Pawn

Athena Academy alumni Lynette White relocates to start over in Phoenix as a web page designer. However, the former thief is accosted by the Feds with an ultimatum. She either uses her genetically enhanced skills to locate a bomb placed inside a shipping container or face jail as they have proof of her criminal work for her "Uncle" Jonas. She knows what they want is like finding a needle in a haystack as there are so many containers, but she has a better chance of success than most people. Her only counter-demand is that FBI Agent Nick Barnes, her former lover, help her on the investigation. As Nick and Lynette work together to stop the terrorist plot before countless number of innocents are killed, their feelings for one another remain heated. When the danger mounts with both threatened with death, Nick and Lynette realize what they knew deep in their heart that they love one another. However is love enough for a thief and a Fed to form a lasting relationship if they survive the mission? This is an interesting romantic suspense in which the heroine is a sacrificial PAWN in the global war on terrorism until the Fed reassesses his values and knows he will forfeit his life if need be to keep her safe. The story line showcases a weakness in American antiterrorism security efforts with cargo shipments, but that key underlying base to the thriller is tied up relatively too easily. Still readers will enjoy Carla Cassidy's fast-paced thriller of the Feds blackmailing a pawn (as the administration insists anything is legal and ethical if it keeps America safe against terrorism) to assist them on a dangerous mission. Harriet Klausner