End Game – Rachel Dylan – Capital Intrigue #1 – Bethany House Publishers – Published 7 January 2020

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Synopsis

When elite members of the military are murdered on the streets of Washington, DC, FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan and NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini must work together to bring the perpetrator to justice. Unfortunately, all evidence points to a Navy SEAL sniper whom Bailey refuses to believe is guilty.

When Bailey and Marco start to connect the dots between the victims, including a link to a powerful defense contractor, they wonder if there’s a deeper cover-up at play. Then Bailey is targeted, and it becomes clear that someone is willing to kill to keep their dark secrets.

With the stakes getting higher by the moment in a twisted conspiracy, there’s a rush against the clock to determine whom they can really trust. As allies turn to enemies, the biggest secret yet to be uncovered could be the end of all of them.

My thoughts

End Game reads like my favourite crime-fighting tv show. The focus is entirely on the investigation of a series of murders. Teamwork between agencies, searching through paperwork, interviews and interrogations, going where the evidence leads, it all works together to form a really interesting detective mystery with just a bit of suspense and life-threatening action. Quick dialogue and a great rapport between the large cast of characters involved in solving the crimes makes End Game a captivating book to read.

I really loved the focus on the investigation and the detective work the team do. While there are moments of suspense and the characters’ own lives are at stake, the action and thrills are not the focus of the story. I thought this was a much more realistic portrayal of criminal investigation work. It also made for very interesting reading as the legal ramifications of the case are considered, the team have to wait for evidence to be found, and they have to really work hard for the leads they discover.

FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan and NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini are our main characters. They have been asked to work together to solve two murders that may be linked together – the deaths of a construction worker and a Navy SEAL. When more bodies turn up and it looks more like a larger conspiracy cover-up, the two, with the help of their team, will have to outrun the target on their backs to find the people responsible.

While Bailey and Marco are the main characters and the book is written mainly from their perspectives, some chapters are also written from the perspectives of the other investigative team members. This makes the investigation and book a real team effort and gives insight into some interesting characters. Like Izzy, rookie NCIS agent with a traumatic past and a strong desire to prove herself. And Lexie, JAG lawyer for one of the main suspects.

And, yes, there is time for some romance in all that investigation. Marco and Bailey form a strong bond while working together. However, it’s a little while after starting to work together before the characters share a spark of attraction. Yay!! All too often we see instant attraction and chemistry and oh, he’s the one, so it was very refreshing to have a slow build up to a strong relationship. They are professional first and find the attraction later. Big thumbs up from me. There is also a few side romantic stories and Bailey’s best friends are strong career women, who I hope will feature in future books in this exciting series. I look forward to reading the next book and highly recommend End Game to readers who enjoy exploring the details of a complex and enthralling criminal investigation.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

More information

Category: Adult fiction

Genre: Christian – mystery.

Themes: Military, murder, investigations, crime, FBI, NCIS, CIA, friendship, romance, faith.

Advisory:  References to death, injury, murder and suicide.

Published: 7 January 2020 by Bethany House Publishers.

Format: Paperback, ebook. 320 pages.

ISBN: 9780764234309

Find it on Goodreads