Unforgivable

Unforgivable
4 Stars

Series note: Mia Voss and Ric Santos are first introduced in book #2, which should be read first to get a full picture of their relationship.

A DNA expert at the Delphi Center, a privately funded forensics lab, Mia Voss is no stranger to violent crime. But her latest case hits close to home when she is threatened and extorted into destroying evidence. Despite his attraction to Mia, detective Ric Santos isn't interested in a lasting relationship. Nevertheless, he cannot stand by while she is threatened and will put aside his reservations to protect her.

While the investigation is intense and the forensic elements are well-incorporated, the romance falls short.

Unlike the bold and assertive heroines of the first two show more books, Mia is more studious and quiet. She allows her emotions to override her common sense, which leads to several TSTL moments. Nevertheless, she is a sweet and caring person determined to seek justice for the victims.

Ric's commitment phobia is also problematic. His behavior toward Mia in the previous installment, i.e., he turned on the charm to gain her help does not reflect well on him, and his attitude in this book also leaves much to be desired. In fact, his sudden about-face toward the end isn't all that believable.

Thankfully, the serial rapist-killer case more than compensates for the lackluster romance. It is good to finally have the focus shift to the Delphi Center, which has been more on the periphery so far. Moreover, following along with Ric and Mia as they uncover clues and trace the killer is very satisfying.

Mia's friend, Sophie Barrett, and Ric's partner, Jonah Macon, are the focus of the next story, and their interactions are very appealing. Looking forward to their book. show less

Mia, the DNA expert at the crime lab, is abducted at gunpoint (but rescued by a retired police officer). Later her nephew is temporarily taken while in Mia's care. Then things get worse and Mia is forced to compromise a case she is working on and her career.

I quite enjoyed this one and I liked Mia, particularly because she was demonstrated to be fallible. The dangers she faced were exciting, but I lost track a bit of all the murdered girls and which exactly was which. I also liked Ric, the police officer/love interest. These novels are already proving to follow a fairly similar pattern, but I'm going to keep reading.

I had hoped for a stronger story for Mia, who comes off as ineffective, weak, and a pushover in this one. And why are all the heroes so douchey??

Dr. Mia Voss has been a top Delphi Center operative and above reproach, until now. Some one is threatening her and her family and is making it clear that she does what they say or else. What she doesn’t need is super cop Ric Santos snooping around stirring up feelings that she’d rather not think about while also being her conscience. Ric Santos has a good reason for not wanting sexy Mia Voss in his life, she’s the nesting sort and all he wants is meaningless encounters with women. But something is happening that is keeping them in close contact and that contact is about to react like tnt to a spark. He needs to keep her safe, he needs to find out what she’s hiding and he needs to keep his hands off of her.

In this the third of show more her Tracers series Laura Griffin gives us a strong story line that is easily believed in today’s society of intrigue and above the law politicians and her audience will get their fill of both in this action packed thriller. She will wow us with her narrative that will invite you into her world of crime drama by taking you on a journey for the senses. She will do this through her enigmatic characters most of whom we’ve met in previous episodes of the Tracers series but not all of them. And you her readers will have to look hard to see that almost invisible line between good and evil and determine who wears the white hat and who wears the black as she takes us through the twists and turns of this novel and I’ll bet very few of you will know who the villain is until the author wants us to know him/her. Her romance is frustrating and entertaining and you will doubt this couple is heading for their HEA because of all the obstacles she gives them to get through. The love scenes however leave no room for doubt that these two people are compatible in the biblical sense.

Ms. Griffin has a way with words that will keep her readers engrossed for the entire length of her novels and this one is no different. She will lure you with a plot right off CNN or your local headlines, she’ll hook you with her dialogue that will keep you turning pages without stopping and she’ll reel you in with her characters that are over the top and yet your next door neighbors in one. This is a good stand a lone novel but my suggestion is read the series. show less

Mia Voss is a DNA expert with the Tracers of the Delphi Group. Ric Santos is one of the many police detectives that brings DNA evidence to the Delphi Group in order to get the best and quickest results. When Mia gets carjacked and almost killed, she turns to her friend, Ric to help her get answers and protect her from a continuing threat that not only involves her, but also her nephew and her friends. Ric suspects that the answers may lie with several cold murder cases including those he has brought to Mia for analysis. Evidence begins to point to a highly placed political source, putting careers and lives in jeopardy.
This is the first Tracers Series novel that has a Tracer as the main character. Mia's mounting fear and feelings of show more hopelessness come through loud and clear in this book. Forensic evidence has played a larger and larger role with each of the Tracer books, and this one has the most yet, but there isn't an overwhelming amount of technical information and it is explained well enough to make the connections to the story very clear. This series continues to improve with each new book. show less

The prior book with Troy flew by, but Mia held my full attention. I think I do better with a heroine that I'm already invested in (as there is no "getting to know you" phase). Mia and Ric have an interesting backstory and are red hot once they come together. This one may be a re-read in the future.

This book captured my attention from the first pages. It starts out with what appears to be a random car jacking, Mia Voss a DNA Tracer, had been having a very bad day, so when she is carjacked and almost killed, she thinks its a random act. The detective assigned to the case is Ric Santos, seems that Mia and Ric had started to develop a relationship, but he pulled away for no apparent reason. It soon becomes apparent a killer is after Mia, and doesn't mind using her family to get to her. Ric is determined to keep her safe, and that means keeping her close. Can they figure out who the madman is, before he kills again, and will Ric be able to protect Mia, without becoming sexually involved with her?

This book was a page turner from the show more get go, the car jacking happens on page five, and the action continues at a fast pace throughout the rest of the book. While the book is labeled as a romance, I think it is more suspense, with a romance thrown in. It is full of page turning action, with mystery, suspense, drama with a romance rolled in. Mia was a very strong character, and while a few of the decisions she made seemed out of character for her, she felt she was protecting her nephew. Once I read Ric's background I understood why he found it difficult to be in a relationship, but the author did a great job of allowing his character to develop,it was nice seeing his interactions with his daughter. I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this story as well, I can't wait to read more of Sophie and Jonah's story in the next book "Snapped" in reading the teaser that was in the back of this book, it sounds like another gripping novel.

While this is the third book in the Tracer series, it can easily be read as a stand alone work, the author does a great job of filling us in on any details we needed to understand the story. If your a fan of stories with the perfect blend of action, suspense, mystery, and romance then you definitely need to pick up this book!

Even though I was provided a copy of this book for review by the publisher it in no way alters my opinion of this book. show less