Sudden Death
4 Stars

FBI agent Megan Elliot is called in to investigate the sadistic murder of a homeless man, whose death is quickly linked to a serial killer targeting army veterans. The case takes a compelling turn when Jack Kincaid, a soldier-for-hire, returns home to discover that his comrade in arms is the latest victim. Despite their different approaches, Megan and Jack must join forces to locate the killer before they strike even closer to home.

Series note: This book is linked to both the No Evil and Prison Break trilogies. The hero, Jack Kincaid, appears in Fear No Evil as the twin of Dillon and older brother to Lucy and Patrick. The heroine, Megan Elliot, is the ex-wife of Mitch Bianchi, the hero in Playing Dead. Despite these links, the plot is unrelated and can be read as a standalone.

Allison Brennan's skill lies more in her suspense plots than in her romances, and this book is no exception. The serial killer storyline is gripping as Brennan expertly weaves the various POVs within the narrative. The inclusion of the killers' perspectives ratchets up the tension as one is a truly vicious sociopath while the other is a disturbed psychopath rapidly losing their grip on reality. In fact, there are moments in which I actually felt some sympathy for Ethan as Karen had so clearly manipulated him. The twist at the end is excellent, especially as Brennan provides the necessary clues but still manages to surprise the reader.

Megan and Jack's opposites attract romance is one of Brennan's better attempts, yet it is difficult to believe that two such diverse personalities; Megan is smart and intuitive but follows the rules while Jack is a rule-breaker and risk-taker, would get together so quickly and effortlessly. Nevertheless, they do have a strong attraction that works.

Overall, an entertaining read and I look forward to the next installments. ( )

Started April 01st, 2014.
After reading the Novella [b:Maximum Exposure|18926466|Maximum Exposure (Max Revere, #0.5)|Allison Brennan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1387579346s/18926466.jpg|26933212] I could not wait to read another book by this author.
And I was also reminded, that there is a better style in writing, than the non-stop-action of some of the books I struggled through in the past months.
While the ending was disappointing, being predictable and without a twist, which would have warranted a fifth star, I really liked most of the book.
One nice short sex-scene, not overly explicit and rather plain, nothing kinky.
A skimmed a few of the 3-4 star reviews before buying and reading this one, and some had bought the book on the preconception (from advertisement?) that it would be romance-thriller. For me the romance part was ok, just believable, and in small doses, but I would not describe the book as a romance-whatever. It is a thriller, and a page-turner.
Very detailed description of sadistic torture, so be warned, not for the squeamish reader.
The book takes no clear stand for or against self-justice and vigilantism, rather it shows both point-of-views. Also with soldiers following orders (or not) and rule-abiding.
Highly recommended, with hoping for a more realistic (and bloody?) ending in the other books in the series (which I will surely read and soon [b:Cutting Edge: A Novel of Suspense|5630213|Cutting Edge A Novel of Suspense|Allison Brennan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320400330s/5630213.jpg|5801620] and [b:Fatal Secrets: A Novel of Suspense|4800696|Fatal Secrets A Novel of Suspense|Allison Brennan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320400328s/4800696.jpg|4865809]) ( )

The plot and action of this romantic suspense were very good but the hero and heroine didn't even meet in the first third of the book then it was love at first sight which really didn't fit the story. FBI agent Megan is investigating a serial killer when she meets Jack who is a close friend of one of the victims.
( )

When a homeless veteran is found dead in a squalid Sacramento alley, FBI special agent Megan Elliott vows to find the murdered hero’s killer. Her investigation gets complicated fast, for the victim, a former Delta Force soldier, is just one link in a nationwide spree of torture and murder.

Straight off a job rescuing medical missionaries, soldier-for-hire Jack Kincaid returns to his home base in the Texas border town of Hidalgo only to receive the news that one of his closest colleagues–also ex-military–has been brutally murdered. Faced with an inept local police force, Jack takes matters into his own hands.

Now, as part of a national task force to stop the sadistic killings, by-the-book Megan and burn-the-book Jack form a tense alliance, sparked with conflict and temptation. But they struggle against more than passion, for a vicious pair of killers has only just begun a rampage of evil . . . and the primary target is much closer than Megan suspects. (Amazon Desc.)

Complex plot, suspenseful action, steamy romance . . . Brennan, as usual, delivers! ( )

I've downloaded this book to my Kindle twice (Ammie keeps recommending it to me) and I just can't hack it. It's both poorly written and so very needlessly violent. ( )