A ★★★ Book Review of Seconds to Live, Book One in the Homeland Heroes Series by Susan Sleeman | A Romantic Suspense Novel
* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts below are my own. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links which means I will receive a commission based on sales generated via these links.
On the hunt for a mysterious hacker-turned-killer, follow FBI Agent Sean Nichols and U.S. Marshall Taylor Mills as they team up to stop a deadly threat.
This brand new novel from author Susan Sleeman has all the makings of a good suspense story… Murder, mystery, danger and a team of professional friends who are ready and working together to take this killer down before lives are lost.
The Seconds Are Ticking Down before Someone Dies
When cybercriminals hack into the U.S. Marshals' Witness Protection database and auction off witnesses' personal details to the highest bidders, the RED Team, led by FBI Agent Sean Nichols, begins a high-stakes chase to find the hacker. But before he can even get started, the first witness is targeted and barely escapes with her life. Sean believes Phantom, an obsessed hacker who previously outwitted the top minds in the field, is behind the attack, and Sean needs this witness's help, as she's the person who has come closest to discovering Phantom's identity.
Trouble is, she's under the care of U.S. Marshal Taylor Mills, and Sean is reluctant to work with the captivating Marshal who knows his deepest secrets. But Phantom seems to be one step ahead at every turn and will stop at nothing to kill the witness. To stop the hacker, Sean and Taylor must learn to trust each other as danger draws ever closer.
★★★ | Seconds to Live is my first book by author Susan Sleeman. Being a lover of romantic suspense, I was excited to get into this new release. It offered, and has all the elements of, a great story - intelligent characters, intrigue, mystery and danger!
I enjoyed learning more about the Witness Protection Program and the U.S. Marshalls who work so hard to guard those in protection. Seconds to Live offered a fantastic look behind what that is like from both the Marshal’s perspective and that of the protectee. In addition, readers get a look at the highly skilled FBI RED team with a unique storyline based on cyber-security with a high level threat endangering hundreds, if not thousands, of lives that creates an edge of your seat suspense and keeps readers guessing.
There’s an exciting twist that I can’t reveal without ruining the surprise that was a highlight to this novel. Sleeman uses less narrative than other authors I’ve read and used more character conversations to interject explanations and execute her plot. Readers who enjoy books that get right to the point and have a lot of conversation between characters will like this element.
There were a few things I struggled with in this book that are personal preference and based on individual perspective. In the beginning, I was surprised by the author’s matter of fact writing style. At times, it felt harsh and cold. As a result, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Their differences and the way they handled them made it hard for me to reconcile their growing affection for each other. While I enjoyed their strong personalities, the characters didn’t feel well rounded and came across as shallow. There were also a couple of times I questioned the professional choices they made like pursuing a suspect without backup or wearing heels but that didn’t detract from the story, it merely reminded me the story was fictional. The first 2/3 of the book felt repetitive when it came to Sean and Taylor’s feelings/romance and had me focusing more on the suspense to keep the pages turning.
Over all, I believe readers will enjoy this story. It is a good read, simply for the suspense aspect and the romance is redeeming in the end! The plot moves along and there’s plenty to be discovered with lots of action. I give it a solid three stars and encourage my friends to read for themselves. In the meantime, I’ll be looking forward to giving the second book in this series a try!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Author Image Courtesy of Baker Publishing Group
Susan Sleeman (www.susansleeman.com) is the bestselling author of more than 35 romantic suspense novels with more than 1 million books sold. She has won several awards, including the ACFW Carol Award for Suspense for Fatal Mistake and the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Thread of Suspicion. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts www.thesuspensezone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Portland, Oregon, home.
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