Flashpoint

June 7, 2004
It should come as no surprise to listeners that Brockmann began her career as a screenwriter. The dialogue in her romantic suspense novels is always plentiful and finely tuned, which is partly why her newest offering (after Gone Too Far
) translates so well to audio. The rest of the credit belongs to Ewbank and Lawlor, who narrate alternate sections of the book, Ewbank taking on the chapters told from a female perspective and Lawlor handling those told from a male point of view. Having just left the FBI, gorgeous Jimmy Nash soon finds himself on a plane with his old partner and friend Lawrence Decker and computer support specialist Tess Bailey, with whom he shared a passionate one-night stand. The trio have been hired by a non-government company called SOS Inc. to pose as relief workers in earthquake-ravaged Kazbekistan and recover a laptop containing vital information about terrorist plots. Ewbank does a fine job of highlighting Tess's insecurities and her enduring fascination with Jimmy, but Lawlor falters when giving voice to Decker, who's said to have a "mellow baritone" but instead comes off sounding like he has a gravel pit in his throat. Both narrators, however, deliver the book's spirited banter with gusto, making this an enjoyable beach listen. Simultaneous release with the Ballantine hardcover (Forecasts, Apr. 5).

April 5, 2004
Veteran romantic-suspense novelist Brockmann serves up a heady mix of tension, romance and international intrigue. Readers first meet Agency computer specialist Tess Bailey posing as a topless barmaid in order to save field agent Lawrence Decker from a deadly setup. After she and gorgeous macho agent Diego "Jimmy" Nash succeed in rescuing Decker, they celebrate with a steamy one-night stand that they both later regret. Months later, Tess quits when she doesn't get the promotion she was promised; conveniently, partners Decker and Nash have quit the Agency as well and have signed on with a covert private agency, Troubleshooters, Incorporated. Assigned to earthquake-ravaged Kazbekistan (aka "The Pit") to retrieve the laptop of al-Qaeda warlord Padsha Bashir, they find themselves in need of a seasoned computer hacker: enter Tess. Player Nash is a bundle of nerves around Tess (he really likes her!), and Decker is smitten as well: it's the perfect love triangle. As Tess juggles the dangerous assignment and the affections of both men, Sophia, a mysterious woman who avenges her hatred of Padsha during the earthquake, asks their help in fleeing the country. Car bombs, shady American reporters, police interrogations, aftershocks and hot sex complicate matters, but it's a hotel ambush and Tess's kidnapping that sends both men on the rescue effort of their lives. Their brisk success allows the romantic entanglement to resume center stage, where, as far as romance fans are concerned, it belongs. Agent, Steve Axelrod. 125,o00 first printing. (Apr.)

Forecast:
Though fortified with enough sharp details and narrative gusto to carry readers through the sluggish spots, this is not quite the thrilling, roller-coaster ride of Brockmann's previous efforts. But fans will still devour it, right along with a bonus sho
rt story featuring Sam and Alyssa from her 2003 bestselling hardcover debut,
Gone Too Far.

It's unclear why two narrators share the reading duties of this spy novel. But Melanie Ewbank and Patrick Lawlor carry the story well as they alternate chapters and provide adequate accents for the foreign characters encountered by special operations agents Tess Bailey and Jimmy Nash. The narrators supply appropriate emotional tones as the spies fall in love and capture the terror they experience while completing their mission. Both offer a gruff tough-guy characterization for the team's leader, Decker; in contrast, the author depicts him as a strong, yet gentle, type. Fans of the author may want to consider the print version. J.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine