SERIES REVIEW - Maximum Security by Kat Martin

Maximum Security by Kat Martin, is a thrilling romantic suspense series that I had the pleasure of reading in October.  
Four of the books are reviewed in this combined post.

Title:   Wait Until Dark

Publisher:  Harlequin

Format:  Kindle 
No. of Pages:  86

Date of Publication:  November 1, 2018

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Private investigator Jonah Wolfe knows trouble when he sees it. So when April Vale storms into his office at Maximum Security, all his warning signs flash red. April’s been accused of murder, except she has no memory of how she woke up in her coworker’s bed—drenched in his blood, as he was shot with her gun. As the campaign manager for the mayor, April’s job and life are on the line if she doesn’t figure out who’s trying to frame her. But the clock is ticking, and the pair must find the murderer…before April winds up dead.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

When April Vale rushes into the Maximum Security office, she is seeking an investigator. She wasn't looking for Jonah Wolfe, but he spots her first. She has no sure but to tell him the shocking story of how she woke up in a coworker's bed. She was covered in blood. He was dead. Shot with her gun.

April is the campaign manager for the mayor, and she is adamant that she is innocent. Her life and her job are at stake. Will Jonah and the agency be able to help? He will do his best to help her, and he finds that he must fight the fact that he is very drawn to her.

This is a quick read, as it is a prequel that to the Maximum Security series. I loved the suspense, romance and setting in this novella.

*The following review was previously published on this blog in February, 2019.

Title:   The Conspiracy

Publisher:  Harlequin

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  368

Date of Publication:  January 22, 2019

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails in days. When even the Coast Guard can’t find him, Harper is forced to take desperate measures. Which means going to Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend, now the only man she can trust…or so she hopes.

As the successful owner of Maximum Security, Chase has learned to trust his gut. He knows Harper’s father is mixed up in a deadly business, and suspects there’s more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye. Getting involved again with the Winstons goes against everything he stands for, yet old loyalties die hard. As the case draws him closer to Harper and deeper into the Winstons’ snarled crime family, he is forced to put everything on the line to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Harper Winston's brother Michael has disappeared. He was planning to sail the Caribbean but remained in close contact with Harper. After a few days of non-contact, Harper knows something is wrong. However, the Coast Guard cannot find any sign of Michael, so Harper turns to his best friend, Chase Garrett, for help. As Chase is the owner of a firm called Maximum Security, which includes private investigations and the like, he is the perfect man for the job. 

Out of respect for his best friend Michael, Chase agrees to help Harper. Despite being good friends, Chase is convinced that Michael's father is involved in criminal activities. From the outset, however, Chase might have to fight his growing attraction to Harper. Chase knows that in no way could anything good come from this, especially since he and her father are at opposite ends of the law.

The danger might have started off with Michael's disappearance, however, both Harper and Chase are in danger as well. This is for very different reasons. The aforementioned danger, as well as intrigue and jaw-dropping action are all backdrops to a story that also includes the developing romance budding between Chase and Harper.

Beyond that, there is the lovely descriptions of the background while Chase and Harper are searching for Michael. If you enjoy reading incredible dramatic and mysterious stories, filled with things such as nonstop action, with the added benefit of an intense romance, then The Conspiracy is the perfect book for you. This is especially so because the story is full of strong characters. Quite naturally, I was drawn to Chase and Harper, but there were others equally compelling. Something important to mention is that Michael was eventually found, but there was a lot of story yet to be told. 

This is certainly an engaging read, one that most readers will likely grab a hold of with both hands. I find it utterly exciting that this is the first book in a new series. I definitely look forward to reading much more by the extremely talented Kat Martin and cannot wait to see whose story is next.

Many thanks to Harlequin and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Title:   Shadows at Dawn

Publisher:  Harlequin

Format:  Kindle 
No. of Pages:  114

Date of Publication:  August 12, 2019

My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Don’t miss this scorching novella, part of what Publishers Weekly is calling Kat Martin’s “tantalizing” new Maximum Security series!

Private detective Jaxon Ryker swore to himself he would keep his hands off Mindy Stewart. No matter how much Jax might secretly wish otherwise, his colleague at The Max is strictly off-limits. But when Mindy is the victim of an attempted kidnapping, everything changes. With both of them thrust into danger, Jax swears to protect her. As they work together in search of answers, it becomes clear Mindy’s life is on the line, so a trap is set—with Mindy as bait. Jax and Mindy have to put aside their overwhelming attraction, but if they live through this, all bets are off… 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

This Maximum Security is exciting and now we have Shadows at Dawn, a novella that highlights Jaxon Ryker at the agency and how he finally gives into his feelings for one of his colleagues, Mindy Stewart. When she becomes the victim of an attempted kidnapping, he steps right in to help her, and that as when the pair are forced to address their strong attraction to one another.

This is a very quick read, and is a very nice addition to the series. If you enjoy romantic suspense, then this book, and series, comes highly recommended.

Title:   The Deception

Publisher:  Harlequin

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  384

Date of Publication:  September 10, 2019

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

“Fans of romantic suspense won’t be able to put this book down until the final page is turned.”—Publishers Weekly on The Deception

When missing turns to murdered, one woman's search for answers will take her to a place she never wanted to go…

After searching for her sister for two long years, Kate Gallagher is devastated when she’s called to the morgue to identify Chrissy’s body, the runaway teen the victim of a brutal attack. Guilt and grief send Kate into a tailspin. She failed Chrissy once…she won’t do it again. Even if finding her sister’s killer means following a lethal bounty hunter into the heart of darkness, placing both their lives in danger.

Working at Maximum Security has taken Jason Maddox down some dangerous paths, but never for a client he’s so drawn to, or for a case so monstrous. As clues lead them deeper into the city’s underbelly, connections to human trafficking draw them closer and closer to peril, but even Jase’s warnings can’t convince Kate to walk away. As the deadly operation puts a target on their backs, they’ll have to decide what matters most: the truth…or their lives.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Kate Gallagher is devastated when she has to identify a teen's body. The teen, Chrissy, was a victim of a brutal attack. This sends Kate into a frenzy. For one thing she has been looking for her sister for a couple of years. With this girl's death, Kate works even harder to try and find her sister's killer.

She gets the help of Jason Maddox, from the Maximum Security Agency in this 2nd book to the series. Starting off with smaller clues only leads to even bigger ones, and major danger for both Kate and Jason. Shockingly, they run smack into a human trafficking situation and the danger comes far too close to Kate. Jason would rather she step back from the situation, especially when they both end up with a target on their backs.

I read this book with bated breath. The horrors of human trafficking were difficult to read of, but then the element of danger made this book impossible to put down. Add in the romantic element that was born from friendship, and this was simply a wonderful book.
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The next book in the series, is The Betrayal, and will be out in July. A long wait, and I very much look forward to reading it.

Many thanks to HQN Books and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.

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