White Heat
As an employee of Department 6, a private security company, Rachel Jessop knew there would be difficult and dangerous assignments; but as far as Rachel is concerned, working with fellow operative Nate Ferrentino should qualify for hazard pay. Unfortunately, the only way into Paradise, the former Arizona ghost town and current residence of the Church of the Covenant and its charismatic leader Ethan Wycliff, is if Rachel and Nate are married. Rachel knows Ethan has to be stopped. Not only did the cult almost kill a woman by stoning her for her sins, there also seems to be some connection between the church and the recent disappearance of a teen. Given their own tangled romantic past, working with Nate is bound to be challenging; but then again, no one ever said working for Department 6 would be easy. Novak expertly blends romantic thrills, suspenseful chills, and realistically complicated characters together in a white-knuckle read that is certain to keep readers riveted to the last page. --John Charles