I'm not entirely enamored of the series title To
Serve and Seduce, but the first book gets it off to
a cracking
start. Set in Chicago, a busy, beautiful but sometimes
bleak city, SEDUCED BY THE BADGE looks under the lid of
human trafficking. Detective Danni Winstead from Georgia
arrives and pairs up with Armstrong Black in search of the
creeps who abducted her sister. Fortunately Danni's sister
managed to escape, but other women are not so lucky.
The undercurrent of romance is swift to arrive as Danni and
Armstrong feel each other's appeal right away. But Danni
takes a risk by masquerading as an innocent in the hope
that she'll meet the traffickers. Armstrong, who has
already taken the newcomer to have a meal with his
warmhearted family, can't believe she put herself in such
jeopardy, without arranging for backup in advance.
I have to think that if Danni was a teenage girl she would
have been abducted quite quickly, but as she's more mature
and has more contacts, even though she pretends she needs a
job, the traffickers go through a charade of getting to
know her and inviting her to parties. Here she meets a girl
called Ginger, who doesn't have many options in life, and
Pius, the leader of the criminals.
We get a good look around the city and meet a variety of
residents, as well as Armstrong's friendly family and the
cops in the station. Danni is only in the
city on assignment, and before too long, Armstrong can't
stand the thought of her leaving. But first she has to
survive her undercover work.
I enjoyed the complex, detailed police thriller, and the
adult romance feels pretty real. I hadn't previously read
anything by Deborah Fletcher Mello, but I will be looking
out for more. She has a few series in print including Just
Desserts and Sultry Southern Nights. SEDUCED BY
THE BADGE
is a good read and addresses a topical issue.
Chicago detective Armstrong Black follows the rules—his
rules. When he’s assigned to partner with an Atlanta
detective who’s hell-bent on bringing down criminals who
targeted her sister, he’s determined to stay in control. But
stunning Danni Winstead is all blazing temper and sweet
temptation. Working with her tests Armstrong’s restraint;
trusting her could put them both in fatal jeopardy…
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