Good book that sucked me in from the beginning and kept me hooked to the last page. As part of the joint task force working to stop a drug cartel, both Allison and Henry appeared in earlier books in the series. Even then, the tension between them is evident, and here we have their story. As this book opens, Allie and Henry have been separated for six months and are in the middle of a contentious divorce. When their eight-year-old son is kidnapped, they must put aside their differences and work together to get him back.

Allison is a deputy US Marshal who played a big part in separating the cartel leader from his daughter, and he vowed revenge. He demands the impossible, and Allie and Henry must find a way to save Ben. The suspense and action took place over just a few days, keeping the intensity high throughout. Not only did we get the good guys' point of view, but the villains also received enough page time to maintain the tension as the reader sees their plans. As Allie and Henry run into obstacles thrown up by their own side (especially Allie's - I really do not like her boss!), they realize their best bet is to depend on each other. Some of the chances they took risked everything but paid off in the end. Henry's coworkers seemed much more reasonable and provided critical help in finding Ben. Their methods fascinated me, and I loved seeing the process. The final confrontation with the kidnappers was a nail-biter, with an unexpected twist in the resolution. I liked the lead-in to the next book.

I enjoyed seeing Allie and Henry find their way past the issues that drove them apart. Miscommunications, misunderstandings, and misconceptions created conflict that they could have resolved if they'd swallowed their pride and talked to each other. Henry's inability to express his emotions about a tragic event in their past led to Allie thinking he didn't care. Add in a coworker of Henry's that ran up against Allie's insecurities, and you have a recipe for misery. Henry doesn't want a divorce. He loves his wife and son and will do whatever is necessary to make them happy. Allie still loves Henry, but her trust took a hit. As they put aside their differences to save Ben, they also began to talk about what went wrong. I liked that both of them admitted fault rather than one taking all of the blame. As they let go of their past hurts, the love they shared had a chance to resurface. Some great scenes showed them at their professional best, made possible by their rekindled trust. The ending was terrific as they found a compromise that worked for both of them.

The secondary characters were well done also. The cartel leader continues to show his ruthless side and makes it easy to root for his downfall. The kidnappers were more than cookie-cutter villains and had well-developed characters. I especially ached for Lourdes, torn between her love for her brother and her horror of his actions. I liked how she cared for Ben. She earned major points for her actions at the end. Her brother, Javier, was a scary guy from the get-go, with only his love for his sister giving him any humanity. I still don't like Allie's boss, who I find obnoxiously self-centered, more concerned with his advancement than being an effective leader. I liked Henry's boss and coworkers and seeing them go all-out to help one of their own. My favorite was Ben. He was a quick thinker for a kid and showed it early on. Thanks to his memory and observation skills, he also played a big part in the lead-in to the next book. ( )

While Allison Chen and her soon-to-be-ex, Henry Boyd are dealing with their delicate and exhausting divorce matter; then comes the more devastating and heart-wrenching news that their son, Ben, has been kidnapped by none other than the notorious cartel!
The clock is ticking and the lives of the innocence are at stake, they decided to work together to save their son despite of their crumbling marriage.
The remarkable Juno Rushdan delivers another well-plotted hard-core thriller, INNOCENT HOSTAGE, brimful of suspense and actions that would definitely satiate fans of such genre!
I would like to thank Juno for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this sensational novel! ( )