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Evidence #1
Concrete Evidence
She wants revenge. He wants her.
Blackballed from underwater archaeology after accusations of artifact trafficking, Erica Kesling has a new job and a new life on the other side of the country and is working to clear her name. She's closing in on her goal when she's distracted by a sexy, charismatic intern who makes her want something other than revenge. But Lee Scott is no intern. He's looking for the lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme, and Erica is his prime suspect. He'll do whatever it takes to win her trust and get her to reveal her secrets, even seduce her.
Blackballed from underwater archaeology after accusations of artifact trafficking, Erica Kesling has a new job and a new life on the other side of the country and is working to clear her name. She's closing in on her goal when she's distracted by a sexy, charismatic intern who makes her want something other than revenge. But Lee Scott is no intern. He's looking for the lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme, and Erica is his prime suspect. He'll do whatever it takes to win her trust and get her to reveal her secrets, even seduce her.
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First published April 16, 2013
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About the author
Rachel Grant
49 books1,630 followersCOMING SOON
AVAILABLE NOW:
USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant also writes thrillers as R.S. Grant. She worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia (inspiration for her debut novel, CONCRETE EVIDENCE), and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean (which provided inspiration for the island and fort described in CRASH SITE).
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her archaeologist husband and demanding cat.
AVAILABLE NOW:
USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant also writes thrillers as R.S. Grant. She worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia (inspiration for her debut novel, CONCRETE EVIDENCE), and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean (which provided inspiration for the island and fort described in CRASH SITE).
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her archaeologist husband and demanding cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 566 reviews
September 3, 2013
What a wonderful, wonderful book!!!
I started reading it because i love RS and I was expecting a usual RS. But!!! Oh, was I wrong!!!
This book is fantastic!!!
I loved the story, the characters, the intrigue!!! E-V-E-R-I-T-H-I-N-G!!!
Erica was a real life woman, struggling with many real problems. She's tough, but in a real way - she's not a wonder-woman!
Lee is great too. He predents to be something he's not in a very realistic way - he makes mistakes everybody would make in his shoes!
I loved thier story together: the attraction, the sizzling chemistry!
Ohhhh... I don't want to spoil it for you, bau believe me: this book is soooooooo worth reading!!!
I started reading it because i love RS and I was expecting a usual RS. But!!! Oh, was I wrong!!!
This book is fantastic!!!
I loved the story, the characters, the intrigue!!! E-V-E-R-I-T-H-I-N-G!!!
Erica was a real life woman, struggling with many real problems. She's tough, but in a real way - she's not a wonder-woman!
Lee is great too. He predents to be something he's not in a very realistic way - he makes mistakes everybody would make in his shoes!
I loved thier story together: the attraction, the sizzling chemistry!
Ohhhh... I don't want to spoil it for you, bau believe me: this book is soooooooo worth reading!!!
January 24, 2025
Reread 01/22/2025 - I can't believe is has been ten years since I originally read "Concrete Evidence". I decided to reread this book because Rachel Grant's latest book has supporting characters from this book as the H/h and I didn't remember them at all, and I only vaguely remembered the plot of this book. Time for a reread or rather a listen to as I'm going the audio book this time around just to make it all more interesting. The audio was wonderful with a duo narration by Nicol Zanzarella and Greg Trembley. My past review holds true, I really loved this book, the debut by Rachel Grant. It is a great story. Since I was rereading to get to know JT and Alex, I paid special attention to these two and their supporting story. I don't understand why it took so long for Grant to write their story; they are a great couple, and I see lots of possibilities for their book.
Original Review 03/20/2015 - This is my first Rachel Grant book, and she is a very intelligent author. I look forward to reading more of her books. I wish her a very long prolific career as she has the master mix for romantic-suspense - romance, hot sex, mystery, suspense and a touch of humor. Great stuff.
The book starts with a 60-year-old murder that overshadows the characters, and they don't even know anything about it. How this connects to present day events or doesn't is not a spoiler I'm going to give up. I will only say that it was very intriguing to me how the story wound its way around it.
The plot centers on Erica, a disgraced marine archeologist who wants nothing more than to redeem her reputation and rebuild her life. Enter Lee. He is assigned as her intern but actually was sent to spy on her and find out who is using Talon & Drake to smuggle artifacts. Lee has an agenda and so does Erica. They both start out using each other which is just fine until someone falls in love, then the lies start to matter. To Erica, who has had her life destroyed by lies, it is a bitter discovery that Lee is lying too.
Original Review 03/20/2015 - This is my first Rachel Grant book, and she is a very intelligent author. I look forward to reading more of her books. I wish her a very long prolific career as she has the master mix for romantic-suspense - romance, hot sex, mystery, suspense and a touch of humor. Great stuff.
The book starts with a 60-year-old murder that overshadows the characters, and they don't even know anything about it. How this connects to present day events or doesn't is not a spoiler I'm going to give up. I will only say that it was very intriguing to me how the story wound its way around it.
The plot centers on Erica, a disgraced marine archeologist who wants nothing more than to redeem her reputation and rebuild her life. Enter Lee. He is assigned as her intern but actually was sent to spy on her and find out who is using Talon & Drake to smuggle artifacts. Lee has an agenda and so does Erica. They both start out using each other which is just fine until someone falls in love, then the lies start to matter. To Erica, who has had her life destroyed by lies, it is a bitter discovery that Lee is lying too.
July 12, 2018
Whew! That was a very solid 4 stars. Which is to say, I really liked this book, but did have some reservations.
Firstly, the good.
Well-written and lots of action and suspense, so I was definitely invested in the outcome. Characterisations were good and the mystery had me guessing to the end. Excellent plot!
I loved the afterword where the author explained elements of the story and how they related to actual events, events I remember quite well. The looting of artefacts, missing billions- it was all in the news.
The whole "you were not born in America" thing with Obama is still fresh, too, and had me wincing, especially in the current context of a Trump administration. *shakes head in disbelief at that fact*
Funny, too, how in my own mind an archaeologist works on ancient digs. 20th century housing seems too modern. Architecture? Well, I guess it tells us about human history, even if it is modern history! The author challenged my concept of what an archaeologist actually does, which was great.
Reservations (for me).
The endless lying to each other of the two main protagonists was frustrating.
The actions of the heroine near the end were a bit TSTL ()
The heroine was a bit too much of the victim for me- mum was a manipulative drunk, former employer a real villain and finally, she falls for the "25 year-old" intern- yeah, cos a 32 year-old man can pull that off, apparently- who uses sex to control her. So her was a bit of a stretch, tbh.
I would have liked her to be more assertive and demanding in her relationship with the hero, not just badass with the bullies.
The bits I was unsure of:
Some of the tech stuff lost me at times- I am pretty savvy with IT but not programming or hacking and suchlike. Engineering is also not my forte, but I like to think I learnt something :)
Also found it a bit strange that native Americans run casinos. As an Aussie who is not really pro-gambling at all, it seemed wrong, somehow. But if that is what happens in the US, then that is what happens.
The stories of the Indian children being sent to school off reservations so that their culture could be destroyed sounds all too familiar, as we actually took the Aboriginal children away from their parents here in Australia, to be raised by foster families. Criminal.
I cannot quite remember which of my GR friends got me on to this author , but:
Firstly, the good.
Well-written and lots of action and suspense, so I was definitely invested in the outcome. Characterisations were good and the mystery had me guessing to the end. Excellent plot!
I loved the afterword where the author explained elements of the story and how they related to actual events, events I remember quite well. The looting of artefacts, missing billions- it was all in the news.
The whole "you were not born in America" thing with Obama is still fresh, too, and had me wincing, especially in the current context of a Trump administration. *shakes head in disbelief at that fact*
Funny, too, how in my own mind an archaeologist works on ancient digs. 20th century housing seems too modern. Architecture? Well, I guess it tells us about human history, even if it is modern history! The author challenged my concept of what an archaeologist actually does, which was great.
Reservations (for me).
The endless lying to each other of the two main protagonists was frustrating.
The actions of the heroine near the end were a bit TSTL ()
The heroine was a bit too much of the victim for me- mum was a manipulative drunk, former employer a real villain and finally, she falls for the "25 year-old" intern- yeah, cos a 32 year-old man can pull that off, apparently- who uses sex to control her. So her was a bit of a stretch, tbh.
I would have liked her to be more assertive and demanding in her relationship with the hero, not just badass with the bullies.
