X-Ops Exposed

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts in Tyler’s eighth X-Ops paranormal romantic thriller (after Her Dark Half). Tanner Howland and Dr. Zabrina Sokolov’s nuanced love story takes an unfortunate backseat to a plot involving the kidnapping of hybrid shape-shifters who are living with off-the-grid preppers in Washington State. Worse are the novel’s stale underpinnings—paranormals running missions for a secret organization (the Department of Covert Operations) are passé, as are genetically enhanced humans created by unorthodox scientists. However, strong leads somewhat mitigate these flaws. Zarina is a genetics engineering expert who’s forced to work on hybrid experiments. Tanner is her love interest, a hybrid feline Army Ranger with PTSD. She wishes he would take the antiserum she invented to turn hybrids back into humans; his reason for saying no, given the torture he endured in his unwanted transformation, adds surprising pathos, balancing a lengthy separation due to the kidnapping plot. Meanwhile, a close friendship blossoms between a DCO operative and a sheriff’s deputy assigned to work a case with him in rural Maine. Series fans will be satisfied. Agent: Bob Mecoy, Creative Book Services. (Apr.)