Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann

Do or DieWhy I read it:  I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

What it’s about: (from Goodreads)  Navy SEAL Ian Dunn went rogue in a big way when he turned his talents to a lawless life of jewel heists and con jobs. Or so the world has been led to believe. In reality, the former Special Ops warrior is still fighting for good, leading a small band of freelance covert operatives who take care of high-stakes business in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the hands-down choice when the U.S. government must breach a heavily guarded embassy and rescue a pair of children kidnapped by their own father, a sinister foreign national willing to turn his own kids into casualties. Shockingly, Ian passes on the mission… for reasons he will not–or cannot–reveal.

But saying no is not an option. Especially not to Phoebe Kruger, Ian’s bespectacled, beautiful, and unexpectedly brash new attorney. Determined to see the abducted children set free, she not only gets Ian on board but insists on riding shotgun on his Mission: Impossible-style operation, whether he likes it or not.

Though Phoebe has a valuable knack for getting out of tight spots, there’s no denying the intensely intimate feelings growing between Ian and Phoebe as the team gears up for combat. But these are feelings they both must fight to control as they face an array of cold-blooded adversaries, including a vindictive mob boss who’s got Ian at the top of his hit list and a wealthy psychopath who loves murder as much as money. As they dodge death squads and play lethal games of deception, Ian and Phoebe will do whatever it takes to save the innocent and vanquish the guilty.

Or die trying.

What worked for me (and what didn’t):  I have missed Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters books. This isn’t a Troubleshooters book but it is a kind of offshoot of them.  Regular Brockmann readers will recognise Deb Erlanger and Joe (“Yashi”) Hirabayashi from the FBI and Martell Griffin from Force of Nature (he is a friend of Ric Alvarado’s).  Jules Cassidy even gets a mention or two but he didn’t actually appear on page (sadly).  It’s set in the same world where the Troubleshooters are and I gather that future books in this series may incorporate other TS characters in some way.

I found Do or Die like Ocean’s Eleven with SEALs (and without George Clooney).  I could easily imagine it as a fast-paced action-packed blockbuster movie.  It read that way to me and even though the book is quite long (438 pages on my reader – hey, it’s Brockmann, what did you expect?), I read the book very fast because I just had to keep going.

But the main characters are Ian Dunn’s group of ragtag private espionage agents.  Ian is a former Navy SEAL and a charming con man.  His brother is Aaron.  Aaron is married to Shelly, the team’s expert hacker (and they have a baby son, Rory).  Shelly’s sister is Francine – she is the sharpshooter and getaway driver of the group.  Good friend John Murray former SEAL colleague of Ian’s will, I expect return to the main stage in the next book even though he is not on page much in this one.  Between them, the group have mad skillz and regularly colour outside the lines to get a job done.  Because they are the good guys, always, it is easy to cheer for them.

The romance arc in Do or Die is between Ian and Phoebe Kruger, a lawyer who finds herself in over her head but also who quickly finds that she has a talent for improvisation which fits well with the group dynamic and she’s a very clever lawyer too.   Ian and Phoebe have a great chemistry and even though the relationship develops fairly quickly (the whole book only takes a couple of weeks), the pressure cooker environment and the maturity of both characters had me believing in their HEA.

It’s a romance, with action-packed, guns-blazing chases and elements of nail-biting risk and also a caper story in the vein of the previously mentioned Ocean’s Eleven and/or The Italian Job – maybe even The A-Team.  There are a few twists to keep the reader on his/her toes, but the large cast of characters didn’t feel unwieldy or make the story drag.

What else? Phoebe’s character does make a very foolish mistake early on but her “too stupid to live” -ness was acknowledged and she learned from it.  As it was in the beginning of the book, not the end, I gave it a pass – the lady was just learning and it was a steep curve.  I liked how Ms. Brockmann gave Ian plenty of opportunity to be naked and/or shirtless (another bonus if there’s ever a movie) and I liked that Phoebe was a tall, statuesque Amazon type with real curves and not a little waif.

There were a couple of side stories which while wrapped here, have the potential to be expounded upon in future books.  I’m definitely on board the Reluctant Hero train.

Is there such a thing as a “popcorn book”?  Because if, so, I think Do or Die qualifies.  What it does, it does well.  It was a fast thrill-ride and a lot of fun.  Brockmann is back!

Now, thanks to that car parked out front, he was going to have to go all covert and shit.

Fricking pain in his ass.

Grade: B+

BUY IT:
AMAZON     KOBO     BOOK DEPOSITORY

 

4 comments on “Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann

  1. azteclady

    I am a fan of Ms Brockmann’s Troubleshooters and would have jumped all over this if it was part of that series. As it is, I’m not feeling all that compelled to rush out and get it. Which sucks. As far as I’m concerned, there haven’t been any new Brockmann’s in years (yeah, in my universe that other series’ first book just didn’t happen), and I miss them.

  2. AJH

    Oh, I totally agree with you – this is insanely good fun. I really like the … uh … ‘mature’ vibe sounds weird, but I really like the way Ian and Phoebe come across as sensible, independent adults who work their way towards friendship and mutual respect to love. I found it really refreshing actually. Also I loved Phoebe – loved her, and I kind of like that she wasn’t immediately perfect and on top of everything, but that it didn’t diminish her as a character.

    It does read like a movie, doesn’t it? I was thinking of it as a stealth-shooter, but Oceans 11 works really well too. I love that about Brockmann’s writing, though. How visual it is.

  3. Kaetrin

    @azteclady: I think this book is a lot like the Troubleshooters series and it does have some of the characters from the TS universe. If you liked the TS books, I bet you would like this one. (I wasn’t a huge fan of Born to Darkness either).

    @AJH: Yes – Phoebe had natural skills which helped her in the caper at the end but she also had a steep learning curve. That she wasn’t immediately perfect made sense and it also made her more accessible as a character.

    Martell is the next hero. Looking forward to it! 🙂

  4. car shopping tips

    Hello, i think that i saw you visited my web site thus i came to ཿreturn the favorཿ.I’m attempting to find things
    to improve my site!I suppose its ok to use some of your
    ideas!!

Verified by MonsterInsights