I've heard pretty good things about Rachel Dylan's work, and I was excited to see that she was coming out with a new series. I've read another one of her books (Breach of Trust, Atlanta Justice #3), and while I did enjoy it, I found it rather dense and not particularly memorable. Because of that, I wanted to read a new series from her, just to see if starting off with a new series would help.

Well, the tl;dr is that it didn't. I'm honestly struggling to write a review because I read this book during when I was really in the mood for suspense books, and now I can't distinctly remember what happened in this book. I keep getting plot points mixed up with books I read during that time, and it's all jumbled in my head.

Overall, this book was pretty good, from what I remember. It was a little terminology/alphabet soup heavy, and there was a lot of jargon and a lot of characters, and overall was just confusing. I am well aware that I keep track of characters a lot worse than most readers, but to me it was just confusing and muddley. I felt this way while reading Breach of Trust as well, so I think that's just a feature of Rachel Dylan's works.

TW: sexual assault

There was sexual assault mentioned, but it was kind of a plot point, which is kinda weird to me? It happened to one of the main characters but isn't revealed until later as one of the secrets she holds. So, uh, there's that. It's a little spoilery to mention, but I feel like mentioning that is kind of more important than spoiling a little bit of plot.

Overall, it wasn't The Worst book I've ever read, and I did enjoy reading it (I finished it within a day, which is typical for me). It just wasn't particularly memorable, and was also very jargon heavy and confusing. Also had an unmentioned trigger warning that was kinda just included, so that hurts my rating for it a little.

This is the first in a new series and like a number of authors Dylan introduces us to three girlfriends: Bailey, Layla and Viv who are all involved in the legal/homeland security business in some capacity. This is Bailey's story and I suspect Layla and Viv may well have their own stories later in the series.

Dylan weaves an intricate plot involving the FBI, NCIS, Department of Defence and the CIA to create a suspenseful thriller that keeps the reader on their toes. Primarily because we never feel comfortable that Bailey is safe. It's clever writing. The story unfolds slowly and like her two main stars: Bailey and Marco we're never sure who dunnit and who's the ultimate bad guy.

The relationships develop well through the story: will Bailey and Marco become more than just co-leads on the case, can Bailey and Layla's friendship survive the risks involved, can Izzy trust father-figure Jay sufficiently to share a secret that she's never disclosed and how will this team of Bailey, Marco, Izzy, Jay and Lexi work together to solve this complex web of combatants?

I really appreciated the way Dylan highlighted the power of strong friendships and Jay's role as mentor to Izzy, allowing her to feel safe while encouraging her to grow in her experience and confidence as a rookie NCIS agent.

But this is mostly about the intriguing plot. Dylan draws it out clearly having an understanding of how the various organisations function and work together. Sometimes I questioned whether it was realistic to present certain personal interactions occurring in very stressful moments but I guess this is fiction. And Dylan does a good job weaving the faith of Bailey, Marco, and Jay into the story.

The last 100 or so pages are great. I couldn't put the book down needing to know who the bad guys are and how Dylan wraps it all up.

If you enjoy suspenseful stories with some romance and a complex plot line, you'll enjoy this story. I'm especially looking forward to the second in the series and hope we see some of these characters again.

I was fortunate to receive an early e-book version of the book from the publisher via NetGalley, however, this has had no bearing on my review.

This is a great book filled with suspense and intrigue from beginning to end.  The characters were nice, decent, honest people who sought the truth, no matter where their case led. I liked the lead characters Bailey Ryan, FBI agent, and Marco Agostini of NCIS  who are working together along with others to try to find the guilty party.  There were three murders committed within days of each other, it seems there is a pattern. Possibly a serial killer?  But the people are unknown to one another. Is it just coincidence?  As Bailey and Marco begin to delve into these mysteries much unfolds. Nothing is as it seems. Many unanswered questions as they search  into the little they have to go on. If you like intrigue and suspense, mixed with believable characters, an interesting story plot and a little romance, be sure to read End Game by Rachel Dylan.......I would like to thank Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of End Game to read and review.

End Game is a real page turner. Well crafted plot and characters. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I could hardly put the book down. Fans of romantic suspense will not be disappointed. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review

What a fantastic start to a new series! Rachel Dylan kicks it up another notch with End Game, where action and adrenaline flow rapidly as an FBI agent and a NCIS specialist unravel a tightly woven conspiracy that becomes murderous. The plot is detailed and well-constructed with interesting twists and turns and how it all came together at the end was really fascinating. The storyline is easy to follow and each event had me turning the pages a little faster to try to figure out what really happened.

Bailey and Marco are both easy to like and cheer for. Bailey, in her structured, regimented way, is relatable and understandable. Marco, in his easy-going, spontaneous way, is quite lovable. The romance did not overshadow the suspense component of the story and balanced out the multiple near-death escapes. If you enjoy romantic suspense, this book is a must-read. I'm anxiously waiting for the next installment!

I received a copy of the book from Bethany House and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

This book was the perfect way to start a new series. The name of the series,Capital Intrigue, is perfect. This had so many twists and turns. I was left guessing until near the end of the book as to who was the bad guy in the story. All of the characters are wonderful. It will be so much fun to see how each character comes to life during the next books in the series. I did not want to stop reading this story. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Wow! This novel exceeds all expectations, a new level of excellence of the author! It is in-depth, terrifying yet full of faith and hope, full of action with one startling event after another. This Christian thriller includes men and women working for some of the most elite areas of government and military. I very much like the well-defined women in this novel who are authentic with other women, as well as the two men on the team to discover who killed the Navy SEAL and Army Ranger while trying to frame another SEAL for the crime. While for me it is secondary to this fabulous web of deceit, romance is possible for at least one of the women and healing found only in Christ to two of the women.

FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan is called to the crime scene of a second victim in 3 days of the same type of murder. Upon arrival, she meets NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini. The first murdered man a few days ago was a construction worker. This man, however, is a Navy SEAL. NCIS doesn’t want to share, despite there being the risk of a serial killer and the SEAL being off duty. A couple well-placed calls brings Bailey to be a member on the investigative team Agostini leads. He calls the young woman on his team “Rookie”; she has worked for him for less than a year.

Bailey, a law school graduate and FBI agent, is used to taking the evidence to build a case. Marco is a man of action, wanting to interview those who knew the victims and revisit crime scenes. Regarding Rogers, the civilian, some saw him as too quiet, and thought he was the killer-for-hire type of guy. The platoon leader of murdered SEAL Sean Battle did not believe another SEAL would have killed him. While they felt Lt. Alvarez was protecting someone, he wasn’t giving up any secrets.

When examining Battle’s storage locker, Marco and Bailey barely escape before explosives go off. Evidence at both crime scenes indicates another SEAL was there. An Army Ranger was found murdered. Bailey was assaulted in her parking garage. And it only heats up from there.

There are several things that impress me about this novel beyond the incredible plot. The author demonstrates God’s daily love for the men and women in the book and miracles are seen along with the prayers of His people. I like how vital the friendships of women are shown to be and miss having these close friendships in my own life. The women are open and honest about themselves with each other, and welcome other women into their activities. I appreciate how just the right mentor, and friends, come into Izzy’s life at the right time.

This is a fabulous, intricate mystery with complex characters and multiple possible suspects. It becomes evident that criminal activities come from the highest levels and that Bailey is in the crosshairs of the most dangerous even as those behind the murder are not yet identified. It was impossible for this reader to determine the truth, including the motives behind the murders, and there are surprises throughout. I highly recommend this to fans of Christian romantic thrillers, various federal and military levels, espionage, and seeing faith in the Lord during even the hardest times.

From a thankful heart: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

How am I just now discovering this amazing author!!! I have read so many mystery, suspense stories that I am always pleased when I am surprised that my suspect did not commit the crime, but in End Game I could never pin down a suspect. Rachel Dylan does an outstanding job of keeping the suspense alive and intense. Her plot is truly plausible, which is always appreciated. Her own legal background is likely a large contributor to that attribute. I am most definitely going to be on the lookout for book two in the Capital Intrigue series as well as her past releases. I am thankful to have received a copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.

The author begins this book with us wondering what is going on, and when independent government agencies come together, you know this is something big happening here.
When more tragic victims are put down, the team is attacking all different leads to bring down the culprits.
When facts start to be revealed, I wondered if this isn’t a true story, but I sure hope not.
Evil perpetrates more evil here, but we hope justice will prevail, and with the hit squad trying to take out our agents, well, we hope all will survive.
We are offered non-stop action, and a real page turner for answers, and maybe throw in a little romance, but this one is a winner!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House and was not required to give a positive review.

Rachel Dylan is one of my favorite Christian suspense writers, and this book is an incredible start to her new series. The storyline was suspenseful and kept me guessing all the way through the book. I felt as if I were watching an episode of “NCIS” on television. The story flowed together very well and the ending felt complete and not rushed. Although there’s plenty of action, the focus of the story is on gathering the details of the investigation, and I enjoyed that.

There’s some resourceful women in this story, the main one being Bailey Ryan, an FBI agent. She shows that she has the intelligence, compassion, and tenacity to do whatever it takes to bring the criminals to justice. Her NCIS counterpart, Marco Agostini, comes to greatly respect Bailey and her investigative skills.

The cast of characters is strong and each fit their part very well. I also loved the faith in God that guides Bailey and Marco through the story. Bailey and Marco made a great team, and their beginning of their romance is a nice part of the story. I’m looking forward to reading more of their story in this series.
Fans of the Christian suspense category will enjoy this book.

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

This is an amazing start to a new series written by the talented Rachel Dylan. The intrigue grips you from the beginning and continues throughout the story. Three murders put Bailey, an FBI special agent and Marco, an NCIS agent together. At first there is so e friction between the agencies but these two work together beautifully. As they work together the find that other agencies are involved and there are some higher ups who are manipulating the investigation. There are a lot of other characters involved and we learn about them and their involvement in this investigation. This story is a page turner and is wrapped up nicely. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.

End Game reads like my favourite crime-fighting tv show. The focus is entirely on the investigation of a series of murders. Teamwork between agencies, searching through paperwork, interviews and interrogations, going where the evidence leads, it all works together to form a really interesting detective mystery with just a bit of suspense and life-threatening action. Quick dialogue and a great rapport between the large cast of characters involved in solving the crimes makes End Game a captivating book to read.

I really loved the focus on the investigation and the detective work the team do. While there are moments of suspense and the characters’ own lives are at stake, the action and thrills are not the focus of the story. I thought this was a much more realistic portrayal of criminal investigation work. It also made for very interesting reading as the legal ramifications of the case are considered, the team have to wait for evidence to be found, and they have to really work hard for the leads they discover.

FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan and NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini are our main characters. They have been asked to work together to solve two murders that may be linked together - the deaths of a construction worker and a Navy SEAL. When more bodies turn up and it looks more like a larger conspiracy cover-up, the two, with the help of their team, will have to outrun the target on their backs to find the people responsible.

While Bailey and Marco are the main characters and the book is written mainly from their perspectives, some chapters are also written from the perspectives of the other investigative team members. This makes the investigation and book a real team effort and gives insight into some interesting characters. Like Izzy, rookie NCIS agent with a traumatic past and a strong desire to prove herself. And Lexie, JAG lawyer for one of the main suspects.

And, yes, there is time for some romance in all that investigation. Marco and Bailey form a strong bond while working together. However, it’s a little while after starting to work together before the characters share a spark of attraction. Yay!! All too often we see instant attraction and chemistry and oh, he’s the one, so it was very refreshing to have a slow build up to a strong relationship. They are professional first and find the attraction later. Big thumbs up from me. There is also a few side romantic stories and Bailey’s best friends are strong career women, who I hope will feature in future books in this exciting series. I look forward to reading the next book and highly recommend End Game to readers who enjoy exploring the details of a complex and enthralling criminal investigation.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

It is a known fact that many service men & women are recruited by various companies to be able to use their skills acquired in the service for the private sector. But when 3 servicemen end up dead the FBI and NCIS must work together to solve these crimes...and fast.
Special Agent Bailey Ryan of the FBI & Marco Agostino of NCIS meet at the second crime scene & Bailey is not happy about that but she has been given her orders. Marco cannot believe that NCIS would give up control of the investigation but when his director calls him and explains that there is pressure being applied from higher up to have this case solved as quickly and quietly as possible. Marco can understand the urgency to do just that but he also wants the investigation to be thorough so they don not miss anything.
In the beginning they can not figure out how or if the 3 men are connected let alone a reason to explain why they ended up dead. With Bailey and Marco leading the investigation, and the other agents doing their part they begin to put the pieces together.

Thank you Rachel for allowing me to be apart of the process again. As usual the characters are engaging and the plot full of twists.

I've been reading Dylan's books since she was an indie author and I've loved everything of hers that I've read but unfortunately this one wasn't a new favorite.

I was really overwhelmed with how much dialogue was in this book. For much of the book I felt like an innocent bystander listening in on conversations. On top of that - in-between dialogue I felt like some things were explained multiple times. I just didn't get sucked into the story like I'd hoped to.

I was also overwhelmed by what amounted to basically being 6 or more main characters. There were also too many budding romances - though really the one wasn't budding it went from spark to full bloom incredibly fast.

