An anonymous tipster warns investigative TV journalist Meredith Montgomery that a Bosnian Serb terrorist is walking the streets of Chicago. The informant fears that the man’s target is the Bosnian Muslims who have found refuge at the northside Islamic Community Center.The FBI is not interested in an unconfirmed sighting of a man who committed war crimes twenty-five years ago, but Meredith feels … feels there is a big story here. And a threat. It becomes her job to warn the public. But first she must uncover the facts.
She is not without baggage of her own—vulnerabilities and traumas that she is hesitant to reveal to the inscrutable research analyst, Aubrey Kettering, who teams up with her. Surprisingly, he discloses that he speaks Serbo-Croatian and has ties to the Serbian community. When Meredith’s life is threatened, he will not leave her side. The investigation carries them on a terrifying ride into the life and mind of Zoran Duric whom they fear is a ticking time bomb.
When the story leads them to Sarajevo, they barely escape with their lives. But their peril is only beginning. The twenty-five-year-old war is still simmering beneath the surface. Will its hatreds spill over into America?
As they dodge assassination attempts, Meredith and Aubrey forge a tight emotional bond. Despite the chaos around them, her heart is healing. Aubrey has long since fallen in love with her. But will they survive the danger that stalks them?
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This is book # in the Woot TV series, but is not a continuation of the previous 2 books. It mentions a few characters from the other books but they aren’t involved in this story so in my opinion Balkan Echo can be read as a standalone.
Meredith Montgomery is another investigative journalist for Chicago’s WOOT-TV. Working with the station’s research analyst (and hacker) Aubrey Kettering as they start to investigate an anonymous tip Meredith received about a Bosnian Serb terrorist being in Chicago, because it’s not a priority for the FBI. Their investigation leads them to Sarajevo where they’re almost killed.
Both of the main characters have something they’re keeping from each other–things from their past they’re trying to deal with–which they share while tracking down the war criminal/terrorist Zoran Duric.
This is a romantic suspense but is definitely heavier on the suspense and mystery side with the romance taking a backseat, which is fine with me. I think if the romance was more in the forefront it would detract from the suspense part of the story. I liked both of the main characters–Meredith and Aubrey. With all the danger they find themselves in, I know I do not have what it takes to be an investigative reporter/journalist. Aubrey is a great guy and takes great care of Meredith. I thought they worked well together.
Warning–there’s a major reveal/cliffhanger at the end which I didn’t see coming. That means there’s going to be another book and I can’t wait to see what happens.
When I first saw the title of this book, I want sure it was for me. But once I got started I could hardly put it down! This was a really good, romantic suspense. I only wish I would’ve known ahead of time that it is part of a series that is not a standalone. Which means I STILL don’t know how it ends…
I received an ARC of this book. This is my honest, voluntary opinion.
This is another story about the journalists of WOOT TV and its packed with adventure and mayhem. I found the story engaging and interesting and Meredith was a complex character. Aubrey had his own heartbreaking story and I thought the pacing was crazy fast. Not strong on the romance aspect, but a great mystery adventure book with what I consider a huge unexpected ending. Obviously, there will be another in the series. Though I have read the first two books, I don’t think they are necessary to enjoy this one.
I normally really like G.G. Vandagriff’s books, so when I got a shot at a free copy, I was very excited. This book was harder to get into than some of the others, but if you hang in there, you should enjoy it.
I did have a few complaints. First of all, I don’t know whether it’s because I’m not familiar with the Serbian conflict, but it seemed like the explanations were overly long. It didn’t flow well in a way that seemed natural between the characters. I also hated Aubrey’s name; I kept trying to remember who was the male and who was the female for half of the book, but that’s my own taste. My other chief complaint was that the relationship between the bad guy and others in the book seemed too much to be believed.
All that being said, it was still an enjoyable read. It’s clean, and there’s action. I liked the investigative reporter angle, and the news stories that Meredith did were fun to read. I liked Meredith’s role in taking down the bad guy too. I like to see heroines who aren’t helpless. I think there could be more development of the relationship, but the last bit at the end left me wondering where things were going to go. I guess I’ll need to watch for what happens next.
I received a review copy in return for an honest review.
This story had me at the edge of my seat throughout the book. I loved the plot and how it unfolded. I love how both Meredith and Aubrey had their issues, but were working through them. I loved how they worked together through some really tough spots. The story still plays in my mind as I think through the story. The ending me holding my breath until the next book is out. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves suspense and a little romance in there as well. I received a copy of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.