By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

Denial:
refusing to admit the truth or reality
of something unpleasant…

His mother has been arrested, his government is under new threat, the relentless media is driving him mad, and denial becomes the word of the day for President Nick Cappuano.

Meanwhile, his wife, DC Metro Police Lt. Sam Holland Cappuano has caught a big new case with suspects everywhere she looks. Watch for her partner, Detective Freddie Cruz, to take center stage in this investigation when a variety of personal situations keep Sam off the job.

With the countdown on to their second anniversary, the first couple is keeping their heads down and their eyes on the prize of a week away from the capital city. But with threats circling all around them, will they be able to make it happen?

The fifth First Family book picks up right where State of Shock left off, with Sam and her family continuing to absorb the loss of a beloved family member as she and her team work to clean up the mess former Lt. Stahl has left behind.

At the end of the last book, Sam and Nick find out Nick’s mother has been indicted. As this book opens, we see that arrest and how Nicoletta Bernadino tries to use the fact her son is the president to get out of being arrested. That doesn’t work very well for her.

Nick knows he can’t do anything and doesn’t try, his team issues yet another statement of how he has no relationship with her and has no comment on her arrest. For Sam and Nick, the plan is their Anniversary trip to Bora Bora, and possibly Sam accompanying him on a European trip.

In the meantime, Sam and her team are going over every single case Stahl investigated looking for what is fact and what is fiction. Captain Malone is now looking into the IT department for the time frame since the senior officers have been cleared.

Vernon and Jimmy drive her to HQ and she doesn’t even get to her office. Freddie meets her in the corridor with the news they have bodies, plural. A family of six found when the father didn’t show for work. Sam grabs everyone on day shift to help with this one. The grandmother had shown up and Freddie and Sam take back to HQ while the investigation continues at her son’s home.

With the intensity of this new case Chief Farnsworth tells Sam if she needs some time off, she should take it.

Sam is going through the usual motions from speaking with the grandmother, to friends and coworkers when she realizes something is off. Dr Trulo had set up a mandatory meeting with her team at the end of shift and it’s then she realizes that maybe she really does need some time off. Captain Malone approves of the time off and Freddie is put in charge of the investigation under Gonzo’s supervision.

Nick and Sam have dinner with their kids and Shelby and Noah since Avery is out of town. Avery texts Shelby he may be staying overnight in Ohio, and she assures him she’s fine and to do what he has to do. He’s in Ohio to question Nick’s mother on the federal charges and waiting for her and her attorney to join him in the interrogation room. It’s not long after the text he gets a call from Shelby saying she thinks there’s someone in the house. Then sounds of a struggle and Noah’s cry. Avery calls his deputy who gets right on it as Avery runs from the police station to get to the airport.

The FBI and MPD Special Response teams were on it and Avery also had dispatch call Sam. She tells Nick what’s going on and heads out, Freddie would meet her there. The situation was tense, but they got it under control. She forgot her BlackBerry so she had to call the switchboard who wouldn’t put her through. Frustrated she gave her the message to give to Nick and to have him call her regular number.

Nick was relieved and was about to call her when Brant tells him Commander Rodriguez wished to speak with him urgently. Juan Rodriguez was in street clothes which surprised Nick and when he asks what’s going on, Juan requests they speak in the Situation room.

This is a favorite scene.

Nick, Juan and Brant took the elevator down to the basement room that was the most secure space in the building. Brant keyed them into the room and gestured for Nick and Juan to go in while he waited outside. As soon as the door closed, sealing the two of them into the room, Juan turned to Nick.

“I heard something, and I don’t know if it’s true.”

“Okay…”

“Wilson is planning something.”

Nick had inherited Army General Michael Wilson as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from former President Nelson. The Joint Chiefs were made up of the top officers in all the services, and they served as the principal military advisers to the president. “What do you mean?”

“That’s the thing. I’m not sure. A friend at the Pentagon told me that Wilson has been holding high-level meetings all week, but no one knows what’s on the agenda. He said there’s talk—and this is the part that could get me court-martialed in any number of ways, so you didn’t hear it from me…”

“I would never give you up,” Nick said, his stomach churning as he waited for the other shoe to fall.

“People are saying he’s trying to organize a military coup.”

His stomach went from churning to free fall.

“From what my friend has heard, Wilson and other members of the Joint Chiefs are concerned about taking orders from an unelected president who could declare war on behalf of the United States without a mandate.”

Nick took his customary seat at the head of the table. The president’s seat. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I thought it was my duty to inform you.”

“I’ll never forget that you’ve taken a great personal risk to warn me, Juan.”

“I couldn’t let them do this to you without at least warning you.”

“What should I do?” As the commander in chief, that he was asking a Navy commander for that kind of advice was humbling to say the least. But Juan had become a friend in the last couple of months, and Nick trusted him, especially now that he’d taken a considerable risk to warn him.

“Get your inner circle together and fire the Joint Chiefs. You’ll also want to convene a military tribunal to try them for numerous charges, including possibly treason.”

“Jesus.” Nick was wholly unprepared to deal with something like this, which of course the Joint Chiefs knew. He picked up the receiver on the conference room table and pressed a button that connected him to the staffer who remained on duty in the West Wing twenty-four hours a day. His team took turns taking the overnight shifts.

“This is President Cappuano. Please contact Vice President Henderson, Secretary of State Sanford, Attorney General Cox, Defense Secretary Jennings, Mr. O’Connor and Mr. Kavanaugh and ask them to meet me in the Situation Room immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

He put down the phone, his mind spinning with potential implications. With the exceptions of Cox, who had a reputation as an honest, decent man, and Jennings, who’d already earned Nick’s respect, he’d invited only the people he’d appointed—those who were loyal to him.

The headlines would be brutal, even more so than the coverage of his mother and her crimes.

“You should go, Juan. I don’t want you caught up in this.” Nick stood to shake his hand. “Thank you.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. President.”

“Juan…”

“Yes, sir?”

“Please be careful. It’s possible you’re being watched.”

“I understand, sir.”

After Juan left the room, the phone on the conference room table rang with a call from the switchboard.

Nick picked it up. “Yes?”

“Mr. President, the first lady called again to tell you she’s on her way to George Washington Hospital with Mrs. Hill and her son now.”

“Thank you.”

“She also asked that you call her on her regular cell number.”

“Can you please make that call for me? I’ll give you the number.” The Situation Room had no cell service.

“Yes, sir.”

“Did she ask to speak to me when she called?”

“Yes, sir, she did, but we get calls every day from people claiming to be her and asking to speak with you. Our policy is to put none of them through.”

“We’ll need to establish a code or something she can use to get through when needed.”

“I will speak to my supervisor about that, Mr. President.”

“Thank you.”

“Please hold for your call.”

Nick was treated to a recording about White House tours. He learned that the forty-five-minute tours were on a first-come, first-served basis and were arranged through congressional representatives and senators. He recalled fielding requests for White House tours through John O’Connor’s office when he’d been John’s chief of staff. That seemed like a hundred years ago now, when it was just over two years.

He needed to call Graham to come in, too. He would know how to handle this situation.

Nick put the phone on speaker so he’d hear Sam if she picked up the call and went to the doorway to speak to Brant. “Please send someone to pick up Senator O’Connor in Leesburg. Get him here as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Nick?” That was all it took to calm him—one word from Sam. No matter what fresh hell was about to descend upon him, he would always have her. That gave him the kind of comfort he’d never had before he had her.

“How are they?”

“Shelby is badly shaken, and Noah is sleeping through it all. I’m staying with them until Avery arrives in about an hour.”

“Is the baby okay?”

“They’ve got her on a fetal monitor, and the doctor said everything seems okay.”

“That’s a relief. Do you know who the people were?”

“Not yet. We’re waiting for more info about them, but they were asking for Avery.”

“Give Shelby and Noah all my love when you can.”

“I will. How are things there?”

“I’m in the Situation Room.”

“Ugh. That says it all, right?”

“You know it. Not sure how long I’ll be, but I’ll be up as soon as I can.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Love you, babe. So glad our Shelby and Noah are safe.”

“Yes, thank God. Love you, too.”

Nick called the switchboard and asked them to notify Senator O’Connor that he’d sent a car for him.

“Yes, sir.”

As he put down the phone and sat back in his chair to wait for his team to arrive, his heart went out to Avery Hill. Once upon a time, Nick wouldn’t have imagined the day would come when he’d feel for the guy who’d once fancied himself in love with Sam. But once Avery had gotten past that nonsense, Nick and Avery had settled into friendship in support of Shelby, whom they both loved.

The threat to Avery Hill’s family was a threat to all of them, and Nick would do whatever he could to ensure the safety of their friends.

Thinking about supporting them was better than dealing with the shitstorm that was about to unfold in his fledgling administration.
Force, Marie. State of Denial (First Family Series Book 5). Kindle Locations (1375-1435). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

After ordering Vice President Henderson, Secretary of State Sanford, Attorney General Cox, Defense Secretary Jennings, Mr. O’Connor and Mr. Kavanaugh to join him in the situation room, Nick places the call to Sam. Much relieved that Shelby and Noah are okay, and that Sam would be staying with her until Avery arrives. Now all he has to do is prevent a possible military coup against his administration. It would be a long night.

