The Innocent (F.B.I. Psychics, #4.5) by Shiloh Walker
Paranormal Romance/Romance Suspense
E book, 158 pages
March 11, 2014
Samhain Publishing
Favorite Quote: “The Force runs strong in my family.”
Reviewed by Tori
Jay Roberts indulged in a year long intense online affair with Linc Dawson until Linc sends her a tense email, breaking up with her. Jay is confused and heads to Hell, Georgia to find out why Linc broke things off with her. What she discovers is that Linc hasn’t been completely honest with her about certain things. Things she really needed to know before she set foot in Hell.
Linc Dawson never expected to see Jay in his hometown and does everything to convince her to leave before she winds up hurt or dead. Corruption has stained the town and Linc needs all his wits about him to find the cause and retrieve what was stolen from him. But Jay isn’t leaving. She was sent to Hell for a reason and she has the resources, the back up, and the gifts to help him.
As Jay and Linc work together to discover what is happening in this small town, Linc learns that he wasn’t the only hiding secrets. Secrets that can be his saving grace or destroy everything and everyone he’s come to love.
The F.B.I. Psychics series was the first time I ever read Ms. Walker. I frequently reread the first book in this series-The Missing. A robust romantic suspense, fraught with peril, darkness, suspense, and the paranormal. The series is built around two agencies that work independent of each other but often intermingle depending on the case. Two agencies (one private and one government sanctioned) made up of psychics whose gifts cover a wide range of abilities and strengths. The cases they take are often ones the normal police channels cannot solve. And often, these cases are so steeped in evil, they leave a mark on everyone they touch.
The Innocent is a dark novella that takes readers down a tangled path of secrets, lies, and murder that leads to the small town of Hell, Georgia. Well plotted with a robust storyline that belays this novella’s page length. Fully developed characters provide the stimulus while an action packed conflict keeps the reader fully engaged. Though this novella introduces two new characters to the series and has a resolved ending; events occur in here that may spoil for those who have not read the previous books. That being said, it can be read alone and out of order.
Jay Roberts, an empath and telepathic, works for the Group. Her gift is so powerful, she is unable to touch anyone without overwhelming herself with their emotions and thoughts. She has never touched another human being skin to skin. Meeting and interacting with Linc Dawson online gave Jay an outlet for all her desires. When he abruptly cuts her off, Jay refuses to simply go away. She wants an explanation and travels to his hometown to get it.
Linc Dawson, a former cop, is in a bad place both physically and emotionally. When people began to disappear in his town, Linc’s investigations are met with a devicious web of lies, corruption, and missing evidence. Forced to quit due to the overwhelming corruption of the police force, Linc is now doing everything possible to shut the town down before it takes another victim.
Jay and Linc meeting for the first time face to face brings an emotional onslaught to the table. Having “dated” each other on line and built a romance of sorts, their actual meeting brings conflicting emotions that are exasperated by the events happening in town and in their own lives. Each have their reasons for not being completely honest and I think Walker does a fabulous job of showing us the sexual tension and rough jagged feelings that surrounds them. As if they are both right on the edge of something explosive and are unsure if this is what they want or need in their lives. The love isn’t instant and the emotions that run through this are hot and heavy.
The secondary characters are bold, viable additions to the story as they add layers to the suspense and mystery. I loved how pervious heroes and heroines are brought in to help bridge the story to the series and provide back up for Jay and Linc. As always in this series, each one holds a piece of the puzzle. They help to make up a solid foundation for our storyline to build upon. Small bites of humor are injected to alleve the darkness that permeates the storyline. As with any good thriller, there are multiple sub plots running through the main storyline and each one is a key to the final outcome. Ms. Walker does a fabulous job of maintaining these separate entities without overburdening us with unnecessary information or complicated scenarios. When it all comes together in the end, we are treated to an astounding finale that ties it all together and opens some new pathways for the series to go down.
The Innocent is a worthy addition to this series and a must read for those readers who love their paranormal romances to be wrapped in dark and emotional with a suspenseful storyline and intriguing characters.I am looking forward to the release of her next full length novel-title and release to be announced.
Overall Rating: B+
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This sounds really good Tori, I really want to start reading this series. Thank you.
You should. I really enjoy the balance between the romance and the dark based storyline.