Two hitmen walk into a bar ... and see their mark who is not supposed to be there: Jordie Bennet sticks out like a sore thumb in the seedy bar; who is she meeting? Plan A goes out the window. So Shawn Kinnard and Mickey Bolden will have to improvise, and on to Plan B. Their client, Billy Panella, wants Jordie dead, but when Bolden opts to ice Jordie in the parking lot of the seedy bar, Shawn realises he'll be next, and that's when Shawn decides for Plan C, and shoots Bolden dead then kidnaps Jordie. However, Jordie was under surveillance from the FBI because of her brother Josh's involvement in shady deals, the Feds want to find where $30 million went. Panella is not pleased at the turn of events: he wants his money back and to get rid of Jodie. Driven through the middle of nowhere in Louisiana by a man who wants her dead, Jordie will have to find a way to stay alive and find her brother...

Sandra Brown knows how to create unbearable tension, and STING has it in spades! STING seems like a rather straightforward story at the beginning, and as the characters reveal more of themselves, the plot becomes exceedingly complex and riveting. Jordie is so cool! For once, she was a female character in a thriller I could relate to: she's out of her element, but even though she is terrified she never does anything stupid; I loved that she is aghast at her undeniable -- an impossible -- attraction to the dangerous and deadly Shawn. Although I had an inkling as to what would happen regarding one plot twist, nothing prepared me for the astonishing, and entirely believable, developments brought on by the many secrets harboured by several of the characters. And what characters they are: from Jordie and Shawn to secondary players, they are all so well fleshed out that it felt as if STING had an ensemble cast; they all contribute to the story line.

Ms. Brown's prose is clear and crisp, peppered with clever banter, and pertinent details imbue the narrative with indisputable realism. STING is a thriller that is bursting with twists and turns, and most surprising is that some of them derive from psychological traumas which were entirely plausible. STING represents my ideal comfort read: characters I believe in, totally unpredictable turns of events, well crafted, fast-paced, with just enough romance to satisfy the most discriminate reader! Sandra Brown delivers once again!