This is the first book in Kat Martin’s “Maximum Security.” Maximum Security is a firm made up of individual contractors who specialize in private investigation and all kinds of security. It is run by Chase Garrett, who is the hero in this story.

This book is made up of two separate pots that both have a common theme. The hero, Chase, and heroine, Harper, have been secretly attracted to each other for years. Harper’s brother, Michael, and Chase were best friends when they were growing up. Unfortunately, Michael acquires a drug problem which causes an estrangement between Chris and Michael.

Chase and Harper have not seen each other for years. However, Michael has disappeared while on a trip to South America. Harper hopes to hire Chase to find him. Unfortunately, Chase refuses because of Michael’s drug problem. Finally Harper convinces Chase that Michael is clean, and Chase reluctantly agrees.

What follows is an intriguing and suspenseful search as Harper and Chase hike through dangerous South American territories in order to rescue Michael. They are still very attracted to each other, except Chase refuses to get involved with Harper. He knows that Harper’s father is involved in many illegal activities.

However, they finally admit their feelings for each other and begin an affair. Unfortunately, they both realize that Chase’s law-upholding business would clash with Harper’s law-breaking father’s life. So they decide to break up.

That lasts until Harper manages to escape from a group of people who are attempting to kidnap her. When Chase hears about this, he refuses to leave her alone. He becomes her personal body guard. Both Harper and Chase believe her attempted abduction is related to Michael’s kidnapping and that they both involve Harper’s father.

Therefore, Chase and Harper work together to find out who wants to kidnap her and why. During this time, the couple’s emotions swing back and forth. Their chemistry is unbelievable, and the sex between them is hot and steamy. However, they also realize that Harper’s father is a difficult obstacle for them to overcome. Therefore, they either cannot resist each other, or they do not want to have anything to do with each other.

This is an action-packed, page-turner romantic suspense novel with many villains. However, Chase and Harper have a strong love that is able to overcome all of the obstacles in their way.

First book in a new Maximum Security series. Harper seeks help from Chase when her brother goes missing. ARC from NetGalley.

I have chosen not to read/review this title as I was not able to connect with it or recommend it to the readers of our blog page or those who follow my reviews on Goodreads.

I apologize for the delay in this, as sending the negative reviews is something I (clearly) avoid doing for an embarrassingly long time.

Thank you, as always, for the review title.

Laura

Kat Martin wrote another fabulous book of suspenseful romance the keeps the reader on the edge of their seat trying to figure out which way the twists and turns will take. Chase and Harper know each other through her brother who is missing. Chase knows their is more than Harper realizes and to help it
means dealing with a crime family. You have to read the book to find out happens📚📚📚❤️❤️❤️. I
promise you will not be disappointed!!!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

This has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite awhile, but I’m honestly glad I got around to it. Contemporary romance isn’t always my favorite - the leads are usually too slutty for me and I’m a prude - but the suspense story really reeled me in here. The insta-lust was way too over the top (no guy gets that hard that fast that often), but the pace was fast and the secondary characters were interesting. And now I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series!

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

"The Conspiracy" is a terrific start to another great series Maximum Security by Kat Martin. She is an amazing writer of suspense and her stories always leaves me on the edge.

Harper Winston's desperate search of her missing brother brings her to Maximum Security and its owner, Chase Garrett and her brother's best friend. Things are not what they seem, and Chase is very well aware of Harper's father's deadly involvement. As situation becomes deadly around them, so does the heat between Harper and Chase.

Another thrilling and nail biting story from Kat Martin.

Received an ARC from Harlequin via NetGalley for an honest review

The Conspiracy is a great introduction to this series and an awesome Kat Martin book. Chase and Harper are well written realistic characters that want to protect one another. In my opinion the best part of the book was their trip and rescue of Michael in Colombia after he was kidnapped. I completely enjoyed all the twists and turns of the story and like this series.

