September Summer

by Virginia Babcock

FBI agent, Mitch Harper, is trying to keep a domestic terrorist, Michael Gooding, from blowing up anymore U.S. targets in the summer of 2001. The FBI’s computers are breached, so Gooding knows the names of the active agents and all of their travel plans for the next six months. Gooding has set three of his planned ten bombs. Mitch and his team are desperately trying to stop Gooding from setting off the rest. His only weakness is beautiful women, but he knows the identity of all the female FBI agents. Jenny Johnson is doing all she can to manage her college class load while working full time for the IRS to pay the bills. Because she’s a federal employee who happens to have a summer itinerary that matches Michael Gooding’s known plans, the FBI taps her as bait, hoping to catch Gooding in time. Jenny is the woman Mitch has always wanted. Mitch looks like the man of Jenny’s dreams, despite his bossy, perfectionist attitude. As the next bombing date approaches, Jenny pushes Mitch’s buttons as he tries to remain professional and train her to survive the mission. Will the FBI be able to corner Gooding in time? What will happen to Jenny? This is no time for love to interrupt a mission.

467 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[Steve Lindahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

September Summer is an interesting read about an FBI task force working to capture a terrorist who is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty. This brilliant lunatic taunts the force perusing him and leaves clues concerning his next targets, appearing to enjoy the thrill of his bombing as part of a cat and mouse game. He kills many innocent people while pursuing his insane attempts to change world politics, but he also has legitimate rationalizations for his anger. Among these are America's “...addiction to fossil fuels and the way the entire nation polluted the world.” Combining real issues with berserk actions creates a complex, interesting villain.

The novel also includes a romance between Jenny, a young woman recruited to help the task force and one of the FBI agents. This relationship displays some very immature and thoughtless actions on both their parts, which make it seem real. Yet it also develops some unique and beautiful ways of connecting, including an intimate discussion during which they share their spiritual beliefs. That was one of my favorite parts of the novel.

I recommend September Summer for readers who enjoy romance and action with lots of detail and complex characters.

Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul, White Horse Regressions, Hopatcong Vision Quest, and Under a Warped Cross

[Robert Williscroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

September Summer is a well written political thriller that will keep your attention unless you are one of those odd creatures who doesn’t like politics or thrillers. We have an FBI task force with Mitch Harper and friends and colleagues, and terrorist bomber Michael Gooding, with enough money and smarts to give the FBI a run for its money. Gooding plays a cat-and-mouse game, leading the task force on with hints and clues. The task force knows Gooding’s schedule and, because of a computer system breach, Gooding knows not only the task force schedule, but the names and other information of most of the players.

Mitch brings Jenny Johnson into the mix as bait, but promptly falls in love with her. Their romance sets a backdrop to the chase, and the sometimes love-crossed behavior of both Mitch and Jenny complicate the issues.

Author Babcock weaves into the plot political events that took place during the timeframe of the story. She also uses the characters to lay topics on the table with which the reader might or might not agree, but she does not preach.

I recommend this book to any political thriller junkie – you will not be disappointed. If you like romances, give it a try; I think you will like it. If you just want to read a good novel, you could do a lot worse.

[Jeannie Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I love ❤️ romance and this book September Summer was a great book for that. The story is about a FBI agent named Mitch. He’s a touch guy who you start to connect with. He has a sweet side to him and he loves Jenny. Even though he wants to change politics and kills a whole bunch of people, I loved the love story within.
Virginia entangles you with her smooth writing skills as she unfolds this great story. A great Summer read that keeps you in the edge of your emotions wanting to find out what is going to happen. Great job Virginia. Look forward to your next books. Love that ROMANCE

[Justin Alcala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book by Babcock and I’ll be coming back for more. Our author takes you into a high stakes political adventure. Mitch Harper his hunting an elusive bomber. The manhunt has been going back-and-forth with very few leads. Little do they know, because of a computer breach, they’ll never hunt him down unless they get help. In comes Jenny Johnson, a lure to draw out the bomber. The two investigators develop a relationship that only complicates the hunt for their terrorist. With twists and turns from there, you’ll be reading on the edge of your seat until you reach the final chapter. Great read!

[Vickie Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a seemingly unstoppable terrorist threatens the United States government, Mitch Harper and Jenny Johnson are called upon to stop him. They were prepared for danger but unexpectedly find love. One of the most compelling parts of September Summer is Gooding, a very intriguing villain who is able to bring very real stakes to the narrative. If you like action packed political thrillers, this is the book for you.