Collateral Risk Review Tour

Blurb:

After losing her sister to a serial killer years earlier, scientist Mia Lindgren survives by focusing on the most dangerous viruses known to man. She’s become adept at shutting herself off from human contact—until her lab partner drowns under suspicious circumstances.

Forced to accept the assistance of Nick Doyle, an FBI counter-terrorism expert on leave, she soon realizes someone at the Institute for Research of Infectious Diseases is involved in a deadly deception. As she and Nick race to find a killer who will stop at nothing to accomplish his version of Armageddon, they can’t ignore their own chemistry. But can Mia truly put the past to rest?

Excerpt:

Mia Lindgren winced as the bagel knife sliced her fingertip. She wrapped the cut in a napkin and hurried over to the sink, turning on the tap and thrusting her pointer finger into the stream of cool water. Morning sunlight poured through the kitchen windows, warming her face and reminding her how late she already was.

After a minute or so, she pulled her finger out of the water and inspected it. The cut was about a quarter of an inch long, not very deep. Nothing to get worked up about.

She crossed from the kitchen to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, wondering if she would ever be able to cut herself and not freak out. For the past year she’d slipped into panic mode whenever she got so much as a paper cut. She could only imagine what would happen if she ended up with a scraped knee. All that exposed skin would leave her sleepless for a week.

You were the one who signed up for this.

She loved her work, but she still questioned her choice even though three years had passed since she first crossed the threshold of the Institute for Research of Infectious Diseases in Somersville, Maryland. Her friends, her mother, her stepsister, and just about everybody else she knew told her she was crazy to work there. She could still hear Ashley’s horrified tone on the other end of the line when she’d called Burnleigh Hall to tell her half-sister the news.

“So you want to work with Ebola?” Ashley had asked, forgetting to season her tone with the usual dose of teenage cynicism. “Like, on purpose?”

My Review:
3.5 stars

This is my second time reading a Haines' book, but it won't be my last. I enjoyed the ride reading Collateral Risk, as it was an interesting, thrilling read that also kind of freaked me out due to how realistic this was. The book was very detailed, and as a germaphobe, it wigged me out. I could definitely tell the author put her research in, which added to the story. However, I think the details could have been toned down a bit or reworked in better at times because there were some info dumps and pacing issues because of this. 

Overall though, my favorite part was the character development, an area where Haines shines. I think Mia and Nick are some of the most real characters I've seen in this genre, which made this such an enjoyable read. I was able to connect with both characters, even though I am not a science-y person or FBI agent. Plus, they had such witty banter, which I loved. I would love to see more of these two, especially since the ending felt a bit rushed to me (and I really just want to see more of Mia and Nick). 

Even though there were some plot and pacing issues, overall I greatly enjoyed this read due to the realism and the characters. So if you're into realistic characters and scenarios, I would highly recommend reading Collateral Risk.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

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Author Bio and Links:

Gwenan Haines lives in New England with her daughter and a Siberian husky born on Halloween. She’s been hooked on suspense ever since her mom read her an old Nancy Drew mystery when she was five years old. She also loves romance and fantasy. Her paranormal novella, WRAITH, and novel, SHIFT, the first two installments in the SHADOW WORLD series, are under contract with Wild Rose Press's fantasy line. When she’s not plotting her newest mystery, she teaches community college and writes lots of poetry.

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