When Bianca steps into her office expecting to see a perspective client, she finds Colin Rogan, who she previously knew as Mickey, leaning on her desk and introducing himself as Mr. Tower of Tower Consulting. The last time she saw him was when she had left him drugged in a hotel room in Moscow. But what is even worse is that he now knows who she really is and has found the only place where she feels safe, her home in Savannah, Georgia. After a CIA hit squad comes after her again, Colin offers her an opportunity to work with him and erase the threat that she has been running from most of her life. She knows better than to believe this fairy tale, but for the moment, he is her only choice. Posing as a woman who has stolen government secrets, she takes on a mission to sell falsified information that could maintain an ever eroding balance of power between the US and North Korea.
Finally, we get the story promised by the first two books in the Guardian Series. This thriller is full of action, adventure, and romance. In addition, we get answers to several of the questions raised earlier in the series. Very well written with lots of twists and turns, this book may very well be the last in the series, however, we can only hope that there might be future adventures for Bianca and Colin. ( )

In the third book of The Guardian series, Bianca St. Ives, owner of a private security company called Guardian Consulting, is rather forced to take on an assignment. Bianca is being hunted by the CIA, and she is offered a chance that could save her life. She must complete a dangerous mission. Should she succeed, Bianca would have the opportunity to be free of danger.

In this thrilling book by Karen Robards, Bianca must take on the role of another woman. She must enter into the belly of the beast, as it were, and plant false information that could prevent a major disaster involving North Korea. This job is extremely delicate, because one simple mistake could not only cost her to lose her life, but also countless other lives.

The Fifth Doctrine is an espionage thriller of the highest caliber. The action begins from the very first page and never, ever lets up. Bianca is working with Colin Rogan, and she finds it incredibly difficult to trust him, so there is more than a bit of cat-and-mouse activity there. Also, some of the scenes will stop your heart! In particular, when Bianca’s car is suddenly remotely controlled by her enemies while she is speeding along, then forced into heavy traffic, all while being moments away from being captured.

Another incredible scene is when Bianca manages to deliver herself and several others from capture. Oh my, I almost forgot to breathe! That is the sort of pacing in this book. It never lets up.

If one enjoys excellent espionage thrillers, then this is certainly the book to read. I simply must set aside time to read the first two books in this series in order to be ready to grab the next one as soon as it becomes available.

Many thanks to Mira and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
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