Sandy M’s review of Sting by Sandra Brown
Romantic Suspense published by Grand Central Publishing 16 Aug 16
I’ve been a Sandra Brown fan for a very long time, loving each book I read over the years. But her romantic suspense novels over the last several years have streaked her into the stratosphere to cement her as one of my all-time-favorite authors. She gets better and better with each book. I love her adeptness at misperception and deception, keeping the reader guessing at every turn until the very last minute. Suspense has never been so much fun.
I love the beginning of this book. Two hitmen sitting in a seedy bar and one says, “A woman walked into a bar.” Yeah, his buddy thought it was a joke too. Turns out their prey has just made an appearance and all their carefully laid-out plans go to hell. Jordie Bennett is a class-act who stands out like a sore thumb in the dive, but her chin is up as she sips her white wine. Her world is about to go to hell just as fast the men’s plans. Before the night is over, she sees a man shot and she’s abducted just because his partner wants more money for her death. And how was your day?
Jordie’s brother Josh has been wrapped up with the wrong people for a while now, his brains helping one of the Fed’s most wanted criminals scam and kill to his heart’s content. Josh has just given himself freedom from the FBI’s protective custody and is on a mission to get to the 30 mil his boss recently obtained. So the hunt is on for both Jordie and her brother. Unfortunately for Jordie, Shaw Kinnard is a crafty assassin and keeps them well ahead of the law.
That is until Jordie gets a hand up in the most unexpected way. Shaw is stunned and so was I when he’s put out of commission. But that’s what keeps the surprises coming from Ms. Brown’s pen, so to speak. Now working together with the agents on Josh’s tail, they try not to let the chemistry between them make matters worse. Futile effort. Especially with a madman criminal doing everything in his power to get rid of Jordie and a brother who refuses her help to turn himself in and stay alive.
I can’t go into too many details because it would give too much away, with the twists and turns coming at you from left and right as this story develops. Especially the last one. Didn’t see that coming at all! I really like both Shaw and Jordie. She never gives up the whole time she’s at his mercy. A good thing, since he’s a surprising twist himself. This is Sandra Brown at her best, and I loved every last word, even while I was gasping and couldn’t believe that just happened!
Grade: A
Summary:
When Jordie Bennet and Shaw Kinnard lock eyes across a disreputable backwater bar, something definitely sparks. Shaw gives off a dangerous vibe that makes men wary and inspires women to sit up and take notice. None feel that undercurrent more strongly than savvy businesswoman Jordie, who doesn’t belong in a seedy dive on the banks of a bayou. But here she is . . . and Shaw Kinnard is here to kill her.
As Shaw and his partner take aim, Jordie is certain her time has come. But Shaw has other plans and abducts Jordie, hoping to get his hands on the $30 million her brother has stolen and, presumably, hidden. However, Shaw is not the only one looking for the fortune. Her brother’s ruthless boss and the FBI are after it as well. Now on the run from the feds and a notorious criminal, Jordie and Shaw must rely on their wits-and each other-to stay alive.
Miles away from civilization and surrounded by swampland, the two play each other against their common enemies. Jordie’s only chance of survival is to outwit Shaw, but it soon becomes clear to Shaw that Jordie isn’t entirely trustworthy, either. Was she in on her brother’s scam, or is she an innocent pawn in a deadly vendetta? And just how valuable is her life to Shaw, her remorseless and manipulative captor? Burning for answers-and for each other-this unlikely pair ultimately make a desperate move that could be their last.
No excerpt available.
