Hot off her first mission as a Unit 28 contractor agent, Alex Thornton wants nothing more than to focus on building a life with Jabir al-Omri, her best friend and boyfriend of five months.
A secret chains Jabir, one with such dire consequences that seeking freedom from it will cost him dearly. He finds himself caught between honoring those he cares about and being completely truthful with Alex.
Hashim al-Hassan craves vengeance against the woman who deceived him ten years before. The target of his wrath? Alex.
When Alex and Jabir receive an assignment to find the murderers of a shipping executive, their investigation brings them to the attention of Hashim. He begins stalking her. The bodies pile up, and people disappear.
Now, with Alex squarely within Hashim’s crosshairs, Jabir yearns to tell her what he knows. Yet the truth may destroy both her and those she loves the most.
Loose Ends starts out with conflict, romance, and double-agents, and the action only picks up with every page that you turn. It’s no secret that mysteries and suspense novels are my top choice every time, and Loose Ends didn’t disappoint. The action was probably slowest in the first chapter, but you’re dropped into the story right as an op ends and a spy enters the picture, so it’s not exactly the slow lane. From there, Haynie keeps the spies, intrigues, and mysteries coming.
This is the first Haynie book I’ve read, and I chose to read this particular one, knowing it was the second in the series. The promo read like an NCIS episode, and since I love those, this was my top choice. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but being the second book, it was a bit difficult in the beginning to get up to speed on the cast of characters and their meanings to each other. Unlike many authors, Haynie didn’t spend any time in the beginning introducing them – which is great, when you’ve read the previous books; a bit harder when you haven’t. Again, my choice, so I didn’t mind spending the extra time figuring everyone out, especially since …
Loose Ends is packed full of excitement, both of the physical and dramatic variety! With terrorists to stop, family secrets to uncover, double agents to verify, listening devices to find, and mysterious pasts playing unforeseen roles in current events, there is a lot happening in this story. I really enjoyed the way that Haynie let family secrets and current hurts play out throughout the story, dripping details in and keeping the curiosity level high, all while taking the characters on a spiritual journey. Their problems were painted as real and their pain bled through the pages, but their joy, did, too, as they dealt with their issues, found answers, and solved the case.
There’s definitely a backstory to Alex and Jabir that I want to know, and I definitely want to go back and read that first book now. I’ve enjoyed reading about Alex and Jabir, and I really want to know more of their story! If you like international suspense stories, Loose Ends should definitely be on your TBR list.
*My Big Helper is beginning to pick up many of my Christian fiction books to read. While I love the storyline and action in this one, there are references to adult relationships; so I’d recommend this book for an older teen and up.
I received a free copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.
What are your thoughts?