A really good book and fit Rick well. Compelling heroine too. A page turner with lots of character points of view and twists and turns.

You can always rely on Irene Hannon to provide a complex and page-turning suspense novel and she's done it again with Dark Ambitions.

Rick Jordan runs a camp in summer for foster kids, but in the winter the camp lies empty. Until the day he visits and finds someone has been there, and left a blood trail. Rick works out who his visitor is, but when he turns up dead the police rule it an accident. He's unconvinced, and sets out with PI Heather Shields to find the truth.

I like suspense novels, and this one has a good and complex storyline. Although the suspense comes first the romance is a key element and it does roll a bit quickly and intensely for my believability. However there is plenty of mystery with lots of plot twists and the story is told from the perspectives of several characters who all seem very un-connected at first but whose paths start intertwining, so you need to focus! This is a book to read when you've a good chunk of time available, rather than picking up and putting down.

Another strong novel from Irene Hannon, and you can see why she is a multi-award-winning author.

An excellent ending to a great series. We got to get to know the third member of the treehouse gang up close in this one and of course mystery and Romance followed.

Rick is ex military. Not just any military but Night Stalker military. A special breed.

When he finds a calling card that an old military acquaintance was at his camp and bleeding to boot he hires a PI firm to find him.

Add in his PI agent being hot and a single female with instant connection and it only spices it up.

When they connect a series of deaths to an up and coming governor candidate can they prove he’s the cause before it’s too late?

Highly recommend the book and the entire series.

Dark Ambitions” is a fast paced drama full of political ambitions, secrets, murder and intrigue. Heather and her PI team are hired by Rick to figure out what happened to an old army buddy of his when he goes missing after leaving behind clues for them.

I liked how the team worked together to agree on strategies moving forward with the case, especially as it got more complicated. There were lots of twist and turns and multiple “bad guys” in the story which kept me on the edge of my seat.

Rick was a great character-honest, hardworking, and worked great with Heather and her team. I liked the clean romance between Rick and Heather, while still keeping it professional as they worked the case.

Highly recommend this book and series! I loved it and read it from cover to cover without putting it down!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

Excellent book for anyone who loves a Christian suspense novel with some romance mixed in. I would highly recommend it.

Hannon closes out her Code of Honor trilogy with another wonderfully blended tale of romance and suspense.
When a former army buddy tries to contact Rick Jordan for help and then disappears, he hires PI Heather Shields to track his friend down. As it turns out, the missing persons case is only the tip of the iceberg, and Rick and Heather must join forces to get to the bottom of this dangerous investigation.
Rick and Heather are great characters- moral and interesting and perfectly suited. Readers will be equally invested in the case and their developing romantic relationship.

As I finished this book, I noticed in Irene Hannon’s author biography that she has written more than 50 books that include both Christian suspense and Christian romance. My guess is that I’ve read most of those books. This author just does not know how to write a mediocre book.,and I think that this particular book is one of her best suspense stories. The tension kept ramping up chapter-by-chapter, and the ending had a twist that I did not see coming.

I liked the main characters in this book. Heather and Rick were both brave people of high moral character, and made a great team. Watching their romance progress through the story was sweet. But make no mistake, you’ll keep turning pages in this book because there’s never a good place to stop reading. If you like reading Christian suspense, you’ll enjoy this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Dark Ambitions is the 3rd book in Irene Hannon's Code of Honor series. It can also be read as a stand alone novel. Ex-military pilot, Rick Jordan, hires Heather Shields, a PI at Phoenix, Inc. to track down an military buddy who reached out but then disappeared. The pace of the book quickly accelerates with a trail of blood, dead bodies, and cross-country pursuit, and Hannon delivers another suspense filled book. Hannon is on of my must read authors, and this book did not disappoint!

Irene Hannon has done it again with this next book in the Code of Honor series. From the very first line until the ending page, she has your attention. The characters are very well written, storyline is developed and the setting is well researched. Every box is checked in my opinion regarding Dark Ambitions. If you are looking for a suspense that you don't figure out the suspect and the story keeps you engaged, you have found the right book.

Another winner by Irene Hannon...this story will capture you attention with the first sentence...and will not let you go until the final word is written. Five Stars!

