Undercover

The Surgical Strike Unit #0.5

by Vanessa Kier

In his quest for vengeance, he’s turned himself into a criminal…

Niko Andros has burned for revenge since the day his father was paralyzed in a drive-by-shooting ordered by Mexican crime lord Jaime Alvarez. Knowing that the best way to take down his family’s age-old enemy is from within, Niko turns himself into a criminal, then accepts a job within Alvarez's criminal organization.

Jaime Alvarez gloats over the way he’s manipulated Niko into turning his back on the law abiding Andros family. He believes that each illegal, dishonorable act Niko is forced to commit binds him tighter to the criminal life. Trusting that Niko will never risk his own freedom, or give up his growing power, by betraying Alvarez, the crime lord rapidly promotes Niko.

Despite the lip service he pays to his boss, Niko has never forgotten his purpose—to put Alvarez behind bars. He might no longer be an honorable man that his family can be proud of, but Niko will risk everything in order to make certain that Alvarez never hurts his family again. Even if Niko has to go down with him.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Military Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Suspense

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

Vanessa Kier spends way too much time thinking up ways she can torture her characters. A worst-case scenario thinker, she's been creating stories in her head since childhood. Now she’s found her niche in writing romantic thrillers that combine intense emotion with action-packed plots. The author of six books in The Surgical Strike Unit series about a privately run special operations group, she has set her new series WAR in West Africa, where she lived for a time.

When she’s not writing, listening to music, or playing puzzle games on her mobile device, Vanessa writes the occasional Tech Talk column for her local RWA chapter's newsletter and takes long hikes in the nearby hills.

Reviews

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story is a prequel to the SSU series. It's a bit jumpy, spanning several years in a short amount of pages. We get quite a look at the events that make Niko who he is, but get no inkling of his significant other until the preview at the end of the book. I found this story rather interesting, enough to purchase the next book in the series. I'll be able to know once I read that if this is more of a standalone or if it's enhancements are essential to that story.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Tina J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the "Surgical Strike Unit" books are the only books written by Ms Kier thus far, she is truly one of my 10 Ten must-read authors. I was thrilled to learn that she'd expanded her SSU series to include three in-between novellas.

Undercover is a short, insightful snippet into the history of what forged Nikolos Andros's steely demeanor and pure hatred of Jaime Alvarez. Undercover leaves off directly in front of Vengeance's beginning.

[Speed · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an introduction to a series! This is a short story and prequel to Vengeance and it gives a very good back story of the Andros vs Ramirez rivalry. Very well written and greatly detailed without being cumbersome. Loved the action and cannot wait to read Vengeance and read more about Nikolos and his heroine in that story, Jenna. Loved it!

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just enough to whet your interest

so the prequel has done it job, although not sure many would have that much revenge to go thru with it