⏱️🎯🚓 “Countdown” (Extreme Measures #4) (2023) 🚓🎯⏱️ – Book Review
MY REVIEW
Series: Extreme Measures (Book #4)
Paperback: 304 Pages
Publisher: Revell (August 1, 2023)
Language: English
ISBN 10: 0800737369
ISBN-13: 978-0800737368
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“A stalker who wants to finish what he started. A US Marshal who's vowed to protect his charge. And one woman who is determined to put the past in the past.
Flight paramedic Raina Price has been running so long it's hard to stop. To escape a dangerous stalker, she changed her name and disappeared, building a new life with the help of a friend from her time in juvie. It feels good to put her energies into saving people's lives, but because her stalker was never found, she's never stopped looking over her shoulder. And one can only run so far before the past finally catches up.
US Marshal Vincent Corelli's job is to hunt down fugitives and protect those who are assigned to him. When Raina is almost killed right in front of him, he vows to protect her at all costs – whether it's his job or not. Together they work to solve the mystery of Raina's past. But someone is out to make sure Raina doesn't live long enough to succeed.”
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy through the author’s launch team. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
This is the final book in Eason’s Extreme Measures series.
When it comes to books in a series, I’m one who tends to and STRONGLY prefers to read the books in order. This series had an unusual pattern. I read the first book – Life Flight, then I received Crossfire (book #2) last year, but I didn’t get to read it. I was on the launch team for book #3 – Critical Threat, and read that. And, knowing I was going to review this one, I decided to go back and read #2.
With Eason’s Danger Never Sleeps series, I read books #2-#3 in order; and still have the first book on the TBR list.
I will state that Crossfire does connect to this book closer than the first (1st) and third (3rd) books. But, I would read all of them prior to this given the connection between the four women.
Despite the novella, On the Run in the Targeted collection having Daria in it – she does NOT return in this book.
Readers familiar to the series have already met:
🚁 Penny
🚓 Julianna
🚓 Grace
🩺 Raina
🚓 Holt
🚓 Clay
🚓 Vince
🚓 Sam
Daria isn’t the only missing character from this conclusion book. Readers of the series will be disappointed that there is no mention or reference to Dottie (Julianna’s younger sister); Reese (Clay’s younger sibling; becomes friends with Dottie); Sam’s kids (Eleni and Xander); or Sam’s mother-in-law (Vanessa).
Given how close and connected these characters were to the main group, I would’ve thought at the end, there would’ve been some mention or appearance.
Eason introduces readers to some other characters that are connected to the plot of the story in a “different” way:
🏂🏻 Michael (13-year-old snowboarder, Olympic hopeful)
👨🏻 Simon (Christopher and Keith’s father)
🗳️ Christopher (potential candidate for governor)
👨🏻 Keith (troubled son of Simon)
👨🏻 Kevin (man who tried to kill Raina; potentially Michael’s father)
👩🏻 Leslie (Christopher’s wife)
There are three (3) main POVs: Raina, Vince, and Simon.
The only real trigger topic is a DUI accident, and that is a small portion of the story.
This begins with Raina and Penny conducting a rescue. However, it is when Raina is at Julianna’s with Vince and Clay that she sees a kid on tv – a kid that reminds her of someone in her past. And, because of that, she wants Vince to warn the family so they can protect him.
Vince thinks, or rather has a strong feeling there is something more than just the kid’s resemblance to someone in Raina’s past. He definitely wants to be there for her, even if she isn’t that into him. And, while she wants to tell him what’s really going on, she fears he’ll get hurt or killed by helping her, just like the last person did. Of course, he reminds her he is a deputy U.S. Marshal.
Raina tries to get information from a contact, the person refuses and asks her to never call again because of how dangerous the situation is. It isn’t long until the person ends up dead.
From there, Raina feels like she’s being watched – and she’s right, especially with multiple attempts on her life. She eventually tells Vince what happened with her and a Kevin – the entire story. She knows Kevin isn’t the man’s real name so it will be hard to find him. Worse, there are no pictures of the man as he didn’t want them taken.
As Vince and Raina get closer to finding out who “Kevin” really is – and who the boy really is, the threats on Raina are ramped up. They also find she isn’t the only victim of Kevin’s “violence”.
They’re also beginning to see each other as more than friends, fueling Vince’s motivation to keep her safe despite what others have planned for her … and him.
I have to admit, while I enjoyed the other books in the series, this did seem a bit more subdued in the suspense angle. It was an intense and complex read though. It held my attention from the first page to the last while tending more towards the suspense genre than romance. I didn’t see how the title played into the plot, but honestly – I did LOVE the purple cover.
