Explosive Secrets

Texas K-9 Unit #4

by Valerie Hansen

Pregnant and alone

Implicated by her criminal cousin, Nicki Johnson is now the target of a murderous gang. Dark-haired policeman Jackson Worth thinks she is hiding something, but his remarkable bomb-sniffing dog has no such reservations. He's there to protect her—no judgments, no questions.

And Jackson is a man of honor. He'll stand by this beauty and her unborn child. Because it is the right thing to do. And because guarding her has left his battle-scarred heart open to the possibility of love. Which changes everything…

Genres: Romance, Suspense, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, Christian, Mystery, Christian Fiction

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Valerie Hansen is the pen name of Valerie Whisenand.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Although I have been a published author since the mid 1980s, I have been writing women's Christian fiction almost exclusively since 1999.

There is a longer, more detailed bio on my website so there's no need for me to repeat all that here. Right now, I write for all three Love Inspired lines, Romance, Suspense and Historical. I'm delighted to have been included that broadly and besides, it keeps me so busy that I stay out of trouble. Well, mostly.

You'll find me on the LI Historical blog as well as other LI features. If I try to do much more I won't have time to write my books!

Reviews

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Altro buon libro di questa serie, ma continuo a non avere la più pallida idea di chi sia il gran cattivo. Beh, in realtà un'ipotesi ce l'ho, ma non sono molto sicura e mi mancano tutte le motivazioni dietro ai vari delitti e misfatti.

[CP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable story in the K-9 Unit series!

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

The biggest problem with continuity series is waiting for the next month for the new one to come out. Another great job by another great author. I enjoyed the story of Jackson and Nicki. As usual, the book kept me riveted and I enjoyed the whole story line. The characters are so down to earth and easy to associate with.

[Gaylina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good mystery. I loved being inside Nicki’s head. As a new believer she’s opened up her heart to God as she constantly is praying and confessing her past misdeeds.

[Dorel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book's storyline. I liked the action in this story. I liked the Christian ✝️ theme in this story. I liked Nicki's character. I liked Jackson's character. I loved ❤️ Titan 🐕. I liked the ending.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s time for another “riveting inspirational romance” or romantic suspense novel which, as most readers know, 99% of the time features a cover with people running. Here, it’s one man running with his K-9 dog, and it’s presumably the assured hero, Jackson Worth, who trains a bomb-sniffing dog named Titan, a black Labrador retriever. This is also one of a series of books set in Sagebrush, Texas, where an organized crime ring has been operating for some time.

Nicolette (Nicki) Johnson is in trouble. She has been abandoned by her jerk of an ex-boyfriend after she revealed she was carrying his baby, she’s about to be fired from her job for not showing up (due to morning sickness), she’s behind on her rent, and now she has been implicated as a member of the crime ring by her now-deceased cousin, Arianna Munson. She is also receiving threatening phone calls and bomb threats, which put her under the careful watch of Jackson and Titan.

Jackson is a man of integrity and wants to protect Nicki and her unborn baby. Under the dubious orders of his chief, Jackson hires Nicki to be a cook at the ranch he owns and lives in with his uncle, a retired police officer. However, my suspension of disbelief only goes so far. I cannot imagine any police chief in any town, no matter how small, suggesting this as a means to protect a potential witness. It serves the plot, because Jackson and Nicki grow closer to each other as the bomb threats become real (Nicki’s apartment is partially destroyed by a small homemade bomb).

Nicki does get a bit of slut shaming from her boss at the Truck Stop Diner, Lou, when he fires her. However, Nicki is a bit too naïve for her own good. Her ex-boyfriend saddled her with a lot of debt after he ran up her credit cards without her knowledge as well as impregnating and abandoning her. She was bullied and verbally abused by her shady cousin, Arianna, and apparently never told any adults about this while growing up. It’s easy to see why Jackson would want to help her, but at some point she really needs to get her head screwed on straight and stop being so gullible. Nicki’s being related to a criminal would be enough for a subplot, but the author just piles on the additional angst for no apparent reason.

Also, at one point Jackson tries to reach Nicki but her cell phone battery has died, and she never thought to recharge it. Come on. You need a cell phone to call for help because of the threats you’ve been receiving and you simply state, “it never rang”? In an age where everyone has a cell phone to their ear 24/7, this type of behavior is ridiculous. In another instance, Jackson is searching for a person near the woods and Harold, his uncle, has been ordered to wait with Nicki in the car. Nicki impulsively jumps out to get a better vantage point to help Jackson search. Again, come on. One minute she is a frightened mouse and the next she is a cat ready to pounce.

