INTO THE MIST - Maya Banks
Falcon Mercenary Group, Book 1
Samhain - www.samhainpublishing.com
ISBN: 1-59998--069-X
February 2008
Erotic Paranormal Romance
Rating: Red Hot!

Present Day

Hostage Recovery Specialist Eli Chance has gained an opportunity to let down his guard.  He has been a shifter from a very young age, a burden he now shares with the other four members of his group.  When a recovery effort led by Falcon Mercenary Group Agent Damiano Ruiz became an ambush, they were all exposed to a chemical agent that caused the others to become shifters, too.  Damiano was believed to have been killed, and the others escaped captivity and experimentation because of Eli's ability to control his shifting.  While Eli's team member, Gabe, is stable and able to shift at will, brothers Ian and Braden are having trouble controlling their shifts.  When a mysterious woman tracks Eli down, she not only takes his breath away with the heat they generate, she knows that he is a shifter.  After a night of sizzling passion, she still won't reveal her name or agenda, knocks him on his butt, and takes off.  Eli is determined to track her around the globe, get answers, and most importantly, explore the intense desire he feels for her.

Tyana Berezovsky is in deep trouble with the head of Falcon Mercenary Group.  She was not supposed to go after Eli Chance on her own, and the fact that she had sex with him is not helping her plead her case.  There is nothing that Tyana will not do to save her brother Damiano.  He has sheltered and protected her since they were very young, and she knows that he would do the same for her.  Damiano's control over his shifting ability is deteriorating daily, and the man who left him for dead is stable.  Tyana is sure that Eli Chance holds the secret that will help Damiano, and she will pursue him until she gets the answers that Damiano needs.  Then she will kill him for leaving Damiano to die, if she can overcome the unwanted trust and attraction she experiences when she is with him.

Other secondary characters include Falcon Mercenary Group members Jonah, Mad Dog, and Tits; and Esteban Morales, owner of a large pharmaceutical corporation.  Jonah and Mad Dog, along with Damiano, are the only family Tyana has ever known, and they have turned a scared orphan into a confident and capable fighter who will take on anything.  Watching her outmaneuver all of the men trying to either restrain or kill her is a treat.

Action and suspense highlight INTO THE MIST.  Eli is a man who likes to be in control, and Tyana is the one woman he's met who can wrestle it away from him.  A heroic alpha male and a vulnerable, mercenary woman are a perfect pairing.  Adding to the tension is the constant change of setting; cities include Singapore, Paris, and Buenos Aires, as everyone races to find answers to the chemical mystery that threatens lives.  Fight sequences are well written and intense.  Characters are well drawn and deft plotting keeps the reader glued to the book.  Intimate encounters are steamy and emotional, and neither Eli nor Tyana are sure what to make of their relationship; are they lovers or enemies?  An all or nothing ending with a couple of surprises is a terrific finish that leaves one anticipating the next book in the series.  For heat and thrills, check out the highly recommended INTO THE MIST.

Jennell