Defending Morgan

Stoker thrills with the sizzling hot, fast-paced, and occasionally heart-stopping third contemporary Mountain Mercenaries novel (after Defending Chloe). Former Marine Archer “Arrow” Kane and his team of mercenaries are in the Dominican Republic to rescue a small child who was kidnapped by her father. To his astonishment, he also finds Morgan Byrd, a fellow American who was snatched from an Atlanta parking garage a year earlier. Impressed by Morgan’s strength and her protection of the rescued child, honorable Arrow takes Morgan under his wing, bringing her to safety and working to find out who wanted her to disappear, but not to die. As Morgan and Archer’s relationship deepens, the stakes rise. The far-fetched and very unlikely villain of the tale is cartoonishly evil in a way no one sees coming, making for a jarring ending. But when that person gets their just deserts, readers will cheer. Stoker sensitively deals with tough subjects such as rape (and its devastating aftermath) and parental kidnapping, and draws readers into a richly woven tale, ably setting up the next story. This series is perfect for romantic thriller aficionados. [em](Mar.) [/em]