Sam arrives home just in time to see the FBI vehicles leaving and no seemed to know why they were there. Nick joined her briefly to let her know what happened before addressing the press. Sam immediately decides to be at his side as he addresses the nation, showing her support in light of this huge betrayal.

We see more of Freddie and Elin as they deal with her miscarriage and more of Cam and Gigi as they come to terms with her shooting his ex.

Of course, Nicoletta is still griping over being in prison and how it’s all her daughter-in-law’s fault.

Freddie has many threads to pull on what at first glance looked like a murder/suicide but as he speaks with those who knew the family it doesn’t feel right. If it isn’t then what is the motive for this heinous crime.

So much happens in this book and Sam’s leave of absence is the shortest one ever. I love the way all these characters are growing within this series. Sam and Nick’s love overcomes all the challenges facing them every time. Of course, we also have an WTH ending that has me already reading the next book.

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance novels. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. She has also written 11 single titles, with more coming.

Her books have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to spend as much time as possible with her young adult children, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

They never saw this coming…

This story picks up right where State of the Union left off with another wild ride for the First Couple as they navigate work, family and an all new and extra baffling murder mystery that has Sam pushing the boundaries to get answers before a killer can strike again. Meanwhile, Nick contends with the aftermath of his landmark State of the Union address as a person from his past threatens to undo all the progress he’s made since assuming the presidency.

At the end of the last book, we left the family on the brink of an emergency. Angela’s husband Spence wouldn’t wake up. The intensity of the events starting here are extremely emotional awakening many varied responses to grief.

When it’s revealed that Spence had been hiding a dependency on painkillers and Sam’s ER friend Dr. Anderson tells her of the upswing in OD’s lately Sam wonders why the Narcotics Squad hadn’t put out a warning.

At Camp David the Commander of the base had sealed off the cabin where Angela and Spence were staying. With her Secret Service agents driving Sam returns to collect the evidence from the cabin, with Vernon as her witness. Sam is determined to keep this out of federal hands since the actual crime had happened in the district not at the camp.

Captain Jake Malone, currently on suspension from the shooting of Ramsey’s son in the take down to prevent the death of a young woman, continues to track the people who would have had the access to archive fake reports for Stahl.

There are more revelations made as Angela confesses all the problems, she’s now left with aside from raising three children, Spencer has left her with a lot of debt. He’d lost his job, lost his life insurance and been in rehab twice without medical coverage. Financially, she’s a mess and has no idea how to deal with it. It’s Freddie’s idea to do a GoFundMe for her.

This is a favorite scene.

Scotty and the twins appeared in the hallway and rushed to hug Sam. As she loved on each of them, she was so grateful to have them in her life. They had filled the gaping void that had once existed inside her after years of fertility struggles and miscarriages. They had also filled her life with love and laughter and were far more than enough for her.

“What’s wrong?” Nick asked after he’d turned Ella over to Angela, who’d gotten a tight hug from Jack when she stepped into the hallway.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are, and we’ll take this up again later.” To the others, he said, “Let’s eat.”

Thanks to Scotty and the twins, dinner was a lively affair. Sam even saw Angela smile once when Scotty teased Jack about whether Spider-Man or Iron Man had better powers. Scotty was on Team Iron Man, while Jack was all for Spider-Man.

“Spider-Man can cast webs,” Jack said. “There’s nothing cooler than that.”

“Iron Man can shoot rays, and his suit can do everything,” Scotty said.

“The suit is cooler,” Jack said. “I’ll give you that, but Spider-Man is still the coolest.”

“If you say so,” Scotty said.

“What about Batman?” Alden asked. “His suit is the coolest, and he doesn’t need any gimmicks to get things done. My dad told me that. He said a superhero is someone like Batman, who relies on his own smarts and body to take care of business.”

“That’s a very good point, Alden,” Nick said. “I agree with your dad.”

“I like Wonder Woman myself,” Angela said.

Everyone turned to her, thrilled to hear her contribute. “She’s super smart, has incredible healing abilities and she’s semi-immortal.”

“I want you to be Wonder Woman, Mommy, so you feel better,” Jack said.

The statement brought tears to Sam’s eyes, and everyone else’s, for that matter.

“I’m working on it, sweetie,” Angela said.

After dinner, the kids took bowls of ice cream upstairs to the conservatory to watch The Lion King, as promised. Scotty had been put in charge of the Littles and Jack.

“We’ll be up after a bit,” Nick told him as he took Ella for another snuggle.

“Don’t worry,” Scotty said. “I’ve got them covered.”

“He’s so grown up all of a sudden,” Angela said of Scotty as she sipped from a cup of hot tea that Sam had made for her. She’d mostly picked at the roasted chicken dinner but had taken a few bites of chicken and stuffing.

“Yes, he is,” Nick said. “We want it to slow down. We haven’t had enough time with him.”

“You’ll have lots of time with him,” Angela said.

“It’ll never be enough,” Sam said. “He’s so fun to have around.”

“Jack adores him. I’m very thankful for Scotty and all of you right now.”

“We’re here for you, Ang,” Nick said. “For as long as you need us.”

“That could be a while.”

“We’re here,” Nick said again, more forcefully this time.

“Thank you. I’m thankful for you guys and Tracy, Mike, Celia and Mom, too.”

“People want to help,” Sam said.

“I know,” Angela said with a sigh. “I just don’t know how to accommodate that.”

“You don’t have to accommodate anything. Just know that people care. That’s enough for now.” Sam’s phone dinged with a text from Freddie. “Holy. Shit. The GoFundMe is already up to twenty-five thousand.”

“No way,” Angela said, her eyes going wide.

“And we haven’t even promoted it yet,” Nick said as he withdrew his phone from his pocket and started typing something. “There,” he said a few minutes later. “I’ve posted it to my accounts. Let’s see what that gets us.”

“You guys…” Angela’s eyes flooded with tears. “This means so much. I’ve been in a panic over what we were going to do. The fundraiser and the offer of Ninth Street… It feels like a miracle.”

“It’s family helping family,” Sam said. “Please tell Freddie thank you for me.”

“I will.” Sam responded to the text with WOW. That’s amazing. Angela says thank you, and Nick just plugged it through his accounts.

That’s awesome, Freddie replied. It’ll raise millions.

You think so??

I know so.

Holy crap.

“Freddie says that you promoting it will raise millions,” Sam said, astonished.

“Duh,” Nick replied with a cocky grin.

“What?” Angela said, gasping. “Millions?”

“My people will show up for you,” Nick said.

“I don’t need millions,” Angela said, seeming shocked and amazed at the same time.

“You can use what’s left over to help other widowed single moms or something like that,” Sam said.

“I’d love to be able to do that, but wow. I’m so overwhelmed and thankful. All I’ve been able to think about is how would I support us while taking care of three little kids.”

“Now you can breathe a little easier,” Nick said.

“A lot easier.” Angela teared up and dabbed her eyes with a napkin.

“It’s okay, Mommy,” Jack said, taking them by surprise when he appeared in the doorway to the dining room. “Don’t cry.”

“I’ll try not to, baby.”
Force, Marie. State of Shock (First Family Series Book 4). Kindle Locations (1171-1215). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

With some of the pressure off her Angela begins to think of the future even though she’s still heavily grieving.

Sam continues her investigation, identifying more possible victims like Spence. She’s determined to get the tainted drugs off the streets.

There’s more with Ramsey, then Gigi and Cameron, a surprise with Officer Charles and a shocking revelation about Nick’s mother and there’s still so much more.

This is the most emotional of all the books so far, I spent a lot of time sniffling while waiting for Sam to find the right thread to tug everything apart.

I am already reading the next book!

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance novels. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. She has also written 11 single titles, with more coming.

Her books have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to spend as much time as possible with her young adult children, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

It’s the biggest night of President Nick Cappuano’s life.
Will his first lady make it to the Capitol
in time for his speech?

President Cappuano has been working for months on his first State of the Union address, his highest profile moment yet as the country’s new president. He’s dealing with a wide array of complex issues and is counting down to the televised speech before a joint session of Congress. While he tries to strike the right tone to assure the American people that their new president is hard at work on their behalf, his wife, Metro Police Lt. Sam Holland is faced with one of the most confounding cases of her career and juggling some complex issues at home with the couple’s children. Add to that some vexing security concerns, and the first couple are on edge as they wonder whether they’ll pass this first big test for the fledgling Cappuano administration.

As always, when things get too hot to handle in the rest of their lives, Sam and Nick turn to each other for solace as their bond grows deeper by the day in this latest installment in the First Family Series!

When we left Sam and Nick, they were just told of a bomb outside the gates of the White House. As a precaution, Nick, Sam, Scotty, Eli, Alden and Aubrey are brought down to the bomb shelter. A strange feeling for them since they had a house full of guests sleeping over. Once the threat is done, they return upstairs, all preparations for Christmas Morning are in place and hopefully they’ll get some sleep before the fun and chaos begins.

Christmas morning was everything they hoped it would be, and after everyone had departed for their own homes, Scotty and Eli take over with the twins so Nick and Sam could have some alone time. I do so like their alone time.

