Flashpoint

Flashpoint
4 Stars

Former Agency operatives Jimmy Nash, Lawrence Decker and Tess Bailey are recruited by Tom Paolett's new private security company, Troubleshooters, Inc. Their mission, should they choose to accept it, is to recover an Al-Quaeda terrorist's laptop. The catch - the laptop is in Kazbekistan, which has recently been ravaged by a devastating earthquake. Cut off from communications and in a country in which human rights are a long forgotten luxury, Nash and Tess, must put aside their fraught history and rely on each other's skills if they, and their team, are to survive.

Brockmann returns to basics with this installment, which introduces a completely new cast of characters alongside one or two familiar faces. While I was show more initially skeptical about the shift in focus away from Team 16, the gritty setting, compelling plot, and detailed characterization make this series reboot a success.

The infiltration into post-disaster Kazbekistan sets the stage for an intense and suspenseful quest as the team faces not only the obstacles resulting from the destruction left in the wake of the earthquake, but also the danger posed by being American agents in a strict theocracy ruled by avaricious, corrupt, and misogynistic warlords. The atmospheric setting adds another layer of tension to both the mission and the romance.

Unlike the previous books with their multiple storylines, Flashpoint centers on one thread and one romantic relationship even though the events are presented from several POVs. The search for the missing laptop unfolds slowly but surely as the story progresses, and Brockmann's descriptions of the action-packed climactic scenes are riveting.

The character development is the highlight of the book. The strength of the bond of brotherhood between team leader, Deck, and his longtime partner, Nash, is apparent from the outset, and their loyalty to one another rivals that of the members of Team 16. Likewise, the connection between Nash and Tess is palpable. They have excellent chemistry as they try, without much success, to keep their hands off one another. However, it is actually Sophia Ghaffari who evokes the strongest reactions as her courage, resilience, and spirit are simply incredible. One cannot help but respect and root for such a formidable woman.

In sum, an entertaining addition to the series that creates exciting new opportunities and directions for characters both old and new. show less

I was complaining about female authors to my best friend and he said, "Here, I just finished reading this author and I thought she was pretty good -- very good. Maybe you'll enjoy it." I *LOVED* it!

I couldn't put it down after I started reading it. By, like, the 3rd page I was hooked. I *absolutely* loved it. I am definitely adding this author to my "favorite" list and will read something of hers again! Without a doubt!

By the middle of book, I had really gotten sick of the "Tess" character -- which was so great because it kind of gave you a character that you now hated, a bit, that you once really liked ... and you were left wondering if she was always this way and what the other characters see in her and why they allow her to act this show more way -- so you kept reading and thinking about what you had previously read!

Adrianne show less

This might be the 5th book I have read in the Troubleshooter series - oh my gosh, I just looked it up and it is my 8th! This is a page turner, both in terms of the romance and the adventure. It's the story of Tess Bailey and Jimmy Nash in Kazbekistan, and it's an one the edge of your seat adventure.

Suzanne Brockmann never fails to deliver. The stories in Troubleshooters are both similar in terms of being pure romantic suspense novels involving military or ex-military. But she amazes me how her characters are always their own person, not copies of previous heroes and heroines.

Jimmy Nash and Lawrence Decker were operatives with the CIA, but left after a mission where they were compromised. They have recently gone to work for Troubleshooters, created and run by former Navy SEAL, Tom Paoletti. Nash joins his best friend and team leader, Lawrence Decker, as well as newbie field agent Tess Bailey, posing as relief workers heading into the earthquake-ravaged country of Kazbekistan. Their mission is to find the missing laptop of an al-Queda operative who was killed in the earthquake.

In the prologue, Tess helps Nash get Decker out of a dangerous situation, then have a sizzling one night stand that they both regret, but can't stop thinking about. Now that they are working together again, both Nash and Decker fall for show more Tess but she only has eyes for Nash. Primarily this story is Jimmy and Tess's, but It's an interesting subplot of two friends attracted to the same woman.

But what about Decker being left behind? Throw in a beautiful American whose husband was beheaded by the local dictator and we see a glimpse of who he will most likely be matched with in a future book.

In previous books Brockmann had several storylines, but in Flashback she switches to one storyline with more action and suspense. We are not tracking multiple stories, but multiple character views, The romance is secondary but there's still plenty of it.

