Meredith Fletcher, Storm Force

Storm Force

Meredith Fletcher

Silhouette Bombshell, December 2006, $4.99

ISBN: 0373514344

In Florida, wildlife hunting and fishing guide Kate Garrett is preparing to get her kids Steven and Hannah, who are waiting for her to take them to shelter before the perfect storm expected to hit the peninsular leaves them in trouble from the torrential rain and tidal aftermath. However, instead of reaching them and subsequently shelter, or being able to contact their father, the survivalist is taken prisoner by escaped convicts, who are not only on the lam, but seeking ten million dollars of hidden stolen loot.

They force Kate to guide them through the wilderness to where the money is hidden. She knows she must move fast and find a way to expedite herself in order to insure her children are safe on high ground. Her chance of survival rests with one of those holding her hostage, Shane Warren, who keeps her alive, but he will not abet her quest for freedom.

Kate is a fantastic lead character, whose fears for the safety of her children add tension to an already terse hostage situation, at the same time her former spouse Bryce is caught up with a criminal, so he is out of bounds for any assistance. The storyline is action-packed, as the readers commiserate with the frustrated and frightened (for her kids) heroine who feels the clock ticking while not understanding Shane's actions or her attraction to him (perhaps the Stockholm Effect). Readers will wonder whether he is on her side or just an escaped convict playing his hand perfectly as the storm is coming. Meredith Fletcher writes a terrific suspense thriller with a secondary romantic subplot enhancing the tale.