Before they even get started, Jeannie calls to let Sam know she was going to Richmond in the morning with Matt following a lead on the case they’re not supposed to be looking at anymore. She will let Sam know if they need her to let the brass know before calling in the marshals. Then Nick gets called to the situation room, some things are just not meant to happen when they want them to.

The next day they are off to Camp David. I truly enjoyed reading about the history of it and the descriptions of the cabin where they would be staying. While the kids went off to do their thing at the game room, Nick and Sam take a walk, and he tells her about the SNL skit that would air that night. Then Sam gets a call from Jeannie wanting to call in the marshals. Sam has a bit of an uncomfortable call with Chief Farnsworth but gets the go ahead.

I laughed so hard at the description of the SNL skit, that even included Terry. The reactions of all their friends didn’t help with my own giggles.

Their respite at Camp David is interrupted the next morning as they watched the CNN coverage of the Marshals investigation of Jeannie’s case. Captain Malone calls and orders Sam back in. Nick takes her in Marine One to face the music along with Jeannie. In spite of the insubordination of ignoring a direct order, the fact remains that the investigation found the missing woman and saved nine children. On top of that there is a connection to more that makes this far more important all around. Gonzo also finds evidence of fake reports that the brass was seeing and not what they saw in the files they pulled.

With time on her hands before returning to Camp David, Sam accompanies Freddie to a new crime scene. On the way there she finds out that Nick and the children were returning home due to blizzard warnings, so she works it as she normally would, turning things over to the next shift. On the way to her car, she slips on ice falling hard on her hip and elbow. In spite of the pain, she drives Freddie to the Metro and drives home. Icing her injuries and letting Nick pamper her a bit. The next day has Nick insisting on a hospital visit and a good thing too. Dr. Anderson once again takes care of her and she’s not happy at all with the x-ray results.

This is a favorite scene.

Anderson returned ten minutes later. “There’s good news and bad news. What do you want first?”

“Good.”

“Your elbow is fine. Just a nasty bruise that’ll hurt for a few days. Your hip, on the other hand, is fractured and will require surgery.”

“Wait. What?”

“You heard me. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”

“How long will I be down?”

“Four to six weeks.”

“No way. I don’t have that kind of time.”

“Sam, your hip is broken. You have to get it fixed if you ever want to walk again.”

“This is ridiculous! I can’t be down for four to six weeks! I have shit to do.”

“It’ll go by so fast, babe,” Nick said. “You’ll bounce right back and be on your feet again in no time. I’m sure of it.”

“How can a thirty-six-year-old person break their hip?” Sam sounded hysterical even to herself. She could only imagine what they thought of her reaction. “Isn’t that something that happens to old people?”

“It can happen to anyone who lands just so when they fall. I’ll contact Ortho and get a surgeon lined up for you. I’ll be right back.”

When they were alone, Sam turned to Nick. “I got hit by a fucking car and didn’t break my hip. How is this possible?”

“It was just a fluke thing, babe, but I’m sure you’ll sail right through this. You can work from home and oversee your cases and still drive everyone crazy. It’ll be fine.” He brushed hair back from her face and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry about anything.”

“Right. What do I have to be worried about?”

Things moved quickly after that. Sam was shocked to learn she’d be having surgery that day, not in a few days when she’d have had time to wrap her head around it. “I should’ve stayed at Camp David,” she muttered to Nick.

“I’ll remind you of that the next time you’re wanting out of there.”

She called Malone.

“What’d they say?”

“Did you know that a thirty-six-year-old person can break a hip and need surgery to fix it?”

“Stop it.”

“I’d love to, but alas…”

“Sam, no way. I’m so sorry. That sucks.”

“Totally sucks. Put Gonzo in charge of the Olsen investigation and the squad. I’ll be back to busting balls from home in a day or two. For now, I’m out.”

“Keep us posted on how you’re doing.”

“Will do.”

She closed the phone and wasn’t surprised to receive a call from her partner two minutes later.

“Shut the hell up,” Freddie said. “Are you kidding me?”

“You have no idea how much I wish I was.”

“What can I do?”

“Whatever you can for Audrey Olsen and her family. That’s what I need—a full-court press on her case.”

“We’re on it. Don’t worry about anything. Will you have Nick text me after the surgery?”

“Yeah, I will.”

“I’ll be in to see you later with a full update.”

“Excellent. I won’t be down for long.”

“I’m sure you’ll be back to kicking our asses in no time.”

“You swore, young Freddie.”

“I figured the occasion called for it.”

“It certainly does. I’ve got a shit, fuck, damn, hell for anyone who’ll listen. Is Gonzo nearby?”

“Yeah, hang on.”

“Jeez, Sam,” Gonzo said. “What a bummer, huh?”

“Literally.”

“Don’t make me laugh, because it’s not funny.”

“Listen, you gotta stay on the Olsen case and this shit with Stahl and all the other crap.”

“I got you covered,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

“Did Malone talk to you about going to see Stahl?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“I’m not sure it’ll do any good, but I’ll take one for the team.”

“And you’re sure you feel up to that?”

“I’m okay. I know you’re all still worried about me, but I’m doing much better than I was.”

“What are you hearing from the trial?”

“The defense is bringing in a parade of bullshit character witnesses to sing the praises of what a good guy he is, but Faith tells me the jury isn’t being swayed by the theater of it. They know who this guy is and what he’s done.”

“I can’t believe they wouldn’t allow admission of his past crimes,” Sam said.

“They have more than enough to convict him for killing Arnold. I’m not at all concerned about it not going our way. Once that’s done and the first anniversary is observed, I’ll be able to really breathe again. But in the meantime, I’m feeling good and back in the game.”

“You have no idea how glad we all are about that. If the visit with Stahl is triggering in any way, I want you to leave. Nothing is worth risking your hard-won progress.”

“I hear you, and I can handle him. Don’t worry.”

“Keep me posted.”

“I will. We’ll be in to visit.”

“I’ll probably be home tonight.”

Standing at the rolling computer station, Anderson shook his head.

“Or tomorrow.”

Again, Anderson shook his head.

Sam wanted to scream. “I guess I’ll be here a day or two.”

“Whoa.”

“Don’t get me started.”

“No worries. Just take care of yourself.”

“I’m being told I have no choice about that. Talk to you later.” Sam closed the phone. “How long do I have to be here?” she asked Anderson.

“Three to four days, depending on how you do and if there’re complications.”

“What kind of complications?”

“Infection, for one, but we’ll try not to let that happen.”

“Try really hard.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Babe, I texted Terry to tell him what’s going on, and he suggests we release a brief statement before the media catches wind.”

“I haven’t even told my sisters or Celia or my mother.”

“Do you want me to text them?”

“I guess,” she said, becoming resigned to the fact that this was really happening.

“This is what I’m saying to them. ‘Hi there and sorry for the group text, but Sam slipped on ice, fell in the parking lot at work yesterday and managed to fracture her hip. She’s having surgery this afternoon at GW and will be here three to four days. She is not happy about this, as you can imagine. Please pray for both of us.’”

“Look at you, joining the comedians,” she said as Anderson snickered. “I’ll remember all the people who thought this was funny. There’s nothing wrong with my rusty steak knife.”

“Duly noted,” Nick said. “I sent it.”

“You should tell Eli and Scotty, too.”

He pushed some buttons on the phone. “Done.”

Sam’s phone rang with a call from Tracy.

Sam answered with one of her dad’s trademark sayings. “Kelly’s Pool Hall, eight ball speaking.”

“Seriously, Sam?”

“Yep.”

“Jeez…”

“I know. No sex for weeks.” She took great pleasure in watching Nick’s smile fade. “Nick is just realizing that.”

“Figures that’s what you’re thinking about.”

“I’m thinking about a lot of things, and none of them are good.”

“This is not gonna be pretty,” Tracy said.

“No, it isn’t, but I will be.”

“Well, that’s a given.”

“Trace! Four to six weeks!” “Ugh.

That blows.”

“Totally.”

Anderson, who’d stepped out of the room, returned with a female doctor.

“I gotta go. Nick will keep you posted.”

“Love you.”

“You, too.”
Force, Marie. State of the Union (First Family Series Book 3). Kindle Locations (2311-2380). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

We follow Sam through her recovery and working from both the hospital and home. There’s much frustration over the current case that expands with more of the same with matching DNA not in the system. The cold case Jeannie solved also becomes a bigger deal than they ever could have imagined.

Sam in the meantime keeps tabs on the investigation of the murders in the park and even with alerts out more happen. When they finally get a real thread to pull, she’s all over it although at a distance due to her recovery.

We also see more of Gigi and Cameron in this book. I love them together.

As always there is a lot going on and all of it is important. I love how Nick and Sam are adjusting to their new roles as President and First Lady and the way they don’t let that interfere with time with their kids. Then of course we get a heart-stopping cliffhanger ending. I’m so glad the next book is already out.

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance novels. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. She has also written 11 single titles, with more coming.

