The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen @tess.gerritsen @tessgerritsen.bsky.social @hillaryoutloud @brilliancepublishing #BookSky #TheMartiniClub #TheShadowFriends

the setup…
Ingrid Slocum is helping to facilitate the annual Stone Coast Conference at the Cod Cove Resort in Purity. Things go smoothly until one of conference headliners, a former Russian defector, is found unconscious in his hotel room. When one of the resort staff is later found murdered, Ingrid recognizes a link to her last failed mission twenty-eight years ago…a stiletto left on site. “Coincidentally”, Rodrigo Estrada, Ingrid’s former colleague (and lover) shows up the conference, asking her to join him to find who’s murdering former Russian defectors. She can’t resist as that last mission still weighs heavily so she leaves behind the band of former operatives known as The Martini Club, including husband Lloyd.

the heart of the story…
This time it’s the hunters becoming the hunted as Ingrid rejoins that world she left behind without a word to her husband or friends. Of course, Maggie, Declan and Ben go into action but Lloyd, a former desk analyst, insists he be in the field with them, adding even more complications in Purity and later in Amsterdam. Things get so dicey as both teams race to find who’s behind the murders and the mole.

the narration…
Hillary Huber as the voice of this series just elevates a really great story even higher. Her warm tone, excellent storytelling skills and voice distinctions are perfection.

the bottom line…
I loved this story and the series is now one of my top favorites. This remarkable and unconventional group of friends and former agency operatives are so good at what they do even in retirement. It was great seeing that other side of Ingrid and a glimpse into her former life. I can’t get enough of The Martini Club.

Book Info

• Release Date: August 25, 2026
• Series: The Martini Club #3
• Narrator: Hillary Huber
• Audio Length: 8 hours, 49 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)