Not This Time
Crossroads Crisis Center, Book Three
Vicki Hinze

Multnomah
2/21/12- ISBN 978-1-60142-207-1
Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Amazon

Reviewed by Linda Morelli

Detective Jeff Meyers arrives late at a country club where his friends Dr. Harvey Talbot and Roxy Talbot are getting remarried, and finds the entire wedding party unconscious. As the guests recover, he discovers one is dead, and then a note is found on the wedding cake that reads "boom." Jeff realizes that everyone could easily have been killed, and fears for their future safety, as he is certain that the ruthless terrorist group, NINA or Nihilists in Anarchy, is behind the attack.

Beth Dawson and Sara Jones-Tayton are co-owners of SaBe, a software company that worked with local police, FBI and Homeland Security to take NINA down in a human trafficking case. They're sure the terrorists are behind this attack as well, especially when Sara receives a ransom note, asking for $2 million if she wants her husband, Robert, returned alive. As the FBI and agents from Homeland Security work with the local police to find the kidnappers, Beth relies on Joe, a "Shadow Watcher" with Homeland Security, for emotional support and guidance. Beth has never trusted Sara's husband, which prompts Jeff to suspect she's involved in the kidnapping. Joe, however, knows Beth's character. She's a caring person whose religious beliefs would never allow her to hurt anyone, and he'll risk his life to keep her safe.

Although Not This Time is a sequel, the novel kicks off with an intriguing, fast-paced plot and vivid cast of characters that drew me into the novel immediately. The central character, Beth, is a caring person who will do anything to protect Sara, who is like a sister to her. Vicki Hinze has written an outstanding, tense thriller that kept me on edge, turning pages filled with betrayals, electrifying plot twists and stunning surprises that had me reading well into the night.