An undercover operation gone bad
Alex has done it again! I think this installment is far and away my favorite of the series (up to this point). The tension and desperation as Emily, Liam, and the others search for Zara was all-consuming.
Zara is in her first official undercover operation, but her cover’s been blown. She’s at the mercy of a twisted zealot hell-bent on destroying the financial backbone of the US economy. Emily, Liam, Agents Sandel and Kane, as well as a small team from the ATF are tasked with finding the terrorist. But can they find him before he kills Zara?
Emily’s desperation was a palpable force throughout this whole book. She’s not realized, until now, how much she relies on Zara’s constant support and unwavering friendship. For a lone wolf like Emily, such bonds are exceedingly rare. Her relationship with Liam is approaching a similar level, but the thought of losing Zara is more than she can bear.
Emily is not a perfect agent. She makes mistakes. She acts impulsively. She’s driven by her gut. Does she always make the right choice? Not at all. But that’s part of what makes her relatable. Even if the decisions she makes aren’t the ones we, as readers, would opt for they’re still understandable and true to Emily.
As I’ve noted in reviews of prior books from the series, Emily’s personal & emotional growth is what keeps me invested in the series. And boy oh boy does she have some big revelations here. Watching her interactions with her boss, Wallace, and the two agents (Sandel & Kane) she thought were sent to monitor her & report back to Wallace, we see her take huge strides toward trust and accountability. All this while engaged in a nail-biting manhunt! It was stellar.