Are You Sure You Have The Right Girl? "Viper's Kiss" by Shannon Curtis

Librarian Maggie Kincaid yearns for excitement—but being accused of espionage is not what she had in mind. Wanted by the police, the FBI and the criminal element, Maggie goes on the run—and runs straight into sexy Luke Fletcher. Unfortunately, when Luke pulls out the handcuffs, it's not because he has something kinky in mind...

Security expert Luke is intent on seeing the murderous spy known only as Viper brought to justice. The un-spy-like behaviour of his fugitive makes him suspect he's apprehended the wrong woman. Just as they give in to lust, new evidence convinces Luke that Maggie's not as innocent as she claims to be.

Devastated by Luke's inability to trust her, Maggie runs again. She's determined to clear her name, and if that means tracking down a notorious spy even Interpol can't seem to locate, then that's exactly what she'll do.

In a world where terrorism is rife, it is no surprise that authors have made that venue a part of a new and riveting novel published by Carina Press. Author Shannon Curtis has crafted a novel that embraces a very different kind of love story with the edgy and suspenseful story of a university librarian who is smart, sassy, and trying to keep her life together in the face of her mother's terminal cancer and the overwhelming costs of meeting those medical challenges. It is a complete shock when she is arrested and accused of espionage and a few other crimes, taken cuffed and humiliated out of the university library by the Seattle police. She is then abducted from those detectives (who are murdered in the wreckage of their police car), abused and beaten by her new captors, until somehow she is able to escape through some McGiver-sorts of ingenuity. However, the FBI then nabs her, and it is here that she meets an agent whose personality and his killer physique begin to make an impression on her libido, in spite of her difficult circumstances.

This story is about trust, about the inadequacies of so-called eye witness identification, a problem that is even a difficulty among law enforcement, and one which snagged Maggie Kincaid to the degree that she could never convince her captors completely. Even though she found that she had given her heart to her captor--she was a bit worried about Stockholm Syndrome--even his ability to trust was not immune to an incorrect interpretation to the "intelligence" they were receiving about this international terrorist known as "Viper."

This is a story that will keep the reader on pins and needles all the way through. There are surprises throughout the text so there is no "getting comfortable" when the reader thinks the clues have presented a solution. No such easy solution is available and even when it seems that all will be well, havoc breaks out once again. It just keeps on getting "better and better."

So if you like a romance that is woven throughout with a suspense espionage terrorist theme, then you will love this new novel. I have not encountered this author previously, but I loved the book, enjoyed the writing style, and would be delighted to read another book from this author. I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

This novel was released in July 2011 by Carina Press.