Driven: A Thrilling Novel of Suspense

Driven by Rebecca Zanetti Deep Ops #? I was looking forward to reading about Angus Force and Nari Zhang since they run so hot and cold through the first books and though the two do belong together, sizzle when together, and seem to be good for one another…this story took me longer to read and I am not sure why. It could have been any one of a number of things: the obsession that Angus had over the serial killer that did his sister in or Nari’s obsession with wanting the approval of her biological father or the two of them doing the push-pull & you deserve better/are better thing or perhaps the way outside forces were trying to manipulate clues in a way that was truly unbelievable to me so why would it be believable to those who should have been in the know OR it could be that this story wasn’t as much for me as the previous ones were…who knows. I did enjoy it and look forward to reading more in this series/by this author. So, thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review. 3-4 Stars

DRIVEN is the fourth full length instalment in Rebecca Zanetti’s contemporary, adult DEEP OPS romantic suspense series focusing on the members of the Requisition Force, Deep Ops Team, a division of the Homeland Defense Department ( HDD) of the FBI. This is disgruntled and disgraced FBI and HDD agent Angus Force, and FBI psychologist Nari Zhang’s story. DRIVEN can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and history, as the hunt for a serial killer, once thought dead and buried, has been developing throughout the series. Told from dual third person perspectives (Nari and Angus) DRIVEN brings into focus Angus Force’s obsession with proving, the serial killer nicknamed “the Surgeon”, is alive and well, taunting our hero at every opportunity. Years earlier, Angus was credited with taking down and killing serial killer Henry Wayne Lassiter but a series of murders, with similarities to the murders of Henry Wayne Lassiter, have piqued the obsession of our story line hero. As the murders take on a familiar pattern, and the victims bear a striking resemblance to the members of the Deep Ops Team, Nari and Angus become targets of a pathological mind, pulling Angus into an investigation where he becomes the number one suspect. The relationship between Nari and Angus is one of immediate attraction but an attraction predicated upon close proximity, and a thinly veiled line between hate and lust. When the Requisition Force Team is disbanded, our couple remain working together, pushing them closer to love and their own happily ever after. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. Once, again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including former police detective and undercover operative Malcolm West, and Pippa Smith, (Hidden #1), Special agent Raider Tanaka, and computer hacker Brigid Banaghan (Fallen 2) , US Navy SEAL Clarence Wolfe, and reporter Dana Mulberry (Broken 3); Angus’s quirky alcohol guzzling, lipstick eating German shepherd Roscoe, and Wolfe’s pocket sized kitten Kat: FBI administrator Opal Clemonte; Nari’s biological father Quan Zhang; former MI6 Agent Dr. Jethro Hanson; Special Agents Tom Rutherford, and Kurt Fields. DRIVEN is a story of obsession, betrayal, treason and vengeance; family, friendships and relationships; power, infatuation, and murder. The premise is intriguing and enthralling; the romance is passionate; the characters are dynamic, compelling and tireless. DRIVEN is a wonderfully exciting addition to the Deep Ops series.

OMG - this book was fantastic!!! Fast paced romantic suspense at it's best! I loved this latest battle with the serial killer that Angus thought he killed years ago....but are they facing him, or a copycat? While the killer ramps up, Angus's team is faced with lots of challenges, which could put their very lives at risk. Add in his having to face his relationship with Nari and Nari having to face her relationship with her father, and you have a complex and engaging story. I found myself totally engrossed in this book and flipping pages just as quickly as possible. If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. Put this one at the top of your TBR list. The author is on my must read authors' list.