Her books have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to spend as much time as possible with her young adult children, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

Christmas at the White House
Wouldn’t Be Complete Without a Murder or Two…

The holiday season is under way in Washington, D.C., but Metro Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is busier than ever as she contends with the murder of a well-liked wife, mother and businesswoman found bound, gagged and dead for quite some time inside her minivan, miles from her home. Who could’ve wanted her dead badly enough to make her suffer for days before she died? Sam is determined to close the vexing case before a much-needed vacation with her family, but the universe has other ideas when a second murder—this one someone she knows—has her wondering if the vacation is going to happen.

Meanwhile, Sam’s husband, President Nick Cappuano, deals with the first national tragedy on his watch, forcing him on the record on a contentious issue as he fills the role of comforter-in-chief to a nation reeling from another senseless act of violence. All the while, a custody battle for the twins he and Sam took in after their parents’ murder is looming, casting a dark cloud over everything this holiday season. With chaos swirling all around them, will Sam and Nick be able to pull off a big family Christmas at the White House?

As always, Sam and Nick turn to each other for comfort in the storm that is their life together. Join Sam, Nick, Scotty, Elijah, Aubrey, Alden and Skippy, the First Dog, as they celebrate a Christmas like no other.

As this book opens, Christmas is approaching, and Sam is busier than ever. The first thing is an interview with Dr. Trulo regarding the grief group they’ve started for families of victims of violent crime. she’s boosting this as one of her projects as First Lady as well as her role in the MPD. The interview goes well and afterwards she speaks to Dr. Trulo about the custody battle Eli is facing with twin’s maternal grandparents. While Eli is sole guardian, they have worked out guardianship, so Sam and Nick have custody while he finishes school. Nick and Sam consider all three of them their children. The stress is very real for all of them.

She also gets a tip on who leaked the photo of Nick at the twin’s birthday party, breaking the NDA they signed. That leads to a fun scene with her partner Freddie as they pay the culprit a visit.

The next thing that happens is a devastating shooting at a school Christmas Event. This is a truly sad and emotional event, and it colors the tone of the rest of the book. I love the way Sam and Nick work through this with the children as well as the visit to the site later.

Sam and Dani Carlucci work a puzzling case of a body found in an abandoned vehicle. The vehicle’s owner and the victim are husband and wife and her habits while traveling for business are interesting. With the husband at HQ Sam has yet another encounter with Detective Ramsey. One that her Captain overhears. She also finds her office ransacked.

Nick settles in the third-floor conservatory and is reflecting on the day’s events when he gets a call from Elijah. Eli tells him he’s considering letting the grandparents have custody, and Nick want to know what’s going on, since they had all decided that was not in the twin’s best interest. Eli doesn’t want to elaborate, but Nick convinces him to come down, his secret service detail could bring him and return him in time for his classes the next day. Whatever is going on they would figure it out together.

This is a favorite scene.

Elijah arrived at the White House shortly after midnight, coming up the stairs to the residence with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

Sam greeted him with a hug. “Are you hungry?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think I could eat, but thank you.”

“Come on in.” Nick shut the door to give them the privacy they needed. “You want a drink?”

Eli looked up at him, seeming surprised by the offer since he was only twenty. “Yeah, that’d be good.”

Nick poured bourbon for the two of them and wine for Sam. He sat next to Sam on the sofa while Eli sat across from them. “Talk to us. Tell us what’s wrong.”

Sam had never seen Eli so spun up, and after what he and the kids had been through after his father and stepmother were murdered, that was saying something. He looked absolutely tortured.

“I never wanted you to know this,” he said haltingly.

“Know what?”

“Growing up,” he said, sounding resigned to having to talk about whatever it was, “I spent summers in California with my mother. I’ve told you before how she had some health issues, which made it so she didn’t really supervise me. That drove my dad crazy, but the court required me to spend that time with her.”

When he took a sip of his bourbon, Sam noticed his hand was shaking. Seeing him so upset made her want to protect him from whatever was causing him such pain. At some point since he and the twins had come into their lives, he’d become theirs, too.

“The summer I was seventeen, I became friends with the girl who lived next door to my mom. Her name was Candace. We went to the beach, the arcade, movies. All the usual stuff, except nothing about her was usual. She was… She is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met, and I fell in love with her. At the time, her parents were going through a divorce that had gotten ugly, and I tried to be there for her since I understood what it was like to have parents fighting over you and everything else. We became each other’s closest friend. I’d never had feelings like that before. It was overwhelming and amazing all at the same time. It was the first time in my life that I felt like I was exactly where I belonged, with who I was supposed to be with.”

Sam glanced at Nick at the same time he looked at her.

They certainly understood the feelings Eli was describing.

“One thing led to another between us, and before long, we were having sex. I’m sorry if that’s more info than you want or need, but that’s how I ended up in trouble.”

Sam held her breath, almost afraid of what he was going to say next.

“Her parents found out we were sleeping together and lost their minds. They… They called the police.”

“Why?” Sam asked.

Eli’s eyes filled as he looked down at the floor. “She was fifteen. I was seventeen. They charged me with statutory rape.”

“Oh my God,” Nick said.

“I loved her. I’d never have done anything to harm her, and her parents knew that.”

“They also knew your dad was loaded, right?” Nick asked.

Eli grimaced as he nodded.

“Son of a bitch,” Nick said.

“It was a complete nightmare. I was arrested, arraigned, charged with a felony. My dad hired the best lawyers money could buy, offered her parents whatever they wanted to drop the charges, but by then, it was out of their hands. The lawyers were able to get the charges reduced to a misdemeanor count, but I have a sealed juvenile record that we’ve been trying to have expunged since I turned eighteen and satisfied the terms of the original agreement. It’s in the works, but it hasn’t happened yet.” After a long pause, he added, “The worst part is that I’ve never seen or spoken to Candace again since the night her parents found out we were having sex.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Eli,” Sam said.

“It was the worst thing I’d ever been through until my dad and Cleo were murdered. I think about Candace all the time, and I just hope when she turns eighteen in January that she’ll reach out to me.”

“What happened to bring this up again?” Nick asked.

“Cleo’s sister Monique knows about it. She emailed me to say how unfortunate it would be if that got out and how embarrassing it would be to my ‘new’ family, the president and first lady, to find out they have a rapist in their midst, not to mention what Princeton might have to say about it. She went on to say that we could avoid all that by settling the custody dispute out of court and doing the right thing for the twins, which of course means turning them over to her and her parents. She’s the last person on earth I’d want raising them.”

“I knew I fucking hated that woman the first time I met her,” Sam said, feeling as if she could commit murder on behalf of the young man she’d come to love.

“Yeah, she’s a prize,” Eli said. “Cleo never got along with her, so I can’t imagine she told her about it. But Cleo must’ve confided in her mother when it was happening, because they were close, and that’s how Monique knows.”

Nick withdrew his BlackBerry from his pocket and put through a call, putting the phone on speaker.

“Mr. President, to what do I owe the honor?”

“Stuff it, Andy,” Nick said with a small smile. His friends loved to razz him every chance they got about his new title. “We’ve got a problem with the custody case.”

“What’s that?” Andy asked, all signs of amusement gone from his tone.

Nick gave him the condensed version of the story Eli had told them.

“She said this in an email?” Andy asked.

“She did,” Eli confirmed.

“Will you forward that to me?”

“Sure.” Eli pulled out his cell phone and sent the email to Andy, whose address he already had due to the ongoing case.

“Hang on a second,” Andy said. “I’m reading it now.” After a long moment in which Sam, Nick and Eli existed in painful silence, Andy said, “Wow, what a piece of work. She’s threatening to blackmail a young man whose father and stepmother were recently murdered by revealing the details of a sealed juvenile record to the media. I think the judge will be interested in seeing this, and I’ll be reaching out to the attorney representing their family to let her know her clients are resorting to some dirty tricks.”

“Do you think that will help our case?” Eli asked.

“It won’t hurt. Don’t forget… We already have the advantage because your father and Cleo’s wishes were clear. We have to go through the motions with the court, but I just did a quick check online and found that the California Supreme Court has ruled that the disclosure of the names of minors involved in crimes isn’t considered an invasion of privacy.”

“Great,” Eli said. “So she could destroy my entire life and get away with it?” “I’m going to file an injunction with the court to bar the release of that information in relation to the custody case.”

“Will that work?” Nick asked.

“It should. The judge assigned to this case is a no-nonsense type who won’t like that she did this. She may have helped us by putting her threats in writing. I’ll send this to opposing counsel and the judge right now and ask for guidance on how to proceed. I know it’s very stressful to have to wait, but you did the right thing telling us about this, Eli. It’s better not to have any surprises in a situation like this. I’ll be in touch as soon as I know more.”

“Thanks, Andy,” Nick said.

“You got it. Try to get some sleep. We’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you, Andy,” Eli said.
Force, Marie. State of Grace (First Family Series Book 2). Kindle Locations (1345-1408). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

With the custody threat in Andy’s capable hands, they call it a night.

The next day Freddie and Sam continue their investigation, and there are so many threads to follow there.

While all this is going on, Sam and Nick still have to travel to the site of the shootings and somehow manage to have their Christmas Party as planned. They don’t want to seem callus so they want to keep it as private as they possibly can.

