North Of Montana

My idea of an FBI agent is of a taciturn hero with both feet firmly planted on the ground. April Smith's Ana Grey is not the FBI agent that I imagined she would be or possibly as mature a person as she should be, but she is a compelling character and one I would like to see more of. The various subplots regarding Ana's family history, personal relationships, and the major case she is assigned to keep you going and in the end leave you satisfied and yet ... the tendrils of the story and the characters have a life of their own and go on in your imagination. Not every author can manage this. April Smith does it well.

April Smith has written a riveting, dark story about personal demons that have the power to chase us all the way to success - and maybe without the monsters on our heels we'd never have the courage to find it for its own sake. Ana Grey is a tough, ambitious FBI agent who thinks she knows herself, thinks she knows her best friend, the very married Mike Donnato, and she thinks she's on the fast track to a bigger and better job. It takes an explosive, high-profile arrest to prove she's wrong on all three counts, and her complacency is further shattered by a probationary assignment from her dirtbag boss. She learns a few unwelcome facts on her quest for the truth about life, love, and family. April Smith has written a gripping, suspenseful novel of conflict and retribution. A terrific book!

I can't believe this was her first novel! If you enjoy Robert Parker's Spenser, or Ed McBain's 87th precinct procedurals, you'll love this book! Outstanding plot, characters who are intelligent and real, and a story you'll not only enjoy, but remember for a long time.

Righteous book that turns each corner with speed and danger; a novel of personal discovery and release; characterizations vivid and terse; plot steps along nicely; you can see, smell and hear today's LA without being bogged down; attention to detail is brief and very effective; Marlowe in Ann Klein. A great read and wonderful achievement