Deadly Target

SCVC Taskforce #7

by Misty Evans

Can he protect her from becoming the killer’s last, and ultimate, target?

Good Catholic girls stay out of trouble, but when your father is a hitman for the mafia, trouble comes looking for you. Worlds collide in this mafia romance, the ninth book in the SCVC Taskforce Romantic Suspense Series by USA Today Bestselling Author Misty Evans.

West Coast FBI Director Victor Dupé’s personal mission is to stand up to bullies and protect the weak. Being a powerful leader, though, has its drawbacks – he must keep his own vulnerable side hidden and not let anyone get too close. He aces that every day, until the first moment he meets Olivia Fiorelli and realizes he’s found someone worth the risk of opening his heart to.

US Marshall Olivia Fiorelli has only one goal in life – destroy organized crime. Doing so might help her sleep at night and alleviate the guilt she feels over the murders her hitman father has committed. Running a dangerous undercover sting leads her to Victor Dupé’s doorstep – and sets a deadly plot into motion.

As their explosive desire erupts, the two race against a killer who hides in the shadows, viciously taking his personal revenge on Victor and those closest to him. The director has finally found someone worth holding on to, but will Olivia become the killer’s last, and ultimate, target?


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Books in the SCVC Taskforce series:

Deadly Pursuit – Cooper and Celina
Deadly Deception – Thomas and Ronni
Deadly Force – Cal and Bianca (aka Beatrice in SEALs of Shadow Force)
Deadly Intent – Nelson and Sophia
Deadly Affair – Cooper and Celina novella
Deadly Attraction – Mitch and Emma
Deadly Secrets – Roman and Brooke
Deadly Holiday – Cooper and Celina novella
Deadly Target - Victor and Olivia
Deadly Rescue - Cooper and Celina novella Fall 2018

Books in the SEALs of Shadow Force Series:

Fatal Truth – Trace and Savanna
Fatal Honor – Miles and Charlotte
Fatal Courage – Jax and Ruby
Fatal Love – Cal and Beatrice; Connor and Sabrina
Fatal Vision – Colton and Shelby; Connor and Sabrina
Fatal Thrill – Jon and Jaya
Risk – Noah and Jena

Books in the Super Agent Series:

Operation Sheba – Con and Julia
Operation Paris – Lawson and Zara
Operation Proof of Life – Michael and Brigit

SCVC Taskforce: Under the supervision of Cooper “The Beast” Harris, the agents of the San Diego Southern Violent Crimes Taskforce risk their lives every day against drug kingpins, gunrunners, and terrorists. Some of them fall in love along the way.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Suspense

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2018

About the author

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Misty Evans is celebrating her 100th published novel in 2025. She loves writing urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and mystery/suspense. Under her pen name, Nyx Halliwell, she also writes supernatural cozy mysteries.

When not reading or writing (which is most of the time), she enjoys music, movies, and hanging out with her husband, twin sons, and three spoiled rescue dogs. She’s a crafter at heart and has far too many projects to finish.

Visit www.mistyevansbooks.com to check out her online store and sign up for her newsletter.

Reviews

[Elisa]

Victor and Olivia... If you have been a fan of the Southern California Violet Crimes Taskforce books since the beginning like me Victors story has been a long time coming but so worth the wait.

Talk about action packed from the outset and quite emotional too, this was a fantastic fast-paced story with great intrigue and mystery surrounding both of our major players Victor and Olivia and it would take both of them trusting and loving each other completely to work it all out and find the right puzzle pieces that fit together just right.

[Jo-Ann Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 7th book of the series. I read one of the other series first. I would start with this series if I were a new reader.

If you want to read what the book is about, read above the reviews.

This book is based upon a group of alphabet agencies working together as teammates who fall in love while working cases.

Our hero has been introduced in more than one of the other books in this series. He seems stubborn, headstrong and determined. Also, he’s finding he wants to be with the heroine no matter what which is unusual for him. He hates bullies and he’ll protect them until he’s dead, but he’s to show no weakness and won’t allow anyone close except the heroine seems to be sliding under all of them.
Our heroine we met in the smaller novella before this one. Her passion in life is to destroy organized crime which comes from her father who is part of it. However, he’s in jail where he can’t hurt anyone. You know you are having a really bad week when your father is released from jail, you’re warned at work for bringing a dog to work, and your partner get shot and you almost die yourself. However, it’s still hard for her to trust anyone because of her father and his lies.

The plot is good and you don’t really know where you will be led next. This makes it different and some instances I had to go back and reread it only because there was so much going on and so much information it started to make my head spin.

You could tell the author loved this couple and this showed in the writing. I didn’t want to put this one down but I did only because I had to get up the next morning. One of the best books in the series.

[Elizabeth Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Disclaimer: This couple initially met in Deadly Holiday, a series novella featuring previous couples.**

Victor, the West Coast FBI Director, met and was intrigued by Olivia at a charity gathering over the holidays. That was an intense meeting for numerous meetings, one of those being the connection they made. Victor, being a man in a powerful position, knows he has guard himself, not allowing others to see the softer side of him, but he doesn't have to hide that from her.

But she's hiding plenty from him. First, her family, and their unsavory past. Second, her and Victor meeting wasn't exactly a coincidence. Since getting to know him though, she's sure of his innocence, she just needs to prove it.

Olivia is determined to rid her city of organized crime, including those of her family that are a part of it, however, doing so puts a target on her back, and that of those close to her...including Victor.

What happens when he learns Olivia's truths? Can he understand her motives? Will he believe that her feelings are real? How will Olivia react when Victor's past reappears? And is somehow tied up in her case? Will Olivia and the others survive this case? Is a HEA possible for them?

One-click now and follow along as two people, despite a less than honest introduction, discover a love that will conquer anything.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

[Niken Widyastuti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Dupe finally got his own book. He met his match in Olivia Viorelli. An interesting pair that perfectly match.

This was a very fast-paced book, explosive right from the start, and wasn’t let go for the rest of the book. Both from suspense and romance side, all were explosive, heartfelt and gripping. This was a kind of book that you wouldn’t put down, yet you need to do it once or twice to take a breather. It was that intense.

As with most this kind of series, stories of a group, there were lots of characters involved. Sometime I need to think which one was which. But maybe it’s only because I can’t remember names well enough. Aside from that, I truly recommend you to read this book, and enjoy the roller-coaster ride.

I was provided a complementary copy by the author / publisher, but this in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 9/20/18.

OMG, this book--I was pretty much unable to put it down during the last 25% or so--So. Much. Was. Going. On. It had me literally on the edge of my seat waiting to see how things were going to end up. (Spoiler alert: it ended well. Eventually. But there was a whole lot of not-so-well going on before that and things looked pretty dicey for many, many, many pages...)

Victor and Olivia are a great couple, convenient interruptions that kept happening every time she planned to "come clean" to him and all ;) Throw in Taz, the dog Victor's "watching" (yeah, that dog isn't going anywhere, ever--he's theirs now) and really, I'm not sure what more you could want from the protagonists of a romantic suspense. Ms. Evans kept ratcheting the drama and suspense up throughout the book--and the sexy times weren't too bad either ;)

There was a whole lot going on here--both Olivia (a US Marshall) and Victor (West Coast FBI Director) have many coworkers/associates and a lot of cases/concerns going on, many of which (but not all) are connected to the main suspense plot--and at times I had to stop and remind myself of details (who was that again? and what were they doing there, exactly?). I haven't read all of the other series books (yet!) so there were times that I did feel a bit lost (there's a Mitch in the Justice Team books, and he's one of my favorite characters so I kept forgetting that wasn't him here...) but I still really enjoyed the story.

If you've read all the other series books, though, you're sure to love this one :)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Amy R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to hold on for this blockbuster of a hit with Deadly Target by Misty Evans. I know this book isn't on the big screen but it sure should be. I felt like I just watched an intense movie that had me covering my eyes at some scenes and yelling at the characters during another. Evans delivers an emotional, complex, exhilarating story that will have you glued to the pages so you don't miss a thing. In addition to all the betrayal that is going on in Deadly Target, we are also in the midst of a passionate love story between the two main characters...and perhaps another. It's got everything I love in a good book.

When I have to set a book down because a scene is just about to get real and my emotions can't quite handle the upcoming action or raw emotion, I consider it a job well done. The fact that Deadly Target could affect my emotions to the point I had to take a break, speaks volumes of Evans' story telling ability. I love that I am affect physically when I read this book. Deadly Target made heart beat quicker, tears in my eyes threaten to overflow because of what I was reading. It's that good.

Victor Dupe is the Director of the west coast FBI and Olivia Fiorelli is a US Marshal, who introduced to us in Deadly Holiday. They are a couple that you instantly love from the beginning. Their interactions are easy going and the chemistry is off the charts between these two. Evans does a fantastic job with their love story and I am so glad that Victor finally gets his love story!

If you are looking for an intriguing, sexy, romantic suspense, give Deadly Target a read. It stands alone, so if you haven't read any of the other SCVC Taskforce books, you won't be missing anything. And if you have read the other books in the series, you definitely won't want to miss this one!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another action-packed read from Misty Evans that delivers on both the romance and the suspense!

It was only a matter of time before Victor Dupé met his match, and his time has come! Victor has always been the rock of the SCVC Taskforce. He considers his team his family, so it’s no surprise that he takes things personally when someone starts gunning for them. Olivia Fiorelli has based every move in her life around being able to take down organized crime syndicates. When her US Marshall path leads her to Victor, the lines get blurred between the job and her heart, and there’s one thing she knows for sure…it’s that her head is on board with what her heart wants – and what it wants is Victor.

These two were so perfect for each other. There’s a whole bunch of things that are standing in the way of their happy ever after, but I loved the trust that each put in the other, especially when it came to their jobs. Victor doesn’t hesitate when he needs Olivia’s help, and Olivia doesn’t think twice when getting involved and supporting Victor and his team. And as the mystery unravels and the case has some twists and turns, watching these two navigate their way through the suspects and players kept me on the edge of my seat. And watching Olivia jump in to take care of Victor’s dog Taz – even going so far as to take him to work and “disguise” him as a police dog – made me love Olivia even more.

It was great to see so many of the SCVC Taskforce members again – even though it wasn’t always under the best of circumstances. And I loved meeting Victor’s family – his mother and sisters were so much fun! And even Olivia’s hitman father gained a bit of redemption in my eyes – there’s nothing like a father’s love for his daughter, even if that father murders people for a living!

Even though this is book 7 in a series, it can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend starting the series in the beginning since there is an overall series arc and keeping all the players straight can be a little bit confusing at times. The action keeps the book moving, and even though things happen fast, the plot unravels at a great pace to really enjoy the mystery surrounding the attacks and the romance between Victor and Olivia.

As I’ve said before, Misty Evans is a must read for any romantic suspense lover – make that any lover of romance or a lover of suspense!

[Judyrudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Target is the seventh book in Misty Evans’ Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce series. I absolutely loved this book and read it one sitting. The story was fast faced, filled with action and suspense along with lots of dialogue. Even though Ms. Evan’s provides a list of characters at the beginning of the book, I found myself having to remember who was who. Outside of that, I loved Victor’s story.

Victor Dupȇ is the Director of the West Coast FBI. Out of nowhere, his team is being hunted. One of his best team members is openly shot in front of his family, another with close ties to his team is lost due to a car bomb…All of this happens in the opening scenes. Be prepared, this story is fast paced. So much action and adventure.

US Deputy Marshall Olivia Fiorelli is well known herself. She not only works for the government fighting crime she comes from a crime family herself and she has her own secrets.

While Victor and Olivia fight to uncover who is responsible for all of the violence, will the secrets that she’s holding close be revealed? If so, will she and Victor survive them?

Deadly Target is a fantastic addition to Ms. Evans’ Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce. I highly recommend reading it along with the other books in the series.

[Linda Quick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner! This is fast paced romantic suspense at its best! Olivia is a US Marshal (and mafia princess) investigating organized crime as well as Victor, the head of the SCVC. Before long, someone is trying to take out members of Victor's team, which leads to overlap between Victor's and Olivia's investigations. They begin working together on them, yet each still holding a bit back. Add in a slippery lawyer/hitman who fancies himself in love with Olivia and you have all the ingredients for a great book.

This is a stand alone novel, however, it is filled with depth and builds on characters and circumstances revealed in prior books. So, while you'll enjoy this one on its own, you will love it so much more if you've read the prior books....and they're so good that you really owe it to yourself to read them.

I loved the characters and learning more about Victor's and Olivia's stories - and I loved Taz!!! This is a must read for fans of the genre. The author is on my must read authors' list.

[Yvonne Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is part of a series by this talented author. It’s filled with suspense , lots of actions, a large cast of secondary characters, an array of government agencies, the mafia, the drug cartel and romance.
I have to confess, that if you are new to the series or have only read a couple of the books in it, at times it might be overwhelming. Especially when you are trying to figure out who they are, what part they play and what agency , cartel or mafia they belong to.
But hang on , by mid story it picks up and the pieces fall in place.
The main characters , VIctor Dupe, and Olivia are complex characters and though their method of doing their jobs might seem contrary, they are in fact a good match. A strong , caring, and honorable man , and a strong , confident woman make the plot interesting.
I was entrusted this copy. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Dawn Cruikshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Target

OMG! What an explosive story. We finally got to read Victor's story with Olivia. What a lot of plots and twists to this story. If course, one should never believe a hitman but he was seemingly convincing in some parts. He was a twisted man thinking he could make Olivia love him. It's unfortunate that lives were lost but with Victor's taskforce, that is to be expected. The sex scenes were basically elusive enough that the reader could use their imagination. Once the threats were neutralized, Victor thought he lost Olivia since she wasn't returning his calls or texts but then she shows up to his party and professes her love to him. I am happy that these two found their happily ever after. FANTASTIC job Misty! I would highly recommend this book.

[Cricket · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The storyline pulls you right in, the characters, amount of detail and the plot twists keep you turning the pages.
Victor is the director of the West Coast F.B.I and Olivia or "Liv" is a deputy US Marshal.
Liv has one goal and that is shutting down organized crime on the West coast.
When one of Victors agents is shot in what looks like an attempted hit, set up by an organized crime boss Victor and Liv join forces to try to find out who contracted the hit and who the shooter was.
This one is a page-turner, it has it all Action, Suspense, Love, humor, humor and one loveable dog named Taz

[Mary Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Target
Misty Evans
A hard to put down book that kept you riveted to turning page after page.
One of the best in the series.
Olivia wants to destroy the Mafia, but has a hard time with the fact that her father was a Mafia hitman. As a US Marshal, she toes the straight and narrow. Sent to investigate the West Coast FBI Director, Victor, to see if he is crooked, her life becomes very confusing. Can she and Victor work against time and solve not only the crime, but their life issues?
A roller coaster of a read to find out!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner by Misty Evans. I just gobbled this one right up. It's packed full action and suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved Victor and Olivia together. So much chemistry between them and enjoyed their banter. I love this series because each book just keeps getting better. Plus I love seeing how the previous characters are doing. I completely invested in these characters. There were moments in this one that caused my heart to clench with the events that were unfolding, but no worries Misty didn't let me down. I highly recommend this series!

[Linda Rimer-Como · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed story filled with mystery, suspense, deceit and plenty of sexual chemistry. The characters are strong individuals with powerful interactions throughout. Olivia and Victor have demons in their past but together they can learn to overcome anything. Talented author, great story, a must read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book; all opinions expressed are my own.

[Kelly A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series by Misty Evans. She writes exciting, twisty, romantic suspense. This book, like her others in this series, brings in many of the characters from her previous books. They are one big family and Misty makes you feel like you are part of their lives and enjoy having them pop in and out of future books in this series. They just continue getting better and better.

[lindel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readable but not enjoyable

Too many characters that had no real place in the story. And a bunch of unnecessary side plots that made for a confusing mess. Didn't connect with the characters or the story.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

This book has a lot of twists and turns and various groups that were hard to follow in places. But the suspense, characters, and romance were good. Entertaining.

[Glenda Bettin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book , loved this couple together

[Debbie Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book loaded with suspense, action and romance.

[Sharon]

Purchased in epub format from Barnes and Noble for my Nook.

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadly Target is the perfect book for Misty Evans’s 50th release. This seventh full length novel in the SCVC Taskforce is my favorite one yet. Focusing on taskforce director Victor Dupre, Deadly Target brings back U.S. Marshal, Olivia Fiorelli who we first met in the dramatic Christmas novella, Deadly Holiday.
When one of our beloved SCVC agents is gunned down in front of his wife and daughter, the friends from several departments pull together to await the doctor’s verdict and to plan the counter attack on the person who attempted the assassination. Olivia believes that one of her confidential informants may be able to offer insight into the shooters identify.
Outstanding characters, fast paced plot, and wonderful interpersonal relationships make the series and this book a sure winner for anyone who loves high quality romantic suspense.
I was thrilled to be ask to beta read a book in a series that I love. Deadly Target is a prime example of the outstanding writing the Misty Evans always brings us.

[Fay Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misty Evans

Choose Deadly Target because Misty Evans wrote it. I haven't read any of her work that is well planned & written.