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Connect the Dots
When a CIA Operator tries to connect the dots she winds up at the center of an international crisis… CIA Human Intelligence Operator, Charley Duston, gets the shock of her life when she opens her freezer to find the picture of her murdered ex-lover. Worse is the implied She is next. Not one to give in to intimidation tactics, Charley is determined to uncover the truth behind her ex’s death and bring the culprits to justice. Not knowing whom she can trust, she moves to an undisclosed location where she can covertly investigate the death threats. Here she meets her new neighbor Jake Frisbie at gunpoint when she mistakes him for a carjacker. Attracted to the handsome, easy-going hunk, Charley knows her relationship with Jake would only put him in danger. She tries to fight off her feelings but finally gives in just before her world crashes and she is kidnapped. The beautiful, new neighbor entrances Jake but he can make no sense of her secretive nocturnal disappearances. As a Special Agent, he investigates her and is shocked to learn she is at the center of an international crisis. Despite common sense, he becomes involved with the young woman and when she disappears, he vows to find her. Risking his life, Jake ventures into the world of black sites and international intrigue to save the woman he loves and expose the responsible criminals, no matter how high up in the government they sit.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2009
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Denise Robbins
9 books8 followersAuthor Denise Robbins leverages skills from her day job as a software engineering manager, a love of outdoor sports, and an interest in espionage and intrigue to write page-turning techno-romantic thriller novels.
Author of IT HAPPENS IN THREES and KILLER BUNNY HILL. Next up CONNECT THE DOTS."
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 7, 2010
Mini- review: Fantastic book! The romance was hot, the conspiracy, mystery & intrigue keep you on the edge of your seat! I read it in 1 day because I couldn't put it down!!!
Full Review as seen on the blog Book Lovers Inc. (www.bookloversinc.com):
Connect the Dots was the first book I read by Denise Robbins, and by now I would guess that most of you know me well enough to know that I don't expect too much going into any book by an author I have never read before. I am beginning to think that maybe I should have the same expectations for any new book I read, regardless of author the author or how I obtained the book. That way there would probably be fewer reviews from me that begin like this....
When I first got my copy of Connect the Dots, I wasn't expecting too much from it beyond quick reading entertainment. That I cried while reading the dedication in the front of the book should have been a sign to this hard-headed blogger that I should be expecting sooo much more! Unfortunately for me I blew right past that sign and drove headlong into a powerfully emotional and well written Techno-Romance/Thriller.
I was completely sucked in by the end of the first chapter. By completely sucked in I mean, at the end of the first chapter I set the book aside and told my husband we'd be having pizza for dinner that night because I planned to sit on the back porch and read straight through to the end of the last chapter. And that is exactly what I did! I could not put this book down, I walked around the house reading whenever I did have to get up and do something. It is very rare for me to be completely hooked by the first chapter of any book, but Connect the Dots starts out with such a powerful, life altering experience for the main character Charley, that I never had a chance. From there forward it is emotional, wild, exhilarating ride, that I couldn't put down or look away from even when the emotional aspects made me want to.
Which brings me to my next point about this book...before I read Connect the Dots, I never cried while reading a book. Not even at the end of a sad story that everyone else needed tissues to get through, I just never cried while reading books. It's just a strange thing about me, I enjoy books, I feel the emotions in them, I escape with them, but I almost never cry...I cried so much at one point while reading this book that I couldn't read through the tears and had to put the book down to compose myself. Then I sat there wondering how Denise had done that to me?! Like I said it is a powerfully emotional book and my hats off to Denise Robbins for being able to create characters and situations that people can relate to so strongly. It is not an easy thing to do. I read 20 books a month and while I enjoy most of them, it is unusual for characters to really get under my skin like they did in Connect the Dots.
Now that I have gone on & on about how much I cried. It is not a sad story per say
The story alternates between the two main character's points of view, Charley Duston, CIA Human Intelligence Operator and Jake Frisbie, Special Agent. Both Charley and Jake are keenly intelligent, incredibly down to earth, human characters.They are both crazy sexy, and outwardly perfect seeming, but throughout the story you discover they are actually flawed in the small ways we all are. They felt like 'real people' and if they were I would want to hang out with them as often as possible.
Charley's job title of CIA Human Intelligence Operator is just another way to say interrogator. However, she's not what you'd expect from a CIA interrogator. She has real compassion for human life and doesn't believe in torture tactics in interrogation. She subscribes to the school of thought that the key to gathering good intel is to be patient and gain the prisoners trust. To say that her philosophy on proper interrogation techniques is not popular is a huge understatement. Because she is like a human lie detector due to her training in the art of reading subtle body language, she is untouchable and the best they've got. I learned a lot about how each small gesture or raised eyebrow can speak volumes to someone who knows what they are looking at. Once she gets the information she wants from a prisoner she uses it along side information from other informants to connect the dots and show the bigger picture of what is really going on.
At the point when she meets her gorgeous and sexy new neighbor, Jake a lot of bad things have just happened in her life, to her and people she cares about. Because of the recent events she is determined to keep her distance from him for his own good, as well as hers. She doesn't feel like she could deal with having someone else's life endangered because of her problems. One of the ways she chooses to keep her distance is by not revealing to him who she really is and what she does for a living. Of course that plan in and of itself creates her first problem for keeping her distance because all that does is create a mysterious, beautiful woman that is irresistible to Jake. The second problem with her plan is that Jake is absolutely the sweetest, hottest and most infuriating man she has ever met and every time she turns around he's right there. Even when he's not there, he is all she can think about.
Jake has his own secrets and doesn't want anything to do with mysterious woman next door, no matter how beautiful she is. He just wants to relax, enjoy his vacation and keep his secrets to himself. However, as these things often go he can't stop thinking about her and the mystery of who and what she really is becomes too alluring. He knows there's something going on with Charley and he can't stand not knowing exactly what it is. Being a Special Agent he can't just leave well enough alone. He has to figure it out, no matter what the cost.
Bringing these two personalities together is like dropping a match into a powder-keg. When the explosion comes it is hot, steamy, loud and changes everything for both of them. The love scenes in this book were fantastic! One particular scene in the basement has become my favorite sex scene ever!!! The romance and sex in this book are done so well that it adds to the story, while taking nothing away from the overall intensity and seriousness of the subject matter. It happens naturally and flows with the story.
I really loved this book. It deals with some heavy subject matter, has intrigue, romance and even some humor to lighten the mood. I highly recommend this book, but I warn you - clear your calendar find a comfy spot to sit, grab a cooler and fill it with drinks, and surround yourself with food within easy reach, because you will not want to stop reading once you start.
Connect the Dots is fast paced and beautifully done. It will leave you thinking about it for days, weeks, even months after you've read it. I promise you'll look at things just a little different after you finish this book and you'll be glad you do.
Full Review as seen on the blog Book Lovers Inc. (www.bookloversinc.com):
Connect the Dots was the first book I read by Denise Robbins, and by now I would guess that most of you know me well enough to know that I don't expect too much going into any book by an author I have never read before. I am beginning to think that maybe I should have the same expectations for any new book I read, regardless of author the author or how I obtained the book. That way there would probably be fewer reviews from me that begin like this....
When I first got my copy of Connect the Dots, I wasn't expecting too much from it beyond quick reading entertainment. That I cried while reading the dedication in the front of the book should have been a sign to this hard-headed blogger that I should be expecting sooo much more! Unfortunately for me I blew right past that sign and drove headlong into a powerfully emotional and well written Techno-Romance/Thriller.
I was completely sucked in by the end of the first chapter. By completely sucked in I mean, at the end of the first chapter I set the book aside and told my husband we'd be having pizza for dinner that night because I planned to sit on the back porch and read straight through to the end of the last chapter. And that is exactly what I did! I could not put this book down, I walked around the house reading whenever I did have to get up and do something. It is very rare for me to be completely hooked by the first chapter of any book, but Connect the Dots starts out with such a powerful, life altering experience for the main character Charley, that I never had a chance. From there forward it is emotional, wild, exhilarating ride, that I couldn't put down or look away from even when the emotional aspects made me want to.
