Review: Fatal Flaw – Marie Force

Fatal Flaw by Marie Force
Series:  Fatal Series #4
Release Date:  February 6, 2012
Publisher:  Carina Press
Page Count / File Size:  663 kb
Source:  NetGalley
Buy the book at: Amazon 

Back from their honeymoon, Senator Nick Cappuano and D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland are ready for some normalcy after the whirlwind of their wedding, but someone has other plans for them. When Sam discovers wedding cards containing thinly veiled death threats, she’s not sure if she or Nick is the target.

Already on edge, Sam and her team start investigating a series of baffling murders. The victims are well-liked with no known enemies, and the murders are carried out in a clean and efficient manner. Unable to find a clear motive for the deaths, she feels like she’s chasing her tail.

With no obvious connection between the victims, Sam soon suspects that she may be the ultimate prize in the killer’s clever game. When the danger starts to hit a little too close to home, she has two goals: find the elusive murderer and manage to live long enough to enjoy her happily ever after.

If you aren’t up to speed on the magnificent Fatal Series, our central characters are Samantha Holland, Metro Police Lieutenant in the homicide division and Senator Nick Cappuano.  At the beginning of the series, they were reunited during the murder investigation for Nick’s best friend, Senator John O’Conner.  They have spent the past three books on a whirlwind romance filled with intrigue, murder, and mayhem.

After Fatal Destiny, the wedding novella, I was convinced that Sam and Nick weren’t going to have an easy transition into married life.  I usually enjoy saying I told you so, but this storyline took a completely different direction than I thought it may have been going, considering the arrest that was made before the wedding in Fatal Destiny.  That said, it was a storyline that had me riveted from the very beginning because there appeared to be no clear motive.  With Sam and her team stumped, I was flipping (figuratively) through the pages hoping there was some clue that we were missing.  Add in the mysterious cards being sent to both Sam and Nick and start wondering how everything is connected.

As with the other Fatal books, it’s Sam and Nick’s relationship that truly draws me in.  With all the crap the two of them have had to deal with in the past three months, it was wonderful to see how completely in-sync they were with each other.  It’s as if a switch has been flipped with Sam since she’s had that wedding band placed on her finger, she’s suddenly not all about the whatever investigation she’s working on.  The place she wants to be is with Nick (and really…why wouldn’t she want to spend as much time as possible with the Senator from Virginia???)

Not to be outdone by our main characters, Marie Force has created a wonderful group of secondary characters that intertwine with Nick and Sam both professionally and personally that round out each and every book in the series.  Here’s a breakdown of each of those storylines:

• Scotty storyline makes me smile and gives me hope that Sam and Nick can have that family they want so much.  They may not have the best lifestyle for raising a child in, but it’s clear the two of them would do anything for Scotty and that he adores them.  I can’t wait to see where things with him go.
• Freddie’s storyline with his mother and Elin continues, but we get the added twist of his estranged father entering the picture.  Freddie doesn’t handle all of this really well, but I don’t think anyone can be disappointed with the direction his character is going.
• Gonzo and Christine’s storyline was brief, but they’re still going strong raising baby Alex together.
• We got a new romance with Terry O’Conner, Deputy Chief of Staff for Nick and ME Lindsey McNamara.  These two hot!
• Jeanine McBride, still dealing with the aftermath of her abduction and rape, readjusts to her new life (both personally and professionally).  Her’s is a heartbreaking storyline, but towards the end we started to see Jeanine’s old spark shine through.