Author: Rachel Dylan
Series: Capital Intrigue #1
Age: Adult
Genres: Christian Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Publication Date: January 7, 2020
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Source: Paperback
Synopsis:
When elite members of the military are murdered on the streets of Washington, DC, FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan and NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini must work together to bring the perpetrator to justice. Unfortunately, all evidence points to a Navy SEAL sniper whom Bailey refuses to believe is guilty.
When Bailey and Marco start to connect the dots between the victims, including a link to a powerful defense contractor, they wonder if there's a deeper cover-up at play. Then Bailey is targeted, and it becomes clear that someone is willing to kill to keep their dark secrets.
With the stakes getting higher by the moment in a twisted conspiracy, there's a rush against the clock to determine whom they can really trust. As allies turn to enemies, the biggest secret yet to be uncovered could be the end of all of them.
Received a copy from the publisher for review.
This was such a great read for me. I want to give it a full 5-star rating, but it dragged and made me zone out at times. I couldn’t fully connect to the story the way I wanted. I loved the story line, the characters, the romance, the plot and how real this felt. As a fan of NCIS, I felt like I was watching the show as I turned each page.
FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan is a work focused woman. She is the first agent to deal with the murder until a Navy seal is killed. She’s a woman that doesn’t really take no for an answer and works hard to crack a case. There were times I wanted to slap her because her eagerness seemed to blind her of common sense. She became a target and had over 3 attempts on her life throughout the course of the book. I will say, I LOVED how much faith she had. She endured tragedies, but kept pushing with faith.
NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini is a strong, faith-filled man. He was rude at first, but I loved seeing how sweet he was. He always found a way to lighten up the mood when it got heavy. He was a great agent and well-rounded. He respected woman in and off the field. He never played the superiority or authority card with anyone. He was an honest man from beginning to end. I loved how protective he was as well of his team, work and of Bailey.
The romances in this story, though not central, were all amazing and healthy. I loved seeing the different couples in different stages. My favorite was Bailey and Marco. I loved seeing them start off as co-larborers who eventually fell for one another. They didn’t just ignore their feelings and they didn’t rush things. They kept their focus on work, but also let the idea of being together stay in flow. The romance was adorable and sweet.
The murder mystery was insanely good and well written. It’s what made the whole story feel like I was truly watching NCIS on tv. The murder of Navy Seal Sean Battle, a “civilian” named Michael Rogers and Army Ranger P.J. Wexford. Follow that up with Navy Seal Tobias Kappen, the suspected murderer of the first three people, and the murder of Cullen Mink you have a hot mess. This mystery was steeped in heavy secrets. Many different secret organizations, CIA, moles, you name it – it was there. I was blown away by how much I could visualize this being 3-4 episodes on NCIS. The lingo, the way the secrets rolled out. Highly impressive, but also added to me zoning out every few pages.
Bailey’s best-friends Layla Karam and Vivian Steele are freaking awesome. Layla was more present than Vivian as she had ties to the case Bailey was working. I loved her friendship with these ladies. JAG lawyer Lieutenant Lexi Todd was annoying at first with how she was, but over the course of the story and as the plot thickened, I began to enjoy her as a character. She was an awesome lawyer and became a great friend to Bailey.
Another character I truly enjoyed and hope has her own book is NCIS Special Agent Isabella Cole aka Izzy. Izzy seemed a bit harsh at first toward Bailey, but as the story progressed, they became great friends. I loved that Izzy was only 24 years old working for NCIS. I loved that she was treated kindly. I hated learning about her experience with the police department – that whole issue boiled my blood. Izzy is reserved and cautious with men with great reason. I loved the bit of romance between her and Aiden. I need more of her!!!
The faith aspects were phenomenal. Most of the books I’ve read so far in Christian romantic suspense are filled with women who have strong faith and men who question it. However, in this book you have an equally strong man as you do female. Marco was a strong faith-filled man in this book. Always giving godly words of wisdom to Bailey when she began to question things. I also loved that both of them always prayed whenever danger came about. They didn’t jump the gun. Bailey was quick to pray for His guidance, help and protection. I loved it!!
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out.
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