Dangerous Games

Starred review from February 20, 2017
Diamond’s outstanding debut is pure romantic suspense gold. Maggie Kincaid is a survivor—a killer attacked her and her sister, Erica, and only Maggie escaped. Determined to battle evil, she became an FBI profiler, but after failing to save a young girl in a hostage situation, she left her job in disgrace. Two years later, her FBI mentor calls in a long-overdue favor, and Maggie joins the effort to save a prominent senator’s 14-year-old daughter, Kayla Thebes, who’s been kidnapped. Kayla is an insulin-dependent diabetic, so the clock is ticking; Maggie’s determined not to have another death occur on her watch. Enter former Army Ranger and current gray-ops security expert Jake O’Connor, who quickly realizes that not everything is as it seems—including the questionable dealings and priorities of the seemingly distraught senator. Maggie and Jake work well together, and their chemistry is off the charts, but even this dream team may not be able to rescue Kayla in time. Diamond ably draws readers into a gripping tale full of twists and turns. Just when the path to the ending seems clear, Diamond throws in another red herring. Kayla’s fate is known by the end of the book, but the author leaves another tantalizing mystery unsolved, which readers will eagerly interpret as a sign that more Maggie Kincaid tales are on their way. Agent: Rebecca Friedman, Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency.