Fisher Braun, former Green Beret now with covert ops for Special Activities of the CIA has nearly reached his secret townhouse in London, when he gets an alarm on his watch, then sees his secret home has been ransacked and torched. Fisher is there with his long-time friend and colleague, Nathan March. When they go inside, they find a message that has Fisher revealing his secret to Nathan, who had already figured it out: Fisher is gay and his townhouse was where he could get the privacy he craved, but it seems someone else knew about it. The enemy, whoever or whatever they are, have Fisher's boyfriend, Zach Allen. They will find Zach, however, it's more Zach who finds them. And Zach has even more secrets than Fisher...

Ms. Dimon sure doesn't waste any time! The action starts right from the first paragraph and never lets go! I really got the feeling that Nathan and Fisher were spies, that grey, secretive atmosphere; it felt totally authentic. I also loved that even though Fisher and Zach are gay, there's not one stereotype in sight; they are both tough, dedicated professionals. Ms. Dimon's writing is entirely in tune with the atmosphere of the story: crisp, clean, unadorned, and yet everything is described so vividly, it's very cinematographic. I particularly appreciated that the fact that Zach and Fisher are gay is an essential component of the story; it never feels like you could substitute one of them with a female character. Fisher is a seriously macho alpha male, extremely stubborn, and unforgiving. I liked Zach better though: he's a more balanced individual, more patient with people, even though Zach and Fisher's backgrounds are similar. In spite of the sizzling chemistry between the two characters, the sex scenes weren't the best I've ever read, but then again, they did not hinder the plot and happened at the right time.

MR. AND MR. SMITH is an extremely intense book, carefully crafted, filled with deceit and lies of all sorts, and several captivating characters; it reminded me of Robert Ludlum at his very best. It's a wonder we haven't seen this kind of book very often, because we have seen it happen in reality. I can hardly wait for the next book in this series, which promises to be as explosive, as it features two very intriguing characters from MR. AND MR. SMITH!