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Ivey London is finally settling into a routine after the disappearance and death of her soldier husband, Keegan. She has a decent home, is working at the VA, and has engaged a competent, caring nanny to help with her smart young son Jory. But there’s something disturbing her. From a reliable patient, Ivey hears of a sub-basement at the VA that might be a holding pen for military prisoners, possibly some of those believed to be missing in action. Might one of them be Keegan? She revives her hopes of finding him and begins to investigate. Meanwhile, an amnesiac escapes from that basement, and with the help of a priest, an old photo, and an expired ID card, gradually begins to realize who he might be. When he meets Ivey, sparks of romance fly. But can he go back to being who he was, or will an evil general stand between him and happiness?
Summers has composed this story neatly, with a convoluted plot and some memorable characters. Ivey is a remarkably tenacious woman, and Keegan is a true hero who was manipulated by a military villain but can now use the powers he gained in his covert training for the good. Summers deftly paints the relationship between these two as fraught with danger and illuminated by desire, keeping the reader guessing as to their ultimate fate. The book’s ending is satisfying, tying up all the story’s intertwined threads. Summers’ writing reveals her dedication to her craft which, she says, began in childhood. Combining the best elements of a warrior’s sense of duty with the strength that a tough woman can muster in a time of crisis, Summers has created an intensely vivid fantasy, offering a cinematic feeling that could easily move from print to the screen.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review