Hot Target

After spending the day reading Hot Target, all I can say is it's an engrossing read: 4 out of 5.

Navy SEAL Cosmo Richter has a month away from his work for SEAL Team 16 when his mother breaks her wrists. She doesn't want him hovering as she recovers, however, which means he's free to help Troubleshooters, Inc. with an assignment to protect a movie producer who has been receiving death threats. Trouble is that J. (Jane) Mercedes Chadwick doesn't want help or protection.

Well, I never thought I'd say this, but when it comes to favorite Suzanne Brockmann heroes, Cosmo gives Sam a run for his money. I'm really, really attracted to the strong, quiet, and mysterious type, which means Cosmo's close to perfect. Patrick Lawler, one of the narrators of the Hot Target audiotape, describes Cosmo as "A warrior's poet, gentleman's gentleman. And multidimensional." This description is right on target. (Excuse the pun. I couldn't resist.) I can't say enough about how much I like Cos.

Jane is also a terrific character and a great match for Cosmo. I appreciate the fact that she doesn't put herself in stupid situations--you know the kind I mean, where the heroine does something stupid just so the hero can jump in and look all manly. None of that here. And the conflict of interest angle--Cosmo is Jane's bodyguard, after all--is acknowledged and dealt with.

As for the subplot with gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, I'll admit it pushed me right out of my comfort zone. I was hoping for sweet, but it leaned toward sordid at times. One situation in particular disturbed me and would have done so if the players were heterosexual. And damn it, poor Jules deserves better all the way around.

As with the other Troubleshooter books (Flashpoint is the exception), Hot Target includes a World War II subplot. It's smoothly integrated into the book without being overwhelming.

Lest you think I've set aside my feelings for Sam, I will tell you that I loved the Sam and Alyssa short story. Told from Sam's point of view, it describes his feelings when Alyssa goes on an out-of-country mission without him. It gives a nice glimpse at some of the previous Troubleshooters characters and tells a touching story at the same time.

Alyssa