That's What I'm Talking About

My Rating: 4 Stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)

Welcome to the high-stakes, fast-paced world of the Shadow Force! Ms. Tyler’s fourth installment is an exciting suspense mystery with multiple layers that all feed into one fantastic ride!

The story picks up not long after “band of brothers” that compromise “Shadow Force” (some current and some ex-military) are finally reunited in upstate New York. Their adventures thus far were chronicled in the first three books; however, you could easily pick up this story and read it on its own merits. The men and their women have been through some rough times, but things are about to get worse when a dangerous enemy of their leader, Dylan, resurfaces, vowing to destroy all that Dylan holds dear. Meanwhile, Kell and his best friend/partner, Reid, are on a covert operation in Mexico to assassinate a drug lord. Things go haywire when a near-death Teddie runs into the middle of their operation.

Teddie has her own problems to overcome. A runaway from the Witness Protection Program, she went to Mexico to find the men who murdered her family and prove her deceased father is innocent of the heinous crimes he is suspected of committing. When she is saved by Kell and Reid, she isn’t sure if she can trust the men who are just as dangerous as those out to kill her.
Night Moves starts off kicking and doesn’t slow down for very long. The multiple story lines intermingle and gel superbly. As someone who has read the previous books in this series, I will say that the book almost had a “last hurrah” kind of feeling; however after completing the book, I know this wasn’t the end. The men all band together and fight the common enemy. It’s very much and “all for one and one for all” situation. Not to mention the story has several nail-biter scenes that kept me glued to the book, completing the emotional piece that had me thinking the series would end here.

Kell and Teddie are a good match. Per the usual, both have pasts haunted with sorrow and regret. They are two lost souls searching for truth and justice, brought together because of circumstance, but staying together because of an intense (and immediate) connection. There romance was pretty good - not over the top, but sexy and sweet. I was a little disappointed near the climax of the story when the pair were imprisoned and Kell spilled his secrets to Teddie. It was a bit too easy for me to believe years of suffering melt away because he confesses to her. After hearing about Kell in the previous book, In the Air Tonight, I would have liked to get more of his background and time he spent hunting down the enemy. I was under the impression that he was a desperate man trying to save himself by protecting others. I wanted more of that angst.

I enjoyed Crystal, Dylan’s former mentor now mortal enemy. He is one of those bad guys that you love to hate - no redeeming qualities and beyond any help. He has no conscious and will manipulate to everyone to cause the maximum suffering. He is the mastermind behind the puppet show, bringing all of the pieces of the puzzle together. He alone kept me guessing what would happen next. I felt his demise was a little to simplistic, and I was honestly disappointed to see him go. (I can always hope...)

As the book drew to a close, I realized that the story was not going to be a happy ending for all the brothers of the team. Reid has met his match in Marshall Grier Catherine Grace Vanderhall, and I’m hoping we don’t have to wait long to read their story.