4 Wine Glass #Audio #Review of Fatal Deception by Katie Reus

Title: Fatal Deception
Series: Red Stone Security #3
Author: Katie Reus
Narrator: Pyper Down
Format: Audible, 3 hours 27 minutes
Published: 5 Feb 2014 (Katie Reus)
ISBN: ASIN: B00I9GHGKY
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audible
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Author
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses

A woman with a dark past…

Mara Caldwell made a clean break from her old life, never imagining her secrets could come back to haunt her. When an old enemy surfaces and threatens the world she’s created for herself Mara is prepared to give up everything, including the husband she loves if it will keep him safe.

The truth might destroy them…

Harrison knew his wife had secrets when he married her, but when he discovers the truth, it’s far worse than he imagined. He’s determined to protect her from a deadly enemy who wants to destroy her, but her lack of faith in him infuriates and wounds him. They must work together to keep her safe, but the man they’re up against seeks to destroy everything they’ve built together. Including their lives.

Linda's Thoughts:
Meeting Harrison hadn’t been part of her plan, but once she’d met him, walking away from him had never been an option. Now she wondered if he’d be the one to walk away from her when he knew the truth about her past. He’d been so brutally honest with her about his own life and his career with the CIA before he’d started working for Red Stone Security. 
But she’d kept her secrets.

Fatal Deception by Katie Reus is heart-pounding romantic suspense at its finest! Add in steamy bondage scenes and a villain who will make your skin crawl and I could not turn off this audio until I’d listened to every word.

Red Stone Security is a high tech firm owned and operated by the Caldwell family. The first two books in this series featured the stories of Caldwell sons, Peter and Grant, both former marines. Fatal Deception is the story of another Caldwell son - former CIA agent Harrison Caldwell, and his wife, Mara Caldwell. It picks up right where the former book, Danger Next Door, ended.  In the previous two books, there have been several mentions about Harrison’s and Mara’s marriage experiencing issues. In Fatal Deception, their marriage troubles come to a head as Mara’s past returns to haunt her like a barreling freight train. Since Harrison and Mara are already married, there is no need for relationship development so Katie is able to jump right into their story.

Mara has finally found happiness with Harrison. But, she has a past with MI6 that she has kept from Harrison. She mistakenly believes that he’s safer not knowing. While at MI6, she helped convict a very bad man. Now that man has escaped from prison and found Mara. He is determined to make Mara and everyone she loves suffer before he kills her.

Mara is one kickass heroine. She is strong and more than capable of defending herself, but has difficulty trusting others . Her husband is ex-CIA and Red Stone Security’s business is protection. Mara should be smart enough to know that those close to her were in more danger from not knowing what they were facing.

Harrison is a domineering presence who requires submission in the bedroom. Ooh la la! Their bedroom scene is hot, hot, hot! He loves Mara and is clueless as to why their marriage is in trouble. He knows she is concealing something, but has no idea what she’s hiding.

Fatal Deception is the third book in Katie’s Red Stone Security romantic suspense series. Even though it is the third installment and there are interconnected characters with the previous books, it can easily be read as a standalone if that is your preference. Indeed, I have read the series out-of-order and do not feel that doing so has impacted my enjoyment of the series.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from Fatal Deception:

“Wait, what? Mara roughed up some guys?” For a moment Harrison wondered if this had something to do with a woman at her shelter. Maybe she’d been at that pawn shop to try and talk to an ex or something. But that didn’t make sense. Mara would have told him about that. 
“That’s a mild way of putting it. She also took a bunch of pistols.”
--- 

Who the hell was this woman that he shared a bed with? A life with.  Anger and raw pain surged through Harrison as he wondered if he really had married a stranger.
--- 

“I’m supposed to believe it’s a coincidence that we’re both former spies that ended up together?”
--- 

“You’re mine, Mara.”

Pyper Down is the narrator for Fatal Deception and for three other books in this series (the 1st, 2nd and the 5th). She has a clear voice that is easy to follow. Her voices – especially her male voices - sound genuine and are consistent throughout. Simply put, Pyper Down’s performance makes the story come alive.

Katie is one of my favorite authors. Fatal Deception is an enjoyable listen from the first through to the last. If you enjoy well-plotted stories of passionate romance paired with steadily building thrilling suspense and packed with excitement and non-stop action, I’d encourage you to add Fatal Deception to your must-read-soon list.



Suggested Reading Order: 
No One To Trust (Book #1)
Danger Next Door (Book #2)
Fatal Deception (Book #3)
Miami, Mistletoe & Murder (Book #4)
His To Protect (Book #5)
Breaking Her Rules (Book #6)
Protecting His Witness (Book #7)
Sinful Seduction (Book #8)
Under His Protection (Book #9)
Deadly Fallout (Book #10)
Sworn To Protect (Book #11)
Secret Obsession (Book #12)
Love Thy Enemy (Book #13)
Dangerous Protector (Book #14)
Lethal Game (Book #15) – Series Finale!