Jimmy Nash has already lived two lives - and he can’t talk about either of them. Formerly an operative of a top secret government agency, he has found a new job with a shadowy company called SOS Inc. Created by a former Navy SEAL, SOS Inc. helps anyone in desperate need - which provides a perfect cover for its other, more perilous objective: covert special operations.

Now Nash and a quickly assembled team of expert operators have come to the earthquake-ravaged country of Kazbekistan in the guise of relief workers. There, amid the dust and death, in a land of blood red sunsets and ancient blood feuds, they must track down a missing laptop computer that may hold secrets vital to national security.

To get it done, Nash does what he does best: break every rule in the book and manipulate those who can help him get what he needs. But this time, Nash may have met his match in Tess Bailey, an SOS operative with all the right instincts - and zero field experience. The deep attraction between them is immediate . . . and potentially volatile, with risk at every turn.

It should come as no surprise to listeners that Brockmann began her career as a screenwriter. The dialogue in her romantic suspense novels is always plentiful and finely tuned, which is partly why her newest offering (after Gone Too Far) translates so well to audio. The rest of the credit belongs to Ewbank and Lawlor, who narrate alternate sections of the book, Ewbank taking on the chapters told from a female perspective and Lawlor handling those told from a male point of view. Having just left the FBI, gorgeous Jimmy Nash soon finds himself on a plane with his old partner and friend Lawrence Decker and computer support specialist Tess Bailey, with whom he shared a passionate one-night stand. The trio have been hired by a non-government company called SOS Inc. to pose as relief workers in earthquake-ravaged Kazbekistan and recover a laptop containing vital information about terrorist plots. Ewbank does a fine job of highlighting Tess's insecurities and her enduring fascination with Jimmy, but Lawlor falters when giving voice to Decker, who's said to have a "mellow baritone" but instead comes off sounding like he has a gravel pit in his throat. Both narrators, however, deliver the book's spirited banter with gusto, making this an enjoyable beach listen. Simultaneous release with the Ballantine hardcover (Forecasts, Apr. 5). (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Categories:

• Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
  
  
  • Thrillers & Suspense
    
    
    • Spies & Politics
      • Espionage