Dark Ambitions
By Irene Hannon

4 stars.

A tough title to review because there was some really good aspects and some negative aspects.

Firstly, I found the genre the author was aiming at hard to pick. I understand the publisher it Christian and it is a Christian novel. But was it trying to be a murder mystery or a romance? I think it was trying to combine both and this spoilt the book.

Putting aside the romance aspect, which led to poor character development and seemed a filler. The mystery aspect of the book was very well written. It engaged the reader and kept them guessing until the final few pages.

Former Army Night Stalker Rick Jordan usually has his camp for foster children to himself during the winter months. But someone has visited recently--leaving a trail of blood. One of the two clues left behind tips Rick off to the identity of his visitor, who soon turns up dead. The police deem it an accident, but Rick isn't convinced. With the help of private investigator Heather Shields, he sets out to decipher the remaining clue. Except someone doesn't want them to succeed--and will stop at nothing to keep them from finding the truth.

A classic murder mystery that hooks the reader from the first page.

This title has been reviewed by www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.

#DarkAmbitions #NetGalley

Dark Ambitions is the thrilling third book in the Code of Honor series. It is a fantastic book, with crossover characters from both the two prior books in the series and the Private Justice series. It has scintillating romance and a crime to solve with limited clues to go on and plenty of intriguing suspects.

Heather Shields is the newest member of the Phoenix Inc Private Investigator team. When former Army Night Stalker, Rick Johnson, asks for her help to locate a missing ex-team member, she never could have expected where the investigation would lead them, or the possibility of a blooming romance between herself and Rick.

Heather and Rick make a great investigative team. But more than that they make a great team. Their connection and chemistry is what really drives this story. While the prologue and first chapter lead with the intrigue to set the scene for this mystery, the rest of the first quarter of the book is focused on romance and matchmaking - instant attraction, matchmaking receptionists and fathers, and blooming chemistry. Once Heather and Rick do a bit of investigating and learn what they are up against, the sleuthing intensifies a little, though the romance continues to be the thread that pulls the story together. And there is no denying Rick and Heather’s connection - the chemistry seeps from the page and they work well together, sharing a faith, ideals, past hurts and a desire for a relationship.

The crime itself is intriguing. While the reader is given chapter sections from the perspective of the person behind the killer, due to some clever writing and chapter perspectives from a number of other characters, it is hard to tell just who is behind everything - and I certainly wasn’t sure, even as the big reveal played itself out. There are some tense, dangerous moments to bring the book to climax and a sweet conclusion.

Readers of Irene Hannon’s previous novels will enjoy this third book in The Code of Honor series, as will readers of romantic suspense.

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

I am disappointed to say that I would only give this book 3 stars. I have read a lot of Irene Hannon's book and this one was just a bit disappointing and very predictable. I truly did not feel a connection between Rick and Heather and thought that their character development throughout the story was lacking.

I wish there had been more back story between Rick and his friend that went missing and why his friend had truly decided to go to him for help. I thought that part of the story was really missing.

I also think that having two crazed characters took away from this story. I understood the connection, I just didn't think that it really added much to the story other than a little bit of confusion when you were reading that chapter because you didn't always know exactly which character was narrating until a little bit into the chapter.

Again, I was definitely disappointed in this one. It was very predictable and a bit disoriented.

Dark Ambitions, has so many possible suspects. I didn't figure it all out until the ending. I enjoyed this book and was happy with the outcome.

Irene Hannon has authored another terrific novel! "Dark Ambitions" has a nice mix of mystery, adventure, and romance. At times, the multitude of characters caused the storyline to be a bit confusing, but everything wrapped up smoothly in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

For me, the romance in this book was over the top and instantaneous. It took away from the plot and mystery. I just rolled my eyes at how into each other the main characters were right from the beginning.

Wow! Irene Hannon really knows how to write amazing psychological suspense. Her stories always grip me from the first page and keeps me on the edge of my seat throughout the rest of the book. This book was absolutely no exception. I couldn't put this down, and it kept me guessing the entire time.
The romance and faith aspect of this story fit perfectly with the suspense. Nothing overshadowed anything else. I loved how well it all blended together to make the perfect story.

I would highly recommend this book and entire series to anyone who enjoys suspense novels.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

“Dark Ambitions” by Irene Hannon was another great thriller by this author. Irene Hannon always delivers with exciting thrillers that twist and turn along the way. This is book 3 in the Code of Honor series, but you don’t have to read the first three books before reading this one.

This book begins with Rick Jordan. He finds some blood on his property so he hires Heather Shields, a PI, to find who the blood belongs to. However, this isn’t a cut and dry case. It gets deeper and deeper into the mystery of who this man could be. There is also some romance thrown into the mix!

I definitely recommend this book for anyone that enjoys good, clean, suspenseful fiction. Irene Hannon is one of my favorite authors for this type of read.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

SPECTACULAR!

Former Army Night Stalker turned foster children Camp owner has a problem. He believes one of his teammates from the Army has been to his Camp, has left him a message, and disappeared. When he finds a trail of blood, he decides to hire a PI to help him look into the situation. He wasn’t expecting the PI to be such a gorgeous but capable woman. She wasn’t anticipating her client being such a man of mystery. Somehow they must learn to open up & trust each other in order to find out any leads on the mystery visitor. They can’t even begin to imagine where there search will lead them and how many lives will be affected.

Hannon is truly a master at this genre. You can always be guaranteed a plot full of suspense, characters that you can identify with, stories that are believable and a romance just begging to blossom even in the midst of the worst circumstances.

I was provided an ARC of this book by Revell Publishing and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

4.5 stars for this romantic suspense by Irene Hannon. While this book indicates that it's book 3 in the Code of Honor series, I was unaware that it was part of a series when I started it and did not get lost at all, so it definitely works fine as a stand-alone. I'm assuming books 1 and 2 go into more detail on characters that are background characters in this one.

My only complaint about this book was that at the beginning, there were too many people introduced early on without much detail. If I took a break from reading and went back, I got confused as to who was who. As the story went on and details were added, that got much easier and eventually all of the characters tied together. In order to avoid any confusion, I'd probably recommend starting this one when you have a couple of hours to fully devote. Once you're solidly into the story line, the confusion lessens significantly.

This book began with a mystery that brings the 2 main characters together. When he finds blood on his property, Rick Jordan hires a PI, Heather Shields, to find his missing friend. What started out as a simple missing persons case becomes much more entrenched as the story goes on and the more time they spend together, the stronger their attraction. Generally the romance part of a romantic suspense novel has me rolling my eyes. While this one was palatable, I still struggled with how fast it moved (which is typical of this genre); however, I have no doubt that fans of romantic suspense who enjoy a good dose of romance will eat it up. I appreciated that the overall story-arc was the mystery, and that while it was suspenseful, it wasn't "keep me up at night, on the edge of my seat" suspense. The story line was good, the plot moved at a good pace, the characters were very likable, and there was also a subtle faith thread. All in all, I would definitely recommend this one to fans of clean or inspirational romantic suspense.

Special thanks to Revell via NetGalley for an advanced E-copy of this book. I was not under any obligation to write a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

When Rick finds blood on his property and the little clues left for him he hires a private investigator to help him find an old military team mate. As Heather tries to find Ricks friend Boomer things take a deadly turn. Can they find Boomer before whoever wants him silent.

Irene Hannon is an author that I know that I can always count on for a good suspenseful read. Dark Ambitions is the third in the Code of Honor series and a great addition. Those who enjoy reading Ms. Hannon's suspense books regularly will recognize characters from other series. In this book, Rick Jordan, a former Army Night Stalker and member of the Treehouse Gang, runs a summer camp for kids just outside St. Louis, Missouri. But it is deep winter the day before Christmas Eve when he discovers blood drops on the snow at his cabin and boat storage building. Something else the person leaves behind makes him think that his old friend from the Army, Boomer, has been there but he is no where to be found.
Former St. Louis police detective Heather Shields is the newest member of the Phoenix, Inc Private Investigators Firm. After an incident turned out bad, she resigned from the police force. When the firm is recommended to Rick, Heather is assigned his case.
This is a mystery that is not easily solved as the two work to find Boomer and what turns out to be another murder connected. Someone has a lot to lose if they are found out. Politics, money, greed all unite the past with aspirations for a powerful future can cause people to do whatever it takes to keep secrets. This story has action, mystery, suspense, romance and faith tied up in a page turner with a little surprise twist at the end, for me.
I received a complimentary ARC from Revell Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Irene Hannon has created another fast-paced suspense novel that will capture your attention from the first page. I have read most of her books through the years and Dark Ambitions does not disappoint. It is the third book in the Code of Honor series. I don't feel it necessary to read the first two as the book does fine as a stand alone.

In Dark Ambitions, we meet Rick Jordan, who runs a camp for foster kids. One night he finds mysterious items left in a shed that could only belong to an old military buddy. When Rick can't find his friend, he hires a private investigator named Heather. Heather feels an instant attraction to Rick but struggles to keep her actions professional. Unfortunately Rick's friend is found dead before he could help him. But he and Heather continue to dig into the past to uncover why he needed Rick's help. A locker at the local ice rink, a hard drive with nonsense numbers on it, and a stolen computer, are all the clues Rick and Heather need to solve a murder before someone else gets hurt.

If you like Christian suspense that light on romance and light on gore, then you will like Irene Hannon's new book, Dark Ambitions.

Irene Hannon is one of my top three romantic suspense authors. Dark Ambitions is a classic example of why. The story hits the ground running, quickly becoming a page turner I couldn't put down until the final satisfying page.

Former Army Night Stalker Rick Jordan hires former police detective turned PI Heather Shields to find a missing friend. Even though they both have baggage from the past, the chemistry between these two was instantaneous and the attraction sizzles, only gets stronger throughout the story. I enjoyed their flirting and witty interactions. A swoon-worthy romance!

The mystery concerning the disappearance of Rick's army buddy Boomer leads the two on a compelling suspenseful chase. Hannon's brilliant twists and turns in this dangerous investigation were eerie and spine-chilling.

My favorite quote, "If we're exchanging philosophies, here's mine. Living in the past doesn't change it. The key is to learn from our mistakes and move on."

It was great catching up on the lives of the other two members of the childhood Treehouse Gang, Kristin and Colin. The close relationship of the three was charming. I also enjoyed how close Heather was to her father.

I am a big fan of an epilogue and Hannon delivers on all counts with a wonderful happy ending, simply delightful. Irene Hannon at her very best!
I appreciate Revell Publishing making a copy of Dark Ambitions available for review.

Wow! I always like Irene Hannon’s books, but this one is really good. I was rooting for the main characters Rick and Heather and they didn’t disappoint. The intriguing story line was well thought out and kept me excited to keep turning the pages. I had already read the first two books in the series but it’s not necessary to read them first. Loved the romance sprinkled throughout.

Absolutely loved this book . It has a lot of twist and turns .loved the characters and the strength in them. Recommended to all my friends

Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon is exactly what fans of romantic suspense novels are looking for. A sweet romance developing while a high-octane chase for their lives threatened their every move. Hannon definitely creates tension with the fast moving plot. Her romance develops slowly over the course of the book to the happily-ever-after ending. The suspense kept me guessing and wowed me with the identity of the villains. The writing is top-notch. I enjoyed spending a couple of hours with this novel. While it is labeled for the Christian market, there really isn't that much mention of God or spirituality in the story. Overall, Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon is a delightful attention to my library and fans of romantic suspense like Colleen Coble, DiAnn Mills, and Lynette Eason would enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Heather Shields left the police force to work as a private investigator with Phoenix, Inc. Rick Jordan, former military, is searching for his friend who is missing. Rick was not at his camp when his friend visited and the only thing that he left behind was a small trail of blood. When his friend turns up dead, he and Heather are both suspicious that the death has been classified as an overdose. When they find a key clue, they realize that someone does not want them investigating and that same someone wants the past events to stay that way…in the past. When their investigation turns up another recent death that may not have been an accident, will they be able to solve the case before they become the next target? A suspenseful read all the way to the amazing end. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

A veteran running a foster kids camp, Rick, and a private investigator, Heather, meet through a puzzling missing person case and instant chemistry ignites between them.
I enjoyed the story, the suspense plot was reasonably solid, the writing fine and the characters were appealing, but could be more well-rounded. I liked the female PI, too.
However, and although the villain’s identity remained an enigma almost until the end of the story, I thought not getting immediately Boomer’s laptop comes off as incompetence for a PI.
The instant chemistry wasn’t fully explored, how they went from that to deciding to commmit felt a bit simplistic for me (it lacked a sense of closeness and intimacy), perhaps due to the fact that the leads are slightly flat characters and I couldn’t connect with them.
Rick’s overcoming his troubled past, his bravery and altruism were admirable, but his take on women succumbing to “temptations and looser morals” (quote from ARC) didn’t sit well with me.
I’ve read other Hannon’s stories before, and I was expecting more depth, heat and intensity; still, “Dark Ambitions” (Revell) was an enjoyable read.

"Dark Ambitions" is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the third book in a series, but it also works as a stand-alone novel.

The main characters were likable and acted in realistic ways. Ex-police officer Heather was an engaging character and capable investigator. Rick admired her ability and was attracted to her, so he often came along to help with the investigation. The suspense came from the danger to anyone who might know a secret that whodunit wanted kept silent. Three people with slightly different motives were "bad guy" point of view characters, so we know why people are being murdered: a man who is running for political office has a secret in his past that would ruin his chances. But we still must guess who is behind the murders.

We mainly saw the character's Christian faith through how they treated people and what they cared about. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.