Monday, August 8, 2022

[Review] - 'Crossfire' (Extreme Measures 2) by Lynette Eason


Last week, I binged-watched the second season of The X-Files and coincidentally read Crossfire by Lynette Eason, which centers on an FBI antagonist. The two are in no way linked together besides both having FBI characters. Crossfire is a Christian romance-thriller, and nowhere does the description fit in with The X-Files.
Crossfire is the second book in Lynette Eason's Extreme Measures series. I've never read the first book, Life Flight, so I don't know if there are continuing storylines and characters or if Crossfire is just a standalone.

The heroine is FBI Agent Julianna Jameson, who is still traumatized by a childhood school shooting. That life-changing event is one of the reasons why she became a top-notch FBI negotiator. Life has thrown many curveballs at Julianna, leaving her to raise her much-younger sister, Dottie, who'll be graduating from high school shortly.

On a May Tuesday morning, Julianna gets called in to negotiate a hostage situation at a courthouse. She crosses paths with Clay Fox, a former Army Ranger sniper working as a resource officer at Dottie's school. Julianna and Clay made a strong connection that day, and they team up to stop a series of attacks across the city.


Final Thoughts


I hate to be a "Danny Downer," but Crossfire has one too many eye-rolling cliches for me to enjoy it. I thought the first half was decent. While the protagonist's backstory was dark, it helped flesh out the character, and I was able to make an emotional connection. Like in all of Eason's works, the descriptions were richly detailed. Those are the good things. Now let's get on with the things I didn't like. The dialogue between the agents and other authorities seemed unrealistic. I didn't care for Clay Fox from the get-go. I can't explain it, but something about the character rubbed me the wrong way. What's with his name? Clay Fox, Fox Mulder? Is Lynette Eason an X-Files fan?

Anyhoo, the chemistry between Julianna and Clay was non-existent. Or maybe I'm too love blind to see it.

Julianna's younger sister, Dottie, was too annoying for me to handle, and I instantly disowned the character.

The so-called twists & turns were a bit too predictable for me. Near the midpoint, I guessed the ending correctly.

Overall, Crossfire was a disappointing read. It had all the ingredients for the perfect romantic thriller but ended underbaked.


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