The Conspiracy by Kat Martin
Series: Maximum Security #1
Subgenre: romantic suspense
Release date: 22 Jan 2019
Publisher: Harlequin
Format: hardcover
Length: 432 pages
RRP: $49.99
She needs help to find her brother. He is her brother’s former friend. Then he discovers she is in danger. Can he help her what happened to her brother, and keep his hands off her?
Harper Winston is a successful businesswoman. She created an upwardly mobile company despite her father. Her father is something akin to a mobster who wheels and deals in the shadows. She has been kept in the dark by her father about what he does, and it comes as a shock to her when she discovers aspects of his business empire. Harper is close to her brother, and while her brother has had some rough times, he has found a way through. He takes a trip, and when Harper doesn’t hear from him for a few days, she wants to go and find him.
Chase Garrett is the owner of Maximum Security. He was originally in law enforcement but has branched out to create his own style of private investigation company. He was close to Harper’s brother, and had a certain longing for Harper when she was younger, something he never acted upon.
Michael, Harper’s brother, heads off on a trip the leads to him being kidnapped along with, Pia, the woman he was with. The trail leads Harper and Chase to the jungles in Columbia, South America, and as soon as it was South America I knew it would be a tense situation. Her brother is rescued but then Harper is the one in danger.
This story is a page turner. I absolutely had to find out what happened next! This story has all the lots of suspenseful moments and as a reader I did speculate as to where the story goes next. Sometimes I was correct, sometimes things happened that I wasn’t expecting. There was also one very disturbing scene in the book that takes place in the jungle between Michael and Pia that I found a little disturbing even knowing that this type of thing did happen in this particular circumstance.
reviewed by Heather

The Conspiracy was a terrific read with the perfect blend of romance and suspense.

After sailing to the Caribbean, Michael Winston disappears without a trace leaving his sister Harper terrified and wondering what happened to him. Determined to find him no matter what, Harper contacts Chase Garrett, Michael's former best friend and the owner of a successful security firm, for help. Chase has avoided the Winston family for years, but when Harper shows up requesting his help, he can't turn her down. But as Chase and Harper look into Michael's disappearance, Chase quickly begins to suspect foul play. As the situation unravels around them, Chase realizes he will do anything to keep Harper safe.

The case of Michael's disappearance was intriguing and I found myself wondering what information Chase or Harper could possibly find with Michael being missing for several days. But Chase and Harper get to Aruba fairly quickly after Harper got Chase involved to begin investigating and and I was definitely surprised by how quickly the two uncovered information. In my mind I thought Michael's disappearance would take most of the book to solve, but that didn't end up being the case. Everything that happens after they solve that mystery though was just as interesting as the disappearance itself. In addition to the main plot, there are also a couple small cases Chase works on for Maximum Security while helping out Harper. I enjoyed those and getting to see how Chase reacted in different types of situations.

Harper and Chase's relationship starts out on rocky ground as Chase believes Harper will slow him down whereas Harper is determined to be involved whether Chase wants her to be or not. I was happy to see that Chase quickly came to realize Harper was not without skill and that at times she was actually an asset, not the hindrance he thought she would be. Initially the attraction between the pair simmers just below the surface with both of them trying to keep their desires contained. When their relationship does progress, it's incredibly hot with some fantastic scenes. My one complaint about their relationship was at times Chase could be a bit too alpha male for my tastes. I'm a fan of protective men in my romances, but it did get a bit old with how often Chase would make decisions for Harper.

Overall I really enjoyed The Conspiracy and I'm looking forward to reading more books in the Maximum Security series in the future. I definitely recommend this book, and the prequel novella Wait Until Dark, if you're looking for some great, suspenseful reads.

The Conspiracy is a very good book by Kat Martin. I am glad to see that she has been printed in Hardback. The readers at my library are happy about this.