There are so many curves in this book, and quite a few surprises as well. Not to mention the OMG ending Marie left us with.

I’m re-reading the next book now.

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance novels. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. She has also written 11 single titles, with more coming.

Her books have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to spend as much time as possible with her young adult children, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

The phone call that changed their lives forever…

Minutes after Vice President Nick Cappuano and Lt. Sam Holland get the call that President Nelson has been found dead in the residence on Thanksgiving, they’re still processing that Nick has been asked to come to the White House to take the oath of office.

As they go through the motions to ensure a peaceful transition of power, Sam has a million and one concerns about her husband, her family, the Nelson family, the country and the enormity of what Nick is about to take on. In the back of her mind is another major concern: What does this mean for my job? No other first lady in history has held a job outside the White House, but she’s determined to be the first, to blaze new trails for those who will follow her.

However, in order to do that, she quickly realizes that compromises will have to be made to continue working as a Homicide detective.Their lives become an immediate firestorm of meetings, requests for interviews, difficult questions from their children and a host of potential landmines to navigate as they make the transition from second family to first family.

An unexpected issue with a diplomatic trip to Iran quickly thrusts Nick into the thick of his new responsibilities while Sam confronts a murder investigation that may have ties to a cold case from fifteen years ago. As everything around them spins out of control, Sam and Nick take refuge with each other, relying on their unbreakable bond to see them through the storm.

At the end of the final book of the Fatal Series ‘Fatal Fraud’, Nick gets the phone call that changes their lives. President Nelson is dead.

Nick wakes Scotty so he can come with them as Nick is sworn in as president. As they leave the house Sam remembers they need a bible and goes to get the Holland family bible from Celia. She’s the first person they tell and swear to silence until it’s announced. The next person they tell is Nick’s father, he didn’t want him to hear it on the news. On the ride Sam gets a call from her Detective Dani Carlucci. Her partner Gigi Dominguez had an altercation with her ex-boyfriend and is on her way to the hospital. Not being able to go there, Sam has to interrupt Gonzo on his wedding night, without giving away what she has to do at this hour, so he can see to Dani and Gigi. After Nick takes the Oath of Office and everything is released to the press, both Nick and Sam’s phone start blowing up with texts. They decide to ignore them until morning, tomorrow will be a long day.

Nick is optimistic about how his first day will go thinking he’d be able to spend the afternoon with Sam and the kids. That quickly goes down the drain.

Elijah and Scotty take Alden and Aubrey to the zoo while Sam navigates going to the hospital to see Gigi. Her ex is in the wind, and they need to find him. Sam is going to have a detail regardless of how she might feel about it. At least it’s Vernon and Jimmy, they seem to get her. Sam joins Nick before he addresses the nation for the first time. However, instead of heading home he has to head to the situation room for an issue with the Secretary of State in Iran.

Nick is disappointed he won’t be able to be at Alden and Aubrey’s birthday party, but when he discovers a delay between meetings, he decides to spend part of that time with the twins at their party.

This is a favorite scene.

Tracy poked her head into the kitchen. “Ah, Sam, you’re going to want to come here.”

Sam gave Freddie a what the hell is this? look and left the kitchen in time to see Brant come into the house ahead of Nick. A buzz of excitement went through the room when the guests saw him.

Nick spotted Sam and went right to her, putting his arm around her and kissing her forehead. “I heard there’s a party here and didn’t want to miss it.”

“I thought you couldn’t get away.”

“So did I until I realized if there’s any benefit to being president, it’s that I should be able to decide what I do and when I do it.”

“Good thinking, Lincoln.”

“Actually, it’s Cappuano, with two p’s.”

Sam smiled up at him, wishing she could kiss him the way she wanted to, but with scores of strangers watching them, she resisted the urge and led him to the dining room, where the kids were playing pin the tail on the donkey.

Alden and Aubrey let out cries of happiness when they saw Nick, leaving their friends and the game to come hug him.

He squatted to their level and hugged them both at once.

Seeing him with them made Sam forget all about her earlier aggravations so she could focus on him and their family.

They sang “Happy Birthday,” helped the twins cut the cake, took pictures with them, Scotty and Elijah, and supervised the opening of an enormous number of presents that would have to be moved to their new home. Goody bags were distributed as school friends began to leave with their starstruck parents until they were finally down to their own family and close friends.

“What an awesome party, Shelby,” Sam said. “Thank you so much.” She led a round of applause for their Tinker Bell, the maker of magic.

Shelby bowed dramatically and straightened the crown on her head that had gotten crooked during the course of the afternoon.

“Come get off your feet,” Sam said to her, gesturing to the sofa. “We’ll clean up.”

“Don’t mind if I do. The old gray mare ain’t what she used to be.”

“Who do you think you are, calling my beautiful wife an old gray mare?” Avery asked as he put an arm around her.

She reached for Noah, who was on Avery’s lap, and snuggled him into her embrace.

“I hate to say I have to go,” Nick said, “but I have to go.”

“What’re you hearing from Iran?” Harry asked him.

“Nothing,” Nick said, seeming disheartened. “I’m due to hear my options at five, and I expect them to be unsettling.”

“I don’t envy you that,” Harry said, grimacing.

“Why do people want this job so badly?” Nick asked, forcing a smile for the sake of their friends.

Sam could see he was deeply troubled and stressed, as anyone would be with so much at stake in this situation.

He went to say goodbye to the kids, who were sitting in the middle of their own personal toy store while Scotty and Elijah helped them with packaging and setup. “I’m so glad you guys had such a fun day. Make sure you say thank you to Shelby.”

“Thank you, Shelby!” they said together.

“You’re welcome, my loves.”

Nick said his goodbyes to their friends and family, all of whom had congratulated him and given him their best wishes. The support of those closest to them was good for him as he stepped into this difficult role.

Sam walked Nick to the door. “I’m so glad you got to be here.”

“Me, too. They’re so damn cute.”

“They sure are.”

At the doorway, Nate, the Secret Service agent on duty, stepped outside to give them a minute of privacy.

“Are you doing okay?” she asked.

“Taking it a minute at a time. Big meeting at five. After that, I should know more.”

“Good luck. We’re all praying for a peaceful resolution.”

“Thanks,” he said, kissing her. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

“We’ll be here. Do you think I should talk to the Littles about the move while I’ve got the chance with Eli here?”

“I hate to say you probably should, because I really wanted to be here for that. But I think it’s more important that he’s here to reassure them.”

“Don’t worry about it. Eli, Scotty and I will take care of it. You take care of you.” She kissed him again. “We love you.”

“Love you, too.”

And then he was out the door, surrounded by Secret Service agents.

“The poor guy has the weight of the world on his shoulders,” Graham O’Connor said.

Sam turned to him. “It would’ve been more than enough without the situation in Iran.”

“Indeed,” Graham said. “Take comfort in knowing he’s surrounded by great people who will help him figure out what to do. I’m going to the White House myself after this, and I’ll stay for as long as he needs me.”

“That’ll mean a lot to him, Graham. Thank you for that.”

“Try not to worry too much. He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever known, and I have full faith in his ability to navigate everything that’ll come his way.”

Sam had no doubt that Nick had all the intelligence and political savvy needed to be a successful president, but she couldn’t help but wonder about the toll his new job would take on their marriage and family.
Force, Marie. State of Affairs (First Family Series Book 1). Kindle Locations (1546-1589). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

To say their lives, get more hectic is an understatement. Sam needs to add to her White House Staff and maintain normalcy for the kids during the move.

The situation in Iran becomes a focal point until it isn’t, and Nick isn’t happy with the Secretary of State. Someone also posted a picture of Nick at the twin’s party breaking the NDA and causing more of a public outcry.

Navigating their new positions is challenging but Sam and Nick are determined to make it all come together.

A new case leads to the resolution of a cold one that Sam promised to look into. This one is going have some interesting repercussions.

There are changes to Shelby’s role, a new position for Sam’s friend Roni, and Celia is invited to live with them at the White House to help with the kids. Celia is thrilled to stay a part of their lives now that Skip is gone.

While their residence and public roles have changed Sam and Nick are still the loving couple they have always been as they begin.

There are many things going on in this book and plenty of surprises both good and bad.

I am already re-reading the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance novels. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. She has also written 11 single titles, with more coming.

Her books have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to spend as much time as possible with her young adult children, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

A dangerous truth revealed…

A prominent member of the D.C. community has been murdered, pulling Lieutenant Sam Holland into yet another high-stakes homicide investigation that has her trying to connect the dots between a dead woman and the friends and family who’d turned against her right before her untimely death. With numerous scandals still fresh within the department’s ranks, Sam is under more than the usual amount of pressure on the job. All the while, Sam’s husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, faces mounting calls to declare his intention to run for president in the coming election, leaving the second couple feeling the strain at home—and on the job as the family endures the first holidays without their beloved patriarch, Skip Holland. As always, when things become too hot to handle on the job, Sam and Nick turn to each other for solace in the storm.

