Laura Griffin |

I first discovered Laura Griffin a few weeks ago when her novella, Surrender at Dawn, was offered as a free download for Nook. I’m all about free (just ask my kids) and I love romantic suspense so I downloaded it and read it in a day. What impressed me about Ms. Griffin was that she understood a Glock does not have a safety. Ooooh, that’s one of the things that drives me nuts about suspense authors–when they don’t know their weapons. The second thing that drew me in was her dialogue. I’m a sucker for snappy, realistic, dialogue. Note the emphasis on realistic. And the third thing that drew me in was her fast pace and tight writing.

As soon as I finished Surrender at Dawn, I immediately acquired Unforgivable. Wow! I couldn’t put the book down. Again, her dialogue was realistic and her writing tight. Not to mention that she really knows her stuff when it comes to police detectives and DNA (although the term dick, when used to refer to a detective did throw me off. I don’t know one detective who would refer to themselves, or each other, as a dick. At least not in the sense of detective work 🙂 ).

The heroine, Mia, was strong and good at what she does, but she also has a softer side and a vulnerability when it comes to a certain detective who happens to get her case. What I liked about the hero, Ric, was that he was tight-lipped and didn’t reveal his emotions a whole lot (which very much describes a lot of police officers) but I always knew what he was thinking through body language and such. Mia wants more from Ric. Ric needs to hold back. Sparks fly until the final argument that is stunningly written. I won’t reveal it here but that scene was my favorite–when Ric loses control enough to reveal his feelings for Mia. Sigh.

And there’s a wonderful subplot between Ric’s partner, Jonah, and Mia’s friend, Sophie. I was so excited to learn that Jonah and Sophie get their own story (Snapped). Definitely picking up that book too.

If you like fast-paced suspense and a well-balanced romance then Unforgivable is definitely the book for you.

A+

Blurb for Unforgivable:

TRACING KILLERS IS MIA VOSS’S BUSINESS.
AND HER WORK JUST GOT PERSONAL.

At first, Mia Voss thinks it’s just bad luck when her already lousy day ends with a carjacking. But what seems like a random incident is followed by another sinister episode. A DNA expert, Mia has made it her mission to put away vicious criminals. Suddenly, she’s become the target of one. And the only way to protect the people she loves most is to deliberately destroy her reputation and risk letting a killer walk free.

Once, Mia trusted Detective Ric Santos. That was before Ric let his turbulent past ruin his chances with Mia, the sexiest, most intriguing woman he’s ever met. But he can tell when she’s lying—and when she’s scared. The key to catching a sadistic madman lies within a long-buried cold case that has haunted Mia for years. Only she can uncover the truth, but first, Ric will have to get her to entrust him with her secrets . . . and her life.