Target Acquired

June 7, 2024

Kenzie King, the newest member of the Lake City SWAT team, struggles to fit in. It's hard to read some of the team, and she has always been more comfortable keeping to herself. When her boss, Cole Garrison, encourages her to attend more gatherings after work to get a better understanding of the team dynamic, she is hesitant at best. It doesn't help that she has feelings for the boss, but she reluctantly agrees. Someone else, however, has plans to make sure Kenzie is no longer part of the team; they will go to any lengths to make sure that happens. Cole decides the best way to keep Kenzie safe is to move the SWAT team headquarters to Kenzie's home. Close proximity might not be the best idea, but what else can he do? As his feelings for Kenzie grow, the threats on her life get bolder. They'll have to figure out who wants Kenzie gone and try to catch the would-be killer in time. VERDICT A fast-paced thrill of a ride from start to finish. Readers of Terri Blackstock and Susan May Warren will love this second installment of the "Lake City Heroes" series from Eason (Double Take).--Jane Blue

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 24, 2024
Eason’s taut second Lake City Heroes novel (after Double Take) finds the newest member of the Lake City, N.C., SWAT team caught between a cold case and a more pressing threat to her life. As the only woman on her team, medic Kenzie King knows her arrival has rocked the boat but is committed to the job. It becomes harder to focus on her work, however, after a car nearly runs her over and she spots a stalker loitering outside her house. SWAT team leader Cole Garrison sticks close by as he and Kenzie work to crack the case. The culprit proves elusive, but the pair is kept busy as new information comes to light about Kenzie’s mother’s death 20 years ago in a car crash that, it turns out, may not have been an accident. As Kenzie and Cole uncover details about the ugly feud between their grandparents that may have played a role in her mother’s death, they wonder what that case has to do with the danger Kenzie’s in, and whether they can draw on their faith to find the connection before it’s too late. Eason skillfully metes out details of the families’ backstories, adding depth to a zippy plot teeming with buried secrets, dredged-up traumas, and bad actors hiding in plain sight. The result is a thrill ride worth taking.

August 1, 2024
Kenzie King has earned her position as medic on the otherwise all-male SWAT team, but some people think that she only got the position because of her family. Cole Garrison struggles to treat Kenzie like the rest of the team. He's attracted to her, but he's been burned before and as the team leader, he can't have a relationship with her. Kenzie thinks Cole is out of her league, but can't deny the attraction. Can they figure out who is targeting Kenzie or the SWAT team before someone is seriously injured? As is typical with Eason's novels, the action starts early and doesn't let up. An intriguing backstory about the friendship between Cole and Kenzie's grandmothers may give them the clues that they need to figure it all out. Eason is a master at creating unconventional heroines with interesting origins and careers. Readers who enjoy inspirational romantic suspense, like the novels of Patricia Bradley, Dani Pettrey, and Nancy Mehl, will be excited to discover Eason's Lake City Heroes series, which began with Double Take (2024).

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.