Elizabeth Goddard’s conclusion to the Rocky Mountain Courage series was stunning! Here’s what it’s all about:
Mackenzie Hanson’s special set of skills opened the door to a successful career as a professor of cybersecurity at a Michigan university, allowing her to put her criminal past behind her. But when a long-ago partner in crime delivers a cryptic message about her father’s tech company being under cyberattack, she heads for Montana to secure exposed assets, close security breaches, and hopefully save lives.
Diplomatic Security Services special agent Alex Knight is back home in Montana to decompress from a mission gone wrong. But even as he’s trying to relax, he’s drawn into another mystery, complete with suspicious deaths, lethal threats, and whispers of espionage that all have one thing in common–a beautiful cybersecurity expert with a dark past.
When the situation turns deadly, Alex and Mackenzie will have to work together to find the answers they need–before someone silences Mackenzie for good.
The title of this book nails the major themes and issues within it – it’s absolutely perfect! It’s the question of relationships – with, of course, the danger and suspense – that will keep any reader on tenterhooks throughout this story. I love the way that the idea of whom to trust and how far to go to do what’s right form the foundation of this story.
Because that’s really what it’s all about. What are your priorities? Are you willing to put what you say you believe in to the test? Are you willing to take radical steps to live out forgiveness, redemption, honesty, and trust? Will you put the past behind you and move forward to do what’s right, now matter the cost?
These are big questions, and for most of us, we say ‘yes’ without too much thought. When you know that you could lose your family, your reputation, your career, even your freedom – you might rethink those answers. That’s what’s on the line for Mackenzie, and eventually for Alex, too. The weight of these questions and the high cost of their decisions makes for an exciting read – but so does the setting.
As always, Goddard knocks it out of the park with her descriptions of the rugged outdoors and its natural beauty. She incorporated it smoothly into the story elements, and I love the way that this enabled her to add unexpected elements of danger to her characters – even though I loved them, too, and didn’t want to see them get hurt. This made Critical Alliance even more fun to read – and despite the danger in the story, it made me want to head west to see these mountains for myself.
My favorite stories are ones that leave me flying through the pages to find out what happens but then leave me contemplating the issues within for days afterwards. Critical Alliance is one of those fantastic books – and it wraps up the Rocky Mountain Courage series in a stunning way. If you enjoy suspense and haven’t ventured into the Rocks yet with Goddard, now’s definitely the time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
