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Title: The Negotiator (O’Malley, #1)
Author: Dee Henderson
Published By: Tyndale House Publishers (2005)
Synopsis: FBI agent Dave Richman from Danger in the Shadows is back. He’s about to meet Kate O’Malley, and his life will never be the same. She’s a hostage negotiator. He protects people. He’s about to find out that falling in love with a hostage negotiator is one thing, but keeping her safe is another!
Introducing the O’Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O’Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit. (Taken from Goodreads)
Review:
What a deep, amazing, suspenseful, captivating novel…
This book was so hard to grasp at times. Some adult novels are easily understood by younger audiences, but this one was over my head—in a good way—in a lot of sections; there was a lot going on and a lot to keep track of. Sometimes I needed to reread, and sometimes I just plowed through because there were lots of handy and clever recaps—characters telling others what’s going on and such. There was so much going on that I never would have put together a lot of it or understood it without those characters talking about it nonstop.
Chracters: I loved Kate. She’s so determined and straightforward. She knows what she needs to do, and she does it. She doesn’t want people worrying about her, fretting over her; she’s independent and she intends to stay that way. She’s insightful, and she’s very, very smart. She thinks everything through, but she’s not bossy or controlling. She simply does what needs to be done.
Dave was a great addition to the storyline. I didn’t like him at first, but his character grew on me. Additionally, I loved the entire O’Malley clan. They were all awesome. We didn’t get development on all of them, but the ones we did get to know were unforgettable.
The plotline of this book was incredible. It was smart and structured so detailed that I wonder how the author ever came up with it; it was such an unique storyline. Hostage negotiator caught up in a crime that involves bombs and also her childhood and an event that happened two weeks earlier? I’m in awe of the author’s talent in tying every loose string and bringing into play background things such as Kate’s past. It came together so skillfully!
The romance that happens between Kate and Dave is sweet and clean. Their conversations and debates are the best! Their comments and sarcastic notes had me laughing out loud. They’re so perfect for each other, and I was so happy they had acknowledged that by the end.
I also loved the Christian aspects; presented in a subtle way at first but then coming in as a part of the plot. Kate’s decision to accept Christ seems as apart of her character as anything else she’s done, mostly because up until then you have felt her hopelessness and pain so well it’s like your own. It just makes sense.
I loved the way the book ended, too—lighthearted and funny, everything tied up and put behind them. It was a perfect ending.
Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Recommended to: Highly, highly recommended for anyone looking for a good suspense/crime novel or even just a good novel in general—I never thought I’d like the crime/suspense genre, but I loved this book. I would say ages 14+ not because of content but because of reading level.