Rival's Break
Sharpe & Donovan Book 10
by Carla Neggers
A deadly poisoning, a stolen painting and a criminal mastermind challenge the skills of FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan as never before in their latest high-stakes case. New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers has crafted a gripping novel of international intrigue and suspense not to be missed.
Emma Sharpe is recovering from a shattering loss while her husband, Colin Donovan, is deep into his latest undercover mission. So they’re grateful to enjoy a peaceful autumn weekend together on the southern Maine coast to celebrate Colin’s brother Andy’s wedding.
But the peace is short-lived when Kevin Donovan, a marine patrol officer, receives a call to check on suspected food poisoning at a party aboard a yacht. Colin decides to tag along. He is surprised to recognize one of the victims as an undercover British intelligence officer, and it quickly becomes evident they’re dealing with something very sinister. At the same time a valuable painting by Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne—a friend of Emma and Colin’s—is missing from the yacht, and the connections make the investigation international and extremely personal.
Emma and Colin discover they are up against a deadly foe who plans to strike again. With the help of HIT, their small, elite Boston-based FBI team, they must foil an attack that will have devastating effects. It’s a case that will alter their lives beyond anything they’ve ever imagined…
Momma Says: 2 stars⭐⭐
After reading Rival's Break, I think it's safe to say this is not exactly a standalone story. The mystery, such as it is, could probably stand on its own, but the number of characters who pop in and out and have little to absolutely nothing to do with the case is way over the top. And it's not just that those characters are mentioned. Oh no, we get what I felt was a ridiculous number of points of view. I could have safely skipped a number of chapters and not missed a single thing to do with the case, and I felt like I needed to sift through to find the 'gripping novel of international intrigue and suspense' that is promised in the blurb. In the end, I didn't find any of that and was quite underwhelmed with this one. I don't know if this is Carla Neggers' style or if the many points of view used here is something new, so I remain undecided on whether I'll try another book. I'm sure that fans of the series will enjoy this one more than I did, but it clearly wasn't a good fit for me.
After reading Rival's Break, I think it's safe to say this is not exactly a standalone story. The mystery, such as it is, could probably stand on its own, but the number of characters who pop in and out and have little to absolutely nothing to do with the case is way over the top. And it's not just that those characters are mentioned. Oh no, we get what I felt was a ridiculous number of points of view. I could have safely skipped a number of chapters and not missed a single thing to do with the case, and I felt like I needed to sift through to find the 'gripping novel of international intrigue and suspense' that is promised in the blurb. In the end, I didn't find any of that and was quite underwhelmed with this one. I don't know if this is Carla Neggers' style or if the many points of view used here is something new, so I remain undecided on whether I'll try another book. I'm sure that fans of the series will enjoy this one more than I did, but it clearly wasn't a good fit for me.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and HARLEQUIN
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