The bits I was unsure of:
Some of the tech stuff lost me at times- I am pretty savvy with IT but not programming or hacking and suchlike. Engineering is also not my forte, but I like to think I learnt something :)
Also found it a bit strange that native Americans run casinos. As an Aussie who is not really pro-gambling at all, it seemed wrong, somehow. But if that is what happens in the US, then that is what happens.
The stories of the Indian children being sent to school off reservations so that their culture could be destroyed sounds all too familiar, as we actually took the Aboriginal children away from their parents here in Australia, to be raised by foster families. Criminal.
I cannot quite remember which of my GR friends got me on to this author , but:
June 8, 2023
They are both idiots.
April 8, 2013
A first rate romantic suspense debut that combines pulse pounding action with...pulse pounding romance! Erica and Lee are great together, and I especially liked the depth that Erica's background in archaeology added to the story. Can't say too much about Lee because I don't want to risk spoilers, but suffice it to say he's whipsmart and way sexy. I'd say this would work best for readers of Roxanne St. Claire (in her romantic suspense days) and Elisabeth Naughton.
In the interest of full disclosure, Rachel and I blog together on Kiss and Thrill, but I would have enjoyed the book no matter who wrote it. In fact, I'm sorry I know her because it makes me kind of hate her for being such a kick ass writer. Darn her and her mad writing skillz.
In the interest of full disclosure, Rachel and I blog together on Kiss and Thrill, but I would have enjoyed the book no matter who wrote it. In fact, I'm sorry I know her because it makes me kind of hate her for being such a kick ass writer. Darn her and her mad writing skillz.
June 18, 2023
Solid writing (but kinda ehhhh on some of what feels outdated sociologically and maybe anthropologically?)
Erica deserved much better for a big portion of the story. Lee came off as mean at best, manipulative and controlling. Wasn't a fan..
Grant's author note was incredibly interesting
Erica deserved much better for a big portion of the story. Lee came off as mean at best, manipulative and controlling. Wasn't a fan..
Grant's author note was incredibly interesting
September 24, 2013
***copy provided by publisher through NetGalley***
Erica Kesling has almost remade and redeemed herself. A year ago she lost everything—her money and her reputation. There’s nothing to be done about the money, but she can restore her reputation. And she will, as soon as the stolen artifacts go on display and she can whip out the photographs she’s taken a year ago on a treasure-hunter’s ship.
Clean and simple.
Unfortunately there’s a complication. In the form of a 25-year-old, slacker of an intern named Lee Scott. He’s too sexy for comfort and he knows it. And he’s also made it his mission to get her into bed with him.
Which wouldn’t be a problem if she trusted him. Or if he trusted her...
This book started off great. Nicely plotted-out, ‘fluent’, intriguing...And yeah, hot, when Lee had a scene. It was twisty and turn-y and for about the first 40% of the story I loved it to bits.
Then it all went downhill from that.
I simply didn’t get the heroine’s motivations. Didn’t get her reasoning. Sure, she wanted to make the guy who destroyed her life and reputation pay. Okay, nothing wrong with that. But her methods...She boggled the mind. I had no idea a person’s reputation was more important than their life. Okay, I don’t move in the archaeological world and I don’t live in the US. But with so many law-enforcement agencies out there, she couldn’t go to one? She needed to play the hero first by unmasking the baddie before she went to the FBI or whatever? She thought she could take them alone? All the while almost fainting every time she laid eyes on the bad guys? And all the while believing the bad guy’s word that he would protect her unless she tattled. Uhm, he’s the bad guy here! What’s to say he’d keep his word?
Then there was the twist-and-turniness of the plot that at the beginning drew me in so much. Toward the end there were too many twists to keep everything straight. And some of them seemed forced, written for the sake of higher page-count, and for the main couple to suffer through yet another bout of suspicion and anger. (And these were truly getting annoying toward the end—haven’t they heard of TALKING?)
Without those two peeves (which are probably just my peeves), the book would’ve been amazing and worthy of a 5-star rating. The writing was great, the plot tight, the suspense edge-of-the-seat gripping, the characters nicely drawn-out, the ‘secrets’ intriguing, and the chemistry between the main protagonists sizzling.
A good debut novel, but I cannot get past the above-mentioned ‘hiccups’. But since there is space for improvement, I’ll definitely pick up the next two books by Ms. Grant. The blurbs are promising.
Erica Kesling has almost remade and redeemed herself. A year ago she lost everything—her money and her reputation. There’s nothing to be done about the money, but she can restore her reputation. And she will, as soon as the stolen artifacts go on display and she can whip out the photographs she’s taken a year ago on a treasure-hunter’s ship.
Clean and simple.
Unfortunately there’s a complication. In the form of a 25-year-old, slacker of an intern named Lee Scott. He’s too sexy for comfort and he knows it. And he’s also made it his mission to get her into bed with him.
Which wouldn’t be a problem if she trusted him. Or if he trusted her...
This book started off great. Nicely plotted-out, ‘fluent’, intriguing...And yeah, hot, when Lee had a scene. It was twisty and turn-y and for about the first 40% of the story I loved it to bits.
Then it all went downhill from that.
I simply didn’t get the heroine’s motivations. Didn’t get her reasoning. Sure, she wanted to make the guy who destroyed her life and reputation pay. Okay, nothing wrong with that. But her methods...She boggled the mind. I had no idea a person’s reputation was more important than their life. Okay, I don’t move in the archaeological world and I don’t live in the US. But with so many law-enforcement agencies out there, she couldn’t go to one? She needed to play the hero first by unmasking the baddie before she went to the FBI or whatever? She thought she could take them alone? All the while almost fainting every time she laid eyes on the bad guys? And all the while believing the bad guy’s word that he would protect her unless she tattled. Uhm, he’s the bad guy here! What’s to say he’d keep his word?
Then there was the twist-and-turniness of the plot that at the beginning drew me in so much. Toward the end there were too many twists to keep everything straight. And some of them seemed forced, written for the sake of higher page-count, and for the main couple to suffer through yet another bout of suspicion and anger. (And these were truly getting annoying toward the end—haven’t they heard of TALKING?)
Without those two peeves (which are probably just my peeves), the book would’ve been amazing and worthy of a 5-star rating. The writing was great, the plot tight, the suspense edge-of-the-seat gripping, the characters nicely drawn-out, the ‘secrets’ intriguing, and the chemistry between the main protagonists sizzling.
A good debut novel, but I cannot get past the above-mentioned ‘hiccups’. But since there is space for improvement, I’ll definitely pick up the next two books by Ms. Grant. The blurbs are promising.
June 11, 2023
4.5 stars. This was ridiculously good. And I shouldn't be surprised, because I previously read a Rachel Grant book and found it smart and engaging, with top-notch suspense, crisp writing, dynamic characters and steaming chemistry. But since this is one of her older works, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it as much.
Never fear! Concrete Evidence had all of the above qualities - and more. Erica, (unjustly) disgraced underwater archeologist, and Lee, aimless "intern" (*cough*a cybersecurity expert*cough*) are keeping secrets. From others, and from each other. Both seek to thwart an international artifacts smuggling ring while conducting an archeological survey on an indigenous reservation for their day jobs. Oh, and stumbling upon a decades-old murder. Teaming up makes sense; but can they trust each other?
Ordinarily, I'm obsessed with the "secret identity with a side of undercover mission" trope, but it tested me here. There were a few times where I wanted to shake the characters. Still, that particular trope is very difficult to execute, and Grant did an excellent job.
A thrilling, mildly addicting and all-around fantastic read, and I can't wait to dive further into the series!
Never fear! Concrete Evidence had all of the above qualities - and more. Erica, (unjustly) disgraced underwater archeologist, and Lee, aimless "intern" (*cough*a cybersecurity expert*cough*) are keeping secrets. From others, and from each other. Both seek to thwart an international artifacts smuggling ring while conducting an archeological survey on an indigenous reservation for their day jobs. Oh, and stumbling upon a decades-old murder. Teaming up makes sense; but can they trust each other?
Ordinarily, I'm obsessed with the "secret identity with a side of undercover mission" trope, but it tested me here. There were a few times where I wanted to shake the characters. Still, that particular trope is very difficult to execute, and Grant did an excellent job.
A thrilling, mildly addicting and all-around fantastic read, and I can't wait to dive further into the series!