What can I say? This was a great start to a new series by Kat Martin. The story starts out with Harper Winston’s brother Michael going missing. Michael has had his issues with substance abuse, but has turned his life around. He has gone on a trip and promised Harper that he would check in with her every few days….but then there is silence from him. She knows something is wrong and there is only one person that can help her and that’s Chase Garrett. The man she had a crush on when she was a teen and he was a close friend of Michaels, but that friendship ended because of the drugs. It is a little sticky as Chase is attached to the law by being a PI. What to do? Begging sounds good, and, hello, the attraction still there on both sides. The question is who is involved in what they find out is a kidnapping. How is Harper’s dad in the mix, or is he? From Texas to the Caribbean to Columbia and the rebels and back to Texas read to find out how Harper handles herself, what happens between her and Chase and who is involved.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest opinion

“Fate is a Hunter”

What a way to begin the NEW YEAR with a 5 STAR read! Suspense, intrigue, action, and romance! Kat Martin is officially on my 1-Click list. If you like romantic suspense, this is not a book to be missed!
The Conspiracy is about a young 30 something named Harper Winston. With her slender curves, pale blond hair, and prosperous affordable clothing line, Elemental Chic, life isn’t too bad. That is until her brother, Michael Winston, goes missing. Michael or Mikey, her only sibling and closest relative, took a month to go sail the Caribbean. Having promised Harper he would check in every day or two, suddenly stops emailing and texting his vacation progress. Harper, immediately knowing something is wrong, schedules an appointment with Chase Garrett (35yrs), owner of Maximum Security, a firm that specializes in private investigations, personal protection, bail enforcement, residential and business security. Not only is Chase mouth watering with his whiskey-brown eyes, dark blond hair, ladder of muscle running down his stomach, and powerful physique, but he was once her brother’s best friend before an unfortunate fallout. Basically… She needs him. Fallout or not, Chase is the man she needs to bring her brother home safe and sound. But what Chase doesn’t know is that he might need her more.
Kat Martin did her homework. I enjoyed reading about the MCs investigation in Aruba and Curacoa as well as in the states. She did an excellent job describing the scenery, cultural influences, realistic dialogue, rebel soldiers, and Colombian drug cartel. Even some of the lesser supporting characters, like Killian Dawson and Dutch Van Noord, captivated my attention with their story enhancement. Our heroine wasn’t TSTL, and knew when to aid and when to sit back and let those trained progress with the investigation/rescue. I enjoyed the realistic terms and specified equipment like MREs, FUBAR, HK416, Ka-Bar knife, Bertees, Mara Salvatrucha, and etc.

“Browning 9 mil, Ruger SR9, a couple of Beretta M9s. Nighthawk .45.’ He pulled out a long-barreled weapon. ‘M40 sniper rifle.’ Kil reached back into the bag, pulled out another weapon. ‘Eighteen-inch, short-barreled tactical shotgun and last but definitely not least-a relatively new AK-47.’ He grinned. ‘Pick your poison.”

The romance, slow at first due to the investigation, was smoldering hot!

“If I touch you again, I won’t be able to stop. Go to bed, Harper. Get some sleep. Things will look different in the morning… It’s just the stress. I hope you’ll forget this happened… That, angel, is a promise I can’t make. Now, get some sleep.”

This was not your typical brother’s best friend trope (and I’ve read many), and this is due (partially) to the fallout previously hinted at. The two MCs liked each other as teenagers, but never acted on their feelings. The obstacle in their relationship was realistic, and made the emotional journey more addicting than sugar. And while our Hero is not without his faults, he’s quick to undo the wrongs he’s committed and follow his heart.

“…I made a mistake. I let you go when I should have fought for you. I’m not making the same mistake again. Now, let’s go.”

There were some twists and turns I had not expected, and was glad when the book continued to progress even after the rescue. Kat Martin, new to me, reminds me of some of the contemporary works by Julie Garwood (Ideal Man), Rebecca Zanetti (Blind Faith), Jessica Clare & Jen Frederick (Last Hit), Kristen Ashley (Rock Chick Redemption), & Katie Reus (Resurrection). If you find yourself gravitating towards well written and thought out books like the ones above, then you will fall in love with Kat Martin’s main characters, Harper & Chase. I’m already fangirling for the sequel! Jason “Hawk” Maddox, here I come!

Overall Rating → 5 “Fate is a hunter” STARS
Page Turner? → Yes!
Would I recommend? → YES! YES! YES!
Would I re-read? → YES!
Would I read more from this author? → YES!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2655939860
Review posted on Amazon

A few things for the author:
I noticed in my copy that after the letter "f" a space always followed (ie. f lute)
(Loc 83) "patrons no end"
(Loc 3764) "he grabbed his crotched"

I’ve been a romantic suspense/mystery/thriller mood lately (Ed. note: “always”) so I was excited to read Kat Martin’s latest rom sus about a woman searching for her missing brother. At first, The Conspiracy worked okay for me; the hero was a little bit boner-led, but the action and the plot made up for that flaw.

Then I got a graphic sexual assault scene that was totally unnecessary and I just noped on out.

no thanks
The book opens with Harper Winston approaching Chase Garrett, the owner of Maximum Security, about helping her find her missing brother. Michael Winston went sailing in the Caribbean on vacation, but made sure to contact his sister every few days to let her know he was okay. Then his communications stopped, and Harper can’t reach him at all.

Chase and Michael have a past. They were once good friends until Michael developed a substance abuse problem, in part due to his father’s constant verbal abuse. Chase tried to get Michael help, Michael refused, and Chase cut ties. Chase also hates Harper and Michael’s wealthy, powerful father. He knows how he abused Michael, and he also knows that not all of Knox Winston’s money was earned legally.

Chase agrees to help Harper, and their search for Michael leads them from the Caribbean to Venezuela to Colombia. It turns out that Michael and the woman he was with at the time, Pia, were kidnapped by “rebels.” All of this was staged, though. Michael is really being held at the behest of a former business partner of Knox’s, someone he screwed over.

So we get some action adventure time where Harper and Chase trek through the jungle and search for the remote location where Michael and Pia are being held. They have some serious pants feelings for each other despite being

in the jungle, sweaty and bug bitten and exhausted
in near constant danger
surrounded by other tough dudes who probably smell bad.
Danger boners. Gotta love them.

I wasn’t crazy about Chase from the get-go. His action guy persona exhibits a lot of toxic masculinity that reminded me of Old Skool heroes. He’s a love-em and leave-em tough guy, and I like my heroes with more emotionally fluency than that.

Here’s an example of him being gross. He introduces Harper to a man he’s hired to help them:

Dawson’s gaze swung to Harper, slid over her body, taking in her taller than average height and slender build, the blonde hair she’d pulled into a ponytail. Since Harper was a beautiful woman any man with a dick would notice, Chase didn’t take offense–as long as Dawson kept his distance.

Cool. So rather than, say, calling Dawson out on ogling his client, Chase isn’t “offended” and thinks, “Well, she’s pretty and he’s got a penis so of course he’s gonna ogle.”

You tell 'em Gillian
So I’m already doing a lot of lip-curling where Chase is involved. Then we get the sexual assault scene.

Click for details and examination - TW/CW ahead
If you removed this scene from The Conspiracy, nothing changes. The villain is still bad because he kidnapped people. He’s willing to kill them. There’s still plenty of conflict and angst. Nothing would be affected.

I also thought it was odd that the scene was given to me from Michael’s point of view and not Pia’s. I agree that Michael is as much a victim in this as Pia is, but removing her voice felt like I was being distanced from her.

Despite all of this, I forged on a little longer. Then I got to the scene that really, really, REALLY made me mad.

Pia and Michael have been rescued and are recovering.

Michael calls Pia:

“I just…I called to see how you’re doing. I’ve missed you.”

A pause. “I’ve missed you too, Michael.”

Hope swelled. “I’ve thought of you every day. Dreamed of you at night. I want to see you, honey. I’ll come to Miami. Just tell me it’s okay.”

Silence descended.

“Pia…?”

“I’m sorry Michael. I’m just not ready. I keep having flashbacks. What happened…I can’t seem to get past it. All the fighting, the men dying…other things. I’m seeing someone.”

His chest clamped down. “A man?”

He finally heard a smile in her voice. “No, silly. A psychologist. She’s helping me. She says I’ll be fine. I just need some time to work things out.”

Are you fucking kidding me right now? Pia was kidnapped because of him, sexually assaulted, and is telling him she has PTSD and his response is, “you’re seeing another dude?” [sad boner wilt]. His feelings are the focus, and not hers.