Suspense taking place in St. Louis! Rick Jordan is a wonderful male protagonist as he works to find his former army buddy. Heather Shields is the private investigator Rick hires to locate his buddy but when more people turn up dead, Heather and her firm are determined to find the killer. St. Louis resident, Brad Weston, wants to be governor but can his past be kept secret? Heather's firm has a policy against dating clients but the sparks fly between Rick and Heather! You will not want to miss this great fast-paced book by Irene Hannon. Dark Ambitions is part of the Code of Honor series but can be read as a stand alone book. I recommend this fast paced book to anyone who enjoys contemporary suspense! I received Dark Ambitions through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

I am a big fan of Irene Hannon, and was excited for the opportunity to read her latest book.
Rick Jordon, who previously was a military pilot is contacted by a man who had been a member of his team, and then suddenly disappears, Rick knows he must find him. Heather is the PI he contacts for the job. They both feel the chemistry between them from the beginning, but the job of locating Rick's army friend, Boomer, is first and foremost.
Fast paced suspense, this was a fast, can't put down, kinda read for me. Kudos to Irene Hannon!
I was given a copy to read by the publisher, Revell and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third book in the series. I had been waiting for Rick's story, a former Army Ranger who runs a camp for foster children. When his friend Boomer leaves a bloody trial of clues at the camp, Rick enlists the aid of private investigator Heather Shields. Together they work to find the truth behind Boomer's disappearance. Full of fast paced action and suspense with a touch of romance.

Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon is a captivating read. When veteran Rick Jordan finds bloody signs of a visitor on his property, he hires Heather and her PI firm to investigate. The investigation soon becomes dangerous as an unknown assailant attempts to silence them. Ms Hannon is a masterful storyteller and she weaves a thrilling read from start to finish. Readers of suspense will love this book. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

When a book begins chapter one with the words, “There was blood on the ice,” you can guarantee it’s going to be pretty great.

Those are the opening words of the first chapter of Irene Hannon’s newest book, Dark Ambitions. It’s the third book in the Code of Honor series.

I have long been a fan of Irene’s suspense novels. They all follow basically the same pattern. Girl needs help, guy helps her, they aren’t allowed to “fraternize,” they fraternize anyway, fall in love, she gets in trouble, he rescues her, they live happily ever after. Even though I know all of this from the beginning, each book has it’s own uniqueness, and I always enjoy the read.


This one did flip a little bit because in the “hero” is actually a girl. In most of the books the hero is a law enforcement officer, military man or retired special-ops agent, private investigator, or have some other exciting career. In this case the PI is a female, Heather Shields, who has recently joined the Phoenix, Inc. private investigation firm in St. Louis. (You can read about the other three investigators in the Private Justice series.)

I wasn’t sure how the dynamic would work out, but it turned out to be really good!

Related: Book Review: Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon

Summary
Heather is looking for a quieter, less dangerous job after leaving the St. Louis Police Department and joining the Phoenix, Inc team. For her first case, she’s assigned to help Rick Jordan find a missing friend.

Rick, a former Night Stalker is the owner of a camp for troubled kids. It’s Christmas Eve, and Rick is alone at the camp when he finds blood outside, and finds evidence that an old friend paid him a visit. But when Boomer is nowhere to be found, Rick turns to Phoenix for help.

But the case grows more complicated when they find secret files and evidence leads to dead ends—and dead witnesses. Someone is killing people to cover their tracks, but why? And what exactly are they trying to hide? Whoever it is, they will stop at nothing—no matter how many people have to die.

My opinion
Many times I can figure out who the culprit is before the end, but this one really had me stumped! The prologue begins in a first-person point-of-view, but you have no idea who the person is. The point-of-view alternates between multiple characters throughout the book, and jumps back into that one’s mind every few chapters—never revealing who’s thoughts you’re reading. I was never able to figure out who it was! This was my favorite part of the Dark Ambitions, and it added a whole new level of intrigue.

I really loved the characters of Heather and Rick. They played off of each other perfectly! I have read one of the other books in this series, and a few of Irene’s others. Many of her books contain crossover characters, and you get a “where-are-they-now” kind of vibe. However, they are written so that you can start in any book and read in any order. If you miss one or skip around, you won’t miss out on anything vital.

I love that you get lots of action and mystery in Irene’s books, but there is never anything inappropriate or any bad language.

