Review: In Harm's Way

My Synopsis:

In Harm's Way (Heroes of Quantico series - Book 3) by Irene Hannon

(For review from Revell)

FBI agent Nick Bradley wasn't prepared when Rachel Sutton entered his life. He believed that people who claimed be psychic or had strange experiences were mostly kooks and he'd seen plenty of them in his career, but this was different. When Rachel came to him with dirty, Raggedy Ann doll in a shopping bag and a story that was more than a little hard to believe, Nick was thrown for a loop. Not only was she not loony, she was beautiful and articulate. When Nick unexpectedly finds a connection between Rachel's feelings of abject terror when she touched the doll and an abducted child, both of their lives take a dramatic turn.

Rachel Sutton isn't given to flights of fancy. She isn't a part of the psychic scene but when she finds a discarded Raggedy Ann doll in the parking lot of a local restaurant she has an experience that she is unable to explain. Looking at the doll gives her a fond warm feeling, but touching it is another matter, she feels terror and has a physical response. She hears a babies frantic cries and Rachel doesn't know what to do. Her friend suggests she take the doll to the FBI and thats where she meets Special Agent Nick Bradley. Handsome, unattached and he believes her, what a combination. Will Rachel and Nick take the next step into a relationship? Will they find out what is causing Rachel's reaction to the doll? What about the baby she hears crying?

My Thoughts:

In Harm's Way is the third book in the Heroes of Quantico series. Irene Hannon has done a wonderful job with this series with strong research into the workings of the FBI and wonderful storytelling. In Harm's Way wraps up the series and does so with style. Mark, Coop and Nick have come a long way from their academy days.

Nick's story delves into some interesting topics, like psychic phenomena, repressed memories and even the ups and downs of a child in the foster child system. Baby Danielle's abduction at the beginning of the book is very riveting. It gets the readers attention. I found it really interesting that the whole thing came from an overheard conversation between two mothers and how easy it would be for this type of thing to actually happen. Very suspenseful and thrilling!

I also liked how the relationship between Nick and Rachel progressed. It wasn't a fast paced and in your face romance. It developed like most real relationships do. Boy meets girl. Boy helps girl with a problem. Boy realizes that girl may be just what he's looking for. Girl realizes he isn't what she expected and maybe he's just what she's looking for.

I felt like the issue of faith was dealt with a very delicate way. It was a part of the story but it didn't beat you over the head. It was subtle and made the reader comfortable with the idea. Lots of people read books who don't attend church or have any ideas about their own faith. This is a book that will let them explore it, but it won't overpower them.

Available April 2010 at your favorite bookseller, from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I liked this book a lot and give it 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag.

Here is some more information about the author Irene Hannon.

Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.

Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut.

Since then, she has written more than 35 romance and romantic suspense novels. Her books have been honored with a coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), a HOLT Medallion and a Reviewer’s Choice award fromRT Book Reviews magazine.

Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full. She is happy to say she has no regrets! As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.

In her spare time, Irene enjoys hamming it up in community musical theater productions. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She also regularly performs with a six-person musical review troupe and is a soloist at her church (where she does NOT ham it up!).

When not otherwise occupied, Irene loves to cook and garden. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.