I just…

I'm so mad RN
I threw the book on floor, walked away from it, and raged a little bit. DNF time for me.

So to summarize: The Conspiracy has a gross sexist hero, an unnecessary sexual assault, and then treats that assault with pretty much no sensitivity. The impact on Michael is prioritized over the impact on Pia.

Fuck all of that.

I’m out.

My Rating:

3.5

My Review:

I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I were a man as it was nonstop action with abductions, jungle trekking, gunfights, car crashes, rescues, explosions, dispassionate and ruthless criminals, revenge-seeking cartels, DEA agents, mercenary extractions, family drama, etc. But I am not a man and was instead expecting a story of romantic suspense instead of a busy he-man’s adventure tale. There was a bit of romance and steamy sex scenes, but the sweeter relationship was the one between the secondary characters instead of the main ones. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a badly written book and the premise and various twists and storylines were interesting, the writing style just wasn’t my cup of tea. My favorite scenes were of those involving Michael, who was the most likable and considerate of the bunch.

Harper's brother Michael has been on a trip sailing and he is missing. No one seems concerned, but Harper knows something is wrong. She asks Chase a former friend of her brother's. Their friendship ended badly and she is not sure he will help. It is the last thing Chase wants to do, but he agrees to help. They rescue Michael and think all is well, until it is not. Will their father's shady business get them all killed? They find themselves in a race against time. Action packed adventure gets this new series off to a great start.

The Conspiracy is the first book I've read by Kat Martin, and there's no better place to start that at the beginning of a new series! I found The Conspiracy to be a well-written, suspenseful romance with a complex plot and even more complex, intelligent characters. The international settings of Aruba and Curacoa add cultural interest and intrigue. The mystery is a page turner, and the technical details of the crime investigation add interest. A great introduction to a new author (for me) and a new series. Can't wait for the next one.

Willful ignorance can bring only a short amount of bliss. Harper Winston bursts back into Chase's life again. No longer just his best friend's little sister, she is a successful business woman looking for help. She is sure her brother Michael is in trouble and she has nowhere else to turn. She went to her father who assured her that her brother is just offline for a bit. She knows better and thankfully, her tight relationship with him, saves him.

Ms. Martin kicks off this new series with a strong cast of characters and a solid plot. She's upping her game in writing romantic suspense with more intrigue and danger. The characters are well designed with just enough flaw to make them human and relate-able. Harper may come across as a bit naïve with lack of knowledge about her father's criminal activities. She is still a practical woman who is determined to save her missing brother. Chase, her love interest, is a stereotypical alpha male with law enforcement type background. He's dependable and more importantly, he has family and friends who are deadly and can bring in the fire power when necessary. This story is a lovely blend of romance and action. I tend to lean toward more action paced story lines. This one contained everything I hoped for and more. The reveals in this story are not shocking, or I should say, I anticipated the reveals as Ms. Martin drops hints along the way.

I enjoyed the fast pace of this tale and read it all in one sitting. It is a page turner which reaches to a satisfying conclusion. It does hook a reader in to want to read more about the brothers in this new series. Can't wait to read Harper's brother, Michael's story. It will be interesting to see which team members of Maximum Security will receive their own story. Recommended to romantic suspense readers who like strong characters with second chance love themes.

The Conspiracy is the the first novel in the Maximum Security series by Kat Martin, and while this romantic suspense novel got off to really good start, it began to flounder somewhat in the latter half, and for this reason, as well as several others, I can only give it 3 stars.

Harper Winston, the heroine, hasn't heard from her brother, Michael, in a week. He was sailing solo to the Caribbean in his new yacht, but had promised to phone her every day and he hasn't. She takes her worry to Maximum Security, a company owned and operated by the hero, Chase Garrett, who was one of her brothers' closest friends years earlier, but who drifted away when Michael got heavily into drugs and drinking. Michael's been clean for 5 years, and no sooner do Harper and Chase see each other again when old feelings of attraction and lust kick in for this pair. As Chase was Michael's best friend years earlier, Harper had previously been off-limits to Chase, but now that Harper wants Chase to find her missing brother, and plans to go along on the search, those feelings are ready to surface again. Add to that piracy, finding the missing yacht, abduction, a Colombian drug cartel, Michael being located and rescued, and the first half of the book grabbed you and didn't let go.

