CB Samet

Good characters and bad ones, all doing exciting things!

Emergency room physician, Dr. Lillian Whyte, is on the brink of burnout. Working 80 to 100 hours a week in a busy Atlanta ER, she’s doing all she can to patch up and stabilize patients and move them along to the specialists or surgeons they need. She does not suffer fools gladly, and her brusque, plain-spoken manner hits almost everyone the wrong way. But when her boss “suggests” she join a medical mission to Kenya to refresh and show more renew her outlook on medicine (and get her med school loans paid off), she accepts.

The small Red Cross clinic at a U.S. military camp in a rural area of Kenya does wonders for Lillian’s heart and soul. The people there need her skills, and the young interns that arrived soon after she did are genuinely benefiting from the experience and her teachings. There is also the intriguing and attractive Harvard-educated interpreter, Sean Perkins, who is on-site to assist her in communicating with her patients.

Sean Perkins, in actual fact, is Sean Jennings, an undercover CIA operative in Kenya searching for an international oil thief known as “Domino” who has eluded authorities for years. He and his organization have hijacked oil tanker truck convoys, even oil tankers on the high seas, stealing the oil and scuttling the ships with all hands still on deck. The only clues to his identity are a vague physical description that is all too easy to disguise and that he is sometimes referred to as “The Frenchman.” Sean is naturally suspicious when a wealthy French vineyard owner arrives at the military camp bearing much-needed medical supplies. But, on the surface, the guy seems legit, and there are thousands of French ex-pats in Africa.

One morning, Sean and Lillian return to the military camp from a medical trip to a native village to find the entire camp has been slaughtered. Sean knows his suspicions about the vineyard owner were correct, and he believes the camp was destroyed because “Domino” thought he’d been identified. Now Sean and Lillian must flee for their lives before they are silenced like the rest of the camp.

Black Gold was an entertaining mystery-thriller, and I would like to read more of Lillian Whyte’s adventures. I empathized with Dr. Whyte’s frustration with some of her patients not doing what they needed to do to maintain their health and just wanting to rely on some ‘miracle pill’ to magically cure what ailed them. She was direct and often rude, but in reality, some people need that. However, her manner extended to her young colleagues, and things were stressful without that attitude. Kudos to the author for setting up where Lillian was mentally and her effect on the people around her.

The novel had a lot of action that kept the plot moving forward. There was quite a bit of exposition at the beginning to set up Lillian’s life and the history of “Domino,” but once things got going, they didn’t let up. I liked that Lillian took things into her own hands to get out of danger, and I liked that she retained her suspicions about Sean and the CIA’s part in what was going down around her. I thought the use of horses was a unique device for this genre and enjoyed her helicopter ride. My only negative was the use of French words and phrases by the French vineyard owner. The author sprinkles them throughout his dialogue, and some are just wrong. I knew what the author was trying to say, and it was annoying when incorrect, but not enough to make me stop reading or enjoying the story.

I picked this book up for a reading challenge: “Read a book with two different colors in the title.” Well, challenge met, and now I have an exciting, new-to-me series to follow. I recommend BLACK GOLD to readers of mystery fiction or thrillers, especially those who like a medical theme in their stories. show less

WHAT rush of ACTION! At first, I didn't like the snooty doctor, but as I thought about it how could residents learn if they didn't pay attention to their patients? As a master in hospital stays, I APPRECIATE all that Dr. Lillian Whyte did by forcing them be the best in their jobs, but she could have used more tact. Lillian was sent to set up a medical station in Kenya, and there was her problem started! Running with the compound translator, Sean Jennings, they raced for their lives against show more the blood thirsty and ruthless The Frenchman without knowing WHO he was. show less

Wow! This is one intense story. I loved it. The action is fast paced. The mixture of human/paranormal is exciting and most intriguing. The chemistry between Will and Raine sucked me in right from the start and I was totally invested. I loved the fact that she fought it but eventually was worn down. The writing is so fast paced and just grabs you that you can’t put it down. You just want to keep reading to find out what’s next. I can’t wait for the next book.

Tropical beaches, love and the mafia
REVIEW: “He pulled her to him again, savagely kissing her until all sense of time and space vanished. Fear of the past and future dissolved. She simply existed in this moment, in this amazing man’s arms.” Yes, a sweet Romantic Suspense book can generate a lot of heat, without anatomically explicit descriptions. And there is plenty of suspense. I really enjoyed the relationship intensity between a physician, Jenna, and a former Ranger, Ryan. The cast show more of supporting characters is well thought out. Nice to see some humanity in the underworld. Thank you to Hidden Gems for introducing me to this fine author. Can’t wait to read more. This is my voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: The dark past entangles and ensnares . . .

When Jenna Masters leaves her hectic job in the intensive care unit for vacation in Antigua, she doesn't anticipate meeting Ryan Walsh, an attractive stranger and former Army Ranger with a dark past. She turns down a romantic relationship only to have her own past entangle her with the Cuban mafia. She calls on Ryan and Rider Security and Investigation for help. From Miami to Moscow, Jenna and Ryan embark on a journey that endangers both of their lives. As the heat intensifies, the two find an electric current sparking between them. Will their new-found passion grow or will they find their lives cut short by those that seek to destroy them? show less