Breaking Point

Few authors can weave together multiple romantic threads while keeping each story line taut and fresh, but Brockmann is a master at doing just that. Her characters' relationships often span several books, and their happily ever after, when it comes, is made all the more sweeter-and believable-for it. This book, which once again finds sexual sparks popping amid a hailstorm of bullets, focuses on the reunion of fierce FBI agent Max Bhagat and the much younger Gina Vitagliano. The two met in 2001's Over the Edge when Gina was beaten and raped by terrorists aboard a hijacked plane. Now, the unlucky heroine-innocent bystander is in peril again, but Max and his resourceful field agent, Jules Cassidy, another of Brockmann's regulars, are on hand to rescue her and her friend Molly from the mercenaries who have taken them captive. The source of all the trouble is David Jones (aka Grady Morant), a former Special Forces soldier who's wanted dead by the kidnappers. The romance between Jones and Molly, which was established in Out of Control (2002), adds another layer to this already meaty novel and ensures that the book contains enough sizzle to earn it a place on summer reading lists. However, it's Brockmann's zesty writing style and skill at creating dynamic, larger-than-life-yet somehow very human-characters that will earn it a permanent place on many readers' shelves.