Valerie Hansen is a favorite author of mine, and I really like most of her books. The minor characters are familiar to others who’ve read books in this miniseries (“Texas K-9 Unit”). I wanted to like this book, but the romance felt forced, and the heroine’s continual angst over her situation was irritating.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author really doesnt fit into this series for me. There are a couple of problems I have with the book. Some are the writing itself while others seem to go against the characters from the previous books

1. It feels like the author is trying to justify that the heroin Nicky is pregnant but still a good Chrisitan. We get it. She made a mistake, fell for a guy and got pregnant. Give it a rest. It seems ever few pages (starting a little less the halfway through the book) we are being reminded that she'd given her life over to God (said with almost the exact same phrasing.
2. Their captain McNeal is a jerk. Hes so kind and takes care of those around him. Including ANYONE he thinks is in danger. In all the other books he agrees to extra protection to make sure the victims are safe. Even the amnesiac who was found at the scene of a missing child. Yet with this lady hes positive shes a part of things and seems to have it in for me. Theres no proof and she keeps getting shot at, bombed and threatened by the bad guys but of course shes in on it with them (rolling my eyes).
3. The main characters themselves seem to go through this abrupt change. Before she goes to live at the ranch Jackson believes that shes innocent and is trying to help her. While Nicky is an upset frail (she faints bc she sees a shadow and thought they were coming for her). Then after she heads to the ranch it feels like they become different people. He becomes weary and positive shes hiding something. Shes all of a sudden so brave she starts facing down danger after being shot at.

The end of the he book was way better then the middle. I liked that Nicky was resourceful enough to lead get out of danger at the end. I didnt really feel the live story between the 3 characters. Its seemed more her thinking he could never love her bc shes pregnant and him mad all the time because he was starting ti fall for her. There were no intimate moments or passion between the two. She almost gets killed and all of a sudden they love each other and are wngahed. This had by far been my least favorite book in the series.

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this book. Nicki’s new found faith was strong, but her life was in shambles. She is pregnant, she lost her job, and she has someone trying to end her life. The madman called and finished the conversation with the word “Boom.” She called the police to report the threat, and that’s when she met Jackson, and Titian. Jackson is a k-9 officer, and Titian is his dog. With every new threat that Nicki faced Jackson and Titian was there to help her through. I also really enjoy Harold’s personality in this story. He was Jackson’s uncle. He lived out at the ranch with Jackson. Jackson, and Harold needed a cook, so they hired Nicki to be their cook. She moved to the ranch, so the two men could better guard her against the dangers that seemed to be following her. The two men enjoyed having meals cooked for them, but the threats against Nicki didn’t stop.
This story offered action, suspense, Romance, and also a dash of humor.

Sample from chapter 12
He snapped a leash on the dog’s collar and took command. With one arm around Nicki and the other controlling Titan, He hurried them away. Harold met them at the door to the barn. “What’s all the yelling out here? You two are scarin’ the chickens right off their nests.” “Nicki says Titan alerted,” Jackson explained as he passed both his charges to the older man. “You stay put with them. I’ll call boomer and get the bomb squad out here to check the truck.” “If that’s where the explosive is supposed to be, I reckon I’ll back up a tad more,” Harold said, slipping an arm around Nicki’s shoulders. “Come on. We’ll go into the barn.”

Sample from chapter 14
“I wish I had a sidearm to carry in a holster the way you and Harold do.” “That’s all we’d need. Arm the cook, and we’d never be able to tell you we didn’t like your recipes.”

[Cathy Beckett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually gave this 3.5 stars. It was a good change of pace. It got a little preachy in places but over all it was a good read. Nicki was introduced in the previous installment. Jackson and his K-9 partner was introduced in the first installment.
Nicki is a possible suspect in the crime spree that has been going on in the town of Sagebrush. Her cousin, Ariana, aka Serpent, implicated her on her deathbed. Now everyone in the crime family that has taken over the Lost Woods outside of town is gunning for her.
Jackson has been assigned to her as a bodyguard. It is his responsibility to not only protect Nicki but to try and get her to tell the police where Nicki's cousin had hidden whatever everybody is searching for.

[Judine Brey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Jackson's relationship with his uncle Harold, and their acceptance of Nicki and her unborn child was sweet. That said, it never felt like Jackson was really showing affection to Nicki so much as doing his job. I did love Titan, the bomb-sniffing black lab; the fact that the author addressed PTSD through Titan was a nice touch.

[Merle · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK story, with a rather annoying female lead who is almost cliché stubborn and wearing the biggest blinders one can imagine. There's more exposition, though, and another piece of the overall puzzle drops in. While the police are pruning more and more branches of the criminal empire and Nicks has actually seen the Boss, there are still more threads to be unraveled.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Implicated by her criminal cousin, Nicki Johnson is now the target of a murderous gang. Dark-haired policeman Jackson Worth thinks she is hiding something, but his remarkable bomb-sniffing dog has no such reservations. He's there to protect her—no judgments, no questions.

