Francine "Frankie" Russo is not happy when her young co-worker, Tyler Gates, calls at 5 AM for a video chat, but her irritation turns to horror when seconds later, two men murder Tyler and pick up his phone. Now they know what Frankie looks like... and more. They'll be coming for her next, and the only thing she can think of to do is get out of Chicago and head for the Florida Panhandle to her friend, Hannah Washington.
While Frankie is en route, Hannah's friend and business partner, Ryder Creed has taken his best scent dog, Grace, to Alabama where a series of devastating tornadoes means there are survivors to find. Ryder's employee Jason and Jason's K-9 partner, Scout, are on their way to help.
With killers on her trail, Frankie is trying desperately to get to Hannah and the meeting that Hannah has set up with FBI agent Maggie O'Dell, but the weather is proving to be the biggest handicap of all. With threatening clouds and screaming tornado sirens, Ryder, Jason, and their dogs are witnessing tremendous devastation while Hannah and Ryder's sister, Brodie, are at home, worrying and waiting... and Frankie is trying to outrun two killers. This is a race against time and the weather, a race that no one can afford to lose.
~
I've been an ardent fan of this series since the very first book, Breaking Creed. Ryder, Hannah, Jason, and Maggie are strong, intelligent characters, and I absolutely love how Ryder has created his business: "Hannah liked to say they rescued abandoned and discarded dogs and turned them into heroes"-- and that's exactly what Ryder does. In Desperate Creed, Ryder's behavior with his dog, Grace, during a tornado made me love the man even more.
Ryder's sister, Brodie, has been added to the cast, and her adjustment to life after captivity is both life-affirming and heartbreaking. (I'm purposely not saying much about Brodie to prevent possible spoilers because I want all of you to read this series!)
As much as I enjoy the interactions of the characters, the high-octane plot of this book almost blew me away. There are the killers following Frankie from Chicago down to the Florida Panhandle. They are professionals. She is a rank amateur. Are they going to catch up with her? But, first and foremost, there are the tornadoes. I once lived in Tornado Alley, and I've had a few close encounters. I've also experienced earthquakes, blizzards, fire, and hurricane-force winds. What scared me most? Tornadoes. To put characters whom I feel so strongly about right in the path of a weather phenomenon that petrifies me? I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
Desperate Creed thrilled the adrenaline junkie in me to pieces, and it's the type of book in which readers should make a point of reading the Afterword. If you're in the mood to read a book you won't be able to put down, this is definitely the one you need to get your hands on.
Desperate Creed by Alex Kava
eISBN: 9781732006416
Prairie Wind Publishing © 2019
eBook, 321 pages
Law Enforcement, #5 Ryder Creed mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
This does sound suspenseful, Cathy! One of the things I notice right away is that Kava handles multiple settings in the story. An author who can do that well gets a lot of credit in my book. And you don't have to do much to convince me that strong female characters are appealing!
ReplyDeleteAll the characters are strong in this one, Margot!
DeleteWow. I had to buckle my seatbelt to read this review. When I'm in the mood to read about tornadoes, I'll read this one. I like the dogs in this series, and am amazed at what they can do.
ReplyDeleteYes, the dogs are certainly special. I love Grace.
DeleteI love this series, and these characters! Is she ever going to write another one?
ReplyDeleteFallen Creed came out last year, so it's not as though she's turning into George R.R. Martin... ;-)
DeleteGeorge R.R. Martin?
ReplyDeleteMartin's supposedly been writing the last volume of his Game of Thrones series since 2010.
Delete