Having never read anything by Elizabeth Heiter I was interested in seeing what her writing style was like since the premise of this book (and the Tactical Crime Division series itself) interested me. I really enjoyed the pacing and the fact that while there was romance it was definitely not the main focus of the story. There were definitely some complex emotions wrapped up in these characters and I was kept guessing until it was revealed who was really causing problems with the body armor. If you want a read that is chock full of suspense and will keep you guessing with every page turn, this would definitely fit that bill.

Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter is a fast-paced suspense novel. It is the second novel in the Tactical Crime Division series. Each book in this exciting series can be read on its own. This novel has strong characters and plenty of action. Romance does develop between our primary characters and I like that it builds slowly. I appreciated that there were not passionate love scenes (I am not into intimate scenes in books). I like the suspense and danger in this story. I find it intriguing. Readers will enjoy trying to identity of the bad guy (depending on your sleuthing level on how soon you figure out this whodunit). I liked that there was more to the mystery than just defective armor. There is danger, suspense, romance, and action in this intriguing tale. I found Secret Investigation to be a captivating story that was over far too soon. Secret Investigation will have you quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.

DNF at 27%. I couldn’t get into this one - I don’t feel connected to the characters or the investigation. Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the free review copy.

This was a pretty good book. The story was well paced. The main characters were really exciting to follow on their journey. I hadn’t read this author before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was not disappointed!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Grief, betrayal, secrets, and loyalties are driving this intense investigation to the devastating loss of soldiers on the field, and the CEO Leila Petrov is doing everything in her power to clear her company's name.
Leila has fought her way to the top even though many think that she is there just because of her bloodline. She is hardworking, smart, loyal, capable, professional and she is willing to fight for what she believes is right. I liked her, her drive, her ability to handle tough situations.
The former ranger Davis Rogers is an intense hero. He is driven and he has a mission being willing to do anything to accomplish it. He had to grow on me, I really had to get to know him a bit more to like him and root for him. And to root for Leila and him as a couple, though there's very little attention given for their relationship to develop and grow to be something significant.
The secondary couple with conflict from the team of investigators once again in a shorter length of a book felt - to me - an unnecessary distraction.
Heiter writes potent investigation scenes that twists and curve like a mountain road, never knowing what is coming around the corner. I love her style to build up the anticipation and keep the readers on a riveting edge until the end.
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

I have mixed results with Harlequin's books like this, I really struggled to get into the plot of this one! This was my first "suspense" title from them and I ended up DNF at 35%. I have a couple of other titles from this series and I'm hoping those will be a better match for me!

Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter is a fast-paced novel full of intrigue. There was plenty of action to keep my attention. The suspense of who is behind the failed armor for military usage is great! I did not suspect the person who actually was behind it all. The suspects list is comprised of characters that truly looked guilty. But it was only a matter of time for the Tactical Crime Division to rule out who is guilty or innocent. The danger escalated with every page. The CEO, Leila, has her hands full especially with the most recent investigation of her dad's company. Then, the FBI come to investigate and she knows something really bad has happened within the company. But she is just as clueless as to how and why. Leila is a strong female character. Trusting to a fault, smart, and dedicated to her dad's company. FBI Agent, Davis, rounded out the story perfectly. He has the badass attitude, the former military knowledge and training, and an undeniable attraction to his main suspect, Leila. Only time will tell what happens next and how it will end. The ending is explosive and epic. Overall, I am satisfied with the level of writing found in this book.

The Tactical Crime Division is a specialized unit of the FBI, handling the toughest cases in some of the most remote locations. Davis is a former army ranger that is devastated to learn that a close friend has died when her unit is killed during an ambush and the ultimate culprit seems to be the failure of the body armor. He takes the undercover assignment investigating Petrov Armor as away to atone for his friend's death. Leila is the CEO of Petrov Armor, and is shocked that her company may be complicit in the death of these soldiers. She's willing to let the TCD investigate, but wants to be kept up to date with everything they find. Initially Davis blames Leila for the failure, but soon finds that he cannot stop a growing attraction to the woman.

Like the other book in this series the entire book is mostly spent on the mystery and action of the plot and not a ton of time is given to growing relationship between the MCs. I liked both Leila and Davis and would have loved to see more time spent exploring their connection. That being said the mystery was engaging to me and I had fun reading this story even if some of the reveal was easy to guess early on. Also there was a subplot between two other agents from TCD that remained unresolved at the end of this book.

Over all I'm enjoying this new series from Harlequin and look forward to more installments. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter is the second book in The Tactical Crime Division series. In this new series each book is written by different authors. This installment features Agent Davis Rogers and CEO of Petrov Armor, Leila Petrov.

Agent Davis requested to be a part of the investigation into the defective armour manufactured by Petrov Armor. His reason for the request stemmed from the fact that one of his friends died from bullet wounds received in an ambush while wearing one of these armours. Determined to uncover the identity of the person or persons responsible and make them pay, he went undercover at the company. However, he never expected to be attracted to the lovely CEO, an attraction that may jeopardize the investigation.

Leila, who became the CEO after her father’s death, was dismayed to learn that the armour manufactured by her company may have caused the tragedy involving Davis’s friend. Reluctantly she agreed to allow Davis to investigate within her company. She refused to believe her employees would be involved, especially those close to her. Will she be able to accept the truth when it comes to light?

The story started out tragically and ended on a bittersweet note. The scenes in between had me turning the pages as I needed to see how it would unfold. Davis’s investigation revealed more than just defective armours, which added another element of danger to the story. I guessed the identity of the mastermind behind the defective armours from quite early in the story, but I hoped I was wrong for Leila’s sake.

As with the first book in the series, the romance took a backseat to the investigation. The story made the reader made aware of the attraction between the characters and evidence of their emotions, though minimal were present in their interactions with each other. If you are a reader who loves passionate love scenes, then you will be disappointed to learn that those were not present in this book.

This story included a sub plot, which added another facet to the story. It featured two characters whose story is incomplete, and which I am interested in learning more about. Although both storylines followed distinct paths, they were interconnected and made for some interesting and dangerous moments.

Conclusion/Recommendation
I enjoyed this installment and thought it was a great addition to the series.

Leila Petrov is now the CEO of her fathers company Petrov Armor after her fathers death three weeks ago. She is young for the job but she feels she can handle it until the FBI show up at her office claiming soldiers died from armor that was faulty. Armor that had her companies stamp on it.

Davis Rogers is a former army ranger whose friend died using the faulty armor and he wants on the case. He is going undercover at Petrov Armor as Leila’s assistant to try and uncover who could have been responsible. He is convinced Leila is innocent, but can he trust her fully?

This story is action packed, fast moving and you keep thinking you have it all figured out until the author Elizabeth Heiter throws another twist in the story. She developed the characters well and it was nice to catch a little glimpse into some of the characters from the last book in the series. I did read the first book as well, but this can be read as a stand a lone novel.

Thank you to Harlequin, Elizabeth Heiter and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to read and review.

Wow, they weren't joking when they billed this story as action packed, edge of your seat reading! This story has Davis Rogers going undercover as PA to CEO Leila Petrov in the hope of discovering how defective versions of the body armour her firm produces has been used with fatal results. Leila can't believe anyone she knows could be double crossing her or putting the firm in danger but someone is framing her and needs stopping. Can she work with Davis? Will she really support his investigations?

This is a story of double crossing, danger and disaster as well as romance. It really does live up to that billing and has great characters and a roller coaster plot full of twists and turns to keep you guessing. It is an enthralling story of loyalty, family and friendships being put to the test and the Tactical Crime Division striving to bring the perpetrators to justice..... I can't wait to read more in this series!!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and finding it an intriguing and entertaining read that I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

I struggled to get into this book. On the surface, it is EXACTLY what I'm usually interested in, but the writing didn't grab me the way I wanted it to. This might be a case of mismatch between book and reader and someone else might love it a great deal!

If you require more romance than suspense or even equal parts romance and suspense, Secret Investigation may not be what you're looking for. This one is kind of romance adjacent. There are looks exchanged and Leila and Davis clearly share an attraction, but I just didn't get the romance vibe from these two. There's also what seems to be a little something going on between a couple of the other members of the team in this one, but there are only hints of what it could lead to. What this one does excel at is mystery. The suspense side of Secret Investigation is well - suspenseful. The pacing is good and while there are a handful of characters to choose from as our culprit, the author doesn't quite give us enough info to completely solve this one until the reveal is upon us. I wouldn't necessarily like that in a longer story, but for the length of this one, it works pretty well, and it serves to keep the pages turning. The relationship between Davis and Leila is sort of a forbidden one at least from an FBI standpoint, or it would be with a bit of relationship development. As it stands, it's pretty darn close to instalove. Nevertheless, the characters are likable, and I do enjoy a good fast-paced mystery, and on that, this one certainly delivers.

Already a big fan of Tactical Crime Division series, but still I love it more and more. Elizabeth Heiter is a new author for me, and from this book I'll be following all her books, I'm a fan now.

A secret investigation of an armor company, with a lot of twists and turns, definitely has captivating story, great amount of mystery and suspence and spice up with romance. A perfect book for me as a suspense romance fan.
I love how the author always threw me for a loop till the last moment. I know the suspects, and when I think my guess is right, then another facts got me pointing to another suspect, but then another surprise comes up, so I'm pointing to another suspect, and this keeps happening till the end, so I'm absolutely loveeeee it. and if you're looking for easy-to-read suspense romance read, this is definitely for you.

An FBI Agent Goes Undercover

Davis Rogers, a new addition to the Tactical Crime Division TCD) and ex-elite ranger, watches a video where a unit led by a friend is mowed down even though they’re wearing Petrov body armor. Davis volunteers to lead the investigation by going undercover at Petrov. Not only was his friend killed, he was one of the original testers of the armor and gave it an enthusiastic endorsement.

Leila Petrov at thirty is the new head of Petrov. Three weeks ago her father was killed in a mugging gone wrong. Her father wanted her to be the one to take over the company, but some of the other corporate managers aren’t so sure, like he ex and her uncle.

Leila doesn’t like the idea of Davis being undercover in the company, but she wants to know who was responsible for the defective armor. Davis for his part starts by thinking Leila may be responsible, but as he works with her, he isn’t so sure.

This is another fast paced TCD novel. The investigation has a number of twists. It’s not clear until the end who is responsible. Davis and Leila are well matched characters who work together is a complimentary fashion. A bonus is the attraction they feel for each other, but it’s not the main focus of the story.

This is the second book in the TCD series, but it reads easily as a standalone.

I received this book for Harlequin for this review.

I very much enjoyed this book. I liked the mystery and the story was paced right. This book was easily read in 2 sittings. It would have been read in one day but of course life got in the way.

Secret Investigation is book 2 in the Tactical Crime Division but I don't think you really need to read the first book before reading Secret Investigation.

I am giving this 4 out of 5.

Secret Investigation takes on an intriguing case of faulty body armor and a family-owned business with lots of secrets. The plot is solid, with some good twists, though there are times you have to suspend belief a bit regarding the way the investigation plays out.

I wasn't crazy about the romance between Davis and Leila. For me, there was way too much fawning and swooning between the two, especially given their positions as an experienced FBI agent and a company CEO. Aside from the physical attraction two people might feel when meeting, I didn't see enough between them to create the intense bond and insta-love reaction.

Still, the story and cast of characters held my interest throughout.

This is the second book in the four-book Tactical Crime Division series. Each book features different members of the team, and the plots aren't connected, so it reads perfectly as a stand-alone.

Posted SECRET INVESTIGATION by Elizabeth Heiter, is my first foray into the Tactical Crime Division series and I was drawn into the story from page one. The FBI’s TCD is called in to investigate when body armor, used by soldiers, fails costing the lives of the soldiers. One of the agents, Davis Rogers, is battling his own grief (he knew one of the soldiers) and is eager to find out what happened. Leila Petrov, the new CEO of Petrov Armor, is equally in shock and readily agrees to work with Davis to find out who could have done something so heinous.

Likes: The chemistry between Davis and Leila was downright tangible and Ms. Heiter did a great job playing the characters’ strengths off each other making them a great team. Since this is my first story in this series, I liked the introductions to the different actors in the TCD and the way the author incorporated them into the story. And I couldn’t help grinning at the pseudo-matchmaking Melinda did when she first pointed out Davis and Leila’s mutual attraction. In addition, the development of the relationship is a slow burn, which works really well for the overall story. However, I will confess to be RELIEVED when they finally, FINALLY, kissed. Since I do love a good romantic suspense story, I was equally enamored of the underlying story as we are drawn along different investigative channels. There’s a lot of shifting points of view as the story threads are woven into the tapestry and it works well as readers are kept up to speed on everything that is taking place with the investigation.

Overall: I liked it. The character development and story pace were well-plotted. The suspense elements – who the bad guys were – was guarded well and everything came together in a not-so-tidy package. I definitely recommend.

Review originally posted at The Romance Reviews website

My thoughts

Rating:5

Would I recommend it? Yes

Would I read the rest of the series ?Yes , in fact i have books 3- 4 to read.

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Once again a win for this series since this is the second book to the Tactical Crime Division , and it started out with a bam and you hit the ground run and its just as fast past as the last one but this time your seen what it likes to go after someone that is hurting our soldiers and only one team can stop them and that is Tactical Crime Division and you see Davis Rogers in action. As your reading and seen what it happening you begin to wounder can it be faulty equipment that is at fault or is it plain out greed that is at work and did the CEO know and is part of it or was it someone close to her. Also right from the start the attraction between Davis and Lelia is very noticeable even to his team.

When the TCD is called to investigate the failure of tactical armor during a military training op overseas, Agent Davis Rogers asks to help go undercover. He had known one of the dead soldiers, and wants to get to the truth of what happened at Petrov Armor. The company's new CEO Leila Petrov is willing to help to keep her company's reputation intact, and their mutual attraction doesn't hurt. But is their joint effort enough to discover the truth?

Leila from the start is tough and determined, a good quality in a CEO. She ignores her own grief and the thought that she's too young to run the company, and pushes away any attraction she has to Davis. He also avoids the attraction to do his job, and the two of them do get along very well. They're serious about the investigation into the armor failure, and the other members of the team investigate from outside the company. The main suspects are all those that had worked with the company for years, adding betrayal to murder and greed. Leila confronts her fears as to who the actual traitor is, though it takes time to discover who that actually is. The chase in the final quarter of the novel heightens the tension until we get to the very end, which is a satisfying conclusion.