Which brings me to my next point about this book...before I read Connect the Dots, I never cried while reading a book. Not even at the end of a sad story that everyone else needed tissues to get through, I just never cried while reading books. It's just a strange thing about me, I enjoy books, I feel the emotions in them, I escape with them, but I almost never cry...I cried so much at one point while reading this book that I couldn't read through the tears and had to put the book down to compose myself. Then I sat there wondering how Denise had done that to me?! Like I said it is a powerfully emotional book and my hats off to Denise Robbins for being able to create characters and situations that people can relate to so strongly. It is not an easy thing to do. I read 20 books a month and while I enjoy most of them, it is unusual for characters to really get under my skin like they did in Connect the Dots.
Now that I have gone on & on about how much I cried. It is not a sad story per say
The story alternates between the two main character's points of view, Charley Duston, CIA Human Intelligence Operator and Jake Frisbie, Special Agent. Both Charley and Jake are keenly intelligent, incredibly down to earth, human characters.They are both crazy sexy, and outwardly perfect seeming, but throughout the story you discover they are actually flawed in the small ways we all are. They felt like 'real people' and if they were I would want to hang out with them as often as possible.
Charley's job title of CIA Human Intelligence Operator is just another way to say interrogator. However, she's not what you'd expect from a CIA interrogator. She has real compassion for human life and doesn't believe in torture tactics in interrogation. She subscribes to the school of thought that the key to gathering good intel is to be patient and gain the prisoners trust. To say that her philosophy on proper interrogation techniques is not popular is a huge understatement. Because she is like a human lie detector due to her training in the art of reading subtle body language, she is untouchable and the best they've got. I learned a lot about how each small gesture or raised eyebrow can speak volumes to someone who knows what they are looking at. Once she gets the information she wants from a prisoner she uses it along side information from other informants to connect the dots and show the bigger picture of what is really going on.
At the point when she meets her gorgeous and sexy new neighbor, Jake a lot of bad things have just happened in her life, to her and people she cares about. Because of the recent events she is determined to keep her distance from him for his own good, as well as hers. She doesn't feel like she could deal with having someone else's life endangered because of her problems. One of the ways she chooses to keep her distance is by not revealing to him who she really is and what she does for a living. Of course that plan in and of itself creates her first problem for keeping her distance because all that does is create a mysterious, beautiful woman that is irresistible to Jake. The second problem with her plan is that Jake is absolutely the sweetest, hottest and most infuriating man she has ever met and every time she turns around he's right there. Even when he's not there, he is all she can think about.
Jake has his own secrets and doesn't want anything to do with mysterious woman next door, no matter how beautiful she is. He just wants to relax, enjoy his vacation and keep his secrets to himself. However, as these things often go he can't stop thinking about her and the mystery of who and what she really is becomes too alluring. He knows there's something going on with Charley and he can't stand not knowing exactly what it is. Being a Special Agent he can't just leave well enough alone. He has to figure it out, no matter what the cost.
Bringing these two personalities together is like dropping a match into a powder-keg. When the explosion comes it is hot, steamy, loud and changes everything for both of them. The love scenes in this book were fantastic! One particular scene in the basement has become my favorite sex scene ever!!! The romance and sex in this book are done so well that it adds to the story, while taking nothing away from the overall intensity and seriousness of the subject matter. It happens naturally and flows with the story.
I really loved this book. It deals with some heavy subject matter, has intrigue, romance and even some humor to lighten the mood. I highly recommend this book, but I warn you - clear your calendar find a comfy spot to sit, grab a cooler and fill it with drinks, and surround yourself with food within easy reach, because you will not want to stop reading once you start.
Connect the Dots is fast paced and beautifully done. It will leave you thinking about it for days, weeks, even months after you've read it. I promise you'll look at things just a little different after you finish this book and you'll be glad you do.
February 26, 2010
Awesome story! Full of suspense, intrigue and steaminess. Complete review coming shortly!