Unfortunately, the second half of the novel floundered because rather than continuing to focus on the two main characters and their growing relationship, the entire staff of the Maximum Security Agency is introduced. Of course, like Chase, each one of them is more gorgeous and hunky than the next--and while I have no problem with hunky, handsome heroes, I'd have preferred that at least a few of them been introduced in upcoming novels in this series, rather than all at once in this first novel, and I'd have preferred a couple of normal looking guys be included in the mix. The intermittent addition of alternating narration also added some unnecessary confusion, as did the revelation that Michael was only Harper's half-brother, and a half-brother to Chase and his other brothers as well.

I was also surprised by Harper's shock when she learns of her father's involvement with the drug cartel, among other shady businesses, like sex trafficking. How Harper could have avoided knowing about her father's illegal activities, and how he acquired his vast wealth, when she was otherwise a bright and savvy businesswoman, was almost too hard to believe, as was her spot-on, excellent marksmanship when helping her brother regain his freedom when she admittedly had only ever held a gun once before, and never shot one.

The other problem I had with the second half of this novel was the maniacal drug lord's obsession with kidnapping Harper and making her his sex slave, just to spite Harper's father and make him suffer, all over something that happened between them years earlier. It certainly added some length to the novel but, in this readers opinion, it did so at the cost of believability. Further, when thugs abduct Harper's business partner, and want to trade her for Harper, the sheer amount of manpower sent by the drug lord was so far over the top that it seemed utterly ridiculous, especially when compared to the limited number of good guys sent to guard and protect her.

Finally, while the author made it clear that Harper and Chase were hot for each other, she didn't make the reader feel it--I simply felt no connection to either of them, and with the amount of action and drama within the novel, some character development and depth would have added a lot to my feelings about both main characters, who seemed rather shallow and underdeveloped beyond their wanting to have sex with one another. Harper seemed incredibly naive about her father, her feelings for Chase, her wants and her needs, while Chase seemed only to care about Harper's looks, her manner of dress, and how soon he could get her back into his bed.

Kat Martin is an excellent writer, and I've enjoyed quite a few of her novels over the years, but I felt that The Conspiracy was not one of her best efforts. In some ways she'd tried to pack as much as possible into this novel in the way of action and suspense, but the romance in this romantic suspense novel seemed more than a little thin and would have benefited greatly by giving her main characters some depth beyond merely lusting after one another. It wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't a great one either.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Conspiracy by Kat Martin is a non stop thrill ride. There were times I was terrified we were going to end up somewhere I didn’t want to be. Most of you know I cannot handle violence well. Thankfully I will not have nightmares over this one. But there were times it was nail biting.

This is the first full length book in the series. There was a novella which I also read that slightly introduced the Maximum security team. You will not be lost if you have not read it.
Harper is wealthy, beautiful, strong and intelligent and the author was able to make her a likable character. I enjoyed that she had her own business and was working it around the drama they were in. She is reasonable when it came to some safety decisions. Even if I would not have made the same ones.
Harper has asked and begged for Chase’s help to find her brother, Michael. Michael and Chase used to be best friends. Chase and Harper’s fathers hated each other. Bad blood in the families.
You are only half way through the book when the issue with Michael comes to resolution. Still more action. Now someone wants to capture Harper. A side note that the author created a beautiful side story with Michael and Pia.
I loved how Chase and his family pulled together in addition to the members of Maximum Security.
I am anxiously waiting for the next book which is Hawk’s story. There was no cliffhanger but the author was definitely able to create characters I want to know more about.
Violence - 3.5. Captured, no rape, these are bad people out to get them
Language - f word 9 times, some other profanity
Sexual content - 4, not erotica but several physical scenes and some with descriptions.
Drug/alcohol - I don’t recall any drinking, they went to a bar for information so there may have been. Michael was a recovering / recovered drug addict. They did not portray that as fun. He had over dosed and almost died several times.