THE UNEXPECTED HOSTAGE

An American tech exec is caught up in international terrorism as she also battles personal demons in McKenzie’s thriller.

Tess Bennett is having a bad week, trying to chase away some of the demons of her past at a sketchy punk club in London. But things only get worse for the American tech executive, who, while filling in for her boss and CEO at a conference, is taken hostage by terrorists determined to steal an encryption computer code called Firefly that was developed by Tess’ company. Tess is held hostage with Mark Nygaard, a widowed Norwegian doctor dealing with his own grief. They plot a thrilling escape and strike up a romance that plays out against a backdrop of terrorism and computer espionage. After Tess and Mark get away, the extortionists go after her boss, David Kingsley, CEO of Kingsley Tech, and the new couple fight to save him and keep the software out of the wrong hands. The software isn’t just the lucrative product of the company Tess works for; it was developed by Kyle, her fiance, who was killed in a car wreck a year before. What seemed like an accident proves to be murder, and Tess and Mark work to bring the killers to justice, helped by clues Kyle left for Tess. The investigation takes Tess to the dark web and headfirst into the world of cyberterrorism and blackmail. In her debut novel, the author writes with a sure touch, creating thrill-a-minute adventure scenes while also excelling at the tender, romantic moments. The plot is intricate without being convoluted, and the characters, especially Tess and Mark, are layered and memorable. Tess is a character you want to know more about (“Danger Dad taught her countless precautions throughout her childhood. Hypervigilant but teetering on paranoid, he required she study martial arts and master basic weaponry, even fencing”), and her romance with Mark, which could have been just a convenient plot device, comes off as real and organic. Hopefully Tess and Mark will return in future volumes for more intrigue.

Riveting adventure and romance power this forceful first novel.