**BLOG TOUR, REIVEW & GIVEAWAY** Shadow of Deceit by Mal Olson

Title: Shadow of Deceit
Author: Mal Olson
Genre: Romance/Suspense

Publication Date: February 2012
Add to: Goodreads
Purchase Links:  Amazon

Synopsis 

Can an FBI agent obsessed with redemption and a grieving widow desperate to clear her husband's name learn to believe in love again?

Shannon Riedel faces down danger when a gunman breaks into her office claiming her dead husband swindled him. When FBI agent Tony Crazaniak arrives to investigate, sexual heat sizzles. The ex-Delta Force operative's massive presence and dark eyes trigger an attraction the young widow finds unnerving.

When Crazaniak convinces Shannon she needs his protection, they partner to unearth secrets her husband left behind--secrets involving a Tanzanian mine that yields perfect blue diamonds coveted by dealers around the world--secrets connected to a terrorist leader Crazaniak has vowed to take down.

With danger surrounding them, two emotionally wounded souls bond, but can they put their demons to rest and trust in love? Can they survive long enough to find out?

My Review

Who knew having a gun shoved in your face and being threatened could actually turn out to be a good thing? Well, that’s what happened to Shannon while she was working one day. A large man with a mangled scared up face barges into her office and holds a gun on her threatening her to hand over some stuff her deceased husband has left behind.

The problem? Well she has no idea what the man is talking about and she has no idea where to even begin to find out. What she does know is that she will do whatever possible to protect those she cares about.

Enter Detective Tony Crazaniak, the mouthwatering FBI detective that is bound and determined to do everything he can to protect Shannon. He is after the same information the man with the gun is after but for different reasons. The problem is that he doesn’t know if he can trust Shannon. Is she really as innocent in everything as she seems? His gut is telling him yes but the detective in him has to look at the evidence which seems to make her look more guilty by the day.

Shannon has suffered an unimaginable loss and has slowly been trying to get her life back. She is healthy again and she has a great job with a great boss. She is finally starting to live again.

Tony’s life changed several years ago while in Afghanistan. He has never looked at himself the same. He not only let himself down but his team. He made a mistake that cost people their lives and now it is impossible for him to think of himself as a good man. He does what he can to help the people he can but he never lets anyone get to close because he knows they deserve better than him.

Two people with horrific pasts come together to solve a mystery of illegal “blood” diamonds. While Shannon is trying to prove her husband’s innocents and Tony is trying to find the evidence he needs to take down the one man that he can blame for his time in Afghanistan other than himself; they embark on a forbidden bond.

The attraction between them has been evident from day one and the more they get to know each other the more they begin to see themselves and each other differently. They start to think of “what ifs” and can envision a future of happiness other than one of loneliness and guilt.

Will Tony and Shannon finally be able to let go of the past and start a future? Or will the truth about what really happened be too damming for them to move on?

I found this book kind of hard to get into. I didn’t think it got really good until around 50 percent or so. The best part of the book for me wasn’t until after eighty percent. The storyline was interesting but also kind of confusing at times.

The time span of the book was only about 4 days I think (besides the end) so it was really hard to believe things happened the way they did. I definitely felt the attraction between Tony and Shannon from the start but nothing really happened between them until after fifty percent. Even then it wasn’t all earth shattering. I was glad to see them finally give in a little to what they were feeling for each other but it seemed like any time anything started something would stop it. This is definitely more suspense than romance book. 

 

★★☆ 3.5 Stars ☆★★

Reviewed by Alissa Evanson

Buy it 

Read it 

Love it

About the Author

Mal Olson writes adrenaline kicked romantic suspense. She enjoys skydiving, ski jumping, SCUBA, hang gliding, big wave surfing, car racing, mountain climbing—that is, vicariously through her characters, who are always kick-ass, and often boss her around rather than allowing her to spin her stories the way she intends. (She did, however, personally engage in zip lining this past summer.) 

Her debut novel Shadow of Deceit, released by The Wild Rose Press in 2012, is an edge of the seat romantic suspense-thriller set in Milwaukee and parts of northern Wisconsin. A couple of her favorite reviews came from Beverly at The Wormhole, who said, "Wow! This one has it all! Non-stop action, hot and sexy characters, betrayal, smokin' romance, and a thrilling plot--" and Gothic Mom's Book Review, which stated, "In the 150+ books that I read per year, there are very few that receive a five star rating. Shadow of Deceit did just that. Non stop action, sexual tension, an adventure that had me on the edge of my seat...A fantastic book that had me from page one..." Olson also offers two short stories. Danger Zone, which has spent months in the Kindle top 100 free romantic suspense category, is a guaranteed fifteen minute pulse pounder where two strangers survive a rock 'n roll landing on an icy Milwaukee runway and chase a could-be terrorist into the danger zone. Me and Brad, a feel good romance, features an irresistible K-9 and was ranked in the Kindle free top 100 list for months in the Contemporary Romance category. 

Follow the author at these links

Website \ Goodreads

   GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway