FIRESTORM

When a CIA operator’s assignment puts her life in danger, a Green Beret may be her only hope for survival in the third book in Grant’s (Catalyst, 2017, etc.) Flashpoint series.

Savannah “Savvy” James is working with the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command at Camp Citron in Djibouti in Africa, but members of the team, especially Sgt. 1st Class Cassius Callahan, are suspicious of the spy’s activities. Green Beret Callahan, however, is exactly the partner she needs for her latest op. Jean Paul Lubanga, a government minister in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is planning a coup. Callahan, with his fluency in French and Lingala, can help her make the contacts she needs to get close to Lubanga. Callahan is attracted to James, although he doesn’t fully trust her, and he agrees to the assignment. Posing as a wealthy businessman and his mistress, Callahan and James gain an invitation to a party hosted by a Russian oligarch. Lubanga, who never travels anywhere without his laptop, is the oligarch’s guest, and James takes the opportunity to access the minister’s computer files. When she reads them, she’s shocked to discover that her mission has been compromised. And when she and Callahan fall in love, the stakes couldn’t be any higher. Grant expertly braids together action and romance in a propulsive, page-turning suspense thriller. James and Callahan, first introduced as secondary characters in 2017’s Tinderbox, are dynamic, multilayered heroes here. Grant laid the foundation for their relationship in the two previous books, and this installment deepens their attraction in scenes that underscore the erotic tension between them, despite Callahan’s initial mistrust. Grant also explores James’ background in detail, revealing her true identity and a vicious assault in her past at the hands of her trainer at the CIA. The intricate, tightly plotted story takes James and Callahan deep into the Congo as they pursue a dictator and the person responsible for blowing James’ cover. Grant deftly connects the central narrative with characters and events from previous installments while keeping the narrative lively and fast-paced.

Another impeccably crafted installment that will satisfy fans.