A wave of unease and tension runs through America when crops mysteriously begin to fail in Texas and Florida and the vineyards of Napa Valley fall prey to an unnatural disease. Even as the public and baffled government officials wonder if it's just coincidence or part of a subtle terrorist attack, The Consortium, a group of ruthless businessmen who are willing to do anything for financial gain, with the aid of the Global Warriors, an international group of mercenaries, are spreading disease and germs in organized bursts in a highly ruthless bid to control the economy and hence the country itself. But worse is yet to come, for they are about to unleash their most lethal virus yet, one designed to kill humans.

Gabrielle Kincaid, a top operative of the highly skilled, ultra-secret Special Detail Unit (SDU) of the Secret Service, who is in Carnel Cove, Florida, working undercover as a judge as part of her mission investigating judicial corruption, unexpectedly stumbles across this clandestine plot. An accident soon leaves this loner with an impaired memory even as her partner and pseudo-husband Max Grayson is sent to eliminate her to prevent any leaks leading back to SDU. When the intrepid ladies of Carnel Cove out in full force, anything can and will happen. Even as a hurricane unleashes the might of all its fury on this hapless town, they have to set aside their various differences and work against time to stop this deadly plot. The question is, will they succeed before it’s too late?

Vicki Hinze’s fast-paced novel is a dizzying, adrenaline-filled treat of delights that feels too real at times for comfort. Together with a more than satisfactory amount of breathless action, spine-tingling suspense and secrets galore, the story has ample doses of tender romance and simmering passion. The core of the book – terror not for terror’s sake nor motivated by religious dogmas, but more chillingly for pure financial gain – will at once hook readers as the story moves forward at breakneck speed, taking readers along for the ride of their lives.

Conflicts of all kinds - internal, moral, patriotic, romantic, emotional, financial – together with a complex plot and equally complicated characters provide further depth to this thriller. It’s fascinating to read as Gaby begins by being this cold, loner, super-bitch who isn’t willing to acknowledge her own true feelings and is a whiz at her job, but things chance most unexpectedly when she loses her memory and is unable to tell fact from fiction. The arrival of her erstwhile husband/partner, Max Grayson, at this critical juncture and for the purpose of eliminating her, makes for poignant drama. The ladies of Carnel Cove, with their varied viewpoints but single-minded purpose, are a veritable force of nature and highly entertaining. Suspense is constantly maintained as Hinze constantly keeps the events unpredictable and the identity of the villains, a deep, dark secret. In short, vivid characterizations and an excellent story make this intensely gripping romantic thriller a must read!