Monday, May 18, 2020

BLOG TOUR - Secret Investigation


I am very happy to be a part of this blog tour for this thrilling new mini-series, Tactical Crime DivisionSecret Investigation is the second book in the series.




BOOK DESCRIPTION:


In the wake of a tragedy, the Tactical Crime Division is the first call. When ironclad body armor inexplicably fails and soldiers perish, the Tactical Crime Division jumps into action. Agent and former ranger Davis Rogers asks to go undercover to find the traitor responsible for the death of one of his friends, and Petrov Armor CEO Leila Petrov is happy to provide access to her company…especially once she discovers she’s being framed. But will their joint efforts be enough to uncover the truth?..





PURCHASE LINKS:


MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Secret Investigation
Author:  Elizabeth Heiter
Series:  Tactical Crime Division #2
Publisher:  Harlequin Intrigue
Genre:   Romantic Suspense
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   256
Date of Publication:   April 21, 2020
My Rating:   5 Stars

In this thrilling book Secret Investigation, Davis Rogers is sent undercover to Petrov Armor to try and discover why body armor was defective, resulting in the deaths of American soldiers, including one of his friends. He is not sure he is the man for the job because when the FBI, who oversee the specialized Tactical Crime Division (TCI), investigated Petrov Armor, he felt an immediate attraction to the company's CEO. 


As CEO of Petrov Armor, Leila Petrov is happy that her company was not found at fault for the armor, although she is saddened by the loss of lives. Imagine her shock when she discovers that an FBI agent she previously met is sent in undercover to further investigate her company. She doesn't want Davis there. It doesn't help that she is attracted to him, but more so, and most certainly far more important, she cannot believe that any equipment that left her company could be found at fault.

There are only a few people Leila's company who could be responsible for any faulty armor, her uncle, her ex, who is the company's salesman, or the head of R & D. It doesn't take very long for Davis to begin to see through the cracks that one of these people is responsible, not only for the equipment failure, but for the death of Leila's father, which was very recent.

This fast-paced story kept me on my toes. On the one hand, just as each story in this series offers, there is the romance that develops between the primary protagonists. That is not the focus, however. Instead, quite a bit of emotion is at play in these sweet romantic suspense books and this builds up slowly. What is primary in this story is the intrigue and the danger. Every time I was certain who was the guilty party, I was thrown off guard. As the book reached a shocking conclusion I all but held my breath. What an excellent job Elizabeth Heiter did with this book! It is the perfect companion to what is certain to be a very successful series. 

Many thanks to Harlequin Intrigue and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.


Excerpt, Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter


***

As in the Bureau, dying in the field was a possibility you accepted. You did whatever you could to prevent it, but if it happened, you knew you’d be going out doing something you believed in. But not like this. Not the way Jessica had died, trusting the military, trusting her training, trusting her equipment.


“I want to take the lead on this case,” Davis blurted. Gazes darted to him: from profiler Dr. Melinda Larsen, silently assessing, suspicion in her eyes, as if she somehow knew he had a history with one of the victims. Always buttoned-up Laura Smith was quiet and unreadable, but her Ivy League brain was probably processing every nuance of his words. JC, staring at him with understanding, even though he didn’t realize Davis knew Jessica personally. No one on the team did. “Is your personal investment in this case going to be a hindrance or a help?”


Pembrook asked, voice and gaze steady.


Davis’s spine stiffened even more. She was talking about his army background. She had to be. But if she thought he was going to fidget, she underestimated the hell he’d gone through training to be a ranger for the army. “A help. I’m familiar with how the army works. And I’m familiar with the product. I’ve worn Petrov Armor vests.”


Petrov Armor had supplied the body armor Jessica and her team had been wearing during the ambush. That armor—supposedly the newest and best technology—had failed spectacularly, resulting in the deaths of all but three of the soldiers and one of the locals. In his mind it wasn’t the insurgents who had killed Jessica and her team. It was Petrov Armor.


He didn’t mention the rest. He’d more than just worn the vests. He’d had a chance to be an early tester of their body armor, back when he was an elite ranger and Petrov Armor was better known for the pistols they made than their armor. He’d given the thumbs-up, raving about the vest’s bullet-stopping power and comfort in his report. He’d given the army an enthusiastic endorsement to start using Petrov Armor’s products more broadly. And they had.


“I’m not talking about the armor,” Pembrook replied, her gaze still laser-locked on his, even as agent-at-large Kane Bradshaw slipped into the meeting late and leaned against the doorway. “I’m talking about Jessica Carpenter.” Her voice softened. “I’m sorry for your loss.”


The gazes on him seemed to intensify, but Davis didn’t shift his from Pembrook’s. “Thank you. And no, it won’t affect my judgment in the case.”


Pembrook nodded, but he wasn’t sure if she believed him as she looked back at the rest of the group and continued her briefing. “Petrov Armor won a big contract with the military five years ago. The armor this team was wearing is their latest and greatest. It’s not worn widely yet, but their earlier version armor is commonly used. The military is doing a full round of testing across all their branches. They’ve never had a problem with Petrov Armor before, and they don’t intend to have another.


“Meanwhile, they’ve asked us to investigate at home. We got lucky with the news coverage. We’re still not sure how it was leaked, but not all of it got out. Or if it did, the news station only played a small part. And somehow they don’t have the name of the body armor supplier. Not yet,” she said emphatically. “Rowan, we don’t have to worry about PD this time. I’m putting you on the media. Hendrick can lend computer support if you need it.”


Rowan Cooper nodded, looking a little paler than usual, but sitting straighter.


***




About Elizabeth Heiter: Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning author ELIZABETH HEITER likes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists and a little romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations, and onto the FBI Academy’s shooting range. Her novels have been published in more than a dozen countries and translated into eight languages. Visit her at www.elizabethheiter.com. Also at twitter.

11 comments:

  1. Another new name for me - you find all the good stuff!

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  2. It looks like a TV series! Like Law & Order SVU ;)

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  3. This looks like a great one for fans of shows like Law & Order or any similar show!

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  4. This looks cool, I love crime novels and shows.

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  5. You always read some really great books.

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  6. I skimmed your review as I will be reading this one soon.

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  7. haven't read the Intrigue series in a long while.. and your review definitely intrigues and interests!

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  8. This sounds interesting. I haven't read crime in a while. Time to change that.

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  9. Wow this sounds so intriguing, I love a good thriller!

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  10. I love it when series connect like this one :) Looks like a very interesting read!

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