As this book opens, Sam, Nick, Freddie, Elin, Jeannie and Michael are heading to Baltimore to see Gonzo at the rehab. He’s stayed an extra month to be sure he’s ready to face everything the outside world will throw at him. The one thing that gets Sam’s dander up is he’s determined to take a plea on misdemeanor drug charges. Sam asks him not to sign anything until she speaks with their Captain and the Chief. He bought those drugs while ill, and she firmly believes he shouldn’t have to destroy his career over it.

On the way back to DC her phone rings, which always means there’s a body somewhere in the district. Both Freddie and Jeannie send their spouses home and go to the scene with Sam. The victim is Virginia ‘Ginny’ McLeod, the woman who had recently been charged with massive fraud by the FBI. This would be a high-profile case with many suspects. Every single person who she had stolen from would be suspect, those include family and friends.

Then we have Nick who’s still fending off the DNC and his mentor Graham O’Connor who want him to run for president in the next election. An election that’s still three years away.

Then we have Scotty who is campaigning for a dog. They are considering it, but it is a major commitment, and they won’t take make that decision lightly. Scotty also asks what a ‘real’ child is which has Sam and Nick both fuming at the reporter who asked a truly callus question during a media briefing at HQ. Apparently, he heard about it at school but wasn’t sure exactly what it meant. Nick and Sam arrange to have a surprise face to face with said reporter.

This is a favorite scene.

A flash of light caught Sam’s attention. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the motorcade pull onto the street. Her heart gave a happy lurch at knowing she’d see Nick in a minute. “Here comes the cavalry.”

They got out of Sam’s car to wait on the sidewalk.

Brant was the first one out of Nick’s car. The handsome young agent took a good look around, nodded to Sam and Freddie and then opened the door for Nick. Other agents swarmed the area, and some went inside ahead of them. They had this down to a well-oiled routine they never deviated from, which was what kept Nick as safe as he could be under the circumstances.

And then there he was, gorgeous in a dark navy suit, a steel-blue tie and a crisp white dress shirt. His handsome face lit up with delight when he saw her waiting for him. He held out a hand to her, and Sam went to him, oblivious to anyone else.

He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “How’s my cop?”

“Frustrated and annoyed until right now.”

Smiling down at her, he said, “Why? What happened right now?”

“You happened.”

“What do you say we go make Kayla’s day?”

“I say that’s a fine idea.”

Holding hands, they walked into the building, where a shocked receptionist greeted them.

“Allow me,” Sam said. “I have a way with receptionists.”

“Have at it, babe.”

Sam showed the woman her badge. “We’d like to see Kayla Owen, please.”

“I, um, does she know you’re coming?”

“She doesn’t, and we’d prefer to surprise her. Can you make that happen?”

Rattled by Sam’s unblinking stare, the woman made a call that brought another woman to the reception desk a few seconds later.

“Please take Vice President and Mrs. Cappuano to Kayla Owen’s office,” the original woman said to the second one.

The second woman stared at them for ten full seconds before she blinked and seemed to recover herself. “Right this way.”

With the Secret Service surrounding them and Freddie somewhere in the scrum, Sam and Nick followed the woman up a flight of stairs and through frosted double doors bearing the WKLA logo. Inside, they found yet another receptionist, who stood, her mouth falling open in shock. Thankfully, she didn’t say anything to impede their progress as their guide took them around the reception desk, through another set of doors and past full-length windows behind which on-air talent watched them go by with stunned expressions.

“This is wicked fun,” Sam whispered to Nick as she noticed every eye in the place fixed on them as they walked by cubicles, leaving a trail of shocked people in their wake.

“So fun and about to get more so.”

“We’re bad, bad people to be enjoying this so much.”

“Nah. We’re pissed-off parents.”

Leave it to him to perfectly sum it up.

The woman leading them pointed to a group of offices at the end of a long corridor. “Third door on the right.”

“Thank you very much,” Nick said as they followed the two Secret Service agents leading the way.

At the doorway to Kayla Owen’s office, the agents stepped aside to allow Sam and Nick to go ahead of them.

Nick knocked on the door. “Sorry to disturb your work, Ms. Owen.”

The pretty young dark-haired reporter, her face covered in a thick layer of camera-ready makeup, looked up from her computer, double-taking as shock registered in her expression.

“My wife and I would like a minute of your time.” Nick sent Sam in ahead of him and closed the door behind them.

Sam would’ve left the door open so people could hear what they had to say to Kayla, but Nick was always the classier of the two of them.

“I… I’ve been meaning to reach out to you about the press briefing last week.”

“That’s why we’re here. We’d like to introduce you to our children.” Nick pulled the kids’ recent school photos from his suit coat pocket and placed them on Kayla’s desk.

Sam loved that he’d come prepared. Of course he had. He was nothing if not thorough in everything he did. She decided to sit back and allow him to speak for both of them, because he’d get it right, when she’d be tempted to rip the woman’s head off and then stab her with a rusty steak knife to make sure she was really dead.

“This is Scotty. He’s thirteen. His biological mother and grandfather died months apart when he was very young, leaving him a ward of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I met him two years ago at a state home in Richmond when I was a senator. Our bond was immediate. Sam and I made him part of our lives and later adopted him. He’s since become the center of our world and the best part of both of us. The only regret we have where he’s concerned is that we didn’t meet him sooner, because we love him so much.

“This adorable young man is Alden, and this is his equally adorable twin sister, Aubrey. They recently came into our lives when my wife met them during the investigation into a home invasion in which their beloved parents were tortured and murdered. Alden witnessed some of the horror his parents endured. When they needed a place to stay after that nightmare, we happily provided them a home that’s since become permanent, as their older brother and legal guardian is in college and not able to care for them. Nothing has made us happier than to fill that role for them and to help all three of them through the traumatic loss of their parents and home.” He added a photo of Elijah with the twins, taken during a recent weekend visit.

Kayla stared at the photos with big, haunted brown eyes that shimmered with unshed tears that made Sam want to throat-punch her. The emotional reaction was a little too late.

“Every night, Alden and Aubrey play chase with Scotty until he eventually lets them catch him. Their screaming laughter and happy smiles are the best part of our day. Scotty loves baseball and sports and spaghetti more than anything, but he’s an incredible big brother. Aubrey can sing—in Italian—so beautifully, it’d make you weep. Alden is fiercely protective of his sister and always lets her pick their bedtime story. They’re going to be six soon, but he’s already somehow more of a man than many of the actual men I’ve known in my life. Their older brother, Elijah, is in college at Princeton and plans to move home to DC after he graduates so he can live close to his siblings and see them all the time. They worship him, the last remaining tie to the family they once knew.

“These are our own children, Ms. Owen. They’re as real to us as any children can be, and when our son comes home from the hellscape known as eighth grade and asks us what it means to be a child of our own, that breaks something in us, because that tells us the kids at school have weaponized those words against an innocent boy who’s already had more than enough pain in his young life. He recently lost his beloved adoptive grandfather. His father is the vice president and his mother a decorated homicide detective. The poor kid is surrounded at school and everywhere else by Secret Service. He has enough to deal with without a reporter blindsiding his mother with such an ugly question.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I… I’m so sorry.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “Now you’re sorry. When I gave you the opportunity to rephrase the question, you dug in deeper.”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“We know you have a job to do, Ms. Owen,” Nick said, “and we appreciate that your job can be difficult. However, we encourage you to work from a place of common decency and an understanding that words matter. You’ll go further in your career if you begin there. That’s all we wanted to say.”

Sam had more she’d like to say, but she bit her tongue and let him nudge her toward the door. He was the only person alive who could nudge her in any direction he wanted her to go.

“Wait.”

They stopped and turned to the reporter.

She looked frazzled and undone. Good. Sam hoped she’d never forget this.

“That’s why I’ve wanted to reach out to you, to sincerely apologize for my thoughtless question. I’ve been very well schooled over the last week about adoption and what’s appropriate and inappropriate, and I’m… I’m sorry.”

“We accept your apology,” Nick said. “And we’ll hope you’ll do better in the future.”

“I will. I promise. In fact, if you’d like to sit for a quick interview while you’re here, we could talk about what happened and what’s been learned from it, by me and others.”

Sam had to give her credit for thinking fast on her feet. She glanced at Nick to gauge his interest in an interview.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” he said.

“Really?” Kayla was nearly breathless with excitement.

“Yes,” he said, “but only because I believe your apology was sincere. Otherwise, we wouldn’t even consider it.”

“It’s completely sincere. It breaks my heart to hear about kids harassing your son because of my ignorant question.”

When he looked her way again, Sam shrugged, as if she had all the time in the world to be interviewed. She could take another few minutes, because she’d get to spend those minutes with him.

“In that case,” Nick said, “we’d be happy to do a quick interview about adoption, the proper way to speak of and about adopted kids and how important it is for people who have room in their homes and hearts to step up for kids who need loving families.”

“Give me five minutes, and we’ll make that happen.”
Force, Marie. Fatal Fraud (The Fatal Series Book 16). Kindle Locations (1428-1497). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

With the sincerity of Kayla Owen’s apology, Nick and Sam agree to a short interview to discuss how to properly address adoptive parents with regard to their children. At the end of this she asks one last question as requested by her producer, is Nick going to run in the next election. He answers her giving her quite the exclusive.

