Genre: Romantic Suspense
POV: 3rd Person
Sensuality: Warm
Violence: A few brutal scenes
Format: Digital (so far, there is no print edition available)
Source: A digital ARC courtesy of Carina Press via NetGalley
My Grade: B
Fatal Affair is the first book in a proposed series by Marie Force featuring Detective Sam Holland and Nick Cappuano. It’s a strong romantic suspense with plenty of twists and turns. I definitely want to read the sequel.
When US Senator John O’Connor is found murdered in his apartment, Detective Sam Holland is assigned to the case. It’s Sam’s first investigation following a botched take down in which a child was killed. Although the shooting wasn’t Sam’s fault, she’s still wracked with guilt over the incident, and very aware that her professional reputation depends on her finding the senator’s murderer as quickly as possible.
Sam’s composure takes a further beating when she meets the senator’s chief of staff and best friend, Nick Cappuano. Sam and Nick had a passionate one-night stand six years previously, and Sam was devastated when he didn’t contact her afterwards.
Nick is shocked and devastated by his friend’s death. He and John had been friends since meeting in their freshman year at Harvard. Nick is considered an honorary member of the O’Connor family. As the murder investigation progresses, he finds himself confronted with shocking information regarding his friend and his politically influential family. To add to his grief, the lead detective on the case is Sam Holland, a woman who has haunted his fantasies for years.
As the case heats up, so does Sam and Nick’s relationship. It doesn’t take long for them to realise that a misunderstanding kept them apart six years ago, and they quickly move past that. As Sam is a detective on a case in which Nick is a material witness, they are forced to tread carefully with their blossoming romance. Their main focus is finding John’s murderer before he/she strikes again.
Fatal Affair is a strong romantic suspense. I often have issues with this subgenre as either the romance or the suspense fails to convince. Fatal Affair neatly avoids this trap by giving Nick and Sam enough backstory to make the rapid development of their romance credible. The mystery is nicely done with plenty of suspects and red herrings. I still had a list of potential murderers right up until the last couple of chapters.
Sam is tough but not invincible. In many respects, she’s tougher than Nick, yet he’s no wimp. Nick is fiercely protective of Sam and frustrated that he can’t shield her from the unforgiving media. Sam and Nick reminded me a little of Eve and Roarke from J.D. Robb’s In Death series, although their backgrounds are quite different.
I liked Sam’s relationship with her father. There is a thread there which was left dangling and I assume it will be continued in the sequel.
I appreciated the author’s ability to make even her secondary characters nuanced and not rely on stereotypes. The depiction of John’s politically ambitious parents was particularly well done. Sam’s partner, Freddie, is also an excellent character and I hope he features in future books in the series.
Fatal Affair is Marie Force’s first book for the new digital publisher, Carina Press. Its sequel, Fatal Justice, is due to be released later this year. If it lives up to the promise of Fatal Affair, this is a series to watch.
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Oh, this sounds like a good read! I’ve got it in my TBR (or TBD – to be downloaded?) and am looking forward to reading it.
@Lynn Spencer: I’m still struggling to come up with a good name for my digital TBR pile. Hope you like the book!
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