A SAVAGE TRICK

A bitter custody fight leads to an unexpected connection in the third installment of Andre’s (Capturing the Queen, 2017, etc.) romance series.

Lt. Patrick “Trick” Quinn is a respected firefighter in Chicago who’s never lost anyone that he was sent to rescue. He’s seemingly happily married to his wife of nearly 17 years, Eve, with whom he has two young daughters, Amy and Tina. A surprise $4 million lottery win seems to continue his unbroken streak of good fortune. But shortly before their anniversary, Trick is blindsided when Eve gets a restraining order against him, alleging that he abused her and their daughters. Desperate to clear his name, Trick agrees to monitored visits with his daughters, supervised by social worker Zamira Bey. A dedicated professional and a devout Muslim, Zamira is torn between her family’s wish that she marry the assistant to the imam at their mosque and her own interest in pursuing an independent life, like her sister, Shadi. Initially, Zamira is skeptical of Trick’s insistence that he never hurt his family, but eventually, she begins to believe him. Meanwhile, the city is rocked by a series of terrorist bombings linked to Islamic extremism. As Zamira tries to help Trick prove his innocence, they discover that they share a deep, profound emotional bond. However, a mysterious fire and an ominous new danger threaten to permanently separate them. Andre’s latest book offers fast-paced romantic suspense with well-developed characters and a multilayered, nuanced plot with a poignant love story at its center. The personal journeys of Trick and Zamira anchor Andre’s sprawling narrative, and their relationship develops slowly and methodically in scenes marked by introspective conversations, such as one about the importance of religion in their lives. The novel opens with the charges that alter Trick’s life, and Andre skillfully uses flashbacks to trace the history of Trick’s relationship with Eve and the sequence of events that led to the accusations. Along the way, the narrative deftly and satisfyingly moves between Trick’s fight to clear his name and the investigation into the terrorist bombings.

A thoughtful and sensitive romance that makes for a dynamic series installment.