This is the first book where we meet non-SEAL operators that work in Tom's new private contractor business. In fact, this book could easily be read as a standalone. I felt like parts of it dragged out too long, but the last half was very exciting with a daring rescue in the fortress-like headquarters of the local warlord.

It turned out to be a fast paced, enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. show less

Good solid chick-friendly suspense - she doesn't go too heavy on the terrorist stuff but she also doesn't dumb it down so much that it's silly. I also have a soft spot for these "we hate each other but have to pretend to be married, hot sex ensues" sort of books.

Flashpoint
Book 7 of Troubleshooters series

Tom Paoletti's new organization, "Troubleshooters, Inc." is now in operation and he is drumming up a team to head back to Kazbekistan to locate a laptop which is rumored to contain plans for future al-Qaeda terrorist attacks. The owner of the laptop, Ma'awiya Talal Sayid, is one of the many confirmed dead after an earthquake in that desolate area known as "the Pit". Because of the earthquake, outside relief workers are being allowed into that country for the first time in years to give humanitarian aid. That is the shield the team will use to enter the country. Part of the newly-formed team is Diego "Jimmy" Nash, Lawrence Decker, and Tess Bailey, former employees of the Agency. Tess has been show more trying to get into field work but was stuck in support because she's too good at her job as a hacker. She is tired of waiting and has just resigned from the Agency and is eager to take on field work with Tom's crew.

Nash and Decker have worked as a team for years and are closer than brothers. Tess helped them out in one of their last jobs with the Agency when Decker was being set up for an ambush. After that event, she and Nash got together for one night, but it surprised them both when they realized they had a deeper connection than they expected. Nash freaked out and took off for Mexico without a word of goodbye to Tess. Meeting up again when Tess interviews with Tom creates a little awkwardness for the two of them but they (outwardly) agree that they can handle working together, although (inwardly) they are both planning to try to avoid contact with each other as much as possible. Unfortunately, once they are on the job, it is required that they pretend to be a newly-married couple, and of course, this forces them to have to spend all their time together and both come to terms with their attraction and true caring for each other. This is harder for Nash because he has a dark past he can't forgive himself for and doesn't believe he is worthy of being loved by someone as good as Tess.

In his quest to locate the laptop, Decker comes across an American woman (Sophia) now trapped in K-stan after her husband was murdered and she was kidnapped and forced into a life of slavery and terrible abuse. They meet under inauspicious circumstances which will cause long-term discomfort and guilt for both of them for different reasons.

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Other than a few mentions of Tom Paoletti, this book seemed like a whole new series. It didn't have much action from the Navy SEALs until the end, although we got to see some of those skills used by Decker, who was a former SEAL, and there were a lot of tension-filled and dangerous moments throughout. This is a really smart book with a clever and exciting plot. It also gave me a clear picture of what life may truly be like living in parts of the world where civil rights are nil, especially for women. How scary and frustrating it must be. There were no flashbacks to any WWII stories in this one.

This also contained a short story at the end revolving around Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke from previous books in the series (highlighted in "Gone Too Far"). They have been married now for six months and are working together for Tom's organization. They are trying to locate a missing young woman and after discovering her remains, it is believed she was the victim of a serial killer. My understanding from reading other reviews is that this storyline will continue in future books. I like this couple so I'm glad to see what is happening in their lives now. show less

This is an old book. I was maybe 4 years old when it cam out. Listening to it modern day was very cringey. There were some verbage that is not totally appropriate. A lot of cis hetero romance that had me laughing and utterly confused. I have never listened to an audio book with two different narrators. The last audio book I listened to was "Yaki Delgado is going to kick your ass" in high school, and I don't even remember the plot. But this book even though I have never read any of the other titles will definitely stay with me. If Nash and Tess are gonna be together Sofia and Decker should too. I am not saying I am for the way it went really but if youre gonna give me smut trash complete the cycle weirdos. Overall I have not as i recall show more read a action romance for hetero gaze. I felt like I was watching one of my dads cheesy over sexual action movies with the bald british or american old guys who looked like they did not belong with their hotter female leads who deserve a movie series in actuality. I hope to give this to someone. I am lucky to still have a CD player in my car. show less