ARC Review: "Covert Evidence" by Rachel Grant

Covert Evidence

by Rachel Grant

Book 4 in the Evidence series

Falling in love was never part of his mission… 

With visions of professional glory, underwater archaeologist Cressida Porter embarks on a research trip deep into the heart of Eastern Turkey. Her dreams turn into nightmares when she becomes the unwitting courier for a terrorist network. Stranded and unable to speak the language, she turns to a handsome and enigmatic security specialist for help, even while fearing he may be behind a violent assault that leaves her vulnerable. 

CIA Case Officer Ian Boyd’s mission is clear: follow the courier, identify the terrorist leader, and intercept the microchip before it falls into enemy hands. For Ian, cozying up to the alluring archaeologist to find out where her loyalties lie isn’t exactly hardship duty. But spending time with her proves dangerous when she awakens a longing for a life he can never have. 

Attraction wars with distrust as Cressida and Ian are forced on the run. When violence erupts in the already unstable region, Cressida discovers everything she knows about Ian is false. With all secrets revealed, Cressida must decide if she can trust the spy with her life, while Ian faces his own impossible choice: Cressida or his mission.

There have been some fantastic releases in the last month, this is one of my favorites. It’s no secret that I am a fan of Rachel Grant’s work.  I love her complex stories, her technical expertise, and her scorchingly hot romance scenes.  Covert Evidence highlights all of her strengths as a writer and is one of my favorites in the Evidence series to date. 

Cressida has to work for everything she has.  She has worked hard to earn the respect of her colleagues in her chosen field of archeology.  However, because of her relationship with a jealous past boyfriend, she has neither.  Her reputation is in shambles and her credibility is suspect.  This is especially difficult for a woman who thrives on respect and acceptance. But she is determined to redeem herself with a new archeological discovery that has the potential to put her career on the map.  

Ian is a career CIA agent.  He lives and breathes his work.  He knows how get information and cultivate sources.  He is a master manipulator.  Because of his chosen career, he accepts that there is little or no room for real relationships.  This is his reality until he meet Cressida. 

Of all the heroes in the series, Ian is the most extreme alpha.  Because he is a former member of Delta Force, he has brains and braun. He is controlling and protective.  His complete commitment to his work and mission makes him is a little socially awkward. He knows how to be other characters, but he doesn’t know how to be comfortable with himself. Genuine relationships are out of his wheelhouse.  I love that vulnerability.  I like how despite his lack of experience, he displays innocent,romantic gestures: “In the middle of this crazy, scary nightmare, Ian has gone off into the night to gather flowers….” Ian might have just surpassed Curt as my favorite hero because, whereas Curt is also an alpha, he is a little more sophisticated and socially savvy.  Ian has a longer way to go in the relationship and I enjoyed his growing maturity.  

Balancing the romance is a deliciously intricate mystery.  I’ve come to love the field of archeology through the Evidence series.  The search for long-forgotten and hidden tunnels is like a solving a complex puzzle.  This one marries the fun of an Indian Jones adventure with the wit of a Sherlock Holmes story. The context weaves relevant current events with the search for an ancient aqueduct. Where else can you learn about the story of Roman waterways with the Kurdish fight for sovereignty?  I love it. 

IN A NUTSHELL:

Witty, sexy and adventurous, Rachel Grant has another winner with Covert Evidence.  If you are a fan of the series or a fan of romantic suspense or a fan of a good story, you won’t want to miss this book! 

The book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Four-time Golden Heart® finalist Rachel Grant worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia, and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles.


She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children and can be found on the web at www.Rachel-Grant.net.