[Mary Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that this novel needed more plot and character development. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters until the last third of the book. It did provide good escape for a few hours, and I have enjoyed learning about the different talents of the dogs in this series.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like these k9 dog mysteries but they are so cheesy at the end. They deny their feelings through the entire book and then end of book marriage proposal without even dating. For once I would just like them to be real like and just decide to date.

[John Hanscom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard, and written with very "purple prose."

[Marybelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Nikki & Jackson's story. Can't wait for next Monty's installment.

[Connie Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicki shows faith in God is something that you can hang on to when life is trying to tear you apart. Liked the dogs added to the story.

[Lyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Rio has been stolen last 4 books. So far the series also leaves me lot of questions unanswered. May they would have been solved in sequel.

[Bertha Rainey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

Enjoyed the story but couldn't stay focused on story as too much dragging dialog. Hope next grabs me at the beginning.

[Rainbow Unicorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable series, with suspense, mystery and romance all thrown into the mix - and of course the K-9's, I am a sucker for all stories involving these dogs.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Explosive Secrets" is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the 4th book in a series and continues the ongoing mystery about the stolen K9, but it also works fine as a stand alone novel. Nicki is an average, pregnant woman. She's frightened when things explode or at spotting a potential attacker, and she loves that Jackson and his K9 come to protect her when she needs them. She loves gratefully hugging Jackson's dog (and, later, him) when they arrive to protect her. They make her feel cared for, valued, and like she belongs. Jackson loved being the knight in shining armor and feel in love with protecting Nicki and her baby and maybe her awesome cooking. They got along well, so I think they had a better chance of a happy marriage than many of these Love Inspired Suspense couples even though they got engaged after knowing each other for only a couple weeks.

The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. The suspense came from the physical danger to Nicki from several sources. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting novel.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent enough mystery for the suspense element, but the main characters were a little problematic. Also, this is book 4 in a continuing overarching series, with each book written by a different author, and each book about a different couple. So there is no absolute resolution to the problem we saw in this book. It was just an excuse to get the main leads together. And on the surface, it seemed to check all the boxes I like. A young woman is alone and pregnant after having been left by her baby daddy. She is in danger, or possibly a suspect, so she has to stay under the watchful eye of a policeman who ends up falling for her. But for some reason, this one just didn’t work for me. The switch from suspicion to love was little too sudden, and not believable.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A call, saying they eliminated the serpent, her cousin, and they could do the same to her. Nicki calls, feeling threaten, with Jackson, and Titan his K9 responding. They are having drug runners and killers in Sagebrush, and the name Serpent, meant something to them. Is Nikki guilty, or innocent, yet maybe she has the missing piece and doesn’t know it. Captain sending her to Jackson ranch, had a double meaning, while they watched her.
Another enjoyable story with threats to kill her.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting story as Nicki battles unknown dangers as someone is out to get her. She's pregnant, loses her job, someone sends her a bomb that blows up her apartment, and she's pregnant. Then along comes Jackson and his K-9 Titan to protect. And then there's Harold, Jackson's father, a retired sheriff. Loved his personality and the touch of humor that's added to the story--like when Nicki meets him for the first time! An exciting story that I highly recommend.

[Ann Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

This explosive action filled story was definitely a great read. Lots of mystery surrounding the characters and compelling drama. The (Texas K-9 Unit ) members with their k-9 partners are sworn to protect their citizens and we get a glimpse of how they work together to protect one young woman and her unborn child.This book has a sweet romance that grows through out this story. I highly recommend it if you're A fan of mystery, romance and a bit of humour.

[Moira · Rating 4 out of 5]

K9 for the win

Nicki is pregnant and scared when her deceased cousin set her up for a fall, lying about providing her with a code that "the Boss" wants. Now she's in the eye of the storm and Jackson and his K9 have her in protective custody. The continuing saga of drugs, murder, and mystery in the Lost Woods continues and this one still leaves you hanging. So on to the next story in the series.

[C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man this book had so many continuous narrow escapes/close calls that they became ridiculous and eye-rolling!
It was another one of those PREACHY Christian reads, as well. I definitely advise readers who are as turned off by this as I am, to stick to those clean romances by LDS authors or secular authors who don't include God as a main character, or make the book read like a constant sermon!

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explosive Secrets

I love this book starting from the first page. I hated to put it down when it got late, I have loved the whole series and am going to love the last 2 as i have the other 3 including this one.
Yeah another book read.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never read any books of Valerie Hansen before, but I have now and I'm in love with the Texas K-9 Unit Mini series. In Explosive Secrets #4 will have you on the edge of what ever you are sitting on. Jackson Worth is an Ex-Military and so is his K-9 partner. Jackson has to protect Nicki Johnson from a Gang that is after Nicki because they think she has a code that her Couson said she has in her head. Now they both have to fight to stay alive.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!

I can't imagine going through everything that Nicki goes through and being pregnant. I would be a complete wreck but that's where her faith comes in. Great book.