5 out of 5 stars
VISIBLE THREAT and CRITICAL PURSUIT are fast-paced novels that
do a good job of balancing crime with camaraderie in the ranks of the Long
Beach Police Department
VISIBLE THREAT-Officer Brinna Caruso is a K-9 handler known as the go-to
cop when a child goes missing. Unfortunately, her gung-ho behavior has gotten
her into hot water when she avoids direct orders because of the greater good.
She doesn’t see herself as a rogue officer, she just has a hard time backing down
when she knows a child is involved. Brinna’s behavior is a direct result of her
own childhood. Abducted and molested at the age of six, Brinna champions
children and does it with her canine companion, Hero. When she is knocked back
to patrol duty due to disciplinary actions, Brinna is partnered with Jack O’Reilly,
a former homicide detective who voluntarily stepped down from his duties due to
the death of his wife. Not only is Brinna frustrated that she’s being
disciplined due to actions that saved a little girl’s life, but she has strong
concerns about Jack O’Reilly’s competency.
Jack O’Reilly continues to struggle with the death of his
wife. He knows he has to get on with his life, but he’s not sure he can handle
homicide. He asks to be put back on patrol duty, but isn’t thrilled his partner
is Brinna Caruso. She has a reputation for not following the rules, and since
he wants a smooth re-entry back into police work, he’s concerned she will only
cause trouble.
While Brinna and Jack navigate their partnership, they
slowly come to realize they both want the same thing. Justice. When a case
presents itself with the same MO of the man who abducted Brinna, she and Jack must
work together as a team, and finally put the man behind bars who stole Brinna’s
childhood.
CRITICAL PURSUIT -Brinna is in pursuit of a man she knows has abducted a young
girl. Even though she’s been ordered not to pursue because of dangerous
conditions, she puts her job on the line to save the girl. Once again, Brinna
is in the hot seat. But more devastating than that is the fact that her K-9
duties might be coming to an end. With the possibility of funding being pulled,
Brinna must deal with the prospect of having to go back to patrol. Last time
she was partnered with Jack O’Reilly they actually ended up forging a deep
friendship, but Jack has gone back to homicide, leaving her to wonder who she’ll
be partnered with.
Jack is getting back in the swing of things in homicide.
Though when his mind wanders, it no longer goes to the death of his wife. His friendship
with Brinna is constantly on his mind, and he thinks he’s ready to move on but
wonders if she is. When he and his partner investigate a possible human
trafficking ring, Brinna and her mother get involved. Jack is thrilled to be
working with Brinna again, but when Brinna’s mom is kidnapped, things escalated
to critical proportions.
Both VISIBLE THREAT and CRITICAL PURSUIT are intelligently
written by a former police officer. Not only are the crimes relevant but the
insight to the camaraderie between officers is portrayed well, making the books
not only interesting from the suspenseful side, but also from the personal side.
I loved watching the slow progression of the relationship between Brinna and
Jack. Usually, I don’t like when the hero and heroine are kept at arm’s length,
but knowing Jack was recovering from the loss of his wife, made the timeline
believable. I’m definitely a fan of Ms. Cantore’s work, and hope there are more
installments in the Brinna Caruso series.
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