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Release date: August 16, 2016

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Mystery

Narrator: Stephen Lane 

Blurb: 

When Jordie Bennet and Shaw Kinnard lock eyes across a disreputable backwater bar, something definitely sparks. Shaw gives off a dangerous vibe that makes men wary and inspires women to sit up and take notice. None feel that undercurrent more strongly than savvy businesswoman Jordie, who doesn’t belong in a seedy dive on the banks of a bayou. But here she is . . . and Shaw Kinnard is here to kill her. 

As Shaw and his partner take aim, Jordie is certain her time has come. But Shaw has other plans and abducts Jordie, hoping to get his hands on the $30 million her brother has stolen and, presumably, hidden. However, Shaw is not the only one looking for the fortune. Her brother’s ruthless boss and the FBI are after it as well. Now on the run from the feds and a notorious criminal, Jordie and Shaw must rely on their wits-and each other-to stay alive. 

Miles away from civilization and surrounded by swampland, the two play each other against their common enemies. Jordie’s only chance of survival is to outwit Shaw, but it soon becomes clear to Shaw that Jordie isn’t entirely trustworthy, either. Was she in on her brother’s scam, or is she an innocent pawn in a deadly vendetta? And just how valuable is her life to Shaw, her remorseless and manipulative captor? Burning for answers-and for each other-this unlikely pair ultimately make a desperate move that could be their last.

With nonstop plot twists and the tantalizing sexual tension that has made Sandra Brown one of the world’s best-loved authors, STING will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final pages.

Review: 

I’ve only read one other book by Brown before and I enjoyed it, so when I had an opportunity to listen to her newest, Sting I jumped at the chance. She’s a widely popular author, deservedly so, and though I tend to read more thriller type books, I do like to add romantic suspense to my TBR from time to time. I think even with the addition of romance in this one, most thriller fans would find this an excellent read. 

Lang is an unbelievably talented narrator and as anyone who listens to books can attest to, a good or bad narrator can make or break things. He has a very gravelly, gruff voice that added so much to the story. I especially liked his portrayal and characterization of Shaw, he sounded exactly perfect and just how I imagined. He really was phenomenal and I would listen to anything he voiced, no matter the author.

Jordie meets Shaw one night when she visits a seedy bar that she has no business entering. Shaw is a hit man hired to take her out, but when things take an unexpected turn, they’re forced to work together. Jordie knows that her brother Josh has hidden over thirty million dollars somewhere, and the hit must be directly related to Josh’s schemes. And that’s all I’m going to reveal about the plot, trust me, the less you know the better.

The plot here was so twisty and tense, the big twist blew me away, I didn’t see it coming at all! There were also quite a few smaller, but still powerful turns that caught me off guard. The characters were interesting and because of all of the turns Brown took plot wise, I went from hating to loving them several different times. The secondary characters were also great, I always love seeing inside the minds of police personnel and with the FBI involved, there was plenty of interesting perspectives from them. Don’t let the romantic aspect put you off either, it’s important to the story but it doesn’t overpower it. And if you’re a fan of romance, all the better as it adds something unique to the story.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Hachette Audio for my review copy.