November 8, 2023
I can’t remember how I stumbled on this series but I am glad that I did. I felt like I was reading a modern day Indiana Jones that was a women with a twist of suspense and intrigue as well as some history thrown in. This was a very easy read/listen for me.
Erica has been blackballed from the world of underwater archaeology due to a mistake from her past that she can’t shake. She is on a mission to prove her innocence in what went down a year ago and is now so close to being vindicated she can taste it. Until she is assigned an intern for a short period of time. An intern who knows shit about archaeology. An intern who is hot and distracting and forward. An intern who we learn has an ulterior motive. He is looking for a criminal among the office and his main suspect is Erica. You see someone has been using the company that they work for and those resources to smuggle ancient artifacts from Iraq to the States.
Erica and Lee (the intern) are both working towards to the goal of finding out what happened without the other knowing all the while they have the hots for each other and drive each other crazy at the same time. Erica feels like she is getting close to being able to share her truth when an attempt on her life is taken which is when Lee takes measures into his own hands and suggest she move in with him temporarily. Of course things with them combis in the best way BUT then Erica learns who is really is and they combust in the worst way.
The last 100 or so pages were pretty fast paced and I am so glad that we got both characters perspectives because if we hadn’t I would have wanted to strangle Lee with how he acted.
Overall enjoyable and fast paced. I am looking forward to reading/listening to more!
Erica has been blackballed from the world of underwater archaeology due to a mistake from her past that she can’t shake. She is on a mission to prove her innocence in what went down a year ago and is now so close to being vindicated she can taste it. Until she is assigned an intern for a short period of time. An intern who knows shit about archaeology. An intern who is hot and distracting and forward. An intern who we learn has an ulterior motive. He is looking for a criminal among the office and his main suspect is Erica. You see someone has been using the company that they work for and those resources to smuggle ancient artifacts from Iraq to the States.
Erica and Lee (the intern) are both working towards to the goal of finding out what happened without the other knowing all the while they have the hots for each other and drive each other crazy at the same time. Erica feels like she is getting close to being able to share her truth when an attempt on her life is taken which is when Lee takes measures into his own hands and suggest she move in with him temporarily. Of course things with them combis in the best way BUT then Erica learns who is really is and they combust in the worst way.
The last 100 or so pages were pretty fast paced and I am so glad that we got both characters perspectives because if we hadn’t I would have wanted to strangle Lee with how he acted.
Overall enjoyable and fast paced. I am looking forward to reading/listening to more!
January 29, 2014
4.5. Rachel Grant writes smart romantic suspense books. Her stories are complex with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoy her characters and especially loved these two. Their banter is engaging and highly entertaining. The story develops in an interesting manner, although I think the ending could be flushed out a little more. Small critique to a fantastic read. How soon can I expect a book 3?
April 28, 2013
I love reading romantic suspense. And when done right and it hits all my buttons, I go to my happy place with a huge smile on my face.
Concrete Evidence is top-notch romantic suspense. It had everything I crave and love about the genre. Betrayal, deception, a great detailed non-stop action story and lots of sexy flirting and sexual tension.
Erica and Lee based on their incorrect perception and knowledge about each other know their relationship is trouble but they so can’t help the attraction they feel towards each other. They are super hot together.
Erica Kesling thinks Lee Scott is a spoiled, lazy, younger that her at 25 intern who only seems intent on really applying himself to his latest game of Tetris. Boy is she wrong. In reality Lee is secretly working undercover at Drake and Talon, hired by his step-brother JT Talon to discover who is involved in smuggling antiques into the Country using the company as a cover. I adore the working undercover, you have no idea who I really am troupe. I eagerly turn the pages in anticipation for the fallout when all is revealed. I was not disappointed.
You can really tell Rachel Grant knows her stuff. Concrete Evidence had a very interesting storyline that set the stage for a rich, well developed story with so many twists and turns.
I loved Erica. This poor girl had been through the wringer and yet she was totally dedicated to her job, trying to get herself out of financial ruin thanks to her dear Mama and wanted desperately to clear her professional name.
Lee was sent into Drake and Talon to solve a crime and find a crook and number one on his suspect list was his tantalizing boss Erica. But the more time Lee spent in close quarters with Erica he began to have serious doubts that Erica was the culprit he was looking for. Then a blast from the past sends shock waves through Erica’s life and bad things started happening to her and all of Lee’s protective instincts kick in.
I can’t recommend Concrete Evidence enough if you are looking for an action packed, well plotted, steamy, sexy romantic suspense story. I can’t wait for Ms. Grant’s next book Grave Danger.
I’ve just added another author to my RS auto-buy list right up there with Laura Griffin, Pamela Clare, Karen Rose and Roxanne St. Clair.
Concrete Evidence is top-notch romantic suspense. It had everything I crave and love about the genre. Betrayal, deception, a great detailed non-stop action story and lots of sexy flirting and sexual tension.
Erica and Lee based on their incorrect perception and knowledge about each other know their relationship is trouble but they so can’t help the attraction they feel towards each other. They are super hot together.
Erica Kesling thinks Lee Scott is a spoiled, lazy, younger that her at 25 intern who only seems intent on really applying himself to his latest game of Tetris. Boy is she wrong. In reality Lee is secretly working undercover at Drake and Talon, hired by his step-brother JT Talon to discover who is involved in smuggling antiques into the Country using the company as a cover. I adore the working undercover, you have no idea who I really am troupe. I eagerly turn the pages in anticipation for the fallout when all is revealed. I was not disappointed.
You can really tell Rachel Grant knows her stuff. Concrete Evidence had a very interesting storyline that set the stage for a rich, well developed story with so many twists and turns.
I loved Erica. This poor girl had been through the wringer and yet she was totally dedicated to her job, trying to get herself out of financial ruin thanks to her dear Mama and wanted desperately to clear her professional name.
Lee was sent into Drake and Talon to solve a crime and find a crook and number one on his suspect list was his tantalizing boss Erica. But the more time Lee spent in close quarters with Erica he began to have serious doubts that Erica was the culprit he was looking for. Then a blast from the past sends shock waves through Erica’s life and bad things started happening to her and all of Lee’s protective instincts kick in.
I can’t recommend Concrete Evidence enough if you are looking for an action packed, well plotted, steamy, sexy romantic suspense story. I can’t wait for Ms. Grant’s next book Grave Danger.
I’ve just added another author to my RS auto-buy list right up there with Laura Griffin, Pamela Clare, Karen Rose and Roxanne St. Clair.
January 7, 2016
The first book in the Evidence series by Rachel Grant. Lee Scott is undercover as an intern to find out who is stealing artifacts. Erica Kesling is his number one suspect. Erica once took a job that destroyed her reputation and now she is attempting to rebuild her career. But her past has come back to haunt her.
This book ended up surprising me. I really liked it. I did have issues with a few minor things such as a few borderline TSTL moments on the part of the heroine. But it was an easy read that moved at a good pace and kept me interested. I think I will more than likely check out more by this author.
This book ended up surprising me. I really liked it. I did have issues with a few minor things such as a few borderline TSTL moments on the part of the heroine. But it was an easy read that moved at a good pace and kept me interested. I think I will more than likely check out more by this author.
June 3, 2020
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat did I just read? Either I’m a total twit and my feeble little brain just couldn’t comprehend the authors amazing writing skills or it was written with some of the most over the top circumstances that I lost all understanding and my brain melted. Either way, I love this author and hate rating this badly, but I have to be honest. The insta-love was annoying and as unbelievable as the story itself. I’m all about suspending reality, but this was like watching a Steven Seagal movie that Tommy Wiseau directed.
July 25, 2023
4 stars
I could tell this was an early Grant novel. There was a little of the insta-love here, but everything else was handled so well, and I thoroughly enjoyed the non-stop action, witty banter and swoon-worthy love scenes.
It's clear Grant is an intelligent, talented woman who has managed to turn her knowledge of archaeology into a fast paced, interesting and very well written romance.
I could tell this was an early Grant novel. There was a little of the insta-love here, but everything else was handled so well, and I thoroughly enjoyed the non-stop action, witty banter and swoon-worthy love scenes.
It's clear Grant is an intelligent, talented woman who has managed to turn her knowledge of archaeology into a fast paced, interesting and very well written romance.
August 31, 2022
You can find this review in English below.
Estas han sido las 323 páginas más largas de mi vida.
