Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann @SuzBrockmann @PLawlorAudio @reneeraudman @BrilliancePub

the setup…
James Nash walked away from his former role as an operative for The Agency where he performed deeply covert black ops missions and began working for Troubleshooters. He’s also engaged to fellow Troubleshooters operative Tess Bailey who met him when they both worked for The Agency. But when it became clear that his former bosses wouldn’t allow him to just leave, it was also equally as clear they wanted him dead. His best friend and Troubleshooters Team Leader Lawrence Decker concocted a scheme to fake his death while he and the FBI conducted a secret investigation to figure out who was managing the corrupt mission. Only Tess, FBI Agent Jules Cassidy and Decker know the truth, keeping him in a safe house while he recovered from the last assassination attempt. Meanwhile, their friends and coworkers move on in ignorance, believing Decker is “consoling” the grieving widow, leaving Sophia Ghaffari to abandon any hope of a relationship with him and embracing one with her dear friend Dave Malkoff who’s loved her seemingly forever. However, receptionist Tracy Shapiro starts to add things up and stumbles upon the truth, just as things start getting dangerous for all those close to Nash.

the heart of the story…
I first read this story over ten years ago and recall it wasn’t one of my favorites. However, this second time around was a completely different experience, partly because I listened to it but mostly because I better appreciated the intricacies of the plot and how the characters matured. The biggest surprise was Tracy Shapiro, considered to be rather superficial and lightweight up to this point but underneath all of the lovely veneer was a keen brain and lots of natural insight. The plot against Nash was incredibly complicated and the threats against those close to him were downright scary and hard to discern. It was nonstop action but somehow the developing relationships were well done and nothing was sacrificed. Part of me was sad to let go of the possibility of a Sophia/Decker relationship but I came to love what she found with the understated Dave, who had many more layers than I (or anyone else!) had believed.

the narration…
I’m loving Raudman’s performance and she shines in this one. She and Lawlor seem to tag team seamlessly in their storytelling, which is outstanding. The switch to audio for this second read made such a difference in my level of enjoyment.

the bottom line…
Everything about this story felt like a surprise, lacking predictability so much that I felt off balance the entire time. The plotting was intricate and the romances equally as exciting as the action. This story is best served up on audio as the narrators ratchet things up even more. This felt fresh and new, like my first time reading so obviously I missed a lot the first time around. No one is more surprised than me that I loved everything about it.

Book Info

• Release Date: January 27, 2009
• Series: Troubleshooters #14
• Narrators: Patrick Lawlor & Renée Raudman
• Audio Length: 17 hours, 53 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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