Secrets, lies, deceit… A former Navy SEAL turned homicide detective has met his match in this new standalone addition to the number #1 Bestselling Steele Shadows Series… dedicated his life to one thing—speaking for the dead. Everyone and everything else be damned, including his own demons. During one of the most oppressive heat waves to hit the small, southern town of Berry Springs, the former Navy SEAL is called to a scene where a real estate heiress is found standing over a dead body, holding the murder weapon. The local cops immediately dub it a slam-dunk case, but if Jagg has learned anything from his days running special ops, it’s that nothing is as it seems… including this suspect.
Despite her name, Sunny Harper is as beguiling as a fallen angel. Mysterious, clever, completely unwilling to cooperate, and, perhaps his least favorite quality—mind-numbingly intoxicating. When evidence from the scene suggests an accomplice, Jagg begins to believe that Sunny is both innocent and in danger, despite the towns’ uproar to lock her up. Torn between his growing feelings for his suspect, he takes Sunny to a secluded lake house where he discovers there’s much more behind those enchanting green eyes… including secrets that could take them both under.
With his career on the line and the clock ticking, Jagg must decide if he can trust Sunny… before they both get burned.
Jagger is a standalone romantic suspense novel (no cliff-hanger!)
★Awards and Recognition:★
CABIN 1 (STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY): 2020 National Readers’ Choice Award Finalist, 2020 HOLT Medallion Finalist.
THE STORM (A BERRY SPRINGS NOVEL): 2018 Golden Leaf Winner for Romantic Suspense, 2018 Maggie Award for Excellence Finalist, 2018 Silver Falchion Finalist, 2018 Beverley Finalist, 2018 Passionate Plume Honorable Mention Recipient.
THE FOG (A BERRY SPRINGS NOVEL): 2019 Golden Quill Winner for Romantic Suspense, 2019 I Heart Indie Winner, 2019 Maggie Award for Excellence Finalist, 2019 Stiletto Award Finalist, 2019 Book Buyers Best Finalist.
THE CAVE (A BERRY SPRINGS NOVEL): 2020 Book Buyers Best Finalist, 2020 Carla Crown Jewel Finalist.
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I loved this book! The characters were so interesting and the twists and turns kept me on my toes! I could not wait to finish reading this book!
Ex Navy SEAL turned homicide Detective Max Jagger has barely left the burial of his lieutenant when he finds himself dealing with a voodoo tree, a Moon Magic Festival that is drawing Wiccans from all over the country, an art stealing bandit, a chief that wants his badge, and a woman he can’t get off his mind that is embroiled in his murder case. But Jagg knows things are seldom as simple as they seem.
Sunny Harper has lived through one horrific nightmare and come through it stronger than ever but an attack on a jogging path leaves her covered in blood and holding the weapon. While the entire town is looking for someone to blame will the local detective believe her and help her prove her innocense?
As Jagg struggles with the pull he feels toward Sunny while trying to solve multiple murders that she seems to be entwined in he will face secrets, lies and deception within his town and the people he thought he could trust. Including the woman he’s falling for.
I liked this book but I was surprised by the amount of errors it contained. There were definitely plenty of twists and turns that surprised me and which kept the book interesting right down to the last suspense fllled page.
Dnf
I could not get into this story. I feel like the author wanted Jagger to be an antihero but to me, he just came off as an awful person. Not relatable at all. I couldn’t get past 20%. Looking at the reviews it is different for everyone but this story just didn’t click for me
I wasn’t sure at the beginning if I was going to like this book, but with every page it built and ended up loving it.
Another solid read. Jagger is a man on the edge. Former navy SEAL and current hard nosed detective. Sunny is a woman with secrets. There are too many coincidences happening around her. Once again Amanda McKinney takes her readers on a wild ride of discovery. Action is served up as Jagger explodes on anyone who dares to get in his way. But as the saying goes the harder the bigger they are it’s the harder they fall and when Jagger falls for Sunny it sure is hard.
This author blows me away. If you’ve read her other books, you’ve been waiting for Jaggers story, and man was it worth the wait. This book was full of mystery, twists and turns that kept your head spinning, suspense, damn good chemistry between the two main characters, and definitely angst with some pretty intense scenes. Jaggers story was nothing what I expected, but everything I needed from this complicated man. Sunny Harper is definitely his match, but she is also a very complicated woman, so when the two of these people are thrown together, it’s a page turner to keep up and try to figure out the who done it unfolding in front of you. Loved every part of this book, especially the dogs, kept you guessing until the end, definitely worth the read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.
