"Emotional depth, fast-paced action, and steamy sex"

GONE TOO FAR is Suzanne Brockmann's much-anticipated first hardcover release in her single-title Troubleshooter series about Navy SEAL Team Sixteen. Yes, this is Alyssa Locke and Sam Starrett's book. For those of you following the series, the author has been torturing Alyssa and Sam, and some say her fans, with missed opportunities and wrenching plot twists. These characters really had to earn their own story.

Sam is separated from his wife and daughter and has come to Florida to get his wife's signature on their divorce papers. When he finds a dead woman and no sign of his daughter, he frantically calls FBI agent Alyssa for backup. Meanwhile, Tom Paoletti has been relieved of his command of Team Sixteen and is facing the end of his military career, possible prosecution in a plot to kill the President, and his fiancée won't set a date. All this in the first chapter. The stakes are high and quickly ratchet up as we hang on tight for another emotional and suspenseful ride. Add in the WWII Army Air Corps subplot and the return of FBI negotiator Max Bhagat and ex-hostage Gina from OVER THE EDGE; only a very skilful author can have so many subplots and characters, and use them to augment the suspense and not confuse the reader.

Like the other novels in this series, there are several seemingly separate story lines that eventually lock into the action-packed finale. We learn more about Sam and Alyssa's backstory, which gives us better understanding of previously well-established characters' actions and motivations. Each of them has grown over the course of the series. The crux of the plot hinges on their ability to fully trust each other. The pace is relentless and yet we are emotionally connected to each character's dilemma when there are no easy answers.

This is one of Ms. Brockmann's strongest books in the series. Sam and Alyssa's dance is very satisfying and not resolved effortlessly, so it is that much more realistic given their long history. Personally, Max and Gina's story is my favourite. They are both so honourable and yet their relationship seems elusive. I admire their struggle with a painful past and want them to be happy.

With emotional depth, fast-paced action, and steamy sex, I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Karen Williston for Sensual Romance.

Reviewed by Sensual Romance
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted June 2, 2003

In her sizzling, award-winning novels of suspense, bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann delves into the adrenaline-rushed world of counter terrorism--and taps into the real passions of its brave men and women. Now in her widely anticipated hardcover debut, she spins a story of action, intrigue, and romance, as a U.S. Navy SEAL and an FBI agent race to unravel a mystery--while confronting their own unresolved feelings for each other. . . .

Summary

In his career as one of America's elite warriors, Lt. Sam Starrett can do no wrong. In his private life, Sam--the king of one night stands--has done little right. Now, he's waiting for a divorce and determined to stay active in his young daughter's life. But when Sam shows up at the door of his ex-wife's home in Sarasota, Florida, he makes a grisly discovery. His daughter is gone and the body of a woman lies brutally murdered on the floor.

FBI agent Alyssa Locke's relationship with Sam has been overwhelmingly intense and nearly catastrophic, yet it refuses to end. The last time she saw Sam was six months earlier, when they worked together to stop terrorists from assassinating the U.S. President. Much to her dismay, Alyssa is assigned to lead the murder investigation and once again the two are face to face. When explosive information surfaces linking Sam to the still unsolved assassination plot, the stakes are raised. With her reputation hanging in the balance, and her loyalties in question, Alyssa is faced with an impossible dilemma:arrest a man she believes to be innocent, or risk her career.

While Alyssa tries to fight their intense attraction, Sam is determined to heat things up between them once again. And the complex case pushes them both to the wrong side of the law--and on the run to discover the truth. As more agents step into the chase, and with Sam's daughter still unaccounted for, neither Alyssa nor Sam can predict just how deadly hot this situation is about to become. . . .

A thrilling novel that ranges back into the days of World War II, into friendships, families, liaisons, betrayals, and the code of honor that binds the U.S. Navy SEALs, Gone Too Far is an electrifying experience in suspense--and a brilliant tale of lives lived on the edge.