Cuando me topo con una historia que no me gusta casi siempre intento decir que no es para mí, o que me ha aburrido o que ha habido algo que no me ha gustado, pero esta vez me es imposible decir eso porque la historia es mala. Simplemente mala. No tiene ni pies ni cabeza, ni sentido ni finalidad más que la de rellenar páginas en blanco para alargar algo que en 20 se hubiese solucionado.
Voy a poner ejemplos:
Supongamos que tenemos una protagonista, Erica, muy lista (porque es arqueóloga y sí, por supuesto que aparece la Lara Croft por ahí…*roll eyes*) pero nada espabilada que se ve metida en un asunto bastante serio que acaba en amenazas de muerte y de violación en grupo. Sí. Da miedo, ¿no? ¿Qué haría una persona normal? Acudir a las autoridades competentes. Pero ella no puede porque si no la van a violar y matar. Pues entonces, ¿qué hacer? Huir, pero también la van a matar y violar. Teniendo en cuenta que tiene pruebas incriminatorias que podrían ayudarla a poner a los malos en la cárcel, y que las dos opciones acaban en la misma conclusión (muerte y violación en masse) ¿porqué no intenta lo de ir a la poli? Buena pregunta. Que levante la mano el que sepa la respuesta.
Está claro que ella decide huir. Y empezar casi de cero. En una nueva empresa donde le gusta su trabajo y donde del cielo le cae la oportunidad de desenmascarar a los malos, otra vez. Y entonces va y ¡Chas! ¡Aparece el malo! Y ella en vez de acudir a la policía se dedica a charlar e intentar parecer una tía dura con el esperpento de ser humano que la amenazó con una violación en grupo y que casi la mata en México. Sip. ¿Y por qué? Ni idea. Si sólo la autora me hubiese dicho porqué esta mujer es tan soberanamente estúpida…
Ni que decir tiene que ya es coincidencia que tu pasado te siga hasta Washington desde México.
Otro detallito sin importancia es que el protagonista, Lee, mi-bi o trillonario extraordinario de 32 años e hijastro del fundador de la empresa en la que trabaja Erica se haga pasar por un becario de 25 años. Madre mía. Esto ya ha sido el colmo de la locura. Por ahí hay reseñas que se quejaban de que esa relación era un poco rara porque Erica era su jefa y daba la sensación de rozar el acoso laboral. Ellos han sido más afortunados que yo porque en ningún momento me he podido creer eso. Ha sido una sandez.
Y bueno, para no enrollarme demasiado, si me diesen un céntimo por cada vez que los protagonistas piensan en ser sinceros el uno con el otro y en el último momento se arrepienten porque: (elige tu favorita)
a) Un rayo cegador cae desde el cielo y los distrae.
b) Bueno, espero 5 minutitos y se lo digo.
c) Vamos a echar un polvo y ya si eso hablamos luego.
Lo que iba diciendo, si me diesen un céntimo por cada vez que eso pasa podría leer un año gratis.
Después también están los “te quiero”, que llegan en medio de todo el engaño. No se conocen. No saben nada el uno del otro y sólo han compartido mentiras y noches muy calientes. ¡Ah! Y además aún no están seguros de que el otro no sea o esté trabajando para el malo y se dicen te quiero? Llámame cínica, pero me parece un poco descabellado e inverosímil…
Y después llegan toda la retahíla de clichés que certifican que algunos protagonistas son TSTL y un banquete de melodrama que te deja medio muerta:
-Ella vuelve a su piso (que anteriormente saquearon y vandalizaron como advertencia) sola.
-Ella sola va a por las pruebas de su inocencia, otra visita a sus posibles asesinos/violadores… no veas lo bien que acaba…
-Llega la poli: ella parece más culpable que nunca.
-Ella cuenta toda la verdad. Él sigue mintiendo. Él permite que el FBI la use de cebo. Los buenos la cagan. Los malos la cogen. Los buenos aparecen otra vez. Ella de repente se convierte en Jean-Claude Van Damme y se carga a los dos malos en 4 movimientos de karate y salva el día y a la niña que los malos habían secuestrado. ¿He dicho que los buenos habían aparecido? Bueno, eso decían ellos, que estaban ahí, pero nadie los vio hasta que Erica salvó el día…
-Después se encuentran, se besan, se lo perdonan todo y ¿Vivieron felices y comieron perdices? ¡NO!
*Déjame coger un poco de aire*
¡Madre mía! Esto no acaba nunca… Aún queda por resolver el misterio secundario, y ¿adivinas? ¡SÍ! Puedes leer esta reseña desde el principio otra vez. Pasa otra vez lo mismo pero, gracias a dios, mas resumidito.
Ha sido un festín de melodrama. Y eso que la base del suspense era super interesante y muy original. De los dos suspenses. Pero todo queda enterrado entre capas y capas de drama barato.
Eso sí, normalmente estas historias me sacan de mis casillas, pero esta ha sido tan absurda que me ha dado por reír, sólo por eso una estrellita de regalo.
***
These have been the longest 323 pages of my life.
When I get stuck with a story I do not like, I almost always try to say that it's not for me, or that it's boring me or that there's been something I did not like, but this time it's impossible to say anything of the above because the story is terrible. Just terrible. It hasn´t made sense; its only purpose has been filling blank pages to lengthen something that in 20 would have been solved.
Let me give you examples:
Imagine we have a very intelligent heroine, Erica, (intelligent because she is an archaeologist and yes, if you are wondering if Lara Croft makes an appearance the answer is yes ... * roll eyes *) but not so smart who gets caught up in a serious matter that ends in death threats and gang rape threats. Scary, right? What would a normal person do? Go to the police. But she can´t because the baddies will rape and kill her. Well then, what to do? Run away, but then they will also kill and rape her. Given that she has incriminating evidence that could help her put the bad guys in jail, and that the two options end up in the same conclusion (death and rape en masse ) why do not give a try to go to the cops? Good question. Raise your hand if you know the answer.
It is clear that she decides to flee. And start almost from scratch. In a new company where she likes her job and where the chance to unmask the bad guys fall from the sky directly to her hands, again. And then it goes and Bingo! The bad guy appears! And instead of going to the police she chooses to have a little nice chat with him and try to look like a tough chick in front of the poor excuse for a human being that threatened her with a gang rape (I know I´m being repetitive but, come on… a gang rape? A rape wasn´t bad enough?) and who almost kills her in Mexico. Yep. And why? No idea. If only the author had told me why this woman is so magnificently stupid ...
Needless to say, it's a notorious coincidence that your past will follow you to Washington from Mexico.
Another minor detail is that the hero, Lee, 32 years old mi,bi or trillionaire extraordinaire and stepson of the founder of the company in which Erica works, pretends to be a 25 year old intern. My goodness. This takes the cake for madness. Out there are reviews that complained that the relationship was a little unsettling because Erica was his boss and it gave the sensation of sexual harassment at workplace. They have been more fortunate than me because no way have I been able to believe Lee was anything but an overbearing alpha. The job arrangement was a joke.
And well, I don´t want to go on and on, but if they gave me a penny for each time the MC´s think about being sincere with each other and at the last moment they back off because: (choose your favorite)
a) A blinding lightning falls from the sky and distracts them.
b) Well, I´ll wait 5 minutes and then I'll tell you.
c) Let's get hit the sack first and then we´ll see if we talk or no.
As I was saying, if you would give me a penny for every time that happens I could read during a year for free.
Then there are also the "I love you´s", that arrive in the middle of the deception. They do not know each other. They know nothing about each other and have only shared lies and very hot nights. Ah! And to top it all they are still not sure that the other is either the bad guy or is working for the bad guy. But they say theirs I love you´s and that´s all, folks. Call me a cynical, but I find it a bit far-fetched and implausible ...
And then come the whole string of clichés that certify that some protagonists are TSTL and a melodrama feast that leaves you dizzy:
-She returns to her apartment (which previously have been looted and vandalized as a warning) alone.
- She alone goes for the evidence of her innocence: she pay another visit to her possible murderers / rapists... Should I tell you how well it ends for her?
-The cop arrives: she seems guiltier than ever.
-She tells him the whole truth. He's still lying to her. He allows the FBI to use her as bait. The good guys mess things up. The bad guys catch her. The good guys appear again. She suddenly becomes Jean-Claude Van Damme and wipes out the two bad guys in 4 karate moves and saves the day and the girl the bad guys had kidnapped. Did I say that the good guys had appeared? Well, that's what they said, that they were there, but no one saw them until Erica saved the day ...
