Twice A Target

Task Force Eagle #3

by Susan Vaughan

He doesn’t want a woman he can’t trust, and she doesn’t want a man who won’t let himself trust her.

DEA Agent Holt Donovan’s mission to trap Mexican cartel kingpin El Águila ends in a disastrous gunfight. Before the task force can regroup, the death of Holt’s younger brother and sister-in-law in a car crash sends him home to run the family’s debt-burdened Colorado ranch and raise his infant nephew. Grief-stricken and suspicious, he sets out to prove the crash was no accident but murder. He has to fend off a custody suit by the baby’s grandparents and needs child-care help in a big way, but not from the pampered female who jilted his brother eight years ago.

Enter Maddy McCoy, Holt’s first love and his brother’s ex-fiancée. Emailed by a friend about the deaths, she arrives to offer condolences. The world-traveling photographer never expected to return to Colorado but couldn’t resist returning to the Rockies, the only real home she ever had and to the man she never forgot. Holt taunts her about her past defection and her jet-set ways until her grief over his brother’s death makes him back off. Looking to Maddy for help is Holt’s last resort and he expects her to bolt at any time, but he asks her to stay on as nanny. Burned out from covering too many starving children and refugees, short on funds, and stranded, Maddy agrees, but she’ll remain only as long as she can keep her heart safe.

What neither of them knows is that by bringing Maddy into his home, Holt has placed her in the cross-hairs of a vengeful killer. As Holt and Maddy cope with their desire for each other and the resentments of the past, their investigation into the brother’s death leads them into escalating danger and a shocking discovery.

Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2019

About the author

I wanted to write as soon as I learned to read. I dabbled with stories and poems for years, but didn't start writing seriously until many years later. My favorite books have always been mysteries and romances, so the mix in romantic suspense was a natural. I love writing romantic suspense because it throws the hero and heroine together under extraordinary circumstances and pits them against a clever villain.
My books have been both a Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Nominee and a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award. Reviewers have called my books fast-paced, thrilling, action-packed, sizzling, and highly emotional.
I have also published two children's picture storybooks, Sleigh Magic and Stowaways: a Maine Pirate Tale.
I am a West Virginia native but I have lived for many years on the coast of Maine.
For more information about my books, please visit me at www.susanvaughan.com or as Susan Vaughan, Author on FaceBook.

Reviews

[Sue Bridgman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. But honestly, it was such a good read I would have probably bought it anyway. If you want a good read with believable characters and a little mystery thrown in then this is the book for you! Truthfully, I was pretty busy and regretted promising to do this Read and Review right after I received the book. However, I was sucked into the story rapidly and finished it in one evening. There were a few places where I got frustrated with the characters for clinging to old misconceptions, but then I realized that really IS how many people are so I got past it. Yes, the main character is very judgmental, but that's the way a lot of people are. The fact that I was getting irritated is a credit to the author for making me care! I really recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a nice escape from the real world that won't take up too much time, but still leave you feeling pleasantly satisfied with the believable way it all ends up. I will definitely be seeking out more novels by Ms. Vaughan

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former DEA agent Holt Donovan comes home to his ranch after the tragic death of his brother and sister-in-law leaves him with an infant nephew to care for. When Maddy McCoy appears to pay her respects, all the old harsh feelings fly to the surface, but underneath, Holt realizes he could use her help in caring for baby Bobby. Maddy fled her wedding to Holt's brother years ago because of her growing attraction to Holt and has spent the last several years as a photojournalist. In a temporary financial hole, Holt's offer to stay at the ranch and care for Bobby is an offer she'd be foolish to refuse--despite the fact her attraction to the man still lingers. When a series of accidents compel Holt to review exactly what happened to his brother and sister-in-law, he'll discover his past has come home to endanger his future, and his growing feelings for the one woman he never forgot. Lots of tense moments, some humor, and a satisfying romance make this a must read for any romantic suspense fan.

[Leigh Verrill-Rhys]

I started reading Twice a Target without realizing that I'd started at the end of this trilogy. That actually worked for me but I will go back to the beginning to read Never Surrender and Once Burned. I was attracted by the suspense premise of this novel as well as the location. The relationship between Holt, the former DEA agent, and Maddy, the so-called flighty former fiancée of Holt's brother, is fraught with conflicts.

Vaughan's descriptions of setting and action are masterful and the story has all the elements requisite for suspense and romance. The cast of characters adds depth and surprises. I think readers who love LEO* romances will enjoy this story.

Note: I don't give stars or rate novels written by authors I have met or with whom I have a professional or personal acquaintance.

*LEO: law enforcement officer

[Trish Schuetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked the plot synopsis and thought this would be a nice change from the standard romance plot. I wasn't disappointed! The addition of mystery and suspense in this book heightened the tension quite a bit. It's a definite page turner. There were times I felt like clobbering the hero for being such a jerk, aka 'man', but I knew it was bound to turn out well considering the genre. The characters were well-defined and I wasn't sure who the actual killer was until he was revealed. I found that a nice change. Usually I can figure out who the bad guy is fairly quickly...but not in this book. I have never read any of Susan Vaughan's works before but I will definitely have to check out more of this series. Two Thumbs Up!

[Crystal Lanham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the 3rd in a trilogy. I advise buying all three if you are into romance and suspense. (Happens to be MY favorite kind of book!) Susan Vaughan did a great job on this book. There is plenty of mystery and intrigue, more than enough to keep a reader hooked. The story line flows smoothly, making the book very hard to put down. The characters are fantastic...I've found you almost never go wrong with a Holt in a book. I don't want to put any spoilers out here, the book is fantastic. Can not wait to see Vaughans' next works!

[Medavis66 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I am pleased to say that the mystery of Holt's brother and sister-in-law's deaths remained unsolved forme until the reveal. I usually figure things out, but was so sucessfully distracted by other parts of this story enough, I didn't even care to dwell on my cluelessness. I liked that the love story was developing behind the scenes while my focus was concentrating on the intrique and Bobby.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book Twice A Target (Task Force Eagle Book 3) in exchange for a honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the action, the romance just everything about it. This books, hooks you from the first page. This is a must read. This is the first time I read from this author it will not be the last.

[Glenda Bettin · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow what an awesome series, wonder if there is more?

[Lynn H. Gwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

This book has lots of action, very likeable characters, and a plot that keeps you from getting any work done! I recommend it.

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice a Target is the fourth romantic suspense book in the Task Force Eagle series written by author Susan Vaughan.