Here it is:
The queen of techno thrillers, Denise Robbins, once again graces readers with her clever talent in Connect the Dots. This time it is the government, cover-ups, torture, secrets, terrorists and an intelligent woman who knows just how to connect the dots to find answers - answers to questions that were never meant to be answered.
There are secret "black sites" that are used to torture answers from terrorists, or anyone who gets in the way. Water boarding, shackling, sensory deprivation, beatings are just the beginning. These sites were once ordered to close down, however they never were and CIA Human Intelligence Operator Charley Duston soon is thrust into the center of it all.
When Charley comes home to find it deeply invested with "bugs" and a picture of her ex-boyfriend murdered, she is sent into hiding in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. A place that is thought to be safe and enable Charley to put together clues and use her tried and true method of connecting the dots to find and solve disturbing questions. It is at this secluded area that she meets Jake Frisbie, a secretive neighbor who is not all bad on the eyes - though perhaps bad on the heart.
It doesn't take long for sparks to fly between Charley and Jake and a whole lot of sizzle to ensue. While Jake tries to figure out just who this beautiful lady is and where she goes when she disappears in fancy limos, Charley is discovering new and unsettling information and comes home, to the cabin, to find a death threat. When she is not being shot at, her cabin is being torched. Time is running out and Charley's life is on the line. Can she connect the dots before it is too late or will making the connections cost her her life?
Connect the Dots is a wonderfully intense novel of suspense, thrills and some mega doses of sizzle added in. There truly is never a dull moment throughout the entire book, as Charley is constantly having her life attacked or her body ravaged. This is a book that will keep the reader reading long into the night with heart-pounding action and excitement. Connect the Dots also brings up the question of "what-if". What if this truly was going on in today's world, and chances are it is. As a matter of fact, Denise includes a list of "black sites" in the back of the book, which I found incredibly interesting and heart wrenching. The research that went into Connect the Dots is apparent and makes for an even deeper and engrossing read. As far as characterization goes, I truly have to say that Charley and Jake are one of my favorite couples. They quickly become life-like and jump right off the page, as you read and get to know them. Their chemistry is staggering and will send more than a few hearts pounding. In addition, Charley is strong, sassy and immensely likable.
To show the humor mixed in with the suspense, I wanted to share one of the laugh-out-loud excerpts that I loved:
Taken from page 32:
“You…you scared the daylights out of me,” she accused, waving the little white cloth in front of her face.
He opened his mouth, shut it, and then with great restraint, spoke. “I scared you? Lady, your screams nearly shaved ten years off my life. Definitely shrunk my gonads so high I’ll never get to use them again.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intensity and suspense is also in high gear throughout and here are a couple of excerpts that I thought captured those aspects well:
Taken from page 72:
After completing her interview reports, the hard job started. Charley followed up that information with wiring diagrams, or as she liked to refer to them as ‘connect-the-dots’ diagrams. Unlike children’s connect-the-dots pictures, which include numbers, human intelligence did not. Wiring diagrams linked events, places, and people to each other. Unfortunately, the information is not stored in a central terrorist database. It is widespread and poorly documented. Sitting with her feet propped up on her desk, fingering her plastic ‘Connect the Dots’ game, she focused on the research of open source data in order to complete her network operational wiring diagram on Vladimir Gerritt. Open source data came from the internet, newspaper reports, social networking sites, and magazine articles, anything that was readily available to everyone. The challenge was the ability to extract reliable information that aided in intelligence assumptions and plans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taken from pages 110 - 111:
“Please, please.”
Charley looked up and her gaze locked with the gray-eyed driver before metal banged against metal and she careened over the edge of the road. As the Jeep pitched forward, the seatbelt cut off her circulation and interfered with her breathing. She struggled to get the webbing unhooked. Pleaded for the material to give and fought the blackness that swam in her eyes.
“Not like this. Please, not like this.”
The Jeep shifted and she heard trees crack and the next thing Charley knew, she tumbled down, over, and down again. Then black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For those who love a great suspense book with great added sizzle, Connect the Dots is definitely a book not to miss!! I loved it and can't wait for Denise Robbins' next release Don't Tempt Danger to be released!