- Then they meet (Erica y Lee), they kiss, they forgive each other and they lived happily ever after? No such luck!
* Let me get some air *
Oh, my! And I still don´t see the end of it ... The second mystery remains to be solved, and guess what? YES! You can read this review from the beginning again. Again the same but, thank goodness for small favors, a little bit summarized.
It was a melodrama feast. The basis of the suspense was super interesting and very original. On both suspense. But everything got buried between layers and layers of cheap drama.
And although these stories usually drove me up the wall, this one has been so absurd that it has made me laugh, just for that here goes a star.
Estas han sido las 323 páginas más largas de mi vida.
Cuando me topo con una historia que no me gusta casi siempre intento decir que no es para mí, o que me ha aburrido o que ha habido algo que no me ha gustado, pero esta vez me es imposible decir eso porque la historia es mala. Simplemente mala. No tiene ni pies ni cabeza, ni sentido ni finalidad más que la de rellenar páginas en blanco para alargar algo que en 20 se hubiese solucionado.
Voy a poner ejemplos:
Supongamos que tenemos una protagonista, Erica, muy lista (porque es arqueóloga y sí, por supuesto que aparece la Lara Croft por ahí…*roll eyes*) pero nada espabilada que se ve metida en un asunto bastante serio que acaba en amenazas de muerte y de violación en grupo. Sí. Da miedo, ¿no? ¿Qué haría una persona normal? Acudir a las autoridades competentes. Pero ella no puede porque si no la van a violar y matar. Pues entonces, ¿qué hacer? Huir, pero también la van a matar y violar. Teniendo en cuenta que tiene pruebas incriminatorias que podrían ayudarla a poner a los malos en la cárcel, y que las dos opciones acaban en la misma conclusión (muerte y violación en masse) ¿porqué no intenta lo de ir a la poli? Buena pregunta. Que levante la mano el que sepa la respuesta.
Está claro que ella decide huir. Y empezar casi de cero. En una nueva empresa donde le gusta su trabajo y donde del cielo le cae la oportunidad de desenmascarar a los malos, otra vez. Y entonces va y ¡Chas! ¡Aparece el malo! Y ella en vez de acudir a la policía se dedica a charlar e intentar parecer una tía dura con el esperpento de ser humano que la amenazó con una violación en grupo y que casi la mata en México. Sip. ¿Y por qué? Ni idea. Si sólo la autora me hubiese dicho porqué esta mujer es tan soberanamente estúpida…
Ni que decir tiene que ya es coincidencia que tu pasado te siga hasta Washington desde México.
Otro detallito sin importancia es que el protagonista, Lee, mi-bi o trillonario extraordinario de 32 años e hijastro del fundador de la empresa en la que trabaja Erica se haga pasar por un becario de 25 años. Madre mía. Esto ya ha sido el colmo de la locura. Por ahí hay reseñas que se quejaban de que esa relación era un poco rara porque Erica era su jefa y daba la sensación de rozar el acoso laboral. Ellos han sido más afortunados que yo porque en ningún momento me he podido creer eso. Ha sido una sandez.
Y bueno, para no enrollarme demasiado, si me diesen un céntimo por cada vez que los protagonistas piensan en ser sinceros el uno con el otro y en el último momento se arrepienten porque: (elige tu favorita)
a) Un rayo cegador cae desde el cielo y los distrae.
b) Bueno, espero 5 minutitos y se lo digo.
c) Vamos a echar un polvo y ya si eso hablamos luego.
Lo que iba diciendo, si me diesen un céntimo por cada vez que eso pasa podría leer un año gratis.
Después también están los “te quiero”, que llegan en medio de todo el engaño. No se conocen. No saben nada el uno del otro y sólo han compartido mentiras y noches muy calientes. ¡Ah! Y además aún no están seguros de que el otro no sea o esté trabajando para el malo y se dicen te quiero? Llámame cínica, pero me parece un poco descabellado e inverosímil…
Y después llegan toda la retahíla de clichés que certifican que algunos protagonistas son TSTL y un banquete de melodrama que te deja medio muerta:
-Ella vuelve a su piso (que anteriormente saquearon y vandalizaron como advertencia) sola.
-Ella sola va a por las pruebas de su inocencia, otra visita a sus posibles asesinos/violadores… no veas lo bien que acaba…
-Llega la poli: ella parece más culpable que nunca.
-Ella cuenta toda la verdad. Él sigue mintiendo. Él permite que el FBI la use de cebo. Los buenos la cagan. Los malos la cogen. Los buenos aparecen otra vez. Ella de repente se convierte en Jean-Claude Van Damme y se carga a los dos malos en 4 movimientos de karate y salva el día y a la niña que los malos habían secuestrado. ¿He dicho que los buenos habían aparecido? Bueno, eso decían ellos, que estaban ahí, pero nadie los vio hasta que Erica salvó el día…
-Después se encuentran, se besan, se lo perdonan todo y ¿Vivieron felices y comieron perdices? ¡NO!
*Déjame coger un poco de aire*
¡Madre mía! Esto no acaba nunca… Aún queda por resolver el misterio secundario, y ¿adivinas? ¡SÍ! Puedes leer esta reseña desde el principio otra vez. Pasa otra vez lo mismo pero, gracias a dios, mas resumidito.
Ha sido un festín de melodrama. Y eso que la base del suspense era super interesante y muy original. De los dos suspenses. Pero todo queda enterrado entre capas y capas de drama barato.
Eso sí, normalmente estas historias me sacan de mis casillas, pero esta ha sido tan absurda que me ha dado por reír, sólo por eso una estrellita de regalo.
***
These have been the longest 323 pages of my life.
When I get stuck with a story I do not like, I almost always try to say that it's not for me, or that it's boring me or that there's been something I did not like, but this time it's impossible to say anything of the above because the story is terrible. Just terrible. It hasn´t made sense; its only purpose has been filling blank pages to lengthen something that in 20 would have been solved.
Let me give you examples:
Imagine we have a very intelligent heroine, Erica, (intelligent because she is an archaeologist and yes, if you are wondering if Lara Croft makes an appearance the answer is yes ... * roll eyes *) but not so smart who gets caught up in a serious matter that ends in death threats and gang rape threats. Scary, right? What would a normal person do? Go to the police. But she can´t because the baddies will rape and kill her. Well then, what to do? Run away, but then they will also kill and rape her. Given that she has incriminating evidence that could help her put the bad guys in jail, and that the two options end up in the same conclusion (death and rape en masse ) why do not give a try to go to the cops? Good question. Raise your hand if you know the answer.
It is clear that she decides to flee. And start almost from scratch. In a new company where she likes her job and where the chance to unmask the bad guys fall from the sky directly to her hands, again. And then it goes and Bingo! The bad guy appears! And instead of going to the police she chooses to have a little nice chat with him and try to look like a tough chick in front of the poor excuse for a human being that threatened her with a gang rape (I know I´m being repetitive but, come on… a gang rape? A rape wasn´t bad enough?) and who almost kills her in Mexico. Yep. And why? No idea. If only the author had told me why this woman is so magnificently stupid ...
Needless to say, it's a notorious coincidence that your past will follow you to Washington from Mexico.
Another minor detail is that the hero, Lee, 32 years old mi,bi or trillionaire extraordinaire and stepson of the founder of the company in which Erica works, pretends to be a 25 year old intern. My goodness. This takes the cake for madness. Out there are reviews that complained that the relationship was a little unsettling because Erica was his boss and it gave the sensation of sexual harassment at workplace. They have been more fortunate than me because no way have I been able to believe Lee was anything but an overbearing alpha. The job arrangement was a joke.
And well, I don´t want to go on and on, but if they gave me a penny for each time the MC´s think about being sincere with each other and at the last moment they back off because: (choose your favorite)
a) A blinding lightning falls from the sky and distracts them.
b) Well, I´ll wait 5 minutes and then I'll tell you.
c) Let's get hit the sack first and then we´ll see if we talk or no.
As I was saying, if you would give me a penny for every time that happens I could read during a year for free.
Then there are also the "I love you´s", that arrive in the middle of the deception. They do not know each other. They know nothing about each other and have only shared lies and very hot nights. Ah! And to top it all they are still not sure that the other is either the bad guy or is working for the bad guy. But they say theirs I love you´s and that´s all, folks. Call me a cynical, but I find it a bit far-fetched and implausible ...
And then come the whole string of clichés that certify that some protagonists are TSTL and a melodrama feast that leaves you dizzy:
-She returns to her apartment (which previously have been looted and vandalized as a warning) alone.
- She alone goes for the evidence of her innocence: she pay another visit to her possible murderers / rapists... Should I tell you how well it ends for her?
-The cop arrives: she seems guiltier than ever.
-She tells him the whole truth. He's still lying to her. He allows the FBI to use her as bait. The good guys mess things up. The bad guys catch her. The good guys appear again. She suddenly becomes Jean-Claude Van Damme and wipes out the two bad guys in 4 karate moves and saves the day and the girl the bad guys had kidnapped. Did I say that the good guys had appeared? Well, that's what they said, that they were there, but no one saw them until Erica saved the day ...
- Then they meet (Erica y Lee), they kiss, they forgive each other and they lived happily ever after? No such luck!
* Let me get some air *
Oh, my! And I still don´t see the end of it ... The second mystery remains to be solved, and guess what? YES! You can read this review from the beginning again. Again the same but, thank goodness for small favors, a little bit summarized.
It was a melodrama feast. The basis of the suspense was super interesting and very original. On both suspense. But everything got buried between layers and layers of cheap drama.
And although these stories usually drove me up the wall, this one has been so absurd that it has made me laugh, just for that here goes a star.
September 9, 2016
2.5 stars
This could have been an interesting and suspenseful story but it got caught into its own plot lines to the point of boring the reader. The fact that the heroine, who could have been interesting and likeable, turn into your customary TSTL heroine made things worse. Instead of sympathising with her many plights, as well as the fact that she was betrayed and abandoned by her mother, being left alone and disillusioned at a very young age, the reader ends up being irritated at her total lack of judgment and common sense. I lost count of the times I wanted to scream, ' repeat after me: I must never go against a dangerous criminal and his gang of murderers and rapists armed with nothing but my desire to clear my name. Never ever'. Plot manipulations must not be done at the expense of character building (or character logic). Here we have such a contrived plot (with the sole purpose of adding another 80 pages in a book that could have benefited from the services of a good editor) that the heroine is made into an inconsistent and incomprehensible fool.
I have bought two more books in the series and I hope the plotting and characterisation is somewhat improved. Overall, it was not a book I was eager to pick up again after putting down (it took me 10 long days to finish it) and expected it to be better than it really was (given the gushing reviews).
This could have been an interesting and suspenseful story but it got caught into its own plot lines to the point of boring the reader. The fact that the heroine, who could have been interesting and likeable, turn into your customary TSTL heroine made things worse. Instead of sympathising with her many plights, as well as the fact that she was betrayed and abandoned by her mother, being left alone and disillusioned at a very young age, the reader ends up being irritated at her total lack of judgment and common sense. I lost count of the times I wanted to scream, ' repeat after me: I must never go against a dangerous criminal and his gang of murderers and rapists armed with nothing but my desire to clear my name. Never ever'. Plot manipulations must not be done at the expense of character building (or character logic). Here we have such a contrived plot (with the sole purpose of adding another 80 pages in a book that could have benefited from the services of a good editor) that the heroine is made into an inconsistent and incomprehensible fool.
I have bought two more books in the series and I hope the plotting and characterisation is somewhat improved. Overall, it was not a book I was eager to pick up again after putting down (it took me 10 long days to finish it) and expected it to be better than it really was (given the gushing reviews).
did-not-finish
April 13, 2024DNF at 4%.
Sometimes you read a book where you have some experience and you just canNOT with what the author has included.
Here's the deal. I have worked on environmental assessments for the National Environmental Protection Act. This author is using one of the most boring of boring tasks as the drama-filled backdrop to her suspense. And then, she's making the tasks sound exciting and like something someone would be desperate to do on their own. And she's also making the deadline make no sense and acting like an intern could be trained within a day.
Ya, I can't read this. I hated working in environmental planning. This kind of analysis is boring as all get out and there's no way anyone is finishing it in one week.
This is like reliving my worst job but pretending I'm having a great time.
This could be a good book, but I will never know cause I cannot make myself read this.
Sometimes you read a book where you have some experience and you just canNOT with what the author has included.
Here's the deal. I have worked on environmental assessments for the National Environmental Protection Act. This author is using one of the most boring of boring tasks as the drama-filled backdrop to her suspense. And then, she's making the tasks sound exciting and like something someone would be desperate to do on their own. And she's also making the deadline make no sense and acting like an intern could be trained within a day.
Ya, I can't read this. I hated working in environmental planning. This kind of analysis is boring as all get out and there's no way anyone is finishing it in one week.
This is like reliving my worst job but pretending I'm having a great time.
This could be a good book, but I will never know cause I cannot make myself read this.
April 13, 2019
Just far too much male gaze in this one. The hero is a leering idiot, there's a huge plot point concerning the threat of gang rape, and it just all feels distasteful. At this point, I'm ready to think that Rachel Grant is a pen name for a man who writes pot-boilers.
Really not my speed, sadly. I have no idea how it rates 4+ stars on Goodreads.
Really not my speed, sadly. I have no idea how it rates 4+ stars on Goodreads.
April 16, 2013
I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Absolutely fantastic. Smart, sexy and why yes...thrilling! Read my full review and my interview with Rachel Grant at
http://kissandthrill.com/2013/04/16/c...
http://kissandthrill.com/2013/04/16/c...
January 12, 2024
I've given this an A- for narration and a B- for content at AudioGals
Note: This is a slightly revised and newly recorded version of the title originally released in 2013.
I’ve read/listened to and reviewed most of the books in Rachel Grant’s romantic suspense Evidence series, and they’re among my favourites in the genre – sexy, intelligent and fast-paced with well-drawn, interesting characters and storylines that sometimes feel as though they’re taken from tomorrow’s headlines! The first book – Concrete Evidence – is one of the few books in the series I haven’t read, and I’d intended to listen to the audio at some point, but after AudioGals reviewed it back in 2014 and said that the narration wasn’t very good, I instead put the book on the TBR pile of doom.
Unfortunately, the book is still there – so I was delighted when I saw a newly recorded audiobook version crop up at Audible, narrated by Nicol Zanzarella – who has narrated all the other Evidence books – and Greg Tremblay (whose work on the author’s Flashpoint series sent me down a Tremblay/Boudreaux shaped rabbit hole I still haven’t emerged from!). For anyone wondering, the author’s website indicates that she has made a few small revisions and added an epilogue previously only available as bonus material.
Concrete Evidence is, I believe, Rachel Grant’s first published work, and although it contains many of the things I’ve come to regard as hallmarks of her novels – intriguing, suspenseful storylines, ballsy heroines, sexy heroes and steamy love scenes – it isn’t quite as polished or tight-knit as her more recent work. It’s overlong and a bit dated in places, and the plot is overly complicated, with so many moving parts that there were times I found it hard to follow.
Around a year before the story proper begins, underwater archaeologist Erica Kessling learns that not only had her recently deceased mother run up debts to the tune of one hundred thousand dollars, but that she’d committed identity theft and run them up in Erica’s name. Desperate for money, Erica dropped out of her PhD program and took a job excavating a shipwreck off the Mexican coast, persuaded to join the team by the assurances she was given that everything was above board. But after she discovered a cache of incredible Aztec artefacts and realised that her boss – Jake Novak – intended to sell them on the black market, she was furious and really worried about potential damage to her career (working with a treasure hunter is the kiss of death for an archaeologist.) Erica decided to alert the authorities to what was going on; she took the artefacts, swam ashore with them and hid them – but she was caught, and forced – under threat of extreme violence and rape – to give up the treasure. She got away with her life, but her professional reputation has suffered; Novak is slowly making good on his threat to destroy her career completely, and she has had to move half-way across the US in order to find work. She’s now employed by Talon & Drake, an engineering company in Washington DC that is run by JT Talon – the son of its owner, a US senator of Native American descent who is about to announce his bid for the presidency.
Erica has just been given a project she’s wanted to work on for ages – but that good news is tempered by some that is not so good; she’s being saddled with an intern for a few weeks, a twenty-five-year-old grad student who happens to be a friend of the Talon family. When Lee Scott arrives, Erica can’t help but notice he’s gorgeous, but he’s also spoiled, lazy and seems to have very little interest in anything other than his ongoing game of Tetris.