Recommendation
Dark Ambitions was an incredible read. I read it in my spare minutes and late at night and finished it in just a few days. It starts out exciting, and gets better as it goes. It’s definitely one you’ll want to curl up with on a chilly fall evening!

The excitement starts from page one of this newest thriller by Irene Hannon and continues all the way to the surprising climax. Heather Shields is a PI and Rick Jordan is an ex-army Night Stalker who wants help finding his missing friend Boomer. As Heather and Rick follow the clues together, they endanger themselves more and the tension gets more and more taut. The plot is extremely well-written, with false clues all along the way and a villain who is hidden until almost the end. I loved how the webs were so woven together that it all came together brilliantly at just the right moment in the book! Irene Hannon is the master of suspense in her genre and proves it once again in this mind-blowing and electrifying new book. Fans of romantic suspense will not want to miss out on this clean read!

Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Irene Hannon’s third book in the Code of Honor series is filled with dark secrets, murder and ambitious people willing to do anything to achieve their goals.

Irene Hannon does such a good job of telling personal stories of those who keep our country safe, albeit in a fictionalized way. This time she tells the twisted tale of a retired Army NightStalker who was contacted by his friend and fellow soldier, Boomer, in an odd way – drops of blood and personal effects left in his shed. Afraid for what it could mean, Rick seeks help from Phoenix, Inc. investigators. Expecting to be paired with a male counterpart, he is taken back a bit when Heather welcomes him into her office. Her professionalism is excellent but Rick can’t help feeling a spark of attraction to this spunky woman. Choosing to focus on the case, Rick explains his suspicions and concerns, quickly grabbing Heather’s attention. As they begin to dig into Boomer’s life since he left the service, they will find other happenings that prove he was pulled into something very dangerous. Heather thoroughly enjoys her work with Phoenix, Inc. and is looking forward to working her latest case. What she didn’t expect was to feel attraction to her client, something that she views as dangerous to an investigation. But she is a professional and will do whatever it takes to solve this missing persons case. Digging deeper into Boomer’s life brings unexpected twists and throws light on suspicious happenings in the past of some politically ambitious people. What is so important that someone would be willing to kill multiple people to keep hidden? It becomes a race against time and shadows as Rick and Heather get ever closer to finding the culprit. And just when they think they might have it figured, a final twist will put them in a situation so dangerous they might not make it out. It will take all the knowledge they possess and the help of their friends if they are going to come out safely on the other side of this wild ride. I loved the way that Ms. Hannon constructed this story, giving you glimpses into the minds of those behind all the mayhem. She kept me guessing about who that was until the final pages and that made this book very enjoyable. I’m not a fan of those stories I can figure out by page 50 so this a book I was certainly going to like. The underlying attraction of the main characters was real and entertaining without being raunchy and their sparring matches were fun to read. The mutual respect they had for the other’s skill set gave another good complexity to the story. The case was fairly well done but I felt like it was missing a little of the depth that Ms. Hannon’s stories usually include. It was clear that there was no shortage of correct research done but the case just seemed less complex than expected. The rest of the book was very well done and engaging. Mainly, I enjoyed the interactions of the main characters with each other and their colleagues/friends, it was very entertaining to read the snappy conversations that sometimes emerged in the pages. I will certainly be recommending this book to others as I’m sure they will find it very good as well. Looking forward to what Ms. Hannon will have out next!

I received a temporary complimentary copy of this E-book from Revell Publishing via NetGalley in order to provide a review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Another wonderful and very realistic mystery from a favorite author of mine. It kept me in suspense from the first to the last page.

This series just continues to get better. I thought that I knew what was going on throughout the story. The writing style made it seem as if the reader knew who the bad guy was but the characters in the story didn't have all the facts. Nope, nope, nope! At the very end of the story an aspect unfolds that changes everything.

The only drawback is that the books have been released a year apart so it's a bit fuzzy at first about who is interwoven with whom. So the upside is if you haven't read the series yet you are in for a treat because you can now read the books without having to wait a year. Lucky you!

Irene Hannon's writing has a depth that many authors do not have. The descriptions in the book make you feel part of the story, but they aren't over the top that you want to skim page after page. There are many characters in the book, but it isn't really that confusing. The author gives enough hints about who she is talking about that you recognise the character immediately. I thought I knew who the bad guy was, but I was totally surprised at the end. The ending was one that satisfies your need for justice.