STEALING JUSTICE is very much a suspense book--lighter on the heart-pounding action than a thriller and less a whodunit than a mystery-- but still manages to throw in a few curveballs. Hero Justice "Grey" Greystone, former Army Ranger and FBI agent whose law enforcement career is in the toilet for insubordination, is hot on the trail of a serial killer known as The Lion and determined to prove it's a powerful Lebanese diplomat who hunts in a private DC club frequented by the political glitterati and high-priced call girls. The investigation and its potential political fallout cost Grey and his partner Monroe (the hero of the next book in the series) their FBI careers, but Grey is obsessed with catching The Lion and returning to the FBI. Heroine Sydney Banfield runs a shelter for victims of domestic violence and (undoubtedly illegally) helps some of the women 'disappear' to escape their abusive husbands. The Lion's last three victims were women that passed through her shelter and supposedly moved on to government jobs but were instead recruited into the escort ring. In Syd, Grey sees the perfect bait to trap The Lion: a smart, sexy woman who can infiltrate the call girl ring to catch The Lion's attention but hold her own against him. And in Grey's off-the-books mission, Syd sees a way to keep a vicious predator from hurting any more women. In true suspense fashion, most of the book is spent setting and springing the trap, building the tension and wondering if The Lion will take the bait and be caught-- and the quality writing and pacing keep the tension taut throughout. There is also enough action and an unexpected twist to keep the reader thoroughly engrossed in the story and eager to keep turning pages.
I'm one of those people who can't fully enjoy a book--no matter how good the plot-- unless I m emotionally invested in the characters. I really, really liked both Grey and Syd, and who they were together. They're both beautifully and realistically flawed characters whose pasts have defined who they are, and bringing those flaws together brings out the best in each other. Grey is a natural protector, alpha without being autocratic (though he likes to be in control because that lets him protect those he loves better-- that Rules of Engagement scene is both incredibly touching and hilarious), and incredibly loyal-- characteristics I love in a hero! He carries a boatload of guilt for having been unable to protect his younger sister from being killed by her stoned-off-his-ass boyfriend, and that crushing guilt and sense of failure drive him and fuel his singleminded determination to stop The Lion by any means necessary. That mile-wide protective streak and unwavering loyalty put him at odds with himself over throwing Syd into the lion's den, and he spends the bulk of the book torn between selfishly using Syd to get what he wants and keeping her tucked safely away. I'm a sucker for a man that bears the weight of the world on his shoulders and learns to unload some of the burden aided by the love of a good woman, and Grey has that in spades. And he's just so sweet and steady--exactly what Syd needs-- that I just want to take him home... oh, those cupcakes!
Syd is equally flawed and shaped by her past: her mother's sexual assault by the powerful diplomat she worked for that left her confined to a psychiatric hospital is the reason Syd is incredibly mistrustful of men and does the heartbreaking work she does. It's also led her to develop this tough-chick, in-your-face-sexy façade that Grey immediately sees through--and it's equal parts heartwarming and hilarious to watch him try to resist and redirect when Syd goes into full seduction mode. Given her experiences, Syd is also incredibly strong, independent, and smart--my favourite type of heroine!-- and, like Grey, is willing to do whatever it takes to bring a monster down. She and Grey continually butt heads over how to go about catching The Lion, and watching their interactions, their budding emotional intimacy, and how each learns to open up to the other is really satisfying. This was a couple I was rooting for from the beginning, and the ending was incredibly sweet.
I thoroughly enjoyed STEALING JUSTICE, from the writing to the plot to the wit & humour to the characters, and look forward to reading Monroe's story and seeing what else these two talented authors have planned for the Justice Team series.
**ARC provided by Author**
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