Tina Whittle

Tai Randolph has inherited a gun shop, so she picks up her life and moves in with her brother while she's relocating, only to find a dead woman sitting outside her brother's house. Her brother, away at training, directs her to a hotel for her own safety, but Tai isn't so easily bossed around. When she returns to her brother's house after her police interview, she discovers a private security firm "cleaning up" details that might link her brother to the dead woman. And things only escalate show more from there.

Trey Seavers is her "personal protection" agent, assigned to follow her around and keep her out of trouble. Trey, an ex-cop with a traumatic brain injury, is a very black and white kinda guy. His points of reference have changed since the accident, so he is strictly business in order to keep focused. Watching Tai is anything but a straightforward assignment, and she disrupts his orderly routines.

The mystery escalates as more bodies fall in the wake of whatever is going on, and Ms. Whittle takes us on a wild ride of espionage, cover-ups and betrayal, presenting us with a host of guilty parties all eligible to be murder suspects. I especially liked the pairing of Tai, a somewhat free-spirited loose cannon, with the orderly, OCD Trey, the way they counterbalanced each other and complimented each other. A well laid out whodunit that kept me reading. show less

I received this short story as a newsletter freebie. As a long-time fan of Tai and Trey, I was eager to read about their first date, which follows on after book 1.

Trey has always been an interesting character to me, and the dichotomy between him and Tai is what makes this work. From a physically/emotionally challenged man who is a long way from the man he used to be and clings to structure as a way to survive, to the free-wheeling, free-spirited woman who follows the wind, the two of them show more connect in the details. Both of them are keen observers, and that comes through brilliantly in this tale of "let's go out for dinner" that becomes "did you notice that?" They work so well together, their differences coming together to add pieces to the whole picture. show less

Tina Whittle's Tai Randolph series hits with another win. Her perfectly mismatched protagonists take us on another wild ride through the Deep South, perfectly pitting wild, untamed Tai with letter-of-the-law injured hero Trey.

Family rears its ugly head, catching Tai in the middle between her ex-husband, his wife, her convicted cousin and the rest of her redneck family. In an intricately woven, suspenseful attempt to keep her nose clean and her name on the right side of the law, Tai takes off show more to Savannah to face down her demons, with Trey chomping at the bit to protect her, and unable to do so without violating his code of ethics.

Ms. Whittle's attention to detail takes the reader through gracious hotels, into gator pits and shows off the beauty of Georgia, dotted with the seamy underbelly of the cities. The perfect juxtaposition of Trey and Tai, Ying and Yang, is as much a highlight of her stories as is the nonstop action. A must read! show less

Review of eBook

Former SWAT officer Trey Seaver, recovering from a traumatic brain injury suffered in a car accident that killed his mother, is slowly learning to reconnect. Swimming laps in the YMCA pool, he works to remember the rules of swimming as well as the process. It’s a constant battle to remember the words, to connect the thoughts.

One thing he knows: Tai Randolph is everything he knows to be true. And Trey loves her.

This short story, more of an introspective look into the show more fractured mind of Trey Seaver, is an interesting look at how he perceives himself, how he remembers, how he associates. Told from his point of view, it’s complex . . . he’s discovering that the workings of his brain are, despite some recovery from the devastating injury he suffered, still causing him to struggle. Things unexpectedly remain elusive; still, he attempts to adjust to his condition. It’s truly insightful as readers become privy to the way he associates, the way he remembers [or doesn’t remember].

Although readers are sure to applaud his recovery, the undercurrent of the story is an unsettling reminder that the lives we live are fragile things. So, what to do? Appreciate the here and now, the things at hand, the things that make your heart smile.

Highly recommended. show less