But Lee isn’t at all what he’s making out to be. He’s a friend of the family, yes – in fact, he’s the former stepbrother of JT (and older than twenty-five!) – but he’s actually an elite cyber security specialist and has been asked by JT to investigate rumours that someone within the company is involved in artefact smuggling out of Iraq. Lee’s job is to unmask the smugglers and find out who killed JT’s informant – all on the downlow, as any whiff of scandal could prove fatal to Senator Talon’s presidential hopes.
Meanwhile Erica is trying to bite back her frustration at being stuck with Lee (and at the same time determined to ignore her attraction to him), carry out an environmental assessment on a 1950s house built on an Indian reservation that may be eligible for listing in the Register for Historic Places, AND find a way to clear her name – which means finding out who bought the Aztec artefacts and using that information to prove who actually committed the crime, and thus her own innocence.
Throw in some tribal politics, an unsolved murder from the 1950s and the continued threat to Erica’s life (and livelihood) from Novak, and you’ve got an entertaining, meaty tale of intrigue and suspense with twists and turns a-plenty. There’s romance, too – although the degree to which it works for you will likely depend on your tolerance for deception; Lee has to keep his identity and purpose a secret from Erica and does so for longer than I’d have liked, and Erica – not surprisingly – doesn’t tell Lee the truth about her situation; and because he’s looked into her background and recognises when she’s lying, it only serves to increase his suspicion that she’s likely involved in the smuggling ring. But even though she’s his number one suspect, Lee can’t help falling for her, and although Erica is more cautious and fights her attraction every step of the way, she can’t fight their sizzling chemistry forever.
I enjoyed the listen overall, although there were a few things that didn’t really work for me. As I’ve said, the plot is perhaps a little too busy, and there were couple of times when Erica veered dangerously close to TSTL territory that made me roll my eyes. The mental lusting is a bit overdone, and there’s a lot of repetition in internal monologues – from Lee about how he’s lying to Erica, and from Erica about how she shouldn’t want Lee.
As a début romantic suspense novel, Concrete Evidence has a lot going for it – strong characters, steamy, well-written sex scenes, and a clever, well-researched plot in which the author’s background knowledge comes through loud and clear. And then, of course, there’s a pair of excellent performances from Greg Tremblay and Nicol Zanzarella to add into the mix, and their intelligent and engaged narration really drew me into the story and kept me engaged throughout. I’ve sung Mr. Tremblay’s praises here so many times, that it will come as no surprise when I do it again; he portrays Lee using just the right combination of insouciant, sexy and badass and clearly and expertly differentiates between a fairly large number of male characters without breaking a sweat. Ms. Zanzarella’s interpretation of Erica is spot on; the character’s determination, desperation and vulnerability are all clearly audible in her voice, and she really delivers when it comes to the emotional content of the story. The one niggle I have – and it’s more of a “thing I noticed” than a real criticism – is that she can’t quite find enough different voices for the male characters, so some of them sound a bit similar and a couple of times I struggled to work out who was speaking. It happened rarely however, and I was usually able to work it out fairly quickly. But overall, the dual narration works really well here and I was delighted to learn that the next book in the Evidence series (out in October) will also benefit from the Tremblay/Zanzarella double-act, so – yay!
Concrete Evidence is a swiftly moving, well-plotted and sexy romantic suspense story that boasts terrific performances from two of the best narrators around. It may not be my favourite book in the series (my heart still belongs to Dmitri from Poison Evidence!), but it’s definitely worth a listen.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals.
Note: This is a slightly revised and newly recorded version of the title originally released in 2013.
I’ve read/listened to and reviewed most of the books in Rachel Grant’s romantic suspense Evidence series, and they’re among my favourites in the genre – sexy, intelligent and fast-paced with well-drawn, interesting characters and storylines that sometimes feel as though they’re taken from tomorrow’s headlines! The first book – Concrete Evidence – is one of the few books in the series I haven’t read, and I’d intended to listen to the audio at some point, but after AudioGals reviewed it back in 2014 and said that the narration wasn’t very good, I instead put the book on the TBR pile of doom.
Unfortunately, the book is still there – so I was delighted when I saw a newly recorded audiobook version crop up at Audible, narrated by Nicol Zanzarella – who has narrated all the other Evidence books – and Greg Tremblay (whose work on the author’s Flashpoint series sent me down a Tremblay/Boudreaux shaped rabbit hole I still haven’t emerged from!). For anyone wondering, the author’s website indicates that she has made a few small revisions and added an epilogue previously only available as bonus material.
Concrete Evidence is, I believe, Rachel Grant’s first published work, and although it contains many of the things I’ve come to regard as hallmarks of her novels – intriguing, suspenseful storylines, ballsy heroines, sexy heroes and steamy love scenes – it isn’t quite as polished or tight-knit as her more recent work. It’s overlong and a bit dated in places, and the plot is overly complicated, with so many moving parts that there were times I found it hard to follow.
Around a year before the story proper begins, underwater archaeologist Erica Kessling learns that not only had her recently deceased mother run up debts to the tune of one hundred thousand dollars, but that she’d committed identity theft and run them up in Erica’s name. Desperate for money, Erica dropped out of her PhD program and took a job excavating a shipwreck off the Mexican coast, persuaded to join the team by the assurances she was given that everything was above board. But after she discovered a cache of incredible Aztec artefacts and realised that her boss – Jake Novak – intended to sell them on the black market, she was furious and really worried about potential damage to her career (working with a treasure hunter is the kiss of death for an archaeologist.) Erica decided to alert the authorities to what was going on; she took the artefacts, swam ashore with them and hid them – but she was caught, and forced – under threat of extreme violence and rape – to give up the treasure. She got away with her life, but her professional reputation has suffered; Novak is slowly making good on his threat to destroy her career completely, and she has had to move half-way across the US in order to find work. She’s now employed by Talon & Drake, an engineering company in Washington DC that is run by JT Talon – the son of its owner, a US senator of Native American descent who is about to announce his bid for the presidency.
Erica has just been given a project she’s wanted to work on for ages – but that good news is tempered by some that is not so good; she’s being saddled with an intern for a few weeks, a twenty-five-year-old grad student who happens to be a friend of the Talon family. When Lee Scott arrives, Erica can’t help but notice he’s gorgeous, but he’s also spoiled, lazy and seems to have very little interest in anything other than his ongoing game of Tetris.
But Lee isn’t at all what he’s making out to be. He’s a friend of the family, yes – in fact, he’s the former stepbrother of JT (and older than twenty-five!) – but he’s actually an elite cyber security specialist and has been asked by JT to investigate rumours that someone within the company is involved in artefact smuggling out of Iraq. Lee’s job is to unmask the smugglers and find out who killed JT’s informant – all on the downlow, as any whiff of scandal could prove fatal to Senator Talon’s presidential hopes.
Meanwhile Erica is trying to bite back her frustration at being stuck with Lee (and at the same time determined to ignore her attraction to him), carry out an environmental assessment on a 1950s house built on an Indian reservation that may be eligible for listing in the Register for Historic Places, AND find a way to clear her name – which means finding out who bought the Aztec artefacts and using that information to prove who actually committed the crime, and thus her own innocence.
Throw in some tribal politics, an unsolved murder from the 1950s and the continued threat to Erica’s life (and livelihood) from Novak, and you’ve got an entertaining, meaty tale of intrigue and suspense with twists and turns a-plenty. There’s romance, too – although the degree to which it works for you will likely depend on your tolerance for deception; Lee has to keep his identity and purpose a secret from Erica and does so for longer than I’d have liked, and Erica – not surprisingly – doesn’t tell Lee the truth about her situation; and because he’s looked into her background and recognises when she’s lying, it only serves to increase his suspicion that she’s likely involved in the smuggling ring. But even though she’s his number one suspect, Lee can’t help falling for her, and although Erica is more cautious and fights her attraction every step of the way, she can’t fight their sizzling chemistry forever.
I enjoyed the listen overall, although there were a few things that didn’t really work for me. As I’ve said, the plot is perhaps a little too busy, and there were couple of times when Erica veered dangerously close to TSTL territory that made me roll my eyes. The mental lusting is a bit overdone, and there’s a lot of repetition in internal monologues – from Lee about how he’s lying to Erica, and from Erica about how she shouldn’t want Lee.
