Just what the heck is Special Ops! They are definitely
military at least in organization, training, and structure.
But, then again they are not military in that they are
behind the curtain -- working in the fog -- trained men and
women. For the most part it reminds me of Mission
Impossible -- the IM Force -- where they get orders from
important people but carry on the task without help from
the government or military. Remember the famous close of
each IM order -- the government will disavow any knowledge --
etc. Okay, so now you know I am an IM fan and it goes way
back to the television show circa 1966.
So here's what Linda Howard treats us to in THE WOMAN LEFT
BEHIND. An intimate look at these Special Ops guys and gals
and let me tell you, it's a doozy. THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND
starts out with a hook that doesn't really become apparent
until about midway through the story. The meat of this
story is the development of a team. In this case it's the
GO-Teams. A group of well-trained special guys that go
places most of us hope never to see. Then they get their
assigned task completed and high tail it out -- hopefully
intact. Prior to accepting that task they have to go
through a grueling training schedule. If you can get
through the training the idea is that you have a better
than average chance of making it back home.
Jina Modell works in communications and has a talent for
computer/video games. According to Jina she was ill
equipped to handle what the GO-Teams regularly did, which
was commit mayhem on a massive scale (Jina's words not
mine). But Jina's talents in working with or playing on
complicated strategic games is just what this group was
looking for. In fact, the plan was to train a group of
techno geeks to be the eyes of these special teams. Drones.
The future of many industries was now being tested as those
eyes and gamers like Jina were being recruited to run them.
Sounds simple but Linda Howard is driven by her need for
realism and in THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND she definitely meets
her goals.
Jina is just a regular woman -- not necessarily special in
any way that she can see and yet she finds herself part of
a GO-Team who reluctantly take on the task of training her
in the only way they know. Just like any new recruit to
their team. No shortcuts, no special treatment because she
is a female. Do or die trying -- or quit. That's the rub.
For Jina, quitting is not an option. She has older and
younger siblings which has made her adept at survival.
Strangely enough Jina doesn't actually see her own
strengths but she is going to have to dig deep to keep up
with Ace's team headed by Levi Butcher.
Ace's team has a reputation for tough jobs. Jina's sees
herself as a liability for Ace's team. Surely all they were
doing was just a ruse to get her to quit. The harder they
pushed the more caustic she became. Her words were her
weapon of choice. And this is where Linda Howard injects so
much of the humor in THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND. Jina's internal
conversations are the comic relief for this special ops
training course.
The supporting cast here is the rest of Ace's team. Linda
Howard assigns each guy a truly unique personality and they
make a great team. THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND is a study in team
work and development and it resonates with heart throughout
the book. The book is filled with things that could only
have come about through careful researching and of course
imagination. Well done.
A battle-hardened warrior will risk himself to help the
woman he loves escape from deadly enemies in this thrilling,
edge-of-your-seat novel of romantic suspense from New York
Times and USA Today bestselling author Linda Howard
Levi Butcher is singularly devoted to his work. As team
leader for the GO-Team, his unwavering focus is on the
mission. Levi knows all too well that one minor distraction
can hold deadly consequences. But with the soothing, sensual
voice of “Babe,” the team’s communication expert, constantly
in his ear, keeping his concentration on the dangerous work
at hand is becoming extremely difficult.
Jina Modell definitely doesn’t feel like a “Babe,”
especially when she’s working with the gruff, no-nonsense
Levi. When the base where she’s stationed is attacked, Jina
manages to escape but the rest of the team, working some
distance away, is exfiltrated, thinking Jina died in the
explosion—leaving her stranded. To survive, she’s got to
figure out how to get back to safety before she’s discovered
by the enemy.
Levi would never willingly leave a soldier behind,
especially a brave woman whose sweet voice haunts his every
thought. Once he discovers Jina is alive, the tenacious
warrior will walk into fire to save this intriguing woman
who has captured his heart.
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