The Darkest Hour (Surrender #4)

Fossil smuggling, BDSM, and heart-stopping run-ins with the Russian mob power Smith’s taut, well-characterized fourth Surrender novel (after The Gilded Chain). Teaching assistant MacKenzie Martin is grading papers for her sexy mentor and boss, paleontologist Dr. Royce Devereaux, at Long Island’s Hampstead University when thugs break into the office. They threaten her, hoping to use her as leverage to force Royce to authenticate a valuable velociraptor fossil. After Kenzie makes a daring escape, Royce directs her to meet him at the BDSM club where he spends his Saturday nights. He whisks her first to his mansion and then to Russia to keep her safe from the thugs’ boss, soulless human trafficker and fossil smuggler Vadym Andreikiv. In between bouts of great, kinky sex, mayhem ensues, making long-term survival somewhat unlikely. But when all seems lost, Smith cleverly brings in the cavalry. Although some scenes of graphic violence are unpleasant to read, they make it clear that Andreikiv is thoroughly evil, making it easy for readers to cheer for his downfall. At the end, Smith tantalizingly whets the reader’s appetite for the next book, which promises to be every bit as gripping as this satisfying installment. (BookLife)