As a début romantic suspense novel, Concrete Evidence has a lot going for it – strong characters, steamy, well-written sex scenes, and a clever, well-researched plot in which the author’s background knowledge comes through loud and clear. And then, of course, there’s a pair of excellent performances from Greg Tremblay and Nicol Zanzarella to add into the mix, and their intelligent and engaged narration really drew me into the story and kept me engaged throughout. I’ve sung Mr. Tremblay’s praises here so many times, that it will come as no surprise when I do it again; he portrays Lee using just the right combination of insouciant, sexy and badass and clearly and expertly differentiates between a fairly large number of male characters without breaking a sweat. Ms. Zanzarella’s interpretation of Erica is spot on; the character’s determination, desperation and vulnerability are all clearly audible in her voice, and she really delivers when it comes to the emotional content of the story. The one niggle I have – and it’s more of a “thing I noticed” than a real criticism – is that she can’t quite find enough different voices for the male characters, so some of them sound a bit similar and a couple of times I struggled to work out who was speaking. It happened rarely however, and I was usually able to work it out fairly quickly. But overall, the dual narration works really well here and I was delighted to learn that the next book in the Evidence series (out in October) will also benefit from the Tremblay/Zanzarella double-act, so – yay!
Concrete Evidence is a swiftly moving, well-plotted and sexy romantic suspense story that boasts terrific performances from two of the best narrators around. It may not be my favourite book in the series (my heart still belongs to Dmitri from Poison Evidence!), but it’s definitely worth a listen.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals.
May 22, 2019
I had an immediate connection with Lee Scott because my husband's name is Scott Lee. :)
I love Rachel Grant, and this romantic suspense was really good! There was so much in this book that it's one of those that I know I can't do justice in my review. Erica Kesling was accused of stealing artifacts from a five-hundred-year-old-shipwreck.
Lee Scott is an English major at Columbia, a new intern only he's not really; instead, he is the "lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme" and he is after evidence that Erica is the right suspect. In fact, he was hired by Erika's boss to find out who is smuggling artifacts out of Iraq. Both Erika and Lee have secrets they can't/won't tell each other.
Then there is Janice Rabinowitz (another immediate connection since my sister/BFF is Janice). She has a Master's Degree in underwater archaeology and she was working on her PhD when she decided to leave the program.
This book is exciting, it has a lot of suspense, it is unique, and it is engaging. There is a budding romance that will keep you turning those pages because you'll likely be invested in the characters involved. Hopefully, you'll decide to read this Rachel Grant book!
I love Rachel Grant, and this romantic suspense was really good! There was so much in this book that it's one of those that I know I can't do justice in my review. Erica Kesling was accused of stealing artifacts from a five-hundred-year-old-shipwreck.
Lee Scott is an English major at Columbia, a new intern only he's not really; instead, he is the "lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme" and he is after evidence that Erica is the right suspect. In fact, he was hired by Erika's boss to find out who is smuggling artifacts out of Iraq. Both Erika and Lee have secrets they can't/won't tell each other.
Then there is Janice Rabinowitz (another immediate connection since my sister/BFF is Janice). She has a Master's Degree in underwater archaeology and she was working on her PhD when she decided to leave the program.
This book is exciting, it has a lot of suspense, it is unique, and it is engaging. There is a budding romance that will keep you turning those pages because you'll likely be invested in the characters involved. Hopefully, you'll decide to read this Rachel Grant book!
February 14, 2024
Life wrecked by one misstep; Erica Kesling crosses the country to start a new job and new life. She’s underwhelmed with her new place in DC, but it’s the best she can do without giving away one of the biggest secrets she has. When her new boss introduces her to a new intern, Lee Scott, she shies away from him to try and keep him away from her personal life & the secret she holds, unfortunately their instant attraction to one another breaks down the wall of ice she’s held close. With their lives in danger, they both must learn to trust each other, even if the evidence points brutally in one direction.
“Great. A slacker career student and Indiana Jones wannabe. The changed majors explained his age, which had to be closer to thirty than twenty.”
In my journey to read my backlist of books, I’ve been looking for series that I own. I am shocked that I never jumped into this series since I love the writing style of Rachel Grant. I am enchanted with this first in the eleven-book series. I love that our FMC, even though she’s left everything she worked hard for behind, has the wherewithal to move forward in life and make something happen. Revenge is sweet in this story, and I’m absolutely thrilled I have the entire series to binge.
“Great. A slacker career student and Indiana Jones wannabe. The changed majors explained his age, which had to be closer to thirty than twenty.”
In my journey to read my backlist of books, I’ve been looking for series that I own. I am shocked that I never jumped into this series since I love the writing style of Rachel Grant. I am enchanted with this first in the eleven-book series. I love that our FMC, even though she’s left everything she worked hard for behind, has the wherewithal to move forward in life and make something happen. Revenge is sweet in this story, and I’m absolutely thrilled I have the entire series to binge.
September 30, 2020
SOMETHING NEW!!!!
Very interesting learning about archology and first nation tribes :))))
Overall, super interesting anddddd cute!
Very interesting learning about archology and first nation tribes :))))
Overall, super interesting anddddd cute!
December 29, 2013
This is my 3rd Rachel Grant book that I have read. I love that her books seem so real to me. When I say this, I mean they follow similar real world events and each book has history event in them. Add on top of that a serious suspense thriller with some romance and danger and you have my number.
Erica has been trying to get her life on track for over a year. She has had to start over from scratch after her mother ruined her credit by stealing her identity, she has had to switch schools and graduate curriculm, and add on top of that her professional reputation is on the brink of imploding.
So when, Erica is working to start over and right the wrongs the only way she can, she is faced with a career college student, who is some rich privileged kid, thrown at her as an intern.
Lee Scott is not what he seems, or is he? He seems harmless enough but as time goes on and danger starts to lurk on each corner, Erica is faced with learning that she isn't the only one with secrets. Some secrets seem small, but when all the power start to show their hands, the people involved go all the way to the top.
I truly loved this book, I really enjoyed learning about the research project that is mentioned in the book as part of the plot line and was even more enlightened to find out it was a real thing! Worth the read!
Erica has been trying to get her life on track for over a year. She has had to start over from scratch after her mother ruined her credit by stealing her identity, she has had to switch schools and graduate curriculm, and add on top of that her professional reputation is on the brink of imploding.
So when, Erica is working to start over and right the wrongs the only way she can, she is faced with a career college student, who is some rich privileged kid, thrown at her as an intern.
Lee Scott is not what he seems, or is he? He seems harmless enough but as time goes on and danger starts to lurk on each corner, Erica is faced with learning that she isn't the only one with secrets. Some secrets seem small, but when all the power start to show their hands, the people involved go all the way to the top.
I truly loved this book, I really enjoyed learning about the research project that is mentioned in the book as part of the plot line and was even more enlightened to find out it was a real thing! Worth the read!
October 11, 2022
Both leads, Lee and Erica, drove me batty. They were liars and manipulators. They had sort of good reasons and mostly good intentions, but they had a serious failure to communicate and lots of trust issues. The trust issues and the lies were forgiven too easily, more groveling was needed, especially by the hero, Lee. Still, there was heat between them and they were mostly likable. The mysteries were well done, lots of red herring and twisty. I liked it and will start the next book. (I own the first four.)
August 3, 2018
Trigger Warning: graphic sexual assault, intense violence against women, repeated sexual harassment played off as flirting
In addition to all of that, I found none of the characters engaging. The plot was excessively complex for a 300-page romantic suspense. I ended up skimming a fair amount.
In addition to all of that, I found none of the characters engaging. The plot was excessively complex for a 300-page romantic suspense. I ended up skimming a fair amount.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2019
Loved the intelligent suspense in this book. Clearly the author is very knowledgeable on her subject, and I enjoyed the slices of reality. The H/h kept their secrets longer than I wanted them too, but justifications were made. The ending chase scene was a thrill and a half. I immediately went looking for more of Rachel Grant's books.
April 3, 2020
This is a strong 4+ story that only falters because it gets a bit too complicated. But the mystery is good, with no loose ends. The angst is also strong, and some may shake their heads at the sex without trust, but since both parties were holding back and they were very hot for each other, it was all good. But does *everyone* have to come from a broken family?
I'll read another one.
I'll read another one.
June 9, 2020
Hazy characters, terrible love interests - a relationship built on lies and sexual harassment is never sexy. I forced myself to finish it because I just wanted to figure the mystery out and it wasnt worth it
October 14, 2019
2.5 Stars
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