Synopsis
“Police detective Andrea Finch is a rising star in her department until a split-second decision derails her career. Disgraced and disillusioned, she’s on leave from her job when she gets an urgent call from her younger brother. She’d prefer to ignore his latest plea for cash, but this time instinct tells her something is very wrong. Andrea’s search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems.
FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas, investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a terrorist plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea’s brother, Jon finds that persuading the stubborn cop to help will be harder than cracking his toughest case. Andrea must find a way to do what’s right while protecting her only sibling. As the clock ticks down, Andrea and Jon race to confront a heartless killer who will stop at nothing to deliver a final, terrifying message.”
-Synopsis from StoryGraph
Review
*spoilers ahead*
Far Gone is a standalone romantic suspense featuring Austin P.D. Detective Andrea Finch, and FBI agent Jon North. We meet Andrea first, in the tense moment mentioned in the synopsis in which she has to make a split-second decision that changes the course of her life.
While she is dealing with the fallout, her brother Gavin calls asking for help. Andrea is used to feeling like a parent to her younger brother and can’t help trying to advise him on what he should be doing with his life. Frustrated, he decides he doesn’t need her help after all. The phone call is disconcerting to her and she begins to worry.
Jon North and his partner Jimmy Torres are investigating a suspect that they think was involved in a terror attack in Philadelphia. That suspect is now hiding out in Texas, and they think he is possibly plotting something much worse. They need proof, which they don’t have, and it’s just the two of them working the case. No one else appears to be taking the threat seriously except Jon and Torres.
Andrea’s brother happens to be friends with the suspect, and is living on the same ranch that Jon and Torres are staking out. Andrea and Jon want to keep an eye on the suspect, both for different reasons, and this is where their worlds meet.
I was very drawn into this story from the beginning. It starts with a first-person perspective of the suspect plotting the terror attack. Those aren’t normally my preferred perspectives (or that of murderers, etc.) but this one was short enough to pique my interest. Right away, the reader is clued in that there is a ticking clock on this investigation, which Andrea and Jon are not aware of until much later.
I liked Andrea and Jon but I wouldn’t say they were my favorite couple and I can’t quite pinpoint why that is. I think that so much of the story was taken up by the investigation that I didn’t see as much of them together as I wanted to. Regardless, they are both such strong characters that I liked them right away.
The last few chapters are very suspenseful as Andrea and Jon finally figure out what the suspect is plotting and must work quickly to stop it. Cameos from past books included Alex, Nathan, and Elizabeth LeBlanc.
This was a fantastic read overall and I would definitely recommend it for those looking for a suspenseful mystery with a dash of romance thrown in.
Hannah's Library 