In case you missed it:
Set for . . . Revenge
Revenge is the third entry in the Degrees of Darkness Series by Winter Austin, published by Crimson Romance and due out November 11th (2013).
We're reunited with Remy LeBeau attempting to put his past behind him once and for all by returning to New Orleans where all but two of his former associates on the police force believe he died in the Katrina tragedy thanks to the arrangements of his former father-in-law and District Attorney Paul Dumond. His former partner on the police force Jared Savard knows he's alive because he thought he killed Remy when he raped and killed Remy's newly pregnant wife Marie. Paul Dumond made it easy for Remy to disappear and relocate in Dallas on the police force where he's a detective with his partner, former Marine Heath Anderson. Dumond made it clear the arrangement meant Remy could never return to New Orleans.
Remy never expected to fall in love again after the horrors of losing his wife Marie and barely surviving his knife wounds, but after his initial meeting and subsequent go-round with the red-headed rodeo spit-fire Cody Lewis in the first book of the series Relentless, he's fallen hard and reasoned the only way they can truly be together is to confront the forces that have been trying to kill him, introduced in the second book Retribution. With the information he gained in Retribution he's determined to locate and eliminate his former partner and whoever is responsible for giving Savard the orders for the death of Marie and now himself.
The blow-up he expected from Cody takes place when he denies her request to accompany him, intending to protect her from the evil he's pursuing, and he leaves with her furious declaration that she won't wait for him echoing in his senses. With his mandatory month long vacation handed down from his superior, he leaves Dallas and rides his Harley to his only remaining confidante with whom he worked on patrol in New Orleans, Victoria (Vic) Slater's home. Secretly, they intend to solve two things: who is "Alphonse" who's been ordering these horrible killings and could it also be connected to the cold case deaths of Vic's parents?
In a regretful turnaround Cody, her best friend Kim, Luc Santorini the investigator, and Heath head to New Orleans to find and assist Remy before he manages to get himself killed. Kim's on a mission to find out information about her birth mother's death, and Cody and Heath are geared up for finding Remy, starting out on Bourbon Street.
Remy sneaks into town planning to ambush Savard's underlings until he gets the information he needs. Hitting hard and fast, he gets some information but not enough. In the meantime Savard's Voodoo backfires on him and the clang of fear begins to motivate his actions. "Alphonse" learns of Remy's presence, and all hell breaks loose.
The twists tease the reader in the background, the tension amps up, the hot-headed Cody manages to alienate her best friend, Heath tries to handle Cody and Kim, Luc turns up useful and compelling discoveries while Remy and Vic try to figure out what they've missed.
Winter gives the reader a true depiction of the real New Orleans, famous for its corruption much like Chicago. We feel the darkness and evil that floats through the Bourbon Street bars, and we sense the cold murderous spirit about to wrap itself around Remy and his friends.
Revenge is an exciting tale of love, loss, the desire to put an end to the long standing evil that surrounds Remy's life so, if he can survive his mission, just maybe he can find some real happiness. Toward the end, survival looks tentative, but the intense climax and settled ending proves satisfactory on many levels.
Cody's character grew on me, but she drives me (and herself) crazy with her over-reactions and self-induced struggles. In this book her courage and toughness is admