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Risky Research #3

A Foundation of Fear

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FBI Special Agent Devyn Nash is obsessed with taking down Coterie, a deadly group out to control the multi-billion-dollar-a-year diet-product industry. The FBI's plan to expose Coterie places Devyn's best friend and her partner's fiancé in the crosshairs of this ruthless organization. Can Devyn protect her friend and bring the coldblooded killers to justice before they strike again while distracted by injury, a sexist bully, and a long-distance relationship with a handsome Wyoming sheriff? Lobbyist and Coterie assassin Sofia Wilks wants nothing more than to regain control of her life. Sofia knows Devyn is nipping at her heels, but the FBI agent isn't the worst of her fears. She is drawn to a man who has the power to destroy her.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2019

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7 people want to read

About the author

Kim McMahill

29 books90 followers
Kim McMahill started out writing nonfiction, but her passion for adventure, stories of survival against the odds, and speculating about the future of humanity and our planet, soon turned her attention towards fiction. She has published eleven novels, over eighty travel and human-interest articles, and contributed to a travel story anthology. Growing up in a beautiful mountain west community, traveling the world, and enjoying a twenty-year career with the National Park Service, has given her the opportunity to live in amazing places, experience incredible adventures, and witness many changes in our world, all of which have helped shape her stories.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for N.N. Heaven.
Author 6 books2,133 followers
June 28, 2019
Coterie assassin Sofia Wilks senses her world is about to come crashing down. Her assistant’s been murdered and Sofia is unsure who to trust. She must play the hand Coterie hands her but is her neck the next to be broken? Or worse yet, will they hand her over to the FBI and Agent Nash?



Devyn Nash is still recovering from her injuries yet pushes the pain aside to get the upper hand and bring down Coterie. The plan not only is dangerous but puts Devyn’s partner and his fiancée in the hands of a deadly assassin. Can she bring down this lethal group powerful men and women while keeping those she cares about safe? Or is this the last case of FBI Special Agent Nash illustrious career?



I’ve read each book in the Risky Research series and in A Foundation of Fear, the risks couldn’t be higher. Devyn is more determined than ever to bring down Coterie and she’ll even put others' lives in jeopardy to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. The stakes are high and it just adds to the level of trepidation I experienced while reading this book. As a suspense junkie, I loved it.



There are plenty of action scenes, right from the first page, and you’re left wondering what will happen next. The story is told from a couple POVs but that’s where it gets interesting. One of the POVs is from the assassin and I personally found it addictive to be inside their head. Kim McMahill creates sympathy for a killer and that is difficult to accomplish.



Why is this a five-star review? The characters are fleshed out, even the baddies, and there’s an air of authenticity surrounding them. On some level, I connected with each character, even the assassin. The plot moves at a fast pace and the adrenaline rush is sublime. The romance is still present and offers a nice reprieve from the suspense. Devyn is one of my favorite characters in recent years. Her strength lies in her abilities and her intelligence which reminds me think of Eve Dallas.



If you’re a fan of J. D. Robb’s In Death series, try Kim McMahill’s Risky Research series. Each book is a standalone but it reads better when read in order. Highly recommend!



My Rating: 5 stars



Reviewed by: Mrs. N



This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
Profile Image for Bonnie McCune.
Author 10 books35 followers
July 20, 2019
Not Everything Sweet Is Sugar or Good for You: In the third of her romantic suspense series, Risky Research, author Kim McMahill brings back her FBI special agent Devyn Nash, this volume set in Colorado and Washington, D.C. Not much time for romance regardless of the setting though, as Devyn and her new female best friend Morgan, recently affianced to former hubby and Devyn’s partner Nick, battle the evil-doers involved in Coterie, a crime ring pushing a dangerous and lethal sugar substitute. One couple has already been stuck in the mixture and may lose the family business because of it. But in a tasty if sticky concoction of evil, both murder and mayhem swell to ever-growing inundations, threatening to drown the innocent and the guilty in intrigues unimaginable and certainly uncontrollable by the good guys. Sofia, a magnificently evil protagonist whose incredible facility with disguises has enabled her to wreak havoc even as she suffers pangs of conscience, finally turns to another super-villain J.R. to rescue her, leaving us eager to see them in action in a subsequent book. But will Devyn ever gain the love she so richly deserves from Wyoming cowboy Gage? That, too, will have to wait for resolution, as Nick, Morgan, and Devyn battle to save most of the good guys rather than indulging in sweet nothings. The plot is replete with enough twists and turns for the sneaky, the rich, the shallow, the brilliant, the evil, each to flavor the brew, as well as set up reader anticipation for the next adventure.