Here it is:
The queen of techno thrillers, Denise Robbins, once again graces readers with her clever talent in Connect the Dots. This time it is the government, cover-ups, torture, secrets, terrorists and an intelligent woman who knows just how to connect the dots to find answers - answers to questions that were never meant to be answered.
There are secret "black sites" that are used to torture answers from terrorists, or anyone who gets in the way. Water boarding, shackling, sensory deprivation, beatings are just the beginning. These sites were once ordered to close down, however they never were and CIA Human Intelligence Operator Charley Duston soon is thrust into the center of it all.
When Charley comes home to find it deeply invested with "bugs" and a picture of her ex-boyfriend murdered, she is sent into hiding in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. A place that is thought to be safe and enable Charley to put together clues and use her tried and true method of connecting the dots to find and solve disturbing questions. It is at this secluded area that she meets Jake Frisbie, a secretive neighbor who is not all bad on the eyes - though perhaps bad on the heart.
It doesn't take long for sparks to fly between Charley and Jake and a whole lot of sizzle to ensue. While Jake tries to figure out just who this beautiful lady is and where she goes when she disappears in fancy limos, Charley is discovering new and unsettling information and comes home, to the cabin, to find a death threat. When she is not being shot at, her cabin is being torched. Time is running out and Charley's life is on the line. Can she connect the dots before it is too late or will making the connections cost her her life?
Connect the Dots is a wonderfully intense novel of suspense, thrills and some mega doses of sizzle added in. There truly is never a dull moment throughout the entire book, as Charley is constantly having her life attacked or her body ravaged. This is a book that will keep the reader reading long into the night with heart-pounding action and excitement. Connect the Dots also brings up the question of "what-if". What if this truly was going on in today's world, and chances are it is. As a matter of fact, Denise includes a list of "black sites" in the back of the book, which I found incredibly interesting and heart wrenching. The research that went into Connect the Dots is apparent and makes for an even deeper and engrossing read. As far as characterization goes, I truly have to say that Charley and Jake are one of my favorite couples. They quickly become life-like and jump right off the page, as you read and get to know them. Their chemistry is staggering and will send more than a few hearts pounding. In addition, Charley is strong, sassy and immensely likable.
To show the humor mixed in with the suspense, I wanted to share one of the laugh-out-loud excerpts that I loved:
Taken from page 32:
“You…you scared the daylights out of me,” she accused, waving the little white cloth in front of her face.
He opened his mouth, shut it, and then with great restraint, spoke. “I scared you? Lady, your screams nearly shaved ten years off my life. Definitely shrunk my gonads so high I’ll never get to use them again.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intensity and suspense is also in high gear throughout and here are a couple of excerpts that I thought captured those aspects well:
Taken from page 72:
After completing her interview reports, the hard job started. Charley followed up that information with wiring diagrams, or as she liked to refer to them as ‘connect-the-dots’ diagrams. Unlike children’s connect-the-dots pictures, which include numbers, human intelligence did not. Wiring diagrams linked events, places, and people to each other. Unfortunately, the information is not stored in a central terrorist database. It is widespread and poorly documented. Sitting with her feet propped up on her desk, fingering her plastic ‘Connect the Dots’ game, she focused on the research of open source data in order to complete her network operational wiring diagram on Vladimir Gerritt. Open source data came from the internet, newspaper reports, social networking sites, and magazine articles, anything that was readily available to everyone. The challenge was the ability to extract reliable information that aided in intelligence assumptions and plans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taken from pages 110 - 111:
“Please, please.”
Charley looked up and her gaze locked with the gray-eyed driver before metal banged against metal and she careened over the edge of the road. As the Jeep pitched forward, the seatbelt cut off her circulation and interfered with her breathing. She struggled to get the webbing unhooked. Pleaded for the material to give and fought the blackness that swam in her eyes.
“Not like this. Please, not like this.”
The Jeep shifted and she heard trees crack and the next thing Charley knew, she tumbled down, over, and down again. Then black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For those who love a great suspense book with great added sizzle, Connect the Dots is definitely a book not to miss!! I loved it and can't wait for Denise Robbins' next release Don't Tempt Danger to be released!
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