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Force of Nature

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Florida private investigator Ric Alvarado's life is spiraling out of control. His beautiful new assistant, Annie Dugan, is far more interested in fieldwork than filing, and despite Ric's best efforts to ignore the attraction, sparks are flying between them. Then one of Ric's clients turns femme fatale and tries to gun down an innocent man. Thanks to quick thinking and even quicker reflexes, Ric comes to the rescue, only to learn he's done a very good deed for some very bad people.

Suddenly Ric finds himself deep undercover with Annie, working for notorious crime boss Gordon Burns. One mistake from Ric's painfully inexperienced partner could leave them both dead.

FBI agent Jules Cassidy's life isn't in much better shape. For years the FBI has been trying to prove Gordon Burns' ties to terrorist activity. Now, thanks to Ric and Annie, Jules has found a way into the lion's den. But in the course of his investigation he comes face-to-face with Robin Chadwick, the charismatic but self-destructive and closeted movie star for whom Jules feels a powerful attraction. Robin is in town promoting his latest film—and Gordon Burns is a star-struck movie buff.

With Robin and Jules' help, Ric and Annie are soon entrenched in Burns' organization, surrounded by killers who may already have executed an FBI infiltrator. Before long the couple realizes that many more lives besides their own will be at stake if they make a false move. As the heat between them reaches dangerous levels, so do the risks they're willing to take—in the line of duty, for the sake of loyalty, and in the name of something that runs even deeper.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 24, 2007
      Brockman's pair known as the Troubleshooters—former policeman Ric Alvarado and his sexy young assistant Annie Dugan—are brought to laudable life in the audio version of the 11th entry in her popular series. Lawlor and Ewbank (who are also both credited as the directors of this audiobook) catch the voices and attitudes of the Florida private eyes with admirable restraint and make the other male and female characters—who include a gay FBI agent in love with a closeted movie star and a notorious crime boss who happens to be a film buff—impressively distinctive. There's plenty of laughs from the character's witty banter and romance of all possible shapes, sizes and persuasions, which adds an extra layer to the story. Brockman's strong sense of character and her successful mix of romance into an action-packed suspense thriller make this a memorable listen. Simultaneous release with the Ballantine hardcover (Reviews, June 25).

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 25, 2007
      Ex-cop Ric Alvarado, after receiving word that Florida mobster Gordon Burns may be working with international terrorists, manages to gain access to Burns's inner circle in prolific bestseller Brockmann's enjoyable 11th Troubleshooters thriller (after 2006's Into the Storm
      ). Alvarado's feat brings him to the attention of Jules Cassidy, a maverick FBI agent and counterterrorism expert derided by fellow agents for being gay. The message of tolerance and the personal issues—Cassidy's relationship with closeted Hollywood leading man Robin Chadwick; Alvarado's crush on his attractive assistant, Annie Dugan; Cassidy's determined struggle for acceptance and recognition—at times interfere with the terrorist plot in the mix of undercover police work and romance, but romantic suspense fans should be well satisfied.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 28, 2008
      Fans of well-written tales filled with ironic reversals will relish this quality collection of 34 stories (including 13 originals), the first of two planned volumes. The entries vary in length, but even the briefer ones, such as the vivid “Desperate Times,†pack a punch. Many feature human beings in subservient roles, such as zoo exhibits for aliens (“The Henry and the Marthaâ€) or game animals for Earth's new masters (“Good Dogâ€). Other high points include “Crickets, Everywhere,†a novel variation on the theme of an insect swarm apocalypse, and the creepy “The Teddy's Touch,†in which a skilled government operative confronts an insidious conspiracy aimed at controlling thoughts and emotions. While Rand's work is steady rather than spectacular, he consistently displays creative imagination as well as a gift for understatement. Even where the twist endings are less than surprising, the deftly drawn characters and evocative descriptions will keep readers entirely satisfied.

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

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