DANGEROUS TO KNOW – Dawn Ryder
An Unbroken Heroes Novel , Book 1
St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN-13:  978-1-250-0751-5
March 2016
Romantic Suspense

California, Present day

The Magnus family is dedicated to the military, and Bram and his father are both currently deployed out of the country.  Bram's superior, Colonel  Decains, has just found out that Bram's sister Zoe's computer has been hacked, releasing information about where troops are assigned, risking their lives.  If it isn't Zoe, the only other person with the password to the computer is Tim, Bram's father's best friend.  To be certain, the Colonel is assigning a special branch of intelligence to get the evidence totally off the radar.  This means Zoe will be targeted and used as a tool by that group, which normally involves the woman being seduced and hoping pillow talk will reveal her secrets.  Saxon Hale and his group have been given the assignment, and Mercer has the job of getting close to Zoe.  They are under the direction of Tyler Martin, who plans to bury the Magnus family.  Now all he has to do is work the strings to get what he wants: destroy Saxon Hale and his brother Vitus and secure his future by taking care of Congressman Jeb Ryland.  The case of treason against the Magnus family is perfect.

Zoe is at a dance club when she sees the baddest of bad men, black leather jacket, a bad-ass look, and a premium hunk of man.  She's doesn't usually take a man home the first night, and despite the temptation, she avoids going to bed with Mercer that night. However, temptation is, well, temptation, and soon Mercer and Zoe are burning up the sheets.  Zoe can't believe this beautiful man is attracted to her, until they are shot at in her apartment by a sniper, and then it is burned.  Zoe quickly learns she was just the target for the group, leaving her with the knowledge she was just another job for Mercer.

After the shooting, Mercer takes Zoe to Vitus's place; he resigned the group a year ago for taking the virginity of Congressman Ryland's daughter after rescuing her during a mission.  Vitus and his brother are in the Congressman's sights to make Vitus pay for touching his daughter.

Dawn Ryder's special ops team is starting off with a bang in DANGEROUS TO KNOW.  Zoe tries to live her own life despite her brother and father being deployed, and Mercer is used to being on a mission where success is the only option.  Despite knowing she was just another job, Zoe can't help being drawn to Mercer over and over.  She has to keep reminding herself, she's just another assignment to him.  Mercer tries to keep his perspective, but with someone trying to kill Zoe, he can't accept what his heart is telling him to do.

There are as many bad guys as secondary characters.  There's Tim, Zoe's father's best friend and maybe a traitor.  Colonel Decains, who gives the case to Kagan.  Kagan refers the assignment to Agent Tyler Martin who then assigns it to Saxon Hale, and Tyler is determined to ruin him and his team, and especially Saxon's brother Titus for Congressman Ryland.  Sometimes it's difficult to determine who is after the truth and who is aiding the traitor.  And last but not least is Harley, the scarlet wing Macaw parrot.

DANGEROUS TO KNOW takes care of the traitor, but treason runs deep and there are still men waiting to be targets.  Zoe has to come to terms with how she met Mercer, and Mercer has to do the toughest thing of all, learn to trust Zoe.  The story isn't over, and there is no date yet for the next in this series of treason, but I believe Titus's story may be next, and the fiasco of his mission with the Senator's daughter.

Carolyn Crisher