Deadly Obsession (Steele Ops #1)

Hunt (Hot Target) gets the Steele Ops military suspense series off to a strong start. Former Army Ranger Knox Steele returns to Washington, D.C., after a two-year absence to help his equally capable military-trained brothers open a high-end security firm. Though he’s not entirely set on staying in town permanently, he starts to consider it when he bumps into Zoey Wright, the sister of his best friend. The two families have been in each other’s pockets for years and Zoey has always had a secret crush on Knox, though she never pursued him. Instead, she focused on her career as a crime scene investigator, pushing herself to get into field work after her lifelong heart condition went into remission. When Zoey’s apartment gets tossed and a serial killer begins killing victims who eerily resemble her, Knox’s protective instincts kick in and he sets up a plan to catch the bad guy. (It’s unclear, however, why Zoey’s brother, a detective, simply lets Knox and his brothers run roughshod over the official investigation.) Hunt’s romantic suspense is fun and sexy, and it unsurprisingly sets up several of Knox and Zoey’s relatives—all single, naturally—to find their future partners. Hunt gives readers plenty of zippy action and sizzling chemistry, only slightly at the expense of plausibility. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (May)