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Heatseeker
It is part of the , series and is a in Paperback edition on January 29, 2013 and has 352 pages.
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Sixth and last in the Goddard Project; second in the Atrati. Both are romantic suspense. The primary couple focus is on Rachel Gannon and Kadin Marks. A secondary focus is on Spazz and Cowboy.
My Take
Don’t bother picking this one up. I really expected more of Monroe, and she has NOT delivered. This story is so surface with a lot of whiny Sturm und Drang. Even the lame bits are simply dull. I found myself skimming a lot of it just to get it over with.
Full of cutesy clichés with flimsy excuses masquerading as drama to give the story its major plotline. Yawn. Oops, sorry. yawwwwwn. Oops, I just keep doing that. Oh, well, at least it’s consistent with Monroe’s storyline…yawn.
Jamila’s attitude is confusing. When her father’s actions are displayed, she acts as though she hasn’t a clue and then she turns around and appears to know what’s going on. Make up your mind, Monroe.
I enjoy a good action suspense — with romance thrown in, of course — but I expect there to be at least a modicum of tension and/or drama. Too bad Heatseeker hasn’t got it. Oh, sure, there’s action in terms of Spazz using his fun toys and the stealth rescue along with the yammering in the safe house. But the whole story is more of an excuse to explore both couples’ need to settle past baggage. And only Spazz and Cowboy have any genuine baggage.
The best parts are that Kadin accepts Rachel for who she is now, and he’s always accepted who Cowboy and Spazz are.
The Story
Caught where she had no business, Rachel was unable to talk her way out of it and now she’s been intimately acquainted with that damned car battery. It’s okay. As long as she doesn’t reveal her source, Rachel has her death all planned out. Her only regret is not being able to pass her information on.
The Characters
Rachel Gannon is a deep undercover spy with the Goddard Project. Too many disappointments and tragedies in her life have left her ambivalent about her own life, although she is intent on preserving American lives. Linny is the younger sister who committed suicide.
Kadin “Trigger” Marks is in charge of this Atrati mercenary unit that’s been assigned to rescue a kidnapped operative. He’s also Rachel’s long-ago-left love. Neil Kennedy, a.k.a., Spazz, is his second-in-command and a genius with technology. Wyatt “Cowboy” has been in the closet and almost made the worse decision of his life. Doc, the team medic, is Eva, a feisty Latina each of the guys knows not to cross. Maluakeakua, a.k.a., Peace, ’cause he likes to enforce it, makes up the rest of the unit. Their former commander, Roman Chernichenko, has been promoted to a desk job.
Andrew Whitney is the head of the Goddard Project; Beth (she’s four months pregnant, but daddy doesn’t know) is his daughter married to Ethan Crane, another spy. Jayne is a rather terrifying Amazon sent to take over.
The Abduls take care of the safe house in Marrakech. Ralph Giroux is “one of the autistic savants participating in the Treffert think tank”.
Abasi Chuma is an Egyptian financier and trader with a penchant for brutalizing women. Jamila Massri has been betrothed to Chuma by her father, Dr. Massri. Terne Lavigne is also involved, in more ways than one.
The Goddard Project (TGP) is a deep cover, “black ops agency technology watch dog”; very few know of its existence. The Atrati is a black ops, independent mercenary group working for the U.S. government and others when they need to keep the ops off the books or in need of denial.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a refugee from another story as it certainly doesn’t fit this one. A man in blue jeans and a white racerback wifebeater stands prepared for anything with his back to us, a gun in one hand, as he looks out over…roiling clouds? a tumultuous surf? Whichever, it still doesn’t fit the story here.
The title at least bears a resemblance to a very small part of the story when our protagonist uses a Heatseeker to confirm her suspicions.
