11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irene Hannon has jumped onto my must read list., Feb 1 2010
By Susan Sleeman "Host of The Christian Suspense... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eye for an Eye, An: A Novel (Paperback)
Do you have favorite authors whose books you await? Well I have a new one. Irene Hannon jumped onto my must read list after the release of her first book in her Heroes of Quantico series and cemented her placement with the release of An Eye For An Eye.
Recently released An Eye for an Eye features FBI Agent Mark Sanders, but this time he's on restricted duty from after an accidental shooting and not partnering with his fellow agent Coop. At least not until a sniper fires at Mark in the park when he's talking to old girlfriend Emily Lawson.
Trouble is Mark is uncertain if the sniper wants to kill him or Emily. And the reader is uncertain, too, until the very end. Along the way we watch Mark and Emily fall back in love as Mark and Emily are thrust together while he looks out for her safety. Oh and if you read Against All Odds you'll be happy to know that Coop is featured in the book but he's in the unique role of protecting Mark.
An Eye For An Eye is Hannon's second romantic suspense novel. She has a long list of romance titles under her belt and that experience really shows as she fully develops her characters and their relationship struggles. She couples these very likeable and real characters with well researched FBI suspense and creates books that you sit down and read in one night because you can't put them down.
If you missed Against All Odds, I recommend reading it first as it will make An Eye For An Eye more meaningful, but it's not necessary. What is necessary if you are a romantic suspense reader is to rush out and purchase both of these books and getting them read before the third and final book in the series, In Harms Way releases in April of 2010.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
FBI Falls In Love, Sep 24 2009
By Phee Paradise - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eye for an Eye, An: A Novel (Paperback)
With a sniper shooting in the first chapter, An Eye for an Eye starts with a promise of action. But it quickly bogs down in the relationship of the two main characters. Their instant rapport based on a twenty year old romance, and their memories of that time, are interspersed with the search for the would-be killer. They each rehash their feelings for each other and their fears about rekindling their love, while FBI agents look for clues. I'm not a big fan of flashbacks, but I found myself wishing Hannon had used one or two to catch us up and move on to the story at hand.
The characters are compelling and you have to like them. But as the tough FBI agent shows his softer side, he also reveals that he has wandered far from his childhood faith. His love interest, who is a committed Christian, is concerned about his soul, but doesn't worry about her own relationship with an unbeliever. She sees a wonderful man and is pleased that her faith opens his heart to begin seeking the Lord again. But his return to faith is not explicit and I wanted to have a motherly chat with her about the problems I've seen in marriages between believers and unbelievers.
But there is a killer to catch, and as the romance progresses, so does the investigation. The FBI and police actions ring true, including some tedious detective work, as they follow a limited number of clues. The strength of the book lies in the brief glimpses we are given of the shooter. As the investigation progresses so does our knowledge about him and his motives. In the end I found myself hoping he would get some help; mercy as well as justice.
It's a good crime story, but prepare yourself for lots of romantic scenes and a lot of introspection by the main characters.
Pros: Well plotted crime investigation with just enough clues to keep you going. A very good depiction of the perpetrator.
Cons: Repetitive descriptions of the characters' feelings.
Original review was posted on Pix-N-Pens
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new favorite author for romantic suspense..., Sep 26 2009
By Ruth Anderson "Book Reviewer" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eye for an Eye, An: A Novel (Paperback)
An Eye for an Eye is my first Irene Hannon read, and it definitely won't be my last. A couple of years ago I absolutely fell in love with Dee Henderson's romantic suspense novels, particularly the O'Malley Series, which featured a set of siblings, each involved in a high-profile, intense, fascinating career. It's been a bit of a search for me to find other books that match the "gold standard" set by the O'Malley series - comparable, equally absorbing romantic suspense novels that feature just the right balance of high-profile jobs, swoon-worthy heroes, and fast-paced, intense action that doesn't let go until the final page. Hannon is definitely on the right track with her FBI-centered Heroes of Quantico series. Though Eye is the 2nd book in the series, it can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone novel.
Mark and Emily's story opens with a bang, literally. It's a superbly executed sequence that sets up the unknown assailant and the threat against Mark and Emily. After being involved in a standoff situation that resulted in the accidental shooting death of a teenager, Mark was temporarily reassigned from his duties as a member of the HRT (Hostage Response Team) in Quantico to a less high-profile job in St. Louis as a field agent. A chance encounter with a former flame, Emily, quickly tailspins out of control when a sniper takes two shots at them and then disappears, leaving Emily wounded. Mark is left reeling - has one of his former cases come back to haunt him, or was Emily the intended target? And if so, how can he protect a woman scarred by past loss and intent on protecting her heart?
From Mark's reaction to the shooting and the subsequent investigation, it's obvious Hannon's done her research into FBI protocols. The investigation clips along at a pace worthy of shows like 24 or its British equivalent, MI-5. The pacing slows down a bit once the imminent threat seems to be removed and Mark and Emily begin to reconnect. I loved how their relationship plays out - they have an actual history with each other which you rarely see in this type of story, and when they reconnect the chemistry is electrifying. The camaraderie between Mark and his friends and coworkers is also extremely well-executed - Hannon does a good job of nailing the male point-of-view and illustrating the depth of the bonds that develop between individuals in high-risk, life-or-death jobs. And even though Emily has her own fear and trust issues to work through, I really like how Hannon illustrates the strength of her faith - and how that unshakeable faith, even in the face of death, prompts Mark to re-evaluate his own faith walk. Well-researched, masterfully plotted, and with a few twists and turns I didn't see coming, An Eye for an Eye is not to be missed for fans of romantic suspense.