Title: Deadly Intent
Series: Mindhunters
Author: Kylie Brant
Read copy: eBook
Published: November 2, 2010
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 1101444878
ISBN-13: 9781101444870
No one knows the patterns and nuances of communication like forensic linguist Macy Reid. She is also an expert on kidnapping, having experienced firsthand the stark terror of being abducted when she was a child. So she is the perfect investigator to be called in when a Denver tycoon's eleven-year-old daughter is abducted—for the second time.
The biggest stumbling block for Macy may be a member of her own team: Kellan Burke, the wisecracking, rule-breaking investigator who relishes getting under Macy's skin. Their styles couldn't be more different; the attraction between them, more explosive. And when it becomes apparent that Macy can't solve this case without confronting the demons from her past, Kell is just the man to take her there—and back...
My rating:
Ellie Mulder has been kidnapped. Again. But this time her parents have no intention of waiting two years to get their daughter back, so the first person they call is the person who brought Ellie home the first time—Adam Raiker. In turn, he brings two of his best people; forensic linguist Macy Reid and her nemesis, Kellan Burke, who brings with him memories of a night she would rather forget.
The team soon discovers the second kidnapping has nothing to do with the reason for the first one, it also was an inside job...The two Mindhunters sure have their job cut out for them, with the stonewalling from the feds, the very real threat that Ellie might not come home this time, and the pesky attraction that still burns hot between them.
This series sure doesn't benefit from re-reads. Sure, this was the worst of the bunch on the first read as well, but this second time around got one star knocked off.
The first big problem was the pacing in the first half of the book where nothing, except for the kidnapping, major happens. Only loads and loads of talk, going round in circles, and guessing. Sheesh, the big red herring about the kidnapper and how that would end was obvious from the moment they searched the guy's house and found "the clue" in the bathroom.
The second problem were the two leads. Bland, boring, dull, uninteresting...Should I go on? She was a bitch to him with no apparent reason (What did the guy do?), an anal control freak with OCD tendencies, and the glimpse into the "traumatic" past (which was a teaser at best and unnecessary at worst) didn't mesh with her present character and its traits and especially didn't explain those traits and trust issues toward the hero. A hero who brought nothing to the table beside his wisecracks. Two blank slates who happened to work together on a case who happened to be attracted to each other—it sure didn't seem there was anything more between them and the ending merely corroborated that feeling. There was no spark, no real depth, no "life", just two cardboard cutouts going through the motions.
And from what I figure, they weren't that good at their job either, since the girl pretty much saved herself, and would've done so if it weren't for the villain. Who also ended up being in the meh-category, since he was just sort of there, doing nothing but being quasi-ominous, playing with his knife. No intensity there, no chills...Nothing.
The only saving grace (minor, mind you) were the premise (it was nicely developed yet severely lacking in execution) and Adam Raiker, whom we saw a lot more than in the previous three books. I'm daring a guess this sub-arc in the series is all about him (at least that's what the last paragraph in the book makes the reader believe...not to mention all the little tidbits strewn here and there throughout the story).
Without the Raiker sub-plot, this would've been a redundant, unnecessary, bland and dull story.
A disappointment, in short.
2 stars, bitchslappable heroine/hero, bodyguard/military/merc/gov/cop/spy, contemporary, Kylie Brant, re-read, suspense/mystery/adventure/thriller
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