Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Review: Fatal Justice

Book Blurb:
Supreme Court nominee Julian Sinclair comes to Washington expecting to be confirmed to the high court. Instead, he’s found shot execution-style in a city park. Detective Lt. Sam Holland’s list of suspects is long, but does it include her significant other, Senator Nick Cappuano, one of the last to see Sinclair alive? While tracking down Sinclair's killer, Sam is also confronted with a new lead into her father's unsolved shooting that results in unexpected danger for her. In the meantime, Sam's partner, Detective Freddie Cruz, returns to the "scene of the crime" when he looks up Elin Svendsen, one of the late Senator John O'Connor's sexy ex-girlfriends. After a lifetime of virtue, will Freddie be led down the road to ruin by a temptress who wants only one thing from him?

Making the Grade: B+



For My Thoughts

Book 2 in the Fatal series by Marie Force picks up with Sam and Nick's story right where Fatal Affair left off ( you really should read the 1st book in the series first to fully appreciate all the relationships).

There is a lot going on in this political/police procedural romantic suspense set on Capitol Hill.

Sam Holland’s been freshly sworn in for at her new position of Lieutenant, she’s still working on the cold case involving her father’s shooting that left him paralysed, defending herself in an IA investigation and now there’s another murder on the books and again it’s someone very close to the new man in her life.

Newly appointed interim Senator Nick Cappuano has a full plate with all his new responsibilities as a young Senator on Capitol Hill, he’s still reeling from the death of his good friend John (whose senatorial seat Nick assumed) and his growing relationship with Sam is enough to turn a sane man crazy.

I loved Nick and Sam’s relationship. They both have a lot of adjustments to make, but there is no doubt that through all their troubles they truly love one another. I loved that Force wrote their relationship with real concerns and problems two people in their positions would face. How it feels having to deal with the knowledge daily that someone you love could get killed every day at their job. Watching Nick deal with his fears about Sam’s safety was heart-wrenching. Sam had her own relationship insecurities from her previously bad relationship and her hesitations almost cost her Nick. Add in being in the spotlight and under the media’s constant scrutiny and it was just one more issue these two had to deal with. Both Sam and Nick keep things from each other (important things) but only with the best intentions towards the other’s feelings and protecting each other - unfortunately it backfires on more than one occasion. But it does lead to some pretty spectacular make-up sex.

Lastly Freddie! Freddie! Freddie! The young detective and Sam's partner is a great secondary character. The poor boy learned a very hard lesson in a very hard way in Fatal Justice. I love his character, his innocence and newly found interest in s-e-x (he took a vow of celibacy at 14 and is as fresh as the driven snow) and with someone like Elin who is soooo opposite to him. I love them and they need to have their own story.

There is lots of action in Fatal Justice - it never stops and it reminded me a little of the TV show The Closer, although Sam Holland is no southern belle, soft spoken Brenda Lee Johnson.  Both are however tough as nails women who are at the top of their game when it comes to police work, have a great supporting cast of characters surrounding them and can solve a case like nobody’s business.

Thank goodness this is not the end of the Sam and Nick show (since book 3 Fatal Consequences is out July 2011) and I fear Sam has not heard the last from the douche bag Lieutenant Stahl who is out to get her and the search for her father’s shooter still weighs heavily on her mind. I can't wait for the next instalment!

Read more about The Fatal Series
Fatal Series,AVAILABLE NOW from Carina Press

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