Now there’s quite the media frenzy over Nick not running on top of the frustrating homicide investigation with hundreds of people with motive and no clear-cut leads.

The FBI begins its investigation of the department since the discovery of the cover-up of Skip Holland’s murder led to the upper Eschelon of the force and a city councilman. Sam ends up with a Secret Service detail because folks are angry Nick isn’t going to run for president. Of course, there’s more stuff with Detective Ramsey, he just doesn’t let up.

There are many things going on in this book as we head into the holidays. Beginning with Thanksgiving, and several OMG surprises!

I am already beginning the next series which is a re-read for me since I started with the First Family Series and had to go back to the beginning to get all the tea!

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance novels. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. She has also written 11 single titles, with more coming.

Her books have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to spend as much time as possible with her young adult children, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

A deadly serious affair…

The story breaks as Metro PD lieutenant Sam Holland attends a dinner party with her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano: President Nelson is accused of having an affair. More shocking still, campaign staffer Tara Weber claims the president fathered her newborn son—while the First Lady was undergoing secret cancer treatment. When a high-profile murder case hits Sam’s desk, she’s shocked to uncover a connection to the presidential scandal. With the department caught up in its own internal scandals, and the chief’s job hanging by a thread, Sam questions who she can trust as her team uncovers information that clouds an already-murky case. And with calls for the president to resign getting louder by the minute, Sam needs to close this case before she finds herself living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

As this book opens Nick and Sam are having a rare evening out with friends. Dinner at Harry and Lilia’s with Freddie and Elin, Terry and Lindsey, Andy and Elsa is quite the treat and we get a funny story about Lilia here. Then the phones of everyone connected to the White House start ringing. Apparently, Tara Weber, one of Nelson’s campaign staffers is claiming an affair and that her newborn child is his.

This coming on top of the recent arrest of the Nelson’s son, is not going to bode well with the public. The timing of the affair also puts it in the timeline of the First Lady Gloria Nelson undergoing cancer treatments. Gloria is loved by everyone and the reaction to this new is predictable as demands start for the President to resign.

Nick doesn’t want the presidency because Nelson has to resign in disgrace and resists all efforts by his party to him to prepare for what they believe is inevitable.

In the middle of all this Tara Weber is found dead in her apartment. Fortunately, the baby is with her parents. Now Sam is under pressure to find the culprit quickly to dispel the speculation that the president had her killed for revealing their affair.

On top of all of this they are waiting for the jury on the Stahl case, and Conklin keeps demanding to speak with Sam.

However, Nick and Sam totally manage to keep their priorities straight when it comes to their family.

This is a favorite scene.

Nick held her for a long time, long enough to clear her mind and switch gears from out there to in here. “I want to see the twins and Scotty before bed.”

“I was going to read the twins a story. You want to come up?”

She was starving, but she wouldn’t miss story time for anything. “Let’s do it.”

Alden and Aubrey were tucked into bed with books they were “reading” to each other when Sam and Nick appeared at the doorway. He held her back for a second, not wanting to interrupt the adorableness of their little voices coming from behind one of the picture books that had come from their home.

Her heart melted at the sound of Alden attempting to read to his sister, using inflections and voices that she suspected had come from hearing their parents read the book, which was a favorite of theirs.

Only because it was getting late did Nick clear his throat to let them know they were there.

“May we join you?”

“Sam!” As usual, Aubrey’s face lit up with pleasure at the sight of Sam. “You’re home!”

Sam adored them both, and almost couldn’t recall what it had been like before they were part of her life and deeply embedded upon her heart. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

“That’s okay.” Aubrey moved closer to Alden to make room for Sam. Children, she had found, were endlessly forgiving toward the people they loved, and thank God for that.

Nick scooted in next to Alden. “You were doing a great job,” he said to the little guy. “You want to keep going?”

“Okay.” Alden turned the page and continued the story.

Sam wondered if he was reading or reciting it from memory. Either way, he got it pretty close to right.

His sister hung on his every word while Sam ran her fingers through the little girl’s silky blond hair.

Nick caught her eye over their heads, a smile stretching across his handsome face. This was what he’d always wanted, a family of his own, and now they had that with the twins and Scotty. Nothing made her happier than having had a hand in giving him something he’d never had before.

They’d taken a lot of flak for bringing the twins into their family—from the children’s extended family, who hadn’t wanted anything to do with them until after their parents’ murderers had been apprehended, to the politicians who’d tried to make an issue out of providing two innocent children with Secret Service protection. It had been worth the drama to make the adorable children and their older brother, Elijah, a part of their family.

For the longest time, Sam had thought she had to give birth in order to have a family. Now she knew better. Not everyone was meant to have children children the traditional way. Sometimes the best families are the ones we choose for ourselves. She and Nick had chosen to adopt Scotty and they had chosen to provide a home for Alden and Aubrey when they needed a place to be after their parents were murdered. Sam had no doubt that those two choices would be among the best ones she ever made, along with the choice to marry Nick—as if that had been an actual choice. Since she couldn’t live without him, she’d done the only thing she could and made sure he could never get away.

Not that he wanted to. Neither of them wanted to be anywhere but right here with the three children who were now their family.

Aubrey popped her thumb in her mouth, which meant she would be asleep in minutes.

Sam continued to stroke her hair, all the while hoping she was giving the children a fraction of the love and attention they’d gotten from their late parents.

Alden yawned twice in rapid succession.

“Let’s call it a night, bud,” Nick said.

Alden turned on his side, cuddled up to Aubrey and closed his eyes.

Sam and Nick kissed both of them, shut off the bedside light, made sure the night-light was on and sneaked out of the room.

“I can’t handle the cuteness,” Nick whispered.

“I’m on overload. They’re so sweet.”

“Thank God we get to keep them.”

“Right? Let’s go see our teenager.”

Darcy, the agent on duty in the hallway, nodded to them.

Sam knocked on Scotty’s door, and when he said to come in, she opened the door and stuck her head in. “Are parents welcome at the moment?”

“Visiting hours are over, but we’ll make an exception for you.”

Smiling at his witty reply, she stepped inside and Nick followed, closing the door behind him. Privacy was a tough thing to come by in their house these days, but they worked around the constant presence of the Secret Service.

“How was your day?” Sam sat on the edge of his bed. He had the Redskins game muted on his TV while he worked on some homework in bed.

“Long and boring. How many years until I can take classes that interest me?”

“Ahhh…” Sam glanced at Nick. She’d learned to let him answer school-related inquiries since her comments undercut their goal of seeing their son through college. But first he had to conquer eighth grade.

“About six,” Nick said, always truthful, even when the truth hurt.

Scotty groaned. “I’ll never make it until then.”

“What would you like to be studying?” Sam asked.

“Sports management. I think I’d like to be an agent. They make bank, and they get to hang out with all the coolest athletes. What could be a better job than that?”

“I can’t think of anything cooler,” Nick said.

“It’s way cooler than being vice president,” Scotty said, his eyes brimming with amusement.

“Dude,” Nick said, “being the dog catcher is cooler than being VP.”

Scotty lost it laughing. “And you don’t have to have Secret Service if you’re the dog catcher. And hello? Dogs.”

“That’s the job I want next,” Nick said.

“We need a dog around here,” Scotty said. “Kids shouldn’t grow up without a dog.”

“Says who?” Sam asked. The last thing they needed was someone else to take care of.

“I saw it on Instagram.”

“Change the Wi-Fi password,” Sam said to Nick, who grunted out a laugh. “The kid has access to too many ideas.”

“Stop trying to change the subject and the Wi-Fi password. We need a dog.”

Sam shook her head. “We do not need a dog. We can barely remember to feed you and the twins every day. A dog would starve to death in this house.”

“It would not. I’d take care of it.”

Sam hooted with laughter. “Famous last words uttered by kids everywhere before the dog shows up. Once the dog is in residence, no one wants to take care of it.”

“I would,” Scotty said, completely serious now. “I’d never let my dog go hungry or not take care of it. Ever.”

Sam believed him. He wasn’t your average thirteen-year-old. He’d been through a lot, seen too much, and would probably be the best kind of dog owner. “The management will take it under advisement.” When his eyes lit up with excitement, she quickly added, “That is not a yes. It’s a we’ll-think-about-it.”

“That’s better than a no.”

“Another half hour and then lights out,” Sam said, when she leaned in to kiss his forehead.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Night, pal,” Nick said.

“Night.”

“We love you,” Sam said on her way out the door.

“Love you, too.”

In the hallway, they headed for their own room.

“Did you tell him we’ll think about getting a dog?” Nick asked.

“I think I did.”
Force, Marie. Fatal Accusation (Fatal Series Book 15). Kindle Locations (1811-1873). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

There are plenty of twists as Sam and her team work to find the murderer, and also find the author of the note that led Sam to look further in her father’s shooting. There is still someone out there who knew what was going on when it happened.

Sam also has more run ins with Ramsey, one that involves something concerning Gonzo who’s in rehab. She informs her team that Ramsey is targeting them so to be sure to dot every i and cross every t in everything they do.

I love everything about these books, they keep me engaged from beginning to end with plenty of emotion, angst, love, romance and even quite of bit of sizzle that Sam and Nick find time for.

