Publisher: Gallery
Publish Date: Out Today
How I got this book: Edelweiss
To save her only brother, Andrea Finch must face down a criminal mastermind, the FBI, and her own demons in this thrilling novel from the author of the bestselling Tracers series.
Police detective Andrea Finch is a rising star in her department until a split-second decision derails her career. Disgraced and disillusioned, she’s on leave from her job when she gets an urgent call from her younger brother. She’d prefer to ignore his latest plea for cash, but this time instinct tells her something is very wrong. Andrea’s search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems.
FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a broader plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea’s brother, Jon finds that persuading the stubborn cop to help will be harder than cracking his toughest case.
Andrea must find a way to do what’s right while protecting her only sibling. As the clock ticks down on a deadly plot, Andrea and Jon race to confront a heartless killer who will stop at nothing to deliver a final, terrifying message.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I really like Griffin’s Tracer series, so when I got the chance to get this book, I was all over it.
Andrea is a detective who lives for her job. She loves what she does, but when she is put on administrative leave due to a shooting on the job, she has some spare time to focus on what kind of trouble her younger brother is getting into. Andrea knows her brother is a grown man, but the need to protect him is strong, and she can’t sit back and not do anything when he might be involved with a homegrown terrorist.
Jon has been working undercover for months, hoping to discover the truth behind an ex-military man who has started displaying some terrorist tendencies. Having Andrea creep around his investigation is not what he needs, but her brother might be the key he needs to unlock the secrets that he and his agents haven’t been able to get on their own. Except the feelings Jon has for Andrea are far from professional, and using her brother might be the one thing that Andrea would never be able to get past.
One thing I adore about Griffin’s novels is that the mystery and suspense action are always absolutely AMAZING. I never know what to expect when I crack open one of her books, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love when a suspense book can keep me on my toes, keep me guessing, and constantly keep me off balance while reading. It makes the book so much more special, more interesting, and more engaging to me. Griffin is one of the best in that regard, and her books are always a treat.
While I typically love the romance in Giffin’s book, I felt like Jon and Andrea’s relationship took a backseat to the overall plot. I felt as if the romance didn’t play as big of a factor as it does in previous books in the series, and because of that it really affected my enjoyment of the overall story. I wanted so much to watch as Jon and Andrea struggled over their agency squabbles, after all, everyone knows that Feds and local cops never get along. 🙂 I would have liked to see more of their relationship explored.
I did find myself liking both of the main characters, although Andrea quickly got on my nerves with her inability to deal with life’s hard struggles. She was such a strong character, good cop, and devoted sister. When she gave up on her fight against the police board, and forcing Jon out of her life without an apology or explanation, she came across as weaker than the strong woman she had built herself up to be. I would have liked to see her assert herself more in other aspects of her life, instead of just when she was working a case.
I did like Jon. He was a strong and secure hero who was so desperate to solve his case that he was able to put his ego aside and call on help that he desperately needed. He didn’t need to get in some kind of pissing war with Andrea (at least after he found out her motivation behind looking into his case), and was able to rely on her instincts to help put the pieces of the case together. I liked that about him. However, I didn’t feel like we really got a chance to know Jon outside of his work persona. It would have been nice to have a few personal scenes with him, to see more of the man behind the badge.
Like I said before, so much of the book was spent focusing on the actual case and mystery behind it that I felt as if other aspects of the story were just missing. I wanted more character development from both Andrea and Jon, especially when it came to their lives outside of their work. I wanted to see more of their relationship develop. I struggled with believing in their happily ever after because I didn’t feel like we really got the chance to see them come together, see them rely on one another, or see them even fall in love. I just needed more.
All in all, I thought Griffin had a wonderful mystery and suspense filled book to add to the Tracers series. The plot with the bombing and home grown terrorist group was really well done, and I loved the way it all played out. However, I felt as if the rest of the book suffered because so much time was spent on that aspect. I would have liked to see the other subplots better flushed out.
I give Far Gone a C