The Agent's Redemption - Lisa Childs (HI #1597 - Oct 2015)

Series: Special Agents at the Altar (Book 4)

She'll do anything to expose her sister's killer -- even reunite with an ex…

After six years hunting The Bride Butcher, FBI agent Jared Bell is as determined as ever to find the ruthless murderer. So when the killer strikes again, he'll stop at nothing to bring closure to the case -- and the first victim's sister, Rebecca Drummond. Including staging an engagement to lure the madman into a trap…

It's been years since their torrid rendezvous, but as Jared's fake fiancée, Becca can no longer ignore their attraction. Or the secret she's been keeping from him. For now, she needs to focus on bringing her sister's killer to justice -- and insist on using herself as bait to do it.

Excellent conclusion to the series. Jared is the FBI agent/profiler who has been hunting the Bride Butcher serial killer for six years. When another victim is found, and there appears to be a link to the first victim, Jared pays a visit to the first victim's sister. Becca has never stopped mourning her sister, nor insisting that she knows who did it. Jared is the last person she wants to see show up at her house. Six years ago, in the middle of the tragic event, she and Jared had had a passionate encounter, but their differences kept them apart. She's had no contact with him since then, including telling him that she was pregnant. 

The attraction between Becca and Jared is just as strong now as it was before, and neither one can deny it. Jared is stunned to discover he has a son, and angry that Becca kept it a secret from him. Some of those feelings have to take a back seat to the mission of finding the killer, but it isn't easy. I liked the way that Jared accepted the truth so quickly, and loved the way he bonded so quickly with Alex. The relationship between him and Becca was a little trickier. He still cared about her, and the feelings were getting stronger, but telling her how he felt would take more courage than he had. He wasn't sure he could handle hearing that she didn't feel the same way. Becca had also cared about Jared, but because he had left without saying anything, she hadn't either.

Now that they are working together to bring the Butcher to justice, those feelings have come back to the surface. Becca feels pretty guilty that she hadn't told Jared about Alex, and making him part of their lives now makes her realize just how much they have missed. Jared needs Becca's help, but his feelings for her have added a whole new level of protectiveness to them. I loved seeing how both of them had to deal with their feelings and at the same time still keep focus on what they were trying to do. I really enjoyed seeing the way that Becca stood up to Jared when it came to trying to trap the killer. When the final confrontation was over, both of them had to face those feelings and decide whether to take the risk. I loved Jared's big moment there, and Becca's surprise.

The suspense part of the story was fantastic. The tension kept climbing, from the discovery of the new victim right through to the final confrontation. I loved seeing Jared and Becca try to discover the link between the first victim and the last one. It was interesting to see how she stuck to her belief about who the guilty person was. When she started receiving threats, Jared was even more determined to discover who it is. I loved following the investigation, and how they came up with several suspects. Each one seemed to be a good possibility and it was hard to settle on any one of them. There was a very interesting twist at the end that I never saw coming. The final confrontation was intense, and I wondered at times just how everything was going to turn out.

Agent to the Rescue - Lisa Childs (HI #1592 - Sept 2015)

Series: Special Agents at the Altar (Book 3)

A bride on the run…and a killer on the prowl…

When FBI special agent Dalton Reyes discovers an amnesiatic injured bride in the trunk of a car, his protective instincts kick into high gear. Who is this mysterious redhead? And why is someone going to such great lengths to kill her? When a man claiming to be her fiancé steps forward, Dalton can't ignore his jealousy…and his fear that that her betrothed isn't who he seems. But as Elizabeth -- his beautiful charge -- faces the dark truth of her past, Dalton must keep her and her two-year-old adopted daughter safe from the evil forces determined to reclaim them both…

Good book. It started with plenty of action and kept up the pace throughout. Dalton is serving as best man in a friend and fellow agent's wedding (Agent Undercover) when he gets a call about a case he's been working on. Since the ceremony is over he takes off to see if he can catch the perp. Instead of the car theft ring he expects to find, he discovers a woman dressed in a bridal gown in the trunk of the car. Thanks to a blow to the head, she can't remember anything about what happened or who she is. It's believed she could be a near victim of a serial killer who preys on brides. But whoever she is, Dalton's determined to protect her.

