KILLER SECRETS - Lora Leigh
Tempting SEALs , Book 5
St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN: 978-1-250-03672-8
June 2014
Romantic Suspense

Aruba - Present Day

In order to save the man who has been more of a brother than best friend, Ian Richards made a deal with the devil—his father.  He has always known that he is the son of Diego Fuentes, a drug lord and all-around evil man, but Ian spent the first half of his life hiding from his father's murderous wife, and the next half hiding the fact of his parentage.  But Diego takes great delight in harming Ian's friends and colleagues, and when Ian finds out that Nathan, the man who saved his life, is still alive and being tortured by Diego, Ian agrees to join Diego in the cartel.  Now, Ian is branded a traitor by the government he served for so many years, a deserter by the Navy, and he knows that his SEAL team is watching him, more than likely ready to take the shot that will end Ian's life.  There have also been several assassination attempts made by other cartels, and Sorrell, the terrorist that Ian has sworn to bring down.  He walks a very dangerous road, and with the arrival of The Chameleon, that dangerous road just turned deadly.

Code named The Chameleon because of her ability to change more than just her looks, society princess Kira Porter is well versed in the world of special ops.  A contract agent for the Department of Homeland Security, Kira's assignment in Aruba is to make sure that Ian Richards does not kill Diego Fuentes.  Kira has worked with Ian and his SEAL team in the past, and eight months ago she realized how hard she had fallen for Ian, the only man to ever see through any of her disguises.  She feels that she, too, can see through Ian, and believes there is more to his joining his father's cartel than he wants people to know.  Kira is hoping that the passion they share will allow her to be close enough to carry out her mission, but as that passion burns out of control, Kira learns that the stakes are higher than she could have imagined.

Two very strong people fight side by side, not just for their lives, but for their very souls in KILLER SECRETS.  Ian is an honorable man who has worked very hard to protect others from the evils of the world.  But now he is forced to work with the monster who fathered him and deal not only with the drug cartel, but also the war and bloodshed necessary to enforce his role as leader.  For all his evil ways, Diego draws the line at terrorism (not much else is on that side of the line though) and he needs Ian's help to stop Sorrell from infiltrating the Fuentes cartel.  Knowing some of Sorrell's future plans and past misdeeds, Ian is more than happy to help, but he also feels as if pieces of him are slipping away the more he involves himself in cartel business.  Despite evidence to the contrary, Kira doesn't believe that Ian would turn his back on everything and go rogue, and she has every intention of becoming a part of whatever mission he is on.  Her assignment to stop Ian from killing Diego is one she will do willingly, but not because she was ordered to.  Kira is Ian's match in every way, and though she understands her feelings for him, is she ready to open herself up to him?  The passion between them is strong, and it doesn't take long for them to act on it, but the past they share doesn't make it seemed rushed or unrealistic.

In spite of the fact that Ian has apparently turned his back on his SEAL team, they do make an appearance, and for those who have read the earlier books in the series, it's nice to have a chance to catch up with them.  Ian's decision to join the cartel to save Nathan is actually made in Ms. Leigh's previous novel, HIDDEN AGENDAS, and it may actually be best to read the stories in order to have a better grasp on the suspense aspect of the plot.  Either way, KILLER SECRETS is an intense, erotic, and thoroughly enjoyable novel.

Jennifer Bishop