Oath of Honor (Lynette Eason) – Review

~ About the Book ~

Police officer Isabelle St. John loves her crazy, loud, law-enforcement family. With three brothers and two sisters, she’s never without someone to hang out with–or fight with. And she knows they’ll be there for her when things get tough. Like when her partner is murdered and she barely escapes with her own life.
Determined to discover exactly what happened, Izzy’s investigation sends her headfirst into a criminal organization, possibly with cops on the payroll–including someone from her own family. With her dead partner’s handsome homicide detective brother Ryan shadowing her every move, Izzy’s head is spinning. How can she secure justice for her partner when doing so could mean sending someone she loves to prison? And how will she guard her heart when the man she’s had a secret crush on for years won’t leave her side?
With her signature fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, Lynette Eason invites readers into a captivating new series where justice is a family affair.
Genre:  Romantic Suspense
Series:  #1 Blue Justice
Release date:  2 January 2018
Pages:  370
Publisher:  Revell Books

Amazon US  //  Amazon AU  //  iBooks  //  Goodreads  //  Koorong

~ Excerpt ~

Movement to the left caught her attention. A dark green Chevy Tahoe pulled around the curve and followed the gravel path to the side of the warehouse. It parked next to the black Ford pickup and the low-slung red Mustang convertible. Izzy hit record on the camera mounted on her dash.
“You got the other camera?” she asked Kevin.
“Charged and ready.”
In addition to being her partner, Kevin was a very good amateur photographer.
Two men climbed out of the Tahoe and Kevin lifted the camera to his eye. She heard the zoom lens whir.
“I see a bulge that looks like a gun to me,” he said.
“Always go with that assumption.”
“Yeah. Actually, make that two. They both have them.” The shutter clicked multiple times as he snapped.
The taller one walked to the back of the SUV. “He’s taking something out of the back,” she said. “You see that?”
“Yes.” A pause. “And that is a mighty fancy rifle.” He gave a low whistle.
“Whoa,” she whispered. “Score another one for Blackjack.”
“We’ve got guns too.”
She shot him a warning glare. “And we’re not using them, because we’re not going to get anywhere near there. At least not without backup.”
“Whatever.” Kevin kept the camera snapping as the men disappeared into the warehouse. He lowered the camera. “I can’t see anything else from here. I’m going to have to get closer.”
Izzy swung her gaze away from the warehouse to land on Kevin. “Did you not just hear me? We’re not taking these guys down alone.”
He reached for the door.
She grabbed the camera. “You can’t take that, the shutter is so loud, you’ll be discovered before you have a chance to snap the second picture.”
“Fine. I’m still going to see what I can see.”
She snagged his arm. “Kevin, no.”
He shrugged her off. “Something hinky is going down and I want to know what it is. I’ve got to go now—it’s still light enough the floodlights won’t come on. You saw that weapon. That wasn’t your average hunting rifle.”
“They’re probably gun runners and more. I’ll call it in, but you stay put.”
“I’m going. With the escalating gang activity lately, we sure don’t need those guns to fall into their hands. I won’t let them see me, I promise. But I’ll be one of the first in as soon as backup arrives.” Green eyes sparkling, he tossed her a lopsided smile. “Ryan would do it.”
Ryan? His brother? “No, he wouldn’t. And besides, Ryan’s a detective with many years’ experience,” she said. “You’re a rookie just two months out of the academy. Is that what this is about? You think you have to prove something to Ryan?”
“Of course not. At least I don’t think so. Maybe.” He paused and glanced back at the warehouse. “It’s more like I have something to prove to myself.”
He winked at her and her blood pressure shot up. “Like what?”
“Doesn’t matter.” He handed her the binoculars she’d set on the dash. “Do you see any cameras anywhere?”
She growled and slapped the lenses to her eyes. Scanning from side to side, she shook her head. “I don’t see any, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.”
The door shut with a quiet snick. She dropped the binoculars to see Kevin sprinting toward the warehouse.

~ Review ~

Wowsers! Don’t pick up this first book in Lynette Eason’s new series unless you’re planning on spending the next couple of hours with your nose stuck in its pages. I really didn’t want to put this one down. It’s not just the plot, but the energy in these characters—and there are quite a few of them when you consider the size of Izzy’s family. It all combined to make a fast-paced, high energy read that I was addicted to from the first page.
Izzy and Ryan are strong characters, both level headed but buffeted by the emotional investment they have in this case. Not only is it Ryan’s brother and Izzy’s partner who was killed, but the further they investigate the incident, the more personal connections they seem to find. Who’s true and who’s false? I was fairly certain about some of the characters, but there were some surprises along the way, too. And as it becomes obvious that Izzy’s being targeted, the emotional stakes rise even higher!
If you love edge-of-your-seat suspense with a light serving of romance, this is definitely your ticket! I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

~ About the Author ~

Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.
Connect with Lynette:  Website  //  Facebook  //  Twitter