I had a feeling what role certain characters were playing in the story, so it wasn’t a surprise in some parts. While I enjoyed how Eason wove it all together and connected each bit of it, the side characters seemed to take away from the Vince and Raina story.
There was a small side arc with a Russian mafia witness. To me, it didn’t really add much to the story, and felt more like a distraction. I would’ve LOVED to see it expanded a bit, just to see where it could’ve gone – or how it could’ve connected.
The Vince and Raina “romance” was quite sweet and I loved that they’d known each other prior to this story, part of why readers should read Crossfire prior to this one.
There was a reference to the The Fugitive, and I’m hoping it was the 1993 movie. I absolutely loved it, and that was one of the reasons I enjoy stories about U.S Marshals.
Fans of the author, and those who read the first three books will likely want to check this out. I’m eager to see what Eason has planned next.
While being distributed by a primarily Christian publisher, this book has only scant references to faith. It has more than the last one, but not as much as other books. It doesn’t come off as preachy or proselytizing.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)
DATES READ: 8/15-8/16 (2023)
Previous Books in the Series:
Series: Extreme Measures (Book #1)
Paperback: 336 Pages
Publisher: Revell (January 4, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800737334
ISBN-13: 978-0800737337
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“EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations, but being forced to land on a mountain in a raging storm with a critical patient--and a serial killer on the loose--tests her skills and her nerve to the limit. She survives with FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield's help. But she's not out of the woods yet.
In the ensuing days, Penny finds herself under attack. And when news reaches Holt that he may not have gotten his man after all, it will take all he and Penny have to catch a killer--before he catches one of them.”
Series: Extreme Measures (Book #2)
Paperback: 336 Pages
Publisher: Revell (August 2, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800737350
ISBN-13: 978-0800737351
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“FBI special agent Julianna Jameson is a top-notch negotiator who has never lost a hostage. Surely she can manage to take care of her much younger sister, Dottie, who showed up unannounced to live with Julianna while she finished her senior year of high school.
A former sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Clay Fox left the army after a tragic incident that he can't get past. Now he's working as a high school resource officer until he can figure out what to do with the rest of his life.
Their paths cross when Julianna is called in to negotiate a courtroom hostage situation involving Clay's sister. Impressed and a bit intimidated by the calm, capable woman with the dark hair and blue eyes, Clay invites her to speak at his school. Dottie's school.
But as the anniversary of a school shooting from Julianna's past approaches, it becomes clear that her perfect record is about to be tested and that Dottie is at risk. If Julianna and Clay can't figure out who's behind the attacks, more innocent people will die--and Dottie is next in line.
This intense story of revenge and redemption from bestselling author and master of suspense Lynette Eason will have you up all night as you race toward the explosive finish.”
Publisher: Revell (January 3, 2023)
Language: English
ISBN: 0800737342
ISBN-13: 978-0800737344
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“FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley tracks serial killers, using her skills as a psychiatrist and behavioral analyst to get dangerous people off the street and safely behind bars. But prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe knows that just because a killer is incarcerated doesn't mean they're not a threat. His own father, Peter, is a serial killer--in prison but certainly not out of Sam's life, as much as he wishes he was.
When bodies start showing up with Peter's MO, Sam and Grace are both called in to consult. They've met before--and though Grace thought they'd made a real connection, Sam ghosted her. They'll have to get past the awkwardness and mistrust to solve this case--especially because it's about to get personal.
USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason doesn't give you time to catch your breath in this breakneck race to stop a serial killer.”
Connected Book to the Series:
Language: English
ISBN: 0800740289
ISBN-13: 978-0800740283
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“Three women. Three men. Three unsuspecting targets.
Get ready for triple the thrills with three heart-stopping stories from your favorite romantic suspense authors!
In On the Run, IT Specialist Daria Nevsky is a highly skilled FBI agent with the ability to hack any computer. She must go on the run to find out who wants her dead--and Dr. Ryker Donahue refuses to let her do it alone.
In Deadly Objective, physical therapist Emily Dixon and Secret Service Agent Liam Harper are committed to keeping their relationship professional. But when the vice president's son enters the crosshairs of a killer, some lines will have to be crossed in order to keep him safe.
In Caught in the Crosshairs, there is no love lost between former Army PSYOPS officer Ari Blackman and CIA officer Claudia Gallegos after Claudia is implicated in the murder of a Saudi prince. But to prevent a coup that would put America at risk, they'll have to learn to trust each other--before it's too late.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Life Flight, Crossfire, and Critical Threat, as well as the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband. They have two adult children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.
You can follow her on the following social media accounts:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lynette.eason
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynetteeason/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lynetteeason
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