Romantic Suspense published by Grand Central Publishing 07 Sep 21
While I totally enjoy all the books featuring Eve Duncan and the cast of characters that comes with those series, I was very pleased to find a cast of new characters in this story that takes me back to original thrillers that I have enjoyed from this author.
Lara Balkon is a musical prodigy who has become a pawn between two major Russian crime families, even as her own father treats her like a commodity to bargain with. Logan Tanner used to be in the hostage rescue business. He’s not quite looking to get back into it to rescue Lara, but he’s compelled by her talent and his need for information that he can get in exchange for the rescue.
From the moment Logan steps into a Russian forest and gets between Lara and those who hunt her, the story grabs readers and takes them on a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled ride. Between Logan, Lara, her mother Maria, and the other supporting cast of characters who have their own stories to tell, this book takes on a depth beyond the thrill of evading the Russian mobsters chasing Lara.
The Russian mobsters who are after Lara are pure evil and some of their activities are pretty dark and gruesome. The light in the darkness is the music and how Logan makes the keyboard that he buys her the top thing that accompanies them everywhere, even when they are on the run, so Lara won’t be deprived of the solace of the music.
Two such unlikely people who probably would never have met, if Logan hadn’t been forced into it, and yet love blooms. Is there a secondary relationship in store for Lara’s feisty mother? It’s left to the reader’s imagination, but I definitely hope so. While there are some twists and turns that one expects in a story of this nature, the author is still able to surprise us with a twist in the end that reveals a connection to some of her beloved characters. All in all, a great read.
Grade: A
Summary:
All bets are off as #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen introduces gambler Logan Tanner, a man with a secret past that’s about to come back to haunt him.
Logan Tanner lives the exhilarating life of a professional gambler, taking risks with nerves of steel. From casinos in Macau to Monte Carlo to Milan, he’s racked up a fortune and become a living legend. But all the glitz and glamor hide a dark and violent past as an extractor—a world that comes rushing back to him when the beautiful and innocent Lara Balkon enters his life.
Soon Logan is drawn into the conflict between two Russian mafia bosses over Lara, whose life now hangs in the balance. Logan has been offered something more valuable to him than money—information he desperately needs—in exchange for getting Lara out of Russia and to safety. Once together, Tanner discovers that Lara is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Tanner’s search for the truth leads them to the bright lights of Las Vegas. Where the person who was hunting Lara now lies in wait for them.
With the stakes climbing with each deadly confrontation, Logan and Lara are soon catapulted into a game against pure evil. The odds are stacked against them, but it’s a game they know they must play…even if it may cost them their lives.
