Deadly Intent (Mindhunters #4) by Kylie Brant
Romantic Suspense
November 2, 2010
Paperback, 384 Pages
Berkley

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “That familiar numbness was sliding over her again. She welcomed it like an old friend. Looking straight in his eyes, she whispered, “What are you feeling right now?”

When a Denver tycoon’s 11 year old daughter is kidnapped for the 2nd time, the parents call in the renowned investigative team-Raiker Forensics. Macy Reid is a expert forensic linguist for Raiker Forensics. She is also an expert on kidnapping since she herself was abducted as a child. Macy’s nemesis, Kellan Burke is also slated for this mission. A wise cracking rule breaking investigator-he lives for getting under Macy’s skin. But a single night of passion changes things for both of them and soon the investigation and their personal lives will hinge on the one thing Macy and Kellan may not be able to do. Trust each other.

Deadly Intent is the 4th book in Kylie Brant’s Mindhunters series. This is my first foray into this series and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

When Macy Reid is picked for this investigation, she has no doubt that her skills a linguist and her personal past play equal parts in Adam Raiker’s decision to include her. She is dismayed however to find out that Kellan Burke will be her partner. She has never been comfortable with Kellan since the one night she slept with him then walked away. The case deals with the 2nd kidnapping of Ellie Mulder-a young girl that she and Adam rescued two years ago-effectively breaking a child trafficking ring wide open. Since the men responsible for the first kidnapping are still safely in jail, Macy, Adam, and Kellan are starting from scratch in figuring out who kidnapped Ellie now and why. As Macy, Kellan, and Adam navigate through the myriad of suspects, clues, and misdirection, they are also having to find away to work with the CBI and the FBI.

Deadly Intent is a twisted and dark romantic suspense. Ms.Brant creates a multi layered and complex world filled with nasty criminals and the people who stop them. A stimulating action packed journey that takes us from the very beginning to the explosive finale; gleaning knowledge from all sides. It does start out little slow are we are acclimated, along with our agents, to the detailed specifics of the crime and those involved. Ms Brant shows considerable knowledge as she maps out the police procedures for us in a clear and concise matter. The running dialog between the characters is fast and smooth-allowing you to slip right into the story with them. As the plot picks up speed, the mystery and suspense follows suit leaving us ripe with tension till the very last page.

Our hero and heroine are a delightful mixture of contrasts, adding humor and and a lightness to the main storyline. The romance is considerably less involved then the main plot but Ms. Brant uses those scenes to flesh Kellan and Macy out brilliantly. I found myself becoming very vested in their outcome. They are fabulous together. The sexual tension between these two is electric. Macy is intelligent yet very subdued and emotionally closed off. Her past has left some deep hidden scars. Kellan is her opposite. A playboy with a gregarious personality and a smart remark for everyone. Especially Macy.

As these two circle and battle their attraction, you slowly start to see through the emotional walls they have built up. Each using a different "vice" to ward others off. I really liked that Ms. Brant doesn’t make their relationship a central aspect of the story but does manage to intertwine it with the other storyline; allowing it to merge naturally and enhance the ending.

Our secondary characters are a integral part of the story from the most visible to the ones we hear about. Each one adding personality, drama, and insight to the story. Adam Raiker is a forceful personality that makes you take notice. Silent but deadly-he is a multi faceted man. We are given many delicious clues to certain traumatic aspects of his past but no concrete answers. I look forward to reading more about him in the future.

Ellie Mulder, our victim, stands out with her tantalizing POVs sprinkling through out the story. You can feel this child’s fear. It was interesting how Ms Brant switches back and forth from the agents to the kidnapper and his victim-giving us a more well rounded storyline.

The ending comes at you fast and hard. I never in a million years would have suspected the suspect or the reasons why. A tiny cliffhanger is left that allows for advancement of the over all arc and for our characters-showing us that this is not the last we have seen of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to exploring the Mindhunters series more. Her next book in the series, Deadly Dreams (Mindhunter #5) releases April 5th 2011.

Rating: B

Recent Reviews
Book Binge – 4/5
Errant Dreams – 3.5/5
Goodreads

This Series Includes
Waking Nightmare
Waking Evil
Waking the Dead
Deadly Intent
Deadly Dreams – April 2011