Elizabeth has no idea what happened to her, but there's something about Dalton that makes her trust him. Each additional attempt on her life draws her closer to him. Even when a man who says he is her fiance comes forward, it doesn't feel right to her. He does provide her with news that brings a few of her memories back, including those of the little girl she is now guardian of. She'll do anything to keep Lizzie safe. I loved seeing how much she believed in Dalton and his ability to protect them. She also realized that she felt far more for Dalton than she ever had for her fiance. It was great to see her show Dalton over and over how much she cared for him.

Dalton is a man who was sure that no woman would ever tempt him into a permanent relationship. His past is too rough for him to feel worthy of that kind of love. He had grown up on the streets of Chicago, been a gang member before moving to the right side of the law. But there is something about Elizabeth that he can't keep himself from caring about. I loved seeing how protective he was, to the point of even taking her with him to follow up on leads, rather than leaving her with another agent. The appearance of her fiance created a fair amount of jealousy in him, and he doesn't think that the man deserves her, but he also doesn't believe that he is good enough either. His lack of confidence almost lets him walk away, until his friends talk some sense into him. I loved his big moment at the end.

The mystery of who was trying to kill Elizabeth was very well done. From the initial belief of a serial killer to the final conclusion, my interest never wavered. I loved Dalton's determination to get to the truth, and all the steps taken to get there. As the clues began to pile up, I especially liked his conviction that there was no such thing as a coincidence. As the attempts of Elizabeth's life increased in number and intensity, I started to suspect who might be behind them. The final confrontation was really intense and I wondered just how they were going to get through it.

Agent Undercover - Lisa Childs (HI #1561 - Apr 2015)

Series: Special Agents at the Altar (Book 2)

She's wanted by unknown assailants, the government…and the man sworn to protect her

A man like FBI special agent Ash Stryker would never be caught dead at a speed-dating event. But that's where he tracks down Claire Molenski, a computer programmer suspected of selling government information. When he rescues her from a botched kidnapping, he realizes not only that she's innocent, but also that the only way to protect her is to pose as her boyfriend.

Claire knows that their relationship is a ruse. Once the case is closed, she'll never see Ash again, and that scares her almost as much as the abduction attempts. But the way he acts toward her makes her wonder just how much of an act their relationship really is. And if she'll be able to survive long enough to find out.

Good book. Ash works for the antiterrorism unit for the FBI and is currently looking for the person selling information about how to get around government firewalls. His investigation has led him to Claire, a previously convicted hacker who now works for a cybersecurity company. He suspects she is at the speed dating event to make contact with a buyer. 

Claire was convicted of hacking as a teenager and given the chance to work for the good guys instead of going to prison. Ever since then she has concentrated on her work at the expense of having any kind of personal life. When the people who mean the most to her start finding love and lives of their own, she realizes that she wants what they have. Never having had the chance to really develop some social skills, she turns to online dating to find someone of her own.

Her reaction to Ash makes her nervous and she leaves the event in a hurry. As she heads out of the hotel she is grabbed and chloroformed, but luckily Ash is there to rescue her. When she regains consciousness, she's dismayed to discover that Ash suspects her of selling secrets. 

I liked both Ash and Claire, though he certainly frustrated me at the beginning. Ash was totally convinced that Claire was guilty, and it wasn't until there had been several attacks on her that he admitted he might be wrong. I liked the fact that once he was convinced, he was determined to keep her safe, even though he also wanted to use her to catch the person who was really behind it. Because he is skilled at undercover work, Ash decides that posing as her boyfriend is the best way to keep her with him. He doesn't expect to find himself enjoying the ruse far more than is wise. 

