Storm and Tempest, Brand of Justice #13 by Lisa Phillips

Book description:

Their enemy might have Kenna, but Jax isn’t backing down. Ever.

For two months, FBI Special Agent Oliver Jaxton has been searching for his wife. Even with the help of her friends and the Phoenix FBI office, he’s no closer now than the day she disappeared. Forced to face his weaknesses, Jax is ready to admit he needs help. But with no break in the case in sight, he’s about to lose hope. When evidence surfaces that Kenna now works for their enemy, he refuses to believe it, even if it puts his job in jeopardy. He won’t quit.

Even if he loses everything.

The more Jax and Kenna’s team dig into the evidence, trying to find her, the more it seems like they never will. Teaming up with Kenna’s extended family makes things more complicated when a drive-by shooting puts their lives in danger. With danger on their heels and no way to know who they can trust, Jax is forced into a choice that could either destroy his career or get Kenna back.

His Brand of Justice will save this family.

My review:

 I have been really looking forward to this book for a couple of reasons: #1 Because of the major cliffhanger ending of the previous book. #2 This book features Kenna's husband, FBI Agent Oliver Jaxton, and even has him on the cover. He has been appearing more and more as the series progresses, so it was really cool to have him take center stage for this book, and learn more about him and his life. It comes out right away that he has been addicted to pain killers. No spoiler there. The first sentence of the book is "My name is Oliver Jaxton, and I am an addict." He struggles  a lot with God and faith throughout the book as he meets so many obstacles on the search for his wife. I really ended up liking his character a lot more the further I got into the book. I won't give any spoilers away, but when I say the book centers on him, I mean the book really centers on him.

It seemed there was a lot more action and drama in this one. A lot happens, and it is difficult to know who are the bad guys and good guys at times, especially when sometimes the good guys turn out to be bad. The plot is intricate, yet easy to keep up with, and the author really puts her characters through a lot in this book. And the suspense in this one is way up there.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and it had a great ending, as opposed to the cliffhanger ending of the previous book, but it still left me looking forward to the next book, whenever that is coming.

Special thanks to the author for an advance copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Storm and Tempest releases August 27. 

About the author:

Lisa Phillips is a USA Today and top ten Publishers Weekly bestselling author of over 80 books that span Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line, independently published series romantic suspense, and thriller novels. She’s discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.

Lisa is a British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London and attended Calvary Chapel Bible College, where she met her husband. He’s from California, but nobody’s perfect. It wasn’t until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Lisa is a worship leader, tea aficionado, and dog lover of two crazy Airedales.

Check out her website for more about Lisa and her books at AuthorLisaPhillips.com

Series spotlight: The Warrior Spy Series by Dony Jay

 

It has been a while since I did a series spotlight or a post about a new or notable author. So it is time I do one, and I am going to spotlight a series I just read....and part of which I re-read: The Warrior Spy Series by Dony Jay. 

Book #1, Warrior Spy, came out in 2015. 
Book #2, Artifacts of Conspiracy came out in 2017
Book #3, Agency At War, came out last month. See why I re-read the first two? 

 The series features a young CIA agent names Reagan Rainey - Ray - and his exploits that take him all over the world. The series is filled with suspense, action, spies, political intrigue, and a lot of drama. It is an amazing series that is definitely geared for guys, though a lot of women would enjoy it also. And the author has an amazing life in the job he does and has done - read his bio at the end of this post. 

Book #1: Warrior Spy

The CIA has a problem. Its best clandestine operatives keep turning up dead. And now, as if things couldn't get any worse, a Defense Department scientist, specializing in high-energy lasers, has gone missing. America needs answers. And fast.

Delta Force operator Reagan Rainey, on temporary duty assignment with a secret CIA entity known as Directorate Twelve, is tasked to do just that--get answers. But to do so, he not only has to outwit and outmaneuver a dangerous cabal of foreign actors believed to be at the center of it all, he must contend with a deadly assassin who is bent on destroying him.

Relying on his bedrock faith in Almighty God, Rainey is forced to race against the clock to uncover what is really going on and why, before his beloved America is pushed to the brink of war.

The Warrior Spy is the first book in the Warrior Spy thriller series. It is jam-packed with heart-pounding action, all-out spy warfare and a new American hero that is sure to please.

Book #2: Artifacts of Conspiracy

Reagan Rainey was eleven years old when CIA men came to his house and broke the news that his father was dead. And so for the past twenty years, he and his family believed just that. But when a Russian spy named Moses suddenly comes forward and teases a tightly held secret from the past, Rainey’s world is turned upside down.

As part of the ensuing internal CIA investigation, Rainey—Delta Force special operator turned CIA operations officer—is dispatched to Great Britain to find out what really happened to his father and why. After narrowly escaping gunmen in England and an ambush in Spain, Rainey mounts his own operation that will lead readers through the spy-rich streets of Vienna and Prague and to the doorstep of Moscow. And leave Rainey staring face to face with a killer.

In his most daunting mission to date, Rainey will do whatever it takes to discover the truth. For his country, his family and himself. A truth that will challenge the very fiber of his faith and just might shake America to its core.

Book #3: Agency At War

Reagan Rainey, America’s best warrior spy, was hoping that a Christmastime trip to New York City with his old college flame would help rekindle their frayed relationship. But instead of enjoying the holiday pomp and fortifying a romance, he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a deadly terrorist attack as it is unfolding.

After narrowly escaping with his life, Rainey is quickly tasked with finding out who planned and executed the attack. He soon formulates an audacious plan that puts himself in the crosshairs as he and his newly formed CIA hunter-killer team endeavor to penetrate the dangerous terrorist organization behind the attack and give them the war they deserve. But for his plan to work, Rainey must enlist the support of a wealthy adversary, a man he would much rather see dead.

In a shadowy world of illicit arms, shifting allegiances, and hostile intelligence services that threaten to submarine the operation and put him in the ground for good, Rainey takes on the role of a lifetime fighting on the blurred front lines for an agency at war.

Jay also has another book that released recently, the first book in his Nathan Press Thriller Series. It isn't quite as Christian in content, and I definitely like the Warrior Spy Series better. 

About the author:

DONY JAY was born and raised in beautiful south-central Pennsylvania. Whether it was playing baseball with neighborhood kids during the summer months or hockey on a slab of ice in his childhood backyard in winter, he’s always had a passion for sports. Dony excelled at soccer and basketball and played both sports collegiately. He holds a BS degree in criminal justice from York College of Pennsylvania. A self-described book addict, Dony possesses an insatiable zeal for the written word—something he largely credits to his faithful prep-school English teachers.

Dony is now a police detective with over 22 years of law-enforcement experience. He has served on a US Marshals Fugitive Task Force and is currently a member of a county-wide Child Abduction Response Team (CART) and his department's forensic unit. Outside the crime-scene tape, he is the author of smart, exciting thrillers with richly drawn characters and plots that pack a punch.

When he's not reading or writing, Dony loves spending time with his family, staying fit, and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles. He also enjoys the outdoors, great music, and keeping pace with Jovie, his lovable and very active Jack Russell Terrier. Above all, he's a follower of Jesus Christ. He resides in south-central Pennsylvania.

Check out his website for more about Dony and his books: DonyJayBooks.com