I did enjoy the last 20% or so as the case came to a close. There were some good action scenes that reminded me of her Indie books.

Overall this book just didn't pull me in like I'd hoped.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion.

FBI agent Bailey Ryan works for the Criminal Investigative Division, even though she graduated from law school. For Bailey, solving crimes and bringing people to justice attracts her more than the high-powered law jobs she turned down to join the FBI. When a second body sharing similar wounds shows up in the DC area, the local police call in the FBI to determine if a spree or serial killer has started operating in the nation’s capital. Because the second victim turned out to belong to the Marines, NCIS gets called in as well.

As Bailey joins forces with NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostina, they discover more questions than answers. And suddenly, it seems as if the killer or killers want to take out Bailey, too. She doesn’t expect to find a friend in Special Agent Agostini—but they share a strong faith in God. And time after time, that faith leads and protects them as they race to uncover an evil so big and deep it’s hard to imagine.

Readers who love programs like NCIS and CSI will enjoy this story. So often we assume that no one outside the church walls has faith, due to the depiction of crime fighters on television and movies. What if law enforcement personnel had a strong faith? How would that affect their actions and decisions?

Rachel Dylan is quickly becoming a don't-miss suspense author for me! This first book in her new series is a blend of suspense and thriller that centers on a deadly conspiracy that reaches deep into our government. I really enjoyed the focus on NCIS, as that’s an agency I haven't read much about in this genre. Bailey and Marco are great main characters, and I also enjoyed the two secondary storylines and the variety of characters. The story drew me in from the beginning with the action and suspense, and the romance was sweet and heartfelt without being over the top. I can’t wait for the rest of the series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

End Game gives readers a fast-paced suspense-filled novel. FBI Agent Bailey Ryan is forced to team up with NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini to solve some inter-related murders, one of them a Navy Seal. The more Bailey investigates, the more she finds herself with a target on her back.

If you are a fan of FBI, CIA, and all of the other alphabet organizations, this novel brings several government agencies together to solve the crimes. Watching Bailey and Marco interact from rival agencies adds another layer to the intriguing crimes. They find themselves with the perfect chemistry suited for a personal relationship and struggle to keep their professional demeanor. Several of the minor characters actually steal the spotlight, and I hope they show up in other installments of the series. Lexi Todd is a JAG lawyer who adds to the investigation. Izzy Cole, NCIS agent, overcomes quite a bit of her own personal obstacles to add to the investigation.

Definitely kick of the new year with this new release. If you love action and intrigue, look no further than End Game.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In Rachel Dylan's upcoming release, End Games, the first book in the Capital Intrigue series she ramps up the suspense, intrigue, and action.
The character development and story pace is where Ms. Dylan shows talent and growth as an author. She has created character's with depth and the pace is so good that it compels the reader to keep reading.
SEALS, NCIS, DC, and the FBI is the perfect setup for an action packed read!
Highly recommended!!!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“One thing you'll learn in this job is that we see some of the hard truths. The darker side of humanity. And there's one fact we have to come to grips with. Even those we believe are heroes can sometimes be villains.”

This was like watching a favorite episode of NCIS for me and I imagined Gibbs voice in my head as things played out on the pages! I really like how Dylan pulls together NCIS, FBI, JAG, Navy SEALS, and Army CID to solve the homicides that take them by surprise and continue to scramble the puzzle pieces around. With each clue, they seem to be getting closer to the killer or killers, and then something else is thrown in to make them question everything all over again. It was interesting trying to connect the dots and follow the paper trail along with Marco and Bailey. Dylan ramps up the danger even more when they start targeting Bailey. What a ride!

I also appreciate the faith thread Dylan weaves throughout the story. I admire Bailey’s concrete, steadfast, unchanging faith in God no matter the circumstances or how dire things got. She helped bolster Marco’s shaky world and remind him of who God is. When they focused on that, I think it made them a stronger team. Talking about team, there’s many characters who play a vital role in the story. Bailey’s best gal friends Viv & Layla, Izzy, Jay, and Lexi, just to name a few. I really enjoyed getting to know them as well and look forward to future stories featuring them.

All in all, this was a terrific story that kept suspenseful, high-octane, and kept you in the dark until the end. Like I said, my favorite part was trying to tie the knots together along with the team involved in the case. Dylan knows her stuff when it comes to this sort of story!

*I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinion are my own. *

Interesting story, believable characters, heroes relying on faith, and a love story make this book an enjoyable and fast read.