In Harms Way by Traci Hunter Abramson #blogtour #excerpt #giveaway #suspense

 

In Harm's Way by Traci Hunter Abramson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Source:  Received to Review

Gener: Romantic Suspense

Book Description:  For years, Troy has lived in the shadows as a Guardian. As part of this secret government taskforce, he has agreed to oversee the team’s base of operations on a remote private island in Maine, replacing fellow agent Ace and his wife, Kristi, for a year. When Troy steps in to hold down the fort, however, he does not anticipate company. So when Kristi’s sister, Jocelyn, appears on the island looking for a getaway, Troy is unnerved by her presence—hiding his top-secret work from the beautiful visitor is a recipe for disaster.

It’s been years since Jocelyn has been able to relax, and the family island is the clear antidote to the chaos of the business world. Expecting solitude, she is taken off guard by the presence of the handsome house sitter living in her sister’s home. Though she and Troy fall into an easy friendship, beneath his calm demeanor, he is an enigma. It’s clear the man who is quickly stealing her heart has a secret, but the truth is beyond Jocelyn’s widest imaginings: Troy is involved in stopping a political coup, and their relationship threatens to place Jocelyn squarely in the crosshairs of a deadly assassin.



My thoughts: Traci Hunter Abramson is a queen of romantic suspense. I have yet to find one of her books that don't suck me right into the storyline. Obviously, this book was no exception.

This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. It may take a minute or two to comprehend the "ghosts" and what they do. I think that all of the books should be read, whether or not in order.  (It does help to know who the couples are and you might get a spoiler or two by not reading them in order.)

Ty (Troy or Ghost) is living on a remote Island in Main when an unexpected house guest drops by. In spite of his best efforts, she doesn't leave.

Jocelyn needs a getaway to clear her head. Visiting her family's Island seems like the perfect escape. It would be if there wasn't a handsome recluse living in her family home.

You can see where this is going. A budding relationship based off of secrets! In many ways, there is humor as they dance around each other fighting a growing relationship. Ty's job as a ghost brings danger to the island, making for some pretty tricky and terrifying moments.

You don't want to miss this installment of the series. It will keep you up at night reading and bring out a desire for more stories!

(The book is part of a Goodreads giveaway.  Click on the above link and enter!)

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble  * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

Excerpt:

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Senator Walter Royce didn’t pay attention to the posted menu outside the busy restaurant in Montmartre as he walked through the entrance. He had one purpose for being here, and it had nothing to do with the food.

“Un,” he told the host, holding up one finger to make up for his complete lack of a French accent. On the surface, his trip to Paris was nothing more than a quick family getaway, but in reality, it was a much-needed excuse.

The host said something in French, and Walter shook his head apologetically. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand. Do you have an English menu?”

The younger man nodded and showed him up a half flight of stairs to the dining area. Walter took his seat at a table in the center of the room, and the host handed him a menu.

“Merci.” Once alone, he glanced around the establishment. Through the windows, he could see the tables filled with patrons lining the sidewalk and waiters breezing in and out of the kitchen. In contrast, the indoor dining area was nearly empty. Four locals chatted in French over the remnants of their lunch, and on the far side of the room, an older couple studied their menus.

Walter glanced furtively at each person. Everywhere he looked, he expected to see someone staring at him, someone noticing why he was really here. He had spent the morning with his wife and daughters at the Eiffel Tower, taking the appropriate photos to make sure everyone would see him as the tourist he claimed to be. He had bowed out of their shopping plans, but he doubted he would be able to sneak away again without raising suspicions.

His stomach jumped with nerves, and he struggled to focus on the menu before him. When the waiter arrived to take his order, Walter indicated his choice by pointing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the party of four stand up to leave at the

same time the host approached to seat another guest. Anticipation snaked through him. Was that him? The infamous Gavrie Morozov? A well-known Russian opera- tive, the man was a chameleon. He also had the skills needed to solve Walter’s problems and put him back on track to his destiny.

A moment after the host left, a heavily accented voice carried to him. “Why am I here?”

Walter started to turn around to see the man now seated behind him. “Don’t look at me,” the man commanded. “Just answer the question.”

Walter forced his gaze to stop at the window. Trying to focus on two women seated outside, he willed his heartbeat to slow. “I need help.”

“What kind of help?”

“My former bank notified me that someone was looking into my old account information,” Walter said. “Someone knows I’m working with your people.”

“Who knows?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s the guardians.” Walter lowered his voice further. “And I think I know who’s helping them.”

“It sounds like you need someone eliminated.”

Walter’s stomach curled. He had killed a man himself only a few weeks before. The nightmares from that moment still haunted him, and now here he was, negotiating to take another life. When his alliance with the Russians started more than a decade ago, he never anticipated he would be in this position now.

Silence stretched for several seconds before Walter said, “I don’t know if there’s another choice.”

“My associates need something in return.” “What?”

“Access to the detailed budget.”

Walter sucked in a deep breath. The requests from the Russians in the past had been more subtle, but complete access? If they knew where the money was going, they would know everything, including military plans and intelligence objectives. Walter was supposed to be the key to balancing the volatile relationship between the two superpowers, not the gofer giving one a significant leg up on the other. What would the Russians do if he refused? Would they cut off his funding? Or eliminate him in the most final sense of the word?

“Even if I give you access, what good would that do?” Walter asked. “I can’t make changes significant enough to make a difference.”

“You’re on the Senate Intelligence Committee. You have access to information we need.”

The noose around his neck tightened. He didn’t have any other option. “I’ll make it happen.”"

“Good,” the man said, his accent thickening. “While you’re at it, I suggest you propose to trim expenditures in a few places, especially anything that might be providing funding to the guardians.”

“I tried that before.”

“Try again.” The voice was low but firm. “Now, where do I find this problem of yours?”

“In Washington, DC,” Walter said. “You’ll find him on Capitol Hill.” Walter pulled a folded envelope from his back pocket and dropped it to the floor. He looked down as though noticing its presence for the first time, then cleared his voice. “I think you dropped something.”

The other man leaned down and picked it up. “So it seems.”"

********************

 

About the Author: Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas as well as the skills needed to survive her children's teenage years. She is a five-time Whitney Award winner and has written more than twenty-five bestselling novels. Follow Traci on BookBub at shorturl.at/ewDJ5

Visit her WEBSITE!

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