I liked the fact that Claire doesn't just sit back and hide behind Ash's protection. She is determined to find out just who has set her up, and if that means pretending, she'll do it. But the longer the act goes on, the more she wishes that it was real.

I loved seeing the relationship build between Ash and Claire. He's so uptight and intense that the effect she has on him hits him really hard. He feels guilty about the danger she's in because of him, but he thinks it's the only way to save her. He's also spent so long denying that he needs anyone in his life that he has a hard time letting her in. One of the things I loved about Claire was that she had such great observation skills. She was really good at reading his moods and seeing things that bothered him. It was fun to see her call him on them, and how it sometimes made him very nervous that she seemed to know him so well. When the case was over, both had to decide what to do about their feelings. I loved the ending and seeing Ash's sweet and romantic confession of his feelings.

The suspense aspect of the book was very good. The frequent attacks kept the intensity going, as Ash and Claire tried to figure out who was really behind it all. I liked seeing Claire insist on being part of the operation. I wasn't terribly surprised by who was really trying to sell the secrets as it seemed pretty obvious to me. However, I was very surprised by who was behind the attacks. I hadn't seen that one coming at all. The final showdown was really intense, and I quite enjoyed seeing how everything turned out.

I loved the appearances of the other agents. It was fun to see Blaine and Maggie from the first book, and how Blaine could so easily see that Ash was following right in his footsteps. I also enjoyed the back and forth between Ash and Reyes, especially when Reyes caused some jealousy on Ash's part. It will be interesting to see what happens in his book, and what kind of payback he might have.

The Pregnant Witness - Lisa Childs (HI #1556 - Mar 2015)

Series: Secret Agents at the Altar (Book 1)

Strong, handsome and crossing a dangerous line!

An expert at catching bank robbers, FBI special agent Blaine Campbell isn't sure who to trust. He's just rescued the beautiful assistant manager from being abducted by robbers -- but was it an inside job? What if pregnant Maggie Jenkins wasn't a hostage but a co-conspirator?

After several harrowing attempts on the young widow's life, the steely Blaine relies on his instincts: Maggie wasn't involved. The only thing she's guilty of stealing is his heart. Risking his life to find Maggie's would-be killers has become more than a job. She and her unborn child could be the future he never imagined for himself. All he has to do is keep her alive.

Good book that started with a bang and kept up the tension. Blaine is an FBI agent who specializes in solving bank robberies. He's been sent to Chicago to work on a series of robberies there, and arrives at one bank in the middle of a robbery. He arrived in time to stop them from taking a hostage, but the security guard, who was Blaine's friend, was shot and killed.

Blaine is a bit on the cynical side, and is suspicious of Maggie at first, especially when he learns she worked at another bank that also got robbed by the same people. But after foiling several attempts on her life, he realizes that she is innocent. However, she may still be the key to finding out who is behind it. Blaine just has to find a way to keep his mind on the job and off the attraction he feels for Maggie.

Maggie has been living with a great deal of guilt. Her fiance had been her best friend, and though they'd been engaged, her feelings for him weren't those of a woman in love. He had paid for her ring with his reenlistment bonus, then been killed overseas, and she blames herself. Now she's developing feelings for Blaine that are much different than what she had felt for Andy. 

The development of their relationship was fast, thanks to the stresses of trying to keep Maggie safe. They learned a lot about each other in a short period of time. I loved Blaine's protectiveness, which was echoed by Maggie's wish to do whatever necessary that would keep him safe also. The ending was pretty sweet with the way Blaine confessed how he felt.

The suspense of the story was very good. The action was non-stop from the start, as the bad guys kept coming after Maggie. It was pretty clear that they thought she knew something and they were determined to get rid of her before she could say anything. Each encounter seemed to get more intense. The identity of one of the bad guys was pretty obvious, but the discovery of who the brains behind it all was a surprise to me. The constant action kept me hooked from start to finish.