I’m not sure this is where I should have started my reading experience with this author. This book is more suspense than romance and that’s totally fine, but it’s something I don’t usually read. I enjoy a good romantic suspense story, but if the romance takes a back seat to the suspense, more often than not, I find myself skimming and skipping. I’m only putting this in my review because if you are new to this author like I am and you feel like I do, I would probably recommend starting with the Steele brothers.
Taking all that aside because that’s totally on me and not the author, I must say that as far as suspense goes, she nailed this one right to the end. If you’re good with the romance part of the journey taking a back seat to everything else, this author is pretty good at keeping the reader on their toes and invested in the story.
Homicide Detective and former SEAL Max Jagger finds Sunny Harper standing over a dead body, holding a weapon. He thinks he has an open and shut case. Wrong. There are a lot of twists, turns, suspense and intrigue. The characters are pretty well developed and the progression from suspicion to the romance is pretty well done. The k-9’s were great (says the animal lover, lol). This is the first in the Steele Shadow Investigation Series.
I really enjoyed the Steele Shadows Investigations series, where Jagger was first introduced. Jagger’s story can definitely be read as a standalone, however why deny yourself the pleasure?
Jagger is the total alpha package layered up in a complex persona that is cynical, guarded and single minded. When a fellow officer is murdered, it is the catalyst bringing Jagger into a crash course with his destiny. Sunny is an enigma, loner, self sufficient warrior. Her hard won existence is rocked when she becomes the suspect in a murder.
I loved how the author wove a tapestry of murder, suspicion, small town mores, and attraction between two strong vibrant personalities. Jagger and Sunny are alike in many ways, survivors dealing with their respective traumas in their own ways. Their coming together is intense, as their attraction eviscerates. the barriers they have erected. Their love reshapes both as they defy the odds to find forever. A raw, visceral, compelling and entertaining story. I can’t wait to see what Amanda McKinney has in store for Ryder.
Jagger is the first book in the Steel Shadows Investigation series by Amanda McKinney. I haven’t read the Steel Shadows Security books yet, but read Phoenix which is a Steel Shadows Rising book. I think this book could be read as a standalone, as it describes the other characters.
This book is told 90% from the point of view from Max Jagger who is known as Jagg. He is a homicide detective who is trying to solve the murder of his former lieutenant. He comes across the case of Sunny Harper, who is standing with a gun pointed at her now dead attacker. He feels something is off the whole time, but everyone else in the town believes her to be the murderer. Sunny has been attacked before and doesn’t have a lot of trust in men. Jagger is battling his own daemons from being in the war.
With Sunny’s life on the line, Jagg helps move her to someplace safe, and feelings start to develop. His career is on the line for the few times that he stands up for Sunny. The head of police is trying to get him fired from his job. Can he protect Sunny from the dangers, before it’s to late? Can they learn to trust each other?
I really liked this book and can’t wait for the next one in the series!
** I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sensational story. So many positive things about this story. Great read.
Full disclosure – I received a free ARC copy in return for an honest review.
Max Jagger is an ex-seal who is now working as a detective in Berry Springs. He is used to doing things his own rough, gruff way, which doesn’t put him in the favor of the higher ups. He is called to a murder. Standing over the body with a gun is Sunny Harper. She panics and runs. Giving chase Max is surprised to find that Sunny can hold her own with him and almost fights off Max, who is twice her size. Immediately enchanted he interviews her. She claims she didn’t shoot the dead man – there is another shooter. The townsfolk want her head but Jagger believes her. As he is pulled into the mystery that is Sunny, he finds himself absolutely captivated, much to the chagrin of his best friend, a local cop. He knows Jagger and when Jagger goes off half cocked to prove Sunny’s innocence, he tries to reign Jagger in. No luck -Jagger is in love.
This book by Amanda McKinney is a great mystery, thriller romance read. If you are looking for a nonstop sex this isn’t the book for you. If you want a great story that starts fast and unwinds as you read, read this book. As the tension builds around them, the steamy, hot romance ramps up between Jagger and Amanda.
This book ends with no cliffhanger and HEA.
I liked that Jagger is a little darker then the previous books in this series. Max Jagger, is a medically retired SEAL, ans detective investigating a murder. The summer solstice was approaching, along with more wiccans and more tourists ready to celebrate. A lot of the residents of the town were not happy, and even more so when another murder occurs. Sunny was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Full of suspense, a captivating read. I voluntarily received an arc copy of this book from the author