CIA Special Agent Ana Burton has been exiled to San Francisco after a botched operation in Rome resulted in the death of two agents. She quietly, but expertly, works cold cases as she waits for the results of an inquiry and tries to restore her equilibrium. She no longer has the confidence to take action based on her ability to find, analyze, and interpret data. Ana's investigation into a cold case involving stolen art and five brutal murders leads her to security expert Gates Bromley.

Gates' number one priority is protecting art collector and friend Dav Gianikopolis. He is not inclined to help with the CIA's investigation if it means putting Dav at greater risk. Having already seen most of his family murdered, he won't endanger a friend. Gates joins investigative forces with Ana at Dav's insistence and because he finds himself drawn to her beauty, strength, and sharp mind. The deeper they delve into the truth behind the art thefts and murders, the greater the danger as their lives and those of their friends and colleagues are threatened.

With DEADLY LITTLE SECRETES, Jeanne Adams has written a thrilling, action-packed romantic suspense. I'm a big fan of smart heroines and Ana definitely qualifies. More computer geek than super-spy, Ana guides the action with her intuition and analysis of the data. The facts of the case are revealed to the reader as Ana and Gates discover them, keeping you guessing until the end. The case is a complicated one which holds the reader's attention; however, it times I did find myself a little confused about who was who and felt like I should be taking notes. I wondered if there was a preceding book that explained some of the action, but as far as I can tell this is a stand-alone book. That said, the story is definitely worth the mental effort. Gates and Ana work well as a couple, their physical and intellectual attraction to each other is almost tangible, and the plot will keep you reading late into the night.