UNTIL THE END

A hacker winds up under the protection of a stalwart government operative as they race to stop an outbreak of biological warfare.

After her whole team of fellow white-hat hackers is murdered, Kit Westcott is on the run with incredibly sensitive information regarding a bioweapon called Z-1984. To get the knowledge about the creation and sale of Z-1984 out of her hands and into the public view, Kit reaches out to a blogger to stage a leak. When Kit’s secret meeting is interrupted by a hail of gunfire, she’s rescued by undercover Gray Box operative Castle Kinkade. Gray Box is an off-the-books government agency that operates in the gray areas of the law for the sake of national security. It’s a setup that feels all too real in the current global climate, and the doom-and-gloom scenario of a dangerous biological weapon feels like an insurmountable obstacle to a happily-ever-after. As in the previous books in the romantic suspense Final Hour series, including Nothing To Fear (2019), the nonstop jet-setting action will make this more appealing for fans of global thrillers. Both leads are likable enough in their bid for good to triumph over evil, but when compared to the truly Machiavellian villain, they are often the least interesting characters on the page. Kit, who lives with debilitating anxiety and PTSD, is frequently immobilized during times of danger. Given the number of gunfights that happen in this book, her passivity is overwhelming, which may provoke the reader's own anxiety. Romance is supposed to provide a beacon of hope in the darkest of times, but all that was spotted here was a glimmer, at best.

A thrilling spy adventure without a romantic payoff.