Unforgivable
4 Stars

Series note: Mia Voss and Ric Santos are first introduced in book #2, which should be read first to get a full picture of their relationship.

A DNA expert at the Delphi Center, a privately funded forensics lab, Mia Voss is no stranger to violent crime. But her latest case hits close to home when she is threatened and extorted into destroying evidence. Despite his attraction to Mia, detective Ric Santos isn't interested in a lasting relationship. Nevertheless, he cannot stand by while she is threatened and will put aside his reservations to protect her.

While the investigation is intense and the forensic elements are well-incorporated, the romance falls short.

Unlike the bold and assertive heroines of the first two books, Mia is more studious and quiet. She allows her emotions to override her common sense, which leads to several TSTL moments. Nevertheless, she is a sweet and caring person determined to seek justice for the victims.

Ric's commitment phobia is also problematic. His behavior toward Mia in the previous installment, i.e., he turned on the charm to gain her help does not reflect well on him, and his attitude in this book also leaves much to be desired. In fact, his sudden about-face toward the end isn't all that believable.

Thankfully, the serial rapist-killer case more than compensates for the lackluster romance. It is good to finally have the focus shift to the Delphi Center, which has been more on the periphery so far. Moreover, following along with Ric and Mia as they uncover clues and trace the killer is very satisfying.

Mia's friend, Sophie Barrett, and Ric's partner, Jonah Macon, are the focus of the next story, and their interactions are very appealing. Looking forward to their book. ( )

Mia Voss is a DNA expert with the Tracers of the Delphi Group. Ric Santos is one of the many police detectives that brings DNA evidence to the Delphi Group in order to get the best and quickest results. When Mia gets carjacked and almost killed, she turns to her friend, Ric to help her get answers and protect her from a continuing threat that not only involves her, but also her nephew and her friends. Ric suspects that the answers may lie with several cold murder cases including those he has brought to Mia for analysis. Evidence begins to point to a highly placed political source, putting careers and lives in jeopardy.
This is the first Tracers Series novel that has a Tracer as the main character. Mia's mounting fear and feelings of hopelessness come through loud and clear in this book. Forensic evidence has played a larger and larger role with each of the Tracer books, and this one has the most yet, but there isn't an overwhelming amount of technical information and it is explained well enough to make the connections to the story very clear. This series continues to improve with each new book. ( )

First book I have read by this author and I must say I liked it. Suspense, action and good chemistry. The pace was well maintained. Mia and Rico too were well developed characters. ( )

I had hoped for a stronger story for Mia, who comes off as ineffective, weak, and a pushover in this one. And why are all the heroes so douchey?? ( )

I got a deal on this one, so read it (out of order). Per Amazon:
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.
Some of the actions of the main characters were more than a little unbelievable, but all in all the story kept my interest. Emphasis on suspense rather than romance, and I will go back and read some of the other Tracer books.

I'd recommend this one for a page-turner :) ( )