Hot Pursuit
4 Stars

Alyssa Locke, along with her husband, Sam Starret, and their son, Ash, travel to NY to provide self-defense training to a local assemblywoman. But the relatively easy assignment soon takes on a sinister edge when a horrific message arrives, and a mutilated body is found. With reinforcements from a team of moonlighting Navy SEALS, Sam and Alyssa find themselves tracking an old nemesis whose real target is very close to home.

Serial killer plots are catnip for me, but this one is rather weak. To begin with, Brockman uses the prologue to present Alyssa as the real target, and the reader spends much of the book waiting for the attack to come. While this technique is useful for ratcheting up the tension, it is also problematic as the reader is constantly on alert. Books require lulls in the tension otherwise, they soon become exhausting.

There is also very little actual investigation - neither Sam nor Alyssa is a cop and Brockmann's forte is military romance, not police procedurals. In fact, the other serial killer focused book, Into the Storm, is also lacking in this area. Moreover, it is easy to guess the villain based on the scenes from their POV, and the red-herrings are futile. Despite these issues, the eventual climax and resolution are exciting and satisfying.

In terms of the romantic elements, Alyssa and Sam's relationship goes from strength to strength with each installment. Their obvious love and mutual respect for one another are clearly evident in their interactions, and the inclusion of the adorable Ash is an added bonus.

The other focus is on the romance between Navy SEAL Dan Gillman and Jennilyn LeMay, the assemblywoman's chief of staff. To be honest, Dan has never been a favorite and his behavior in previous books, as well as in this one, leaves much to be desired. Nevertheless, it soon becomes clear that he has met his match in the intelligent, thoughtful and caring Jenn. Time will tell if he ultimately matures enough to deserve her.

All in all, a solid addition to the series. ( )