This book has two epilogues both of which are very emotional in different ways.

I am already reading the next book.

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

By
NY Times Bestselling Author
Marie Force

When tragedy strikes,
a cold case suddenly turns hot—and deadly.

A peaceful morning is shattered when Washington Metro Police lieutenant Sam Holland’s beloved father succumbs to injuries from an unsolved shooting while on duty four years ago. As the community rallies around Sam and her family, one thing becomes crystal clear: her father’s death has turned the unsolved case into a homicide—and it’s on her to bring her father’s killer to justice. But the case has been cold for years…until an anonymous tip that’s too shocking to believe leads Sam down a dark and dangerous path. Her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, knows if she can’t solve this case, it will haunt her for the rest of her life. She’ll need the strength of their bond to pull her out of the darkness before it’s too late, because as the missing pieces rapidly fall into place, Sam realizes the truth might just break her all the same—and that her father’s killer isn’t done yet…

Grab those tissues folks, you’re going to need them. Sam is waking up on the last day of Nick’s European trip, he’d be home later. Over the past week Sam had gotten Alden and Aubrey settled back in school, started them with therapy and fielded calls from their mother’s suddenly concerned family. She’s made do with facetime on Scotty’s phone, texts and watching news coverage for her Nick ‘fix’. The peacefulness of the early morning is shattered when Celia calls frantic, Sam’s father is unresponsive, and Sam goes flying over to their home.

The death of Retired Deputy Chief Charles ‘Skip’ Holland is felt throughout the community and one of the first things that happens is that the cold case on the shooting that made him a quadriplegic is upgraded to murder. The tip line is opened for information on the case, although no one really expects anything after so many years. The events from the candlelight vigil through the funeral had me bawling. Freddie and Elin returned early from their honeymoon, and Gonzo in Christina’s care came from rehab for the funeral and then he returned to complete his stay there.

Sam returns to work to a deluge of media and correspondence on top of the calls flooding into the tip line, many of which were merely condolences. However, towards the end of the day one tip piques curiosity as the caller stated he had been on G street that day. Freddie goes with her to ask the man what he saw that day.

This is a favorite scene.

Sam found the address in Adams Morgan and saw Cruz’s beat-up Mustang parked down the block. He waited for her on the sidewalk, so she double-parked and left her hazards flashing as she got out to join him.

“That one.” He pointed to the building in question.

“Lead the way.”

She followed him up two flights of stairs to an apartment on the third floor.

He knocked on the door. “Metro PD.”

Sam rested her hand on her service weapon, wary after having recently been shot at through a closed door.

A series of locks disengaged, and the door swung open to reveal a man with wild white hair and wilder blue eyes. He took a quick assessing look at them and then gasped. “It’s you! The VP’s wife.”

“Frank Davis?”

“That’s me.”

She flashed her badge while Freddie did the same. “Lieutenant Holland, Detective Cruz. May we have a minute of your time?”

“Yeah, sure. Come in.”

Sam waited for Frank to lead the way before she followed him in. She tried to never turn her back on anyone on the job, which was one of many things her father had pounded into her head when she first started. Keep your eyes on them always. Never turn your back. Be ready for anything. Expect the unexpected. Don’t bring the job home with you. Everything she knew about how to do this job had come from him.

Davis led them into a tidy kitchen that smelled of freshy brewed coffee. “Care for some?”

“I wouldn’t mind a cup.”

Sam scowled at her partner. She hated anything that dragged things out, especially when she was eager to go home.

Freddie smiled and shrugged as he accepted the mug from Davis.

“Cream is on the table. I don’t have any sugar. Not supposed to have it cuz of my diabetes, so it’s easier not to have it in the house.”

“Cream is fine. Thank you.”

Sam glared at Freddie before returning her attention to Davis. “You called the MPD tip line about the shooting four years ago of Deputy Chief Holland?”

Davis nodded. “He’s your father, right?”

“Yes, he was.”

“Sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” Sam wanted to pound her fist on the table and tell him to get on with it, but he seemed like a nice enough man, and if he had info she needed, she didn’t want to piss him off. “What can you tell us?”

“Like I told the officer the day it happened, I was walking on G Street after work.”

“What officer did you speak to the day it happened?” She had long ago memorized every detail of her father’s case and had no recollection of a report about the shooting by anyone named Davis.

“Conklin.”

What the fuck? “Tell us what you saw.”

“I worked then at the Government Accountability Office—GAO. We work for Congress, doing investigations.”

“Yes, we’re aware of what GAO does.”

“So I left work that day and saw the cop in the unmarked car pull over another car. I kept walking past where it was happening. I was about two blocks away when I heard the gunshot. I turned around and saw the officer go down.”

Sam took frantic notes, her heart racing at the implications. An eyewitness. A fucking eyewitness she hadn’t known about for four fucking years? Her hands shook, and her heart raced. She could feel Freddie’s gaze on her, but she didn’t dare look up or venture a glance at him or do anything other than write down every word Davis was saying.

“I called 911 and ran over to see if I could help him. He was bleeding from his neck. I did what I could to stop the bleeding, but it was bad.” He shook his head. “Real bad.”

Sam realized she was talking to the man who’d probably saved her father’s life in those first few fateful moments. Where had this information been for four long years?

“You didn’t see the other car?” Even her voice felt shaky.

“No, it was gone by the time I ran back.”

“And you told all of this to Conklin?”

“Yep. He’s the deputy chief now, right?”

“Yeah, he is.”

She looked at Freddie, who was wide-eyed and equally shocked.

Freddie got to work on his phone, produced the webpage that featured photographs of the department’s top leadership and handed the phone to her.

“Are you sure it was Conklin?” She handed Freddie’s phone to him.

While she and Freddie held their collective breath, Frank took a close look at the officers. The leadership team was more or less the same as it had been then, with one notable exception. Skip Holland was no longer the deputy chief. When he was medically retired, Conklin had moved up to deputy chief and Malone had taken Conklin’s place as detective captain.

“That’s him there.” Davis pointed to Conklin. “He’s the one I talked to that day. I figured I’d hear something from the detectives looking into the case, but I never did.”

Sam felt as if an earthquake had struck, tilting the ground beneath her and leaving her breathless. During the recent investigation into the drive-by shootings, they’d discovered that Conklin had kept secret the fact that a retired MPD officer and a close friend of his had been missing for more than two weeks. Sam had uncovered that detail, which had led to Conklin’s suspension. And now this… “You’ve been very helpful.”

“I wish I could tell you more. After that day, I followed the stories about Deputy Chief Holland, and I was sad to hear he’d passed away.”

Sam fought back the rage and disbelief. “I believe that what you did that day saved his life. It made it possible for him to marry the woman he loved, to meet two more of his grandchildren and to see me happily married. What you did made a huge difference to his entire family, and we owe you a long overdue thank-you.”

He shrugged off her thanks. “I did what anyone would’ve done in that situation. It’s unbelievable to me that someone could randomly shoot a guy who’s out there protecting all of us. It’s madness.”

“Yes, it certainly is.” Sam took down his phone number and left him with their business cards in case he thought of anything else.

Outside, Sam sucked in badly needed deep breaths.

Freddie spoke first. “Oh my God. What the hell?”

Shock reverberated through every cell in her body. This couldn’t be happening. All this time…

“What do we do?”

“I’m going straight to the chief with this.”

“Sam… Let me go with you. You shouldn’t be driving right now.”

That’s when she realized her hands were shaking violently. “Yeah. Okay.”

They got into her car, with Freddie at the wheel. He did a U-turn and headed for HQ while Sam put through a call to Farnsworth’s cell phone, using a number she’d had for years but had rarely used in all the years she’d worked for him.

“Sam?”

“I need to see you right now. Are you still at the office?”

“I was getting ready to leave.”

“Meet me in the morgue parking lot. Ten minutes.”

“Sam—”

She closed the phone because she couldn’t say another word until her uncle Joe was standing in front of her, telling her what to do with this bombshell she’d been handed. Another thing her father had told her on day one—If you learn something your superior officers should know, no matter what it is, tell them immediately. Don’t sit on it for even five minutes, or you’re part of the problem.
Force, Marie. Fatal Reckoning (Fatal Series Book 14). Kindle Locations (1637-1703). HTJB, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

To say that conversation was shocking is an understatement. The implications will be far reaching, and Sam drops that bomb right on Chief Farnsworth who brings in Detective Chief Malone.

From here the investigation takes on a life of its own. So many twists and so many surprises.

Sam and Trulo also work on her idea for a grief group for families of victims that she would support through her role as second lady. Sam also prepares to testify against Stahl.

This book is powerful in both emotion and resolution. I couldn’t put it down. I love Nick and Sam’s relationship and every single one of their friends that we see in almost every book. I can’t seem to get enough of them so I have already started the next book.

5 Contented Purrs for Marie!

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance novels. Her series include Fatal, First Family, Gansett Island, Butler Vermont, Quantum, Treading Water, Miami Nights and Wild Widows. She has also written 11 single titles, with more coming.

Her books have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to spend as much time as possible with her young adult children, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.