and reveal the human being within. They fall in love and support each other while unravelling a complex mystery of high intrigue. I really like this book- what the other BOmbshells have missed is the intensity of the relationship and the strong character and relationship development that Cindy Dees excels at with this book. I really cared about both characters and found myself thoroughly engaged from start to end. The entity they work for Deveraux has been described as a group of good guys looking for vigilante justice with many agents working around the globe- I hope a series is to follow!