I love a good romantic suspense and grabbed A Lethal Betrayal, the first Coast Guard Hawai’i audiobook written by Lori Matthews and narrated by Sofia Willingham and Wyeth Watts. A US Coast Guard Chief Petty officer and his team are tasked with finding out who stole top secret tech while a Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agent hunts the killer. Sparks, suspense and plenty of action delivered an exciting start to the series.
by Lori Matthews
Series: Coast Guard Hawai'i #1
Narrator: Sofia Willingham, Wyeth Watts
Length: 8 hours and 11 minutes
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Heat Level:
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
The men and women of the US Coast Guard are back in action in a brand new series, Coast Guard Hawai'i
Chief Petty Officer Dane Landry is injured and burning through his last chance with the US Coast Guard. His new team is tasked with finding stolen military-grade technology, but he finds himself in the crosshairs of an investigation as the prime suspect in the murder of a former teammate. With his career and freedom on the line, his top priority should be clearing his name while navigating the complex web of suspicion and betrayal that surrounds him. Being thrown together with the beautiful investigator is a distraction he doesn’t need.
Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agent McKenna Rankin is determined to find out who killed the Senior Chief, but it soon becomes obvious there’s so much more at stake. Her attraction to the prime suspect is an obstacle she hadn’t anticipated, but one she isn’t sure she wants to overcome. As her investigation heats up and tensions run high, Dane and Mac must find a way to reconcile personal feelings with professional obligations while racing against the clock to uncover the true culprit before it’s too late.
We learn that Chief Petty Officer Dane Landry was injured and badly burned after a mission with his previous team as he and his new team scout out a smuggler on the coast. Things are interrupted when they spy a second team and a drone. Within twenty-four hours, the body of Landry’s previous team captain is found dead, and Special Agent McKenna Rankin is tasked with the investigation. In the meantime, Landry and his new team are tasked with a covert operation; find and retire classified tech. The story that unfolds was fast-paced and pulled me in as we learned about Landry’s background and watched both cases weave together.
I loved the chemistry between Dane and McKenna. It felt genuine despite her attempts at pushing thoughts of kissing Dane out of her head. She knows he is hiding something, and that complicates things, but as their trust builds and they share info, the sparks fly.
Sofia Willingham and Wyeth Watts narration elevated the story by bringing both points of view to life and enhancing the chemistry. I highly recommend listening.
We get to know the Guard team and secondary characters enough that I am looking forward to their stories. The case was a solid one with plenty of danger and heart-pounding near death moments that pushed the couple together and allowed their relationship to deepen.
Perfect for fans of romantic suspense and branches of the law enforcement.
About Lori Matthews
Lori Matthews loves books. As an award winning author, she loves nothing more than creating a story that starts with a bang and keeps going with plenty of action, and a side of hot romance. She grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, in a house filled with books and readers. Some of her fondest memories are of reading in the same room with her mother and sisters, arguing about whose turn it was to make tea. No one wanted to put their book down!
About Sofia Willingham
Currently living in Portland, Oregon, Sofia Willingham is an accomplished word nerd and voice actress. She has had the privilege of narrating multiple bestselling books for a variety of publishers. She was an APA Audie Award finalist for Release Me by J. Kenner in the erotica category, the first installment of the bestselling Stark series. This early exposure propelled her further into the universe of genres and accents, and she now records and produces audiobooks from the comfort (and dryness) of her approved home studio. Her performances have been regarded as emotionally involving and having the ability to color distinct characters consistently without getting in the way of the story. In her free time, she satisfies her morbid fixation with true crime and often wanders outdoors with an oversized puggle.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Ethan
With a solid mystery, great characters, and a bit of romance, there’s so much to like about this one. Definitely piqued my interest!
Anne - Books of My Heart
I’m sure I’d love this one. Great review! A nice setting too.
Bookworm
I definitely like the sound of this one, thanks for the recommendation.