FBI Special Agent Devyn Nash is obsessed with taking down Coterie, a deadly group out to control the multi-billion-dollar-a-year diet-product industry. The FBI’s plan to expose Coterie places Devyn’s best friend and her partner’s fiancé in the crosshairs of this ruthless organization. Can Devyn protect her friend and bring the coldblooded killers to justice before they strike again while … distracted by injury, a sexist bully, and a long-distance relationship with a handsome Wyoming sheriff?
Lobbyist and Coterie assassin Sofia Wilks wants nothing more than to regain control of her life. Sofia knows Devyn is nipping at her heels, but the FBI agent isn’t the worst of her fears. She is drawn to a man who has the power to destroy her.
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Coterie assassin Sofia Wilks senses her world is about to come crashing down. Her assistant’s been murdered and Sofia is unsure who to trust. She must play the hand Coterie hands her but is her neck the next to be broken? Or worse yet, will they hand her over to the FBI and Agent Nash?
Devyn Nash is still recovering from her injuries yet pushes the pain aside to get the upper hand and bring down Coterie. The plan not only is dangerous but puts Devyn’s partner and his fiancée in the hands of a deadly assassin. Can she bring down this lethal group powerful men and women while keeping those she cares about safe? Or is this the last case of FBI Special Agent Nash illustrious career?
I’ve read each book in the Risky Research series and in A Foundation of Fear, the risks couldn’t be higher. Devyn is more determined than ever to bring down Coterie and she’ll even put others’ lives in jeopardy to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. The stakes are high and it just adds to the level of trepidation I experienced while reading this book. As a suspense junkie, I loved it.
There are plenty of action scenes, right from the first page, and you’re left wondering what will happen next. The story is told from a couple POVs but that’s where it gets interesting. One of the POVs is from the assassin and I personally found it addictive to be inside their head. Kim McMahill creates sympathy for a killer and that is difficult to accomplish.
Why is this a five-star review? The characters are fleshed out, even the baddies, and there’s an air of authenticity surrounding them. On some level, I connected with each character, even the assassin. The plot moves at a fast pace and the adrenaline rush is sublime. The romance is still present and offers a nice reprieve from the suspense. Devyn is one of my favorite characters in recent years. Her strength lies in her abilities and her intelligence which reminds me think of Eve Dallas.
If you’re a fan of J. D. Robb’s In Death series, try Kim McMahill’s Risky Research series. Each book is a standalone but it reads better when read in order. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
Their lives or more intertwined than they know…
I’m going to start off this review by saying that I made a big mistake in listening to this audiobook. Not for the reasons you might automatically think but because I didn’t realize A Foundation Of Fear was the third book in the Risky Research series. Trust me, the books in this series are not standalone. Because of that I spent more time trying to understand what was going on than I did actually just enjoying the story. Don’t get me wrong, as a suspense novel it wasn’t too bad at all, and as an audiobook it was pretty good. I just had no clue who was who and what was going on.
This is the first book that I’ve read by Kim McMahill but I have a couple more so it certainly won’t be the last. But, I have to tell you something, this is the first time that I ever remember liking a villain and almost sympathizing more than I did with the heroine. It was a totally weird feeling but I think it shows a fascinating facet of this particular author’s writing style. Hey, with all of the books I read each year it’s kinda nice to be caught off guard once in awhile.
As I mentioned I did listen to A Foundation Of Fear as an audiobook. I felt that overall the production quality was pretty good and did justice to Kim McMahill’s novel. The narrator’s voice was a good match for the characters and easy to listen to. While, I did make the mistake of listening to book 3 first I do know that I am now pretty curious about how and where it all started…
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
A Killer Diet!
As a successful diet program collapses from the use of a dangerous food ingredient, FBI agents try to uncover if this problem was known ahead of time. The story includes a variety of people, some who truly are innocent while others are killers, schemers and those willing to make money no matter what. FBI agent, Devyn Nash, tries to sort through them all, while keeping herself alive along with those of her partner and best friend. Lots of action, settings, and story-lines blend together to bring this tale to an exciting conclusion.
This is the third book in the series, Risky Research. Because of that, the reader will face a large cast of characters, situations and continued story threads from earlier installments. Despite that, it is a good story, and you will wonder who is going to win the struggle in the end. A Foundation of Fear is a clean tale with a sprinkling of romance that can be enjoyed by all, although there is beer and alcohol use by the good and bad guys. This 5-star book will be appreciated by those who like suspense, fast-moving action, thrills or well-written fiction.
Pelican Book Group has provided bookreadingtic with a complimentary copy of A Foundation of Fear, for purpose of review.