Willa’s review of Scorched (Tracer Series, Book 6) by Laura Griffin
Romantic Suspense published by Pocket Books 30 Oct 12
I am a huge fan of Laura Griffin’s Tracer series and when I found out that the couple in Scorched were Gabe and Kelsey from an earlier novella – Unstoppable- I was thrilled that they were getting their own full length book.
I first met Gage and Kelsey, the hero and heroine of this story in the novella Unstoppable. It was a great read – mystery, suspense and romance all in one and of course the HEA. Or so I thought. Then we found out in Twisted, almost casually, that the relationship had foundered over Gage’s continued absences as a SEAL and the fact that they lived hundreds of miles apart. Kelsey, at that time, had been unable to deal with the anxiety and uncertainty of whether he would return, and had given him an ultimatum – her or his Teams. He chose the Teams.
Kelsey Quinn is an anthropologist with the Delphi Center, a private company that works in cutting edge forensics to help solve crime. At a dig in the Philippines she unearths some bones that lead her back to the U.S. Her ex-fiancé is with the FBI, and she contacts him, hoping he will be able to help her discover more about her find and answer some lingering questions. But when she comes out of the bathroom at his place, she is horrified to witness Blake being shot to death by his FBI partner and as she quickly becomes the chief suspect, she goes on the run. The fact that she had had a relationship with this guy after Gabe and her had split makes Gabe a person of interest too. When the FBI track Gabe down and start questioning him, he takes off to find Kelsey. Eventually he tracks her down and the roller coaster ride begins, with both their career strengths coming into play as they try desperately to stay one step ahead.
I love this book – it ticks all the romantic suspense boxes for me. It had me turning the pages late into the night to see what would happen next. The romance is more centered too, both Gage and Kelsey having to face, honestly, why their relationship had broken down before – it wasn’t just ‘I love you, let’s try again’ without addressing anything. They have to confront themselves and their situation realistically before they can move forward. I could hardly flip the virtual pages fast enough to see what the outcome would be. Ms. Griffin kept me guessing to the very end.
Laura Griffin has nailed this genre perfectly for me. Engrossing suspense with the romance carefully threaded through make them auto-reads for me. Even though these books are part of a series, one of Ms. Griffin’s many writing strength’s is that all of them can be read as stand-alones – the central theme is the Delphi Center.
Grade: A
Summary:
The dead don’t speak, but Kelsey knows their secrets. As a forensic anthropologist at the Delphi Center crime lab, Kelsey makes it her mission to indentify bodies, often using no more than shards of bone. Her find at a remote Philippines dig hints at a sinister story. When Kelsey’s search for answers puts her at the scene of her ex-fiancé’s murder, only one man can help her–the man who broke her heart months before and is also a prime suspect.
Faced with an ultimatum—Kelsey or his job—Gage Brewer did the only thing a Navy SEAL could . . . but that doesn’t mean he stopped wanting Kelsey. Now Kelsey is running for her life and Gage is her last line of defense. As the threats escalate, Kelsey realizes this conspiracy goes deeper and higher than they could have guessed. With the clock ticking down on a madman’s plot, the slightest misstep will have unthinkable consequences. . . .
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
