Title: Kill Without Mercy
Series: ARES Security Book #1
Author: Alexandra Ivy
Genre: Romance, Mystery and Thrillers
Blurb: From the hellhole of a Taliban prison to sweet freedom, five brave military heroes have made it home–and they’re ready to take on the civilian missions no one else can. Individually they’re intimidating. Together they’re invincible. They’re the men of ARES Security.
Rafe Vargas is only in Newton, Iowa, to clear out his late grandfather’s small house. As the covert ops specialist for ARES Security, he’s eager to get back to his new life in Texas. But when he crosses paths with Annie White, a haunted beauty with skeletons in her closet, he can’t just walk away–not when she’s clearly in danger. . .
There’s a mysterious serial killer on the loose with a link to Annie’s dark past. And the closer he gets, the deeper Rafe’s instinct to protect kicks in. But even with his considerable skill, Annie’s courage, and his ARES buddies behind him, the slaying won’t stop. Now it’s only a matter of time before Annie’s next–unless they can unravel a history of deadly lies that won’t be buried.
Thoughts: Kill Without Mercy was just okay for me. The blurb places a bit of emphasis on the ‘five brave military men’ that survived the Taliban – however, in all honestly that is completely on the back burner and exactly what happened to them and what bonded them so close to each other is not addressed at all in the book. That just really bugged me throughout the book – you are expected to feel this great bond between them, but it just isn’t there….as a reader you don’t feel it. The same for the romance – it was just lacking between the characters, and I just didn’t feel the draw. Another downside? A mysterious link between Annie White and the killer, which was a bit of a reach. Not to mention how the two main characters meet? I just couldn’t picture it happening.
It was an okay read, but not quite what I was expecting from a mystery/thriller with a romantic element to it.
Rate: B
