Snapped by Laura Griffin
Romantic Suspense
August 30, 2011
Paperback
Pocket

Reviewed by Mandi

Based on real events, this book starts right in the middle of the action. A sniper has plopped himself onto of the roof of the library building at a Texas University. Shooting into the quad courtyard many are being hit and it is complete chaos. Sophie, a receptionist at the Delphi Center, a very sophisticated forensic lab, has come to the campus on her lunch break to register for some classes. Although her real dream is to become a singer, her current hope is to eventually try for the PR position at her company. What she walks into is a blood bath. Hiding behind a statue, she makes herself as small as possible as she watches a pregnant woman just a few feet away, bleed to death.

Jonah Macon is a homicide detective and one of the first on the scene. Knowing he must get this shooter down before any more can be shot, he rushes to the roof with a few of his colleagues. Before the shooter can be identified, he kills himself.

From here, Jonah and his department start the process of identifying the shooter, finding his motive, and dealing with the press in this highly publicized crime. Sophie and Jordan have a past history, as he saved her previously from a kidnapping fiasco. They have had about six months of built-up lust, but now that Sophie is a key witness in what is becoming a very complicated crime, the steps toward a relationship become just as complicated.

This is the first I’ve read of Laura Griffin, but I’ve already purchased the previous books in this series. This book is that good. I love her style of writing – the suspense part is very detailed, and realistic. Yet, the romance isn’t compromised. It really blends well into one very engaging story.

There are a couple things that stand out. First, there are no stupid characters. Which I know sounds silly to say, but in romantic suspense, how many times have I read a heroine, who might learn crucial information but then decides to never share it with the police. I’ve read this scenario too many times to count. In Snapped, Sophie is such a realistic victim. Internally, she isn’t handling the stress very well. But the information she gains, is shared with Jonah. Who then takes it to his superiors. Jonah can’t always share what he learns with Sophie., which is frustrating to her, but also adds more fun tension to their relationship. Even though Jonah probably shouldn’t get involved with a witness, he does but never compromises the investigation. Their romance is about ready to burst in the seams, but it also takes a long time to build.  The high stress situations Jonah finds himself in leads him searching for an outlet for a sexual release – but Sophie refuses to give in to him too easily,. Plus she needs time to recover from not only witnessing this violent event, but other horrors that have happened to her in the past.

I also like that Sophie is a receptionist. She is not rich or some uber-important person in the world. Again, I turn towards the word, realistic. She is just a “normal” girl who gets caught up in this crazy mess. Also throughout the book it is stressed that although this is a highly publicized crime, there is not unlimited manpower or money for Jonah’s police department. This adds another level of stress to this complicated crime.

Soon, everyone realizes this was no random sniper. Things start to come to light that make this crime even more complicated and the danger to certain people is far from over. The action is well done and the suspense will keep you guessing through the entire book.

I really like this one. It reads well as a stand alone, but after going back and starting with the previous books, I definitely recommend any books in this series..

Rating: B+

Recent Reviews:
All About Romance – B-
Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind – 5/5
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