Ride along on the riveting cases of the Tactical Crime Division — TCD. An elite team of FBI agents specializing in high-risk threats. In the wake of a tragedy, the Tactical Crime Division is the first call. When ironclad body armor inexplicably fails and soldiers perish, the Tactical Crime Division jumps into action. Agent and former ranger Davis Rogers asks to go undercover to find the … to find the traitor responsible for the death of one of his friends, and Petrov Armor CEO Leila Petrov is happy to provide access to her company…especially once she discovers she’s being framed. But will their joint efforts be enough to uncover the truth?
From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek Thrills. Solve Crimes. Justice Served.
Discover the lives and loves of the remaining team members in the Tactical Crime Division series:
Book 1: 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy
Book 2: Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter
Book 3: Midnight Abduction by Nichole Severn
Book 4: Running out of Time by Cindi Myers
more
Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter is a fast-paced suspense novel. It is the second novel in the Tactical Crime Division series. Each book in this exciting series can be read on its own. This novel has strong characters and plenty of action. Romance does develop between our primary characters and I like that it builds slowly. I appreciated that there were not passionate love scenes (I am not into intimate scenes in books). I like the suspense and danger in this story. I find it intriguing. Readers will enjoy trying to identity of the bad guy (depending on your sleuthing level on how soon you figure out this whodunit). I liked that there was more to the mystery than just defective armor. There is danger, suspense, romance, and action in this intriguing tale. I found Secret Investigation to be a captivating story that was over far too soon. Secret Investigation will have you quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.
SECRET INVESTIGATION (Tactical Crime Division Book #2) by Elizabeth Heiter is the second book in a new Harlequin Intrigue multi-author series featuring members of the FBIs Tactical Crime Division. This is a specialized unit of the FBI formed to handle the toughest cases at a moment’s notice anywhere in the country.
FBI agent and former Army ranger Davis Rogers is devastated to learn of the death of a close Army friend when her unit is killed in an ambush when their body armor fails. When Davis learns that his unit will be investigating Petrov Armor, the makers of the defective armor, he wants the assignment. Davis wants everyone responsible to pay to the death of his friend.
Leila Petrov has become the CEO of Petrov Armor after the death of her father. She is shocked when she learns it is her company’s armor worn during the ambush. She is willing to allow Davis unlimited access when he comes into the company undercover, but she also wants to know what he finds and help.
As Davis investigates, even though he blames Leila as the head of her company and responsible for the deaths, he is finding it difficult to not like her and maybe even more. He finds he is losing his objectivity as far as Leila is concerned and he knows he is going to hurt her and the company when the traitor in her company is found.
I loved this addition to the series! The plot is well paced with intricate twists that kept me guessing right up until the end. Davis and Leila are great together. The author shows both as strong and intelligent and as their feelings grow it is at a realistic pace without feeling rushed and it never overshadows the suspense plot. No sex in this book, just a budding romance. The suspense and intrigue are the focus of this story.
The sub-plot with Melinda and Kane added depth to the story and I am looking forward to more from their characters in the future.
I can highly recommend this addition to the Tactical Crime Division series. It is an intense and suspense filled read in a small package.
Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter
2nd book in the Tactical Crime Division series by multiple authors. Harlequin Intrigue FBI series. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Protective armor failed in a military training mission putting Petrov Armor in the crosshairs of the FBI. CEO Leila, after being cleared, helps Davis Rogers investigate from within the company to find who is responsible for the inferior products.
Davis hasn’t worked undercover in the past and finds himself drawn to Leila when he should have been objective.
Gripping and fast moving action. A who-done-it style of finding the guilty party.
Zero sexual tension beyond one shared kiss which seems tame for Harlequin but with the constant twists and investigations made sense. Happy there was an epilogue to put the HEA on all the drama.
I want to know more about secondary characters Zane and Melinda who both have deep backstories we only get a piece of here.
Grief, betrayal, secrets, and loyalties are driving this intense investigation to the devastating loss of soldiers on the field, and the CEO Leila Petrov is doing everything in her power to clear her company’s name.
Leila has fought her way to the top even though many think that she is there just because of her bloodline. She is hardworking, smart, loyal, capable, professional and she is willing to fight for what she believes is right. I liked her, her drive, her ability to handle tough situations.
The former ranger Davis Rogers is an intense hero. He is driven and he has a mission being willing to do anything to accomplish it. He had to grow on me, I really had to get to know him a bit more to like him and root for him. And to root for Leila and him as a couple, though there’s very little attention given for their relationship to develop and grow to be something significant.
The secondary couple with conflict from the team of investigators once again in a shorter length of a book felt – to me – an unnecessary distraction.
Heiter writes potent investigation scenes that twists and curve like a mountain road, never knowing what is coming around the corner. I love her style to build up the anticipation and keep the readers on a riveting edge until the end.
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
Secrets are exposed as danger closes in! With book two in the Tactical Crime Division series Elizabeth Heiter brings the intrigue and mystery in SECRET INVESTIGATION. We’re quickly engulfed in the story and keep turning page after page trying to figure out who the culprit is in this fast paced story.
Davis Rogers is intense. He has a personal stake in why this case is important to him and he finds himself understanding Leila’s peril quickly and wants to help her too.
Leila Petrov is tenacious and determined. She’s not sure what is going on in her company, but she’s determined to find out and to correct the wrong that has been done.
I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone looking for a fast moving story filled with intrigue and action. The romance is on the light side, but the mystery is intense.
“Secret Investigation” by Elizabeth Heiter is a complex tale of power and betrayal.