Profile Image for Abby.
34 reviews
August 7, 2019
*•*ARC copy was provided by netgalley.*•*
•I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.•

FBI , corrupt senator, dangerous criminal group, dead bodies , pharmaceutical companies, love and MONEY.

This book seems like it for everything anyone could want!! But sadly it just didn’t do it for me :(

It was very hard to follow along. the book jumps from one person to another consistently and gets confusing! Also this book just didn’t do it for me in the romance department.
Sadly I tried and tried but I couldn’t finish it! I very rarely leave a book unfinished but I just couldn’t get into it I made it half way before I had to put it down. Maybe if you make it farther than me it will be much more enjoyable.
Profile Image for Victoria.
Author 10 books14 followers
June 14, 2019
Nick and Devin are closing in on Coterie that is trying to control the diet industry. Another mysterious death and more dead ends in their investigation find them looking into the possibility that Senator Grant is involved.
When Nick’s fiancé offers to help by attending a fund raiser, it seems safe enough, but the evening becomes dangerous. The wide-spread grip of the Coterie gets too close to home.
Fast paced and hard to put down, Ms. McMahill delivers another great novel in the continuing Risky Research series.
Profile Image for Judy Baker.
Author 23 books13 followers
November 3, 2019
FBI agents Nick and Devyn are closing in on a multi-billion dollar group called Coterie. A great read of mysterious deaths, murder, danger and even some romance. The story line grew more suspenseful moving forward. I must admit I would be interested in knowing the outcome of Sofia and the villain, J.R.
7,766 reviews50 followers
March 12, 2020
FBI plans to expose Coterie, Sophie wants her life back. Her assistant was murdered, who to trust. There was a deadly group who wanted the diet company and willing to keep killing to get it. Good plot and the audio added to the suspense. You could hear the fear of emotion in Sophia from the narrator. Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Profile Image for Brodiebert.
183 reviews
April 23, 2021
Unfortunately this book wasn't as good as the first two. Sofia's constant dithering as to whether or not she could trust J.R. became boring. The romance between Gage and Devyn felt rushed at the end and could have benefited from more in person time with the two characters. The book badly needed an editor to cut out the fat and fix the many errors.
Profile Image for Emily Yager.
Author 10 books88 followers
August 16, 2019
This story has a lot going for it. A fast-paced thriller that keeps you hooked through all the corruption and suspense and a bit of romance, all while staying a clean read. While not my favorite romantic thriller, it was still an enjoyable read and I recommend that you check it out.
Profile Image for Jasmine.
1,294 reviews43 followers
June 1, 2020
Their lives or more intertwined than they know...

I'm going to start off this review by saying that I made a big mistake in listening to this audiobook. Not for the reasons you might automatically think but because I didn't realize A Foundation Of Fear was the third book in the Risky Research series. Trust me, the books in this series are not standalone. Because of that I spent more time trying to understand what was going on than I did actually just enjoying the story. Don't get me wrong, as a suspense novel it wasn't too bad at all, and as an audiobook it was pretty good. I just had no clue who was who and what was going on.

This is the first book that I've read by Kim McMahill but I have a couple more so it certainly won't be the last. But, I have to tell you something, this is the first time that I ever remember liking a villain and almost sympathizing more than I did with the heroine. It was a totally weird feeling but I think it shows a fascinating facet of this particular author's writing style. Hey, with all of the books I read each year it's kinda nice to be caught off guard once in awhile.

As I mentioned I did listen to A Foundation Of Fear as an audiobook. I felt that overall the production quality was pretty good and did justice to Kim McMahill's novel. The narrator's voice was a good match for the characters and easy to listen to. While, I did make the mistake of listening to book 3 first I do know that I am now pretty curious about how and where it all started...

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
8 reviews
Read
May 28, 2019
As with all of her books, I have a hard time putting them down -- just want to read cover-to-cover! Interesting and engaging stories with romance but not blatant sex -- love it!

When is the next book due????
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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