Finale to the Patrick Bowers Files. A bombing at the secret FBI building puts Patrick in a game with not one, but two serial killers he has been hunting. Cryptic clues creating a story to be told, seemingly random murders, and a huge event that could put thousands to death has Patrick and Ralph trying to piece together what the killer has planned. The killer then draws the other killer out so it's a race against time as Patrick has to ask himself how far he will go into the darkness to put the killers into the ground legally or illegally and how much jeopardy will Lien-hua & Tessa as his family be put in? Patrick goes up against double evil in the thrilling conclusion to this series. ( )

From Amazon:

When a clandestine FBI facility is attacked, Special Agent Patrick Bowers is drawn into the vicious, ruthless story that a killer from his past is bent on telling the world.
Clues lead to long-forgotten secrets buried deep beneath Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. Now Bowers is caught up in trying to stop one of the deadliest attacks ever planned on American soil. Smart, tense, and full of mind-bending twists and turns, Checkmate explodes onto the scene, bringing this cycle of the Bowers Files to an unforgettable conclusion.

My Thoughts:

There are very few authors who can consistently write at the high level Steven James has maintained throughout the Patrick Bowers series, from The Pawn to Checkmate. Each story in this series has been complex, entertaining, fresh, intriguing, and loaded with suspense. While some books in the series are " who done it" mysteries, others are more straight-up suspense/thriller. With Checkmate being a little bit of both. Throughout the seven books the characters and their relationships have build and grown. This final book in the series does an excellent job of bringing together the various themes and plots that have run throughout all the previous books. It's very sad to see the end come for Patrick Bowers but all I can say is "Great job, Steven James for providing your readers with an exciting ride and a great conclusion. Patrick, Tessa, Lein-hau, Ralph and the rest of your marvelous characters will be greatly missed." ( )