Slim to None

Hannah Nicks is an ex Los Angeles Police Officer who wants to regain custody of her eight-year-old son. She takes on very dangerous jobs, because they pay so much more than a police officer gets. In this story, she's working for a security group in Iraq when a young, female American doctor, whose father is a wealthy Bostonian businessman, is taken by terrorists. Daddy offers a huge reward and Hannah and her partner, a savvy and tough ex-marine take the job. Sadly, her partner dies, killed by a man she'll never forget, and she returns home with her reputation in shreds. However, back in America, she sees the man who killed her partner and now she is on alert. What's he doing in the States? She needs to find out. And from there on you'll be captivated by this explosive and informative thriller. You'll learn about a side of the Iraqi war you didn't know about. At least I didn't know there were private American security firms over there, with people in every bit as much danger as the troops. This is an excellent book by an excellent talent. If you haven't read Taylor Smith yet, it's time you gave her a try.

Hannah Nicks is an ex Los Angeles Police Officer who wants to regain custody of her eight-year-old son. She takes on very dangerous jobs, because they pay so much more than a police officer gets. In this story, she's working for a security group in Iraq when a young, female American doctor, whose father is a wealthy Bostonian businessman, is taken by terrorists. Daddy offers a huge reward and Hannah and her partner, a savvy and tough ex-marine take the job. Sadly, her partner dies, killed by a man she'll never forget, and she returns home with her reputation in shreds. However, back in America, she sees the man who killed her partner and now she is on alert. What's he doing in the States? She needs to find out. And from there on you'll be captivated by this explosive and informative thriller. You'll learn about a side of the Iraqi war you didn't know about. At least I didn't know there were private American security firms over there, with people in every bit as much danger as the troops. This is an excellent book by an excellent talent. If you haven't read Taylor Smith yet, it's time you gave her a try. Reviewed by Sara Hackett, who just adore's her husband Jack Priest's books Ragged Man, Gecko & Night Witch.

Taylor Smith's "Slim to None" opens in Baghdad in 2003. Hannah Nicks is a former member of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department who spent six years as a patrol officer and undercover cop. She is divorced from her philandering ex-husband Cal, who has remarried and has primary custody of their son, Gabe. A bomb planted by a defendant in an undercover sting operation blew up Hannah's house and helped convince the courts that Cal, not Hannah, is the parent most able to provide a stable and secure environment for their child. Cal is wealthy and upwardly mobile, while Hannah grabs jobs in freelance security to make extra money. Her dream is to put aside enough cash to petition for custody of Gabe and devote herself full time to her child. Hannah has some hair-raising adventures in Iraq, complicated by a shootout that ends in tragedy. She leaves the country with an indelible memory of a vicious white-haired man with cold blue eyes; Hannah secretly vows to bring this sadist down if their paths ever cross again. Part two of the novel fast-forwards to 2005, and the setting shifts to South Central Los Angeles. We meet a troubled homicide detective named John Russo who, like Hannah, is plagued by guilt and unhappy memories. He is currently investigating the murder of a young black man named Damon Shipley; it is a case that will bring Russo more heartache. Unbelievably, the Shipley murder case and Hannah's search for the white-haired man converge, and Russo teams up with Nicks to foil a potentially deadly plot. "Slim to None" is a timely and exciting thriller, with a "ripped from the headlines" plot that explores the intricacies of geopolitical intrigue. Nicks and Russo make an appealing pair; they are deeply flawed individuals whose shortcomings are offset by their courage, toughness, and integrity. The plot, while not particularly realistic, is compelling and deliciously complex. Smith's spare writing style moves the narrative along at a rapid clip and, realistically, bad things happen to good people. For the most part, the author avoids the formulaic developments that too often ruin stories about tortured cops and spunky single women.

Two years ago security specialist Hannah Nicks lost her partial custody of her eight years old son Gabe. Instead of she reading Potter to Gabe, his stepmother Christie is the one to tuck him in at night. She does not fault her ex Cal or Christie though she is jealous. Now she is in the Middle East working as fast and hard as possible to earn the money to walk away so that she can raise her beloved offspring. Finally the chance to make big bucks occurs in Iraq when an abducted American doctor needs rescuing from terrorists. However, an ambush on the road near Al Zawra killed her partner Oz and destroyed her reputation. She gives the Fitzgerald reward money to Oz's family leaving her broke in more ways than one. Two years later, Hannah resides in Los Angeles while Gabe remains with Christie and Cal. Hannah remains bitter towards George Kenner the man who betrayed her and Oz. a terrorist scheme involving a packed crowd at the Staple Center gives her a SLIM TO NONE chance to take down Kenner except he has her son and the audience as hostages. This is an exhilarating suspense thriller that occurs in two parts; the first half of the novel focuses on the incident in 2003 Iraq while the latter happens two plus years later in Los Angeles. Hannah and to a lesser degree Kenner (or whatever name he uses) are the ties between the two interrelated "novellas". Fans will enjoy this tense cat and mouse thriller that takes the audience on an initial high then starts over to once again bring the reader to the stratosphere. Taylor Smith is at her best with this powerful fast-paced two in one thriller. Harriet Klausner