When she was in the Marines, railway cop Sydney Parnell made a promise to Malik, a young Iraqi boy. Unfortunately, Malik has secrets that an assassin Sydney knows only as the Alpha wants.
In order to keep her promise to the boy, Sydney travels to Mexico City and back to Denver, Colorado. With the help of her ex-war dog, Clyde, she is determined to track down the Alpha and keep her promise to Malik.
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Barbara Nickless certainly knows how to write compelling thrillers with strong main characters. Former Marine and railway cop Sydney Rose Parnell suffers from PTSD. In Iraq, she served in Mortuary Affairs, the detail that prepared soldiers killed in action to be returned to their families in the U.S. In her own words, "We were the Marines the other Marines avoided. The pariahs, the bad-luck charms. The ones no one wanted to risk being near." Combine that with her other combat experiences and it's no wonder that she has PTSD. At least, now in her job as a railway cop, she has her former war dog, Clyde, at her side to help her out.
Ambush centers on the promise Sydney made to a young Iraqi boy and the lengths to which she will go to fulfill that promise. The narrow escapes she has from the killer known as Alpha show how determined he is to keep his secrets, but they also show that Sydney refuses to quit. Her guilt and the promise she made to the Iraqi boy, Malik, prove that nothing will stop her in her quest to ensure a good life for the boy-- even if it means getting to the bottom of why Alpha will go to any lengths to cover his tracks.
Sydney Parnell is a strong, nuanced character that readers can really sink their teeth into, and her investigations can really keep hearts racing. I know I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Ambush by Barbara Nickless
eISBN: 9781503901513
Thomas & Mercer © 2019
eBook, 356 pages
Police Procedural/Working Dogs, #3 Sydney Rose Parnell mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
When I read thrillers, I do like the characters to be solidly developed, Cathy (well, I like that all the time, but sometimes it's lacking in some thrillers). Add in a beloved dog that, well, acts like a dog, and I can see how this one appealed to you.
ReplyDeleteYep! :-)
DeleteI have the first book of this series on my TBR list, but I keep forgetting to read it. Thanks for the reminder. :D
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Lark!
DeleteThis is a canine series I wasn't aware of. Sydney Rose Parnell sounds like an interesting character with an interesting past.
ReplyDeleteShe is, Gretchen.
DeleteSo far, there's only one more book in the series. I'm wondering if Nickless has moved on. Sometimes short series are the best.
ReplyDelete