Books 4-8

 Double Agent by Jack Mars

At the outset of the Cold War, in the ruins of postwar Europe, rookie CIA Agent Tyler Wolf must navigate a precarious partnership with the captivating Anya Fedorov, dazzled by her beauty and intellect, and unsure if he can truly trust her. Their first stop a Nazi extremist from exposing state secrets and reigniting a war. Can they stop him before he ignites an inferno between two superpowers?

This had a lot of tense moments and the hero got shot, several times! I really liked the interaction between Anya, an older and much more experienced KGB spy and Tyler, a younger and very inexperienced CIA agent. On the whole though the story has quite a few elements of improbability.

Remember the Fear by Molly Black

FBI Agent Clara Pike uses her photographic memory to catch killers, recalling the tiniest details that make a difference. But when a killer dredges up victims' darkest memories, Clara’s own perfect memory wavers in a haunting game of past and present. Can she piece together the fractured clues before it’s too late?

I did enjoy the story but it was far too repetitive and wordy.  Could have been much shorter.  

Stolen Innocence by Julia Derek

Haunted by her brother's brutal murder, FBI Agent Sidney Stone races against time to unravel a chilling wave of child abductions that mirror her own traumatic past, pushing her to the brink of sanity as she confronts both ruthless criminals and her own demons.
FBI Agent Sidney Stone has dedicated her life to the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, determined to prevent others from suffering the same fate as her kid brother, Ben. They were abducted when she was 16 and he seven. He was killed while she was let go. His death fuels her relentless pursuit of justice while struggling with PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
A wave of child abductions bears an eerie resemblance to the patterns of Sidney’s own abduction, pulling her deeper into a psychological battle. Partnering with Special Agent Alex Kane to co-lead the investigation, Sidney must navigate a complex web of clues and confront a network of sadistic criminals.
With the support of a dedicated team and her therapist Dr. Emma Blake, Sidney fights to balance her personal demons with her drive to save others. Each breakthrough brings her closer to dismantling the abductors’ sinister operation, but also to her own breaking point.

This is a book about a child trafficking ring.  A group of pedophiles that had no regard for the children, it was all about the money. There was torture, rape and children dying.  Parts were not easy to read, and some parts were a bit unbelievable.  It was a good read.

Death in Provence by Serena Kent

It's love at first sight when Penelope Kite sees Le Chant d’Eau—The Song of Water—the stone farmhouse tucked high in the hills above the Luberon valley, complete with a garden, swimming pool, and sweeping mountain vistas. For years, Penelope put her unfaithful ex-husband and her ungrateful stepchildren first. Since taking early retirement from her job in forensics at the Home Office in England, she’s been an unpaid babysitter and chauffeur for her grandchildren. Now, she’s going to start living for herself. Though her dream house needs major renovations, Penelope impulsively buys the property and moves to St. Merlot.
But Penelope’s daydreams of an adventurous life in Provence didn’t include finding a corpse floating face down in her swimming pool. The discovery of the dead man plunges her headlong into a Provençal stew of intrigue and lingering resentments simmering beneath the deceptively sunny village. Having worked in the forensics office, Penelope knows a thing or two about murder investigations. To find answers, she must carefully navigate between her seemingly ubiquitous, supercilious (and enviably chic) estate agent, the disdainful chief of police, and the devilishly handsome mayor—even as she finds herself tempted by all the delicacies the region has to offer. Thank goodness her old friend Frankie is just a flight away . . . and that Penelope is not quite as naïve as her new neighbors in St. Merlot believe.

I felt this story dragged on and on and there were so many silly, and dangerous, situations that Penelope got herself into that it was laughable and induced eye rolling. It is the start of a series but I don't think I would read any more of the books.

Hidden Sins by Stacy Abrams

Mara Reed has been stirring up trouble since she was eighteen—running scams, living on the edge, always on the run. Now, when two thugs are after her with murder on their minds, she’s forced into hiding in her small Texas hometown. But as she’s cornered in an alley, only seconds from death, an unexpected rescuer comes to her aid… A forensic anthropologist, Dr. Ethan Stuart is investigating a gruesome discovery—nearly one hundred dead bodies dating back fifty years—a mystery linked to the church once headed by Mara’s father. Ethan needs Mara’s help; she needs his protection. Their search for a shocking, devastating truth could lead them to forgiveness and salvation... if they survive.

I did want to see how the mystery was solved but I found most of the story very far fetched and quite ridiculous at times.