Someone at Petrov Armor is guilty of selling defective armor to the military and TCD agent, Davis Rogers, goes undercover in the company as assistant to CEO, Leila Petrov. He has a personal stake in solving the case since one of his friends died when wearing the inferior product.
Leila, grieving from the loss of her father, is still in the position of proving to her employees her father made the right decision in making her CEO. Knowing someone is trying to destroy everything her father built, she agrees to give Davis access to anything he needs.
What Davis and Leila don’t count on is the attraction and chemistry flowing between them, but finding out who is responsible has to come before anything else.
Ms. Heiter creates a maze of suspicion on who is behind the attempt at destroying Petrov Armor. I admit, I was taken off guard when the true culprit was revealed.
“Secret Investigation” is book 2 of Harlequin Intrigue’s Tactical Crime Division 4 book miniseries.
Fantastic story that gripped me from the first page to the last. FBI agent Davis Rogers was devastated to learn of the death of a friend of his when her unit’s body armor failed. When he learns that his team will investigate the manufacturer, he wants in on the assignment. He is determined to bring the traitor to justice.
CEO Leila Petrov was horrified to discover that her company’s armor had failed so badly. She is more than willing to give Davis unlimited access during his undercover operation. She is also determined to be part of the investigation.
Sparks flew between Leila and Davis from the beginning. Part of it was Davis’s certainty that someone at Petrov was a traitor against Leila’s refusal to believe that anyone at her company would do something so heinous. The other part was the attraction that flared between them. Unlike some romantic suspense stories, both Davis and Leila are aware of the complications that could arise if they give in to their attraction. I liked the way that they got to know each other, admitted to their feelings, yet still managed to keep things professional between them. There was a little trouble with trust between them near the end when they butted heads over the likely suspects. Both had to take a good look at whether love could overcome those momentary lapses. I liked seeing them come together at the end, ready to move toward a future with each other.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. Davis is driven to discover the truth behind his friend’s death. Leila will do anything she can to prevent any more deaths. Leila is working at a slight disadvantage, having only recently taken over as CEO from her father. Some employees feel she isn’t up to the job, especially after she ended their weapon manufacturing to concentrate solely on armor production. As the investigation progressed, Davis and his team discovered that the problem was much bigger than they suspected. The more they learn, the narrower the suspect pool becomes. The number of twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. Every time I thought I knew who it was, something would point to someone else. Then someone else would move to the top of the list, then back to the first person. I was a little disappointed in Davis because I thought that he allowed his personal feelings to influence him a little more than he should have regarding one suspect. The final confrontation was intense, with an unexpected resolution.
There was also a secondary part of the investigation pursued by Kane, the undercover specialist, and Melinda, the profiler. Kane is a loner, as most undercover operatives are, and doesn’t appreciate being paired with Melinda, who sees him more clearly than he likes. There are sparks between them, in equal parts antagonism and attraction. Both of them make mistakes that nearly get them killed. It will be interesting to see if they show up again in later books.
If you require more romance than suspense or even equal parts romance and suspense, Secret Investigation may not be what you’re looking for. This one is kind of romance adjacent. There are looks exchanged and Leila and Davis clearly share an attraction, but I just didn’t get the romance vibe from these two. There’s also what seems to be a little something going on between a couple of the other members of the team in this one, but there are only hints of what it could lead to. What this one does excel at is mystery. The suspense side of Secret Investigation is well – suspenseful. The pacing is good and while there are a handful of characters to choose from as our culprit, the author doesn’t quite give us enough info to completely solve this one until the reveal is upon us. I wouldn’t necessarily like that in a longer story, but for the length of this one, it works pretty well, and it serves to keep the pages turning. The relationship between Davis and Leila is sort of a forbidden one at least from an FBI standpoint, or it would be with a bit of relationship development. As it stands, it’s pretty darn close to instalove. Nevertheless, the characters are likable, and I do enjoy a good fast-paced mystery, and on that, this one certainly delivers.
Already a big fan of Tactical Crime Division series, but still I love it more and more. Elizabeth Heiter is a new author for me, and from this book I’ll be following all her books, I’m a fan now.
A secret investigation of an armor company, with a lot of twists and turns, definitely has captivating story, great amount of mystery and suspence and spice up with romance. A perfect book for me as a suspense romance fan.
I love how the author always threw me for a loop till the last moment. I know the suspects, and when I think my guess is right, then another facts got me pointing to another suspect, but then another surprise comes up, so I’m pointing to another suspect, and this keeps happening till the end, so I’m absolutely loveeeee it. and if you’re looking for easy-to-read suspense romance read, this is definitely for you.
Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter
Tactical Crime Division #2
The TCD is called in to find out why the body armor supplied to soldiers failed and so many were killed. Davis Rogers is to head up the team looking into Petrov and will end up going in undercover as Leila Petrov’s assistant. There are at least three viable suspects that are being considered. Melinda and Kane are helping out in a side investigation that overlaps the one Davis is working on and their situation is also complicated by…feelings.
What I liked:
* Davis: an army ranger who gives his all to the job and is focused on finding out why the armor failed and his friend died. He is also interested in the chemistry between him and Leila.
* The side story of Melinda and Kane – do want to know how that will turn out…maybe in another book in the series.
* The concept of the series and getting to know the various team members
* Knowing that there will be more books in the series
* That the bad guy was found
* That Leila & Davis have potential for the future
What I did not like:
* The bad guy
* The group that was buying from Petrov on the down-low
* The times I would think, “Would it really happen like that?
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in the series? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Intrigue for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars