Collateral Damage

Eason (the Women of Justice series) kicks off her Danger Never Sleeps series with this suspenseful tale of an Army therapist being hunted by terrorists. A soldier saved Army psychiatrist Brooke Adams from a bomb explosion in Afghanistan, and the soldier’s dying words were a plea to clear his name: he had been accused of selling information to terrorists. Back home in South Carolina, Brooke is contacted by retired Sgt. Asher James, who seeks help with his PTSD. When he arrives at her office, they discover her new assistant has been murdered and the killers are after Brooke. It appears that someone wants to know what she heard from her rescuer—and then to shut her up for good. Rather than go to the police, she and Asher begin sleuthing, but more attacks make them wary of investigating what’s behind them too deeply. In Afghanistan, Brooke’s friend Sarah, a reporter, is about to break open an organ-harvesting and child trafficking ring. As Brooke and Asher discover more of Sarah’s reporting and how it meshes with their own memories of that fatal day, it becomes clear they are all up against the same dark, desperate, and dangerous forces. Leaning on their shared faith and sense of purpose, Brooke and Asher forge a strong relationship. Eason remains a force in action-packed inspirational fiction with this excellently paced, heartening tale. (Jan.)