3.5 stars... He wanted her with a sudden sharpness that triggered an equally powerful realization. It was so strong it nearly made him stagger. In Flashpoint the seventh book in the highly acclaimed Troubleshooter Series by Suzanne Brockmann we're introduced to a whole new group of heros. Tess is a computer geek who love Buffy the Vampire slayer and has been infatuated with Diego "Jimmy" Nash for a long time. He sits on her desk eating from her little bowl of candies ever time he's in her office to debrief after a mission. Tess is applying to move from behind the computer out into the field, when she hears that Nash's partner Lawrence "Deck" Decker is about the go right into an ambush while undercover, Tess gets ahold of Nash...Suzanne Brockmann is one of those authors that you can read one of her books, take a break and pick up the next book in the series because she starts all her books off with a bang. You're thrown into this fast paced, detailed story and you love it. You enjoy that she's asking you to have a brain, to know that this information will soon make sense and just to go with it. I did, I went with meeting these new characters that we've never met in the Troubleshooter Series, well all except Tom. In many ways Ms. Brockmann really wowed me with parts of Flashpoint. Tess pulled off her T-shirt, took off her bra, and handed both to him. “What message should I give him?” she asked. Nash looked at her, looked at the shirt and wispy lace of bra dangling from his hand, looked at her again. Looked at her. “Jeez, Bailey.” Nash is not your typical hero, like many of Brockmann's past males characters he's flawed and not in the looks department but in the truth and honesty department. Know one knows his past, he's never told anyone and keeps his past indiscretions close to the vest for most of this book. In a way this drove me bat shit crazy. I wanted to yell at him to trust Tess because she could be trusted with these secrets but unfortunately it took most of this book for him to realize what he had found in this amazingly smart, confident and beautiful women. Then that's when I fell head over heels in love with Jimmy Nash. There is a moment in Flashpoint where Nash tells Tess his feelings and it's a holy crap, mouth hanging open moment. Smart man, he’d noticed that she hadn’t actually said yes to any kind of a relationship. Stupid man, he didn’t realize that they already had a relationship. Deck, is Nash's partner and friend but for most of this book you wouldn't know if for all the ways Decker bad mouths him. At first I thought they weren't that close, Nash and Deck but once the story progressed and I realized they had been on many missions together and have a long relationship. Deck takes may opportunities to tell Nash what he is doing wrong with Tess and a lot of the time it's true but maybe it's the delivery but it seems so demeaning. Deck is not angel he's made mistakes in the past and in this book, he's going to be a great character to read more about. I loved this description on Deck... Then, as he did now, he’d looked American. Quietly strong and confident, with a nearly visible aura shimmering around him that spoke of a life lived with freedom from fear. Freedom and orthodontists for all—her team leader had a truly American smile with straight white teeth. In conclusion, Flashpoint is a solid continuation of the Troubleshooter series, fans will understand the new character and i'm personally excited to see what happens to some of the new ones we've met... Sophia and Deck to start off. This is a series that is always a fun light read. Some characters hold a special place in your heart, Max and Gina, a story I cannot wait to read.
My eldest daughter expressed surprise on seeing a Suzanne Brockmann book on my kitchen table, telling me that Brockmann writes sex romances (she ought to know, as that is about all she reads). I picked it up from the library as an espionage/mystery because I liked the cover photo, and it moré or less lives up to both sides.The story features three former members of the CIA, including two hardened fighters and a computer-nerd office girl who wants to be in the field. Following a rather unbelievable adventure, they all get out of the CIA and wind up working together after a while as a special group under the aegis of a private contractor who does CIA-type work for hire. The storyline is that one of the top men in Al Kyder has died in an earthquake in the backward country of Kazbekestan, ruled by a vicious warlord who happened to get educated in America—and who got stabbed in the back during the earthquake by a woman he took over after cutting her husband’s head off at a dinner party a couple months previously; she escapes into the night and his followers and most everyone else are looking for her, with a $100,000 price on her head, when our three heroes/heroine come traipsing in disguised as relief workers, with their real job being (1) to find the missing lap top left behind by the Al Khyder guy and (2) to find a CIA contact who has suddenly gone silent—and who just happens to be the fellow whose head was cut off a couple months previously by the reigning warlord, and who, it turns out, was just a front man for his wife. Lots of action! And sex? Oh, yes—rather blatantly so, every few chapters.I find the story line absolutely unbelievable, but I have to admit the thing is well written and entertaining.
What do You think about Flashpoint (2004)?
Well... this was a total turn on the story. Yes, Tom Paoletti was in there briefly, but everyone else seemed to be new. At first, I had to come back to GR to make sure I was reading the next in the series, and when I confirmed that yes, this one does come after Sam and Alyssa's HEA, I kept reading. And it was a great story! Not only are the men smart as well as handsome, the women are strong, and while I don't understand a culture that can see girls as disposable, it's interesting to see how something so simple as trying to save someone's life can put them in danger simply because they're all of a sudden showing skin. I don't get it, but based on the various news stories, it seems legit. That's another thing I am really enjoying about these stories... they all seem like they could actually happen. They're not supermen or women with teflon skin that bullets can't penetrate, but they achieve believable feats. And the stories so far have been quite compelling. This was the first one I read (I listened to 1-6), and I might just stick with reading them. I thought I'd miss the narration, but I was still very into the story because it was jam packed with action. Even when they were sitting still. :-)
—Heather in FL
I'm not going to lie. I was a little ticked off with Suzanne Brockmann for not giving me Max's story next. I desperately need to get to Max and she threw Nash and Decker at me first and I didn't even care. I was tempted to book skip because MAX, but I didn't. Well, as almost always, I was all sorts of wrong. This book was highly entertaining and I couldn't stop reading it. What was a little different with this instalment in the series is that it was really only one story. Nash and Decker are buds and have a serious bromance going on. We get both of their stories but they are rolled into one. I liked that. I think I was less distracted. In her previous books, there has always been a historical backstory and there wasn't with this. I've always enjoyed that component in this series but I have to say that I didn't really miss it in this book. Another difference was that we really didn't get to see much of the other boys, you know, like Sam and let's say...Max. ;) And again, I was surprisingly okay with it. Nash is a bit of a mess but was funny and tough and I was digging him. I also enjoyed Decker, who reminds me a little of Max, in that he's a calm leader who always tries to do the right thing, until he doesn't. Like all the other books in the series, this was suspenseful, sexy, a little heart-tugging, and fun. These aren't WOW books but they are completely addictive and I highly recommend them.Onward! Check out our blog: The Book BossesFind us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter
—Hildy (The Book Boss)
OK, while I love and rave over almost all the Troubleshooters series, this one holds my attention the most. Why? I think it has to do with Nash. I'm a sucker for the enigmatic, emotionally distant playboy character, and love to watch them unravel for that special, certain someone... and Nash unravels perfectly.Tess Bailey does not appear to be the perfect woman for him. He is movie-star handsome with a 007-complex, while she looks like a farm girl (round cheeks & freckles), and is described as a younger and prettier Shirley Temple.They are explosive together and their sex scenes are dynamite. What elevates this book is the start of the Sophia - Decker - Dave story arc. Decker lusts after her, but won't go near her. Sophia wants Decker. Dave wants Sophia too, but she won't look at him... it's a f*cked up triangle of emotions for sure. Set it all against a backdrop of The Pit, a warlord-regime-country somewhere near Afghanistan, and there is danger on every page. I gobbled it up. So, SO good!
—Sofia Grey
