I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Razor's Edge
by
Shannon K. Butcher
romantic suspense in a paperback edition that was published by Signet on November 1, 2011 and has 368 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dark and Stormy Knights, Living on the Edge, Burning Alive, Finding the Lost, Running Scared, Living Nightmare, Blood Hunt, Edge of Sanity, Dying Wish, Falling Blind, Kicking It, Rough Edges
Second in the Edge romantic suspense series based on the employees of The Edge in Dallas, Texas. The couple focus is on Roxanne “Razor” Haught and Tanner O’Connell.
My Take
These guys were nuts! Any chances they had to escape, they should have taken them no matter who they had to leave behind if only so they could get help and get back to free them faster!! And then the crap that Tanner lets Razor get away with. Oh man…I just want to tie that girl up and slap a gag on her!
Somebody’s slipping…in Living on the Edge, the first book in the series, Tanner is already working for The Edge; now, Butcher claims he’s the new guy. Although, to be fair, Bella does claim that most everyone is out on missions and she doesn’t note the characters who are in that first book so maybe this one is concurrent with the first…?
WTF?? How can the guys think that the bad guys aren’t going to thoroughly check Tanner out for tracking devices, etc.?? I’d’a thought they’d have had some hot tech gadgets that would get around this kind of scrutiny!
Nah, it just bugged me up the wazoo that Butcher got lazy and went for the overdone clichés just so she can get through the really dramatic action at the end. It was enough of a cliché that Tanner got all protective about Roxanne and it did make sense. Guys are just wired that way. Especially honorable men like Tanner. But her capture, Tanner’s takedowns, and the eventual rescue was just too easy.
The Story
Roxanne just can’t keep her mind on the job. Her ex-boyfriend keeps sending guys to follow her, harass her and Bella makes her take the week off work and get him sorted out. With the new guy along as babysitter. Can you say “not happenin”? No way is Razor letting some kid tag along with her, gettin’ all up in her face. Only, she’s not taking Tanner and his special op skills into account. As he pops up everywhere she goes.
It’s when she answers her realtor’s call that she starts to feel better about Tanner coming along. The damage is definitely not your normal B&E. Then she gets the email message from Jake, “Burn everything. They’re coming.” In their old code. Confused, Razor and Tanner search through the boxes of Tanner’s letters quickly finding a notebook detailing a horrific experiment. Those attacks are starting to make sense. Razor has got to find Jake. She knows he’s in trouble and taking his letters and the notebook back to The Edge to stash in the company vault causes a run-in with Payton. Razor’s comments are enough to set his teeth on edge. Promising to store the notebook, Payton reads it and realizes just what it means.
Their fellow employees jump in to help. Mira tracks the address from the email and Tanner and Razor head out to find out what they can. It’s being attacked, hearing that the doctor’s killer is looking for a Roxanne, and their knowledge that the sheriff’s department is compromised that brings Reid, Gabe, and Clay out to help bringing their muscle and Mira’s tech savvy to track Jake down.
One plus is that Norwood and Payton realize they’re running out of time and they are responsible for the mess; they must put together a special unit whose only mission is to take Stynger down.
In the meantime, Clay Marshall is breaking down…
The Characters
Roxanne Haught specializes in stealth security protection for The Edge. She has no family left except Jake, her best friend from childhood. Jake Staite believes he is participating in a top-secret unit protecting his country. In reality, he’s been suckered into highly illegal, private experiments that will twist his will and change him forever.
Tanner O’Connell has retired from the military. His father and only married brother were killed by a drunk driver and his brother’s family and his mother need help dealing with the bills and working at The Edge pays better than the military. Reid O’Connell already works at The Edge and recommended his baby brother.
Bella Bayne (on the List) started The Edge with an infusion of cash from Payton. Other employees include Clay Marshall (on the List), Mira Sage (on the List), Sloane Gideon (on the List)), and Dr. Vaughan.
Payton Bainbridge invested with guilt money because he was part of Threshold Project, the same highly illegal experiments that he thought had been stopped. Now he’s paying in more ways than one for his participation. General Robert Norwood was involved as well. Threshold’s victims were all on a List and someone is hunting them down.
Brad Evans was one of Jake’s. Signing up for this special op at the same time, Brad is sent out to hunt Roxanne down. Other buddies of Jake’s include Trevor Moss and Alan MacKenzie. Jordyn Stynger had mailed Jake’s diary to Roxanne and the Doctor can’t have that kind of evidence floating outside of her control. Nelson Bower has signed up for Dr. Stynger’s operation. He’ll show the military what they’re missing when they kicked him out. Dr. Norma Stynger is a nightmare walking. Using drugs and brainwashing techniques, she’s changing men who have been recruited into this “hush-hush operation” on the basis of protecting the United States. It’s all for profit. She’s even torturing her own daughter Jordyn.
The Cover and Title
The cover is reds, yellows, and browns with a back-to-back couple dressed in camos and Kevlar packin’ heat.
The title is all about Razor’s Edge and the line she walks.
