Debra Webb, Out-Foxed

Out-Foxed

Debra Webb

Harlequin Special Releases, Oct 2007, $5.99

ISBN: 9780373198924

Thirty two years old Samantha Fox works part-time as a UN translator, but full time as an IT&PA field agent. Her assignment is to save the world from terrorists by handling mission impossible cases that the polite colleague FBI, the arrogant colleague CIA and the agency NSA cannot. Her support team is top rate as Trainer, Big Hugh and Angie would do anything to keep her safe during an operation.

Her superior IT&PA Director Anderson Marx sends her to Paris to obtain critical codes that will help the agency to prevent an operation from occurring. However, instead of completing the deal as pre-arranged, the courier Frederick Heilman jumps back onto the train; Fox follows only to have a sniper kill her contact before they can do much talking or for her to receive the code. Immediately afterward, Eric "the Dragon" Drake, former head of INTERPOL, warns her they need to get off the train or die. Fox distrusts Dragon as he betrayed her on a joint mission two years ago. However, when they are abducted, Fox knows her only hope to survive and gain the codes is with Dragon, the man she fell in love with on their last assignment together.

From the opening sequence in which Fox rescues an Israel family being tortured for information in a Manhattan hotel to the final twist confrontation, OUT-FOXED is a terrific romantic espionage thriller. Like Fox, readers will wonder where Dragon's loyalty lies and if it is the highest bidder will the heroine go up in his flames. The family problems Samantha has back home with her mom humanizes her, but also detracts from an action-packed romantic suspense thriller starring a fabulous heroine, a questionable love interest who may be her enemy, and a strong support cast, especially the Fox network.

Harriet Klausner