Over the past year and a half, I’ve been trying to study up a little on what makes a good writer. Things like showing instead of telling, tight dialogue, engaging chapters. Since I’ve been researching those things a little more, I’ve become more aware of when those things are done well or poorly in whatever I’m reading at the time. Author Susan Sleeman could teach a course on how to immerse readers in writing. As I was reading Web of Deceit (the first book in her Agents Under Fire series), I found myself highlighting passage after passage that stood out to me.
FBI agent Kaitlyn (Kait) Knight has spent the last three years searching for the man who murdered her twin sister in front of her, her brother-in-law. Juggling her career with caring for her three-year-old niece isn’t always easy, and when a computer code that resembles Fenton’s work surfaces, her team scrambles to check out the lead. They arrive on the scene only to find the Portland police already there to investige a murder. Detective Sam Murdock remembered trying to offer Kait comfort the day her sister died and is drawn to her when he sees her again. Both Kait and Sam are haunted by their past and as they work together to track down a killer before he claims another victim, they struggle with their own demons as well as their attraction to each other.
From the first time Kait and Sam meet in the book, their attraction is palpable. Kait’s guilt over her sister’s death as well as her determination to catch her sister’s murder resonates with readers. Sam’s concern for others, especially Kait and her niece, is evident through his words as well as his actions. Sleeman handles the details of the murders well, giving just enough detail to give the reader an idea of how gruesome the killer’s choice of death is but leaving much to the imagination. And her descriptions of police procedures make you feel like you’re right there with Sam, Kait, and the other law enforcement officials involved in crime scenes.
I didn’t want to put the book down as I was drawn into Kait’s world as a cyber criminalist for the FBI. And believe me, I will think twice before clicking on any link in my email from now on.
Web of Deceit will be released March 3, 2015. Pre-order from Amazon today.
Visit the author’s website to learn about this series and more
***The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own.
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