CROSSFIRE - JoAnn Ross
High Risk, Book 2
Signet
ISBN: 978-0-451-22479-8
September 2008
Romantic Suspense

Somersett, South Carolina – Present Day

There is a crazed sniper loose in Somersett, South Carolina, and the victims he picks make no rhyme or reason. It is up to FBI Special Agent Caitlin Cavanaugh to find this madman before he strikes even more fear into the hearts of the residents of Somersett. But Caitlin has an ace in the hole besides her crusty old partner, Frank Angetti, who is up for retirement. The one person she doesn't count on is former Navy SEAL and best selling author, Quinn McKade. Caitlin and Quinn haven't seen each other in years, but in the past, they had a one-night stand during a wedding. Caitlin walked out the next morning without a second thought, or so Quinn thought. Caitlin may have never gotten over Quinn, but she knew a one-time fling was all she could handle.

Quinn is more than pleased to help Caitlin because he wouldn't mind recreating that special night together with her and many more. But until they can catch the sniper creating havoc all over town, he must put his plans on hold. Not even Quinn's insights and Caitlin's investigation techniques can help them. They have more questions than answers, and there are no solutions in sight. And things become even more tense when local news reporter Valentine Snow begins to receive letters from the sniper. Is this an obsessive lovesick individual, or an evil mastermind with something else up his sleeve? Will Caitlin and Quinn be able to stop him before everyone is too afraid to walk the streets for fear of getting shot in the head?

JoAnn Ross has written another thriller with a killer who has no remorse and a town at a standstill in fear of his next move. CROSSFIRE showcases the skills of the Navy SEALS along with the FBI who work together to stop a madman. Both Quinn and Caitlin are two solid characters who have great heads on their shoulders. These two work so well together, if only they can get over their animosity towards each other. I wanted to shake some sense into Caitlin because Quinn is such a great guy. She is so afraid of her intense feelings for him that run over the course of years. Quinn feels the same way for Caitlin, but he no longer wants to be her sex plaything. He wants sex with intimacy, which means a relationship between the two, and because of that, I quickly decided he was my favorite character in this story.

There is also another sweet love story between Valentine and her landlord, Brendan O'Neill, who is a former Irish barrister turned bartender at the Black Swann Pub where Valentine lives in an apartment above. These two are great friends, but when Valentine becomes the subject of the sniper's sick obsession, Brendan admits his undying love for her, which almost made me swoon. And then there is the sexy Mike Gannon who is a doctor and a former priest who runs a group for troubled Vets. Hopefully, Mike will get his own story in the future.

CROSSFIRE is another suspenseful romance by JoAnn Ross that you will not want to miss. With tension that you can cut with a knife, definitely pick up CROSSFIRE and get lost in world of the Navy SEALS and FBI that only JoAnn Ross can deliver. And, for those who want to be introduced to the first book in Ross's High Risk series, I recommend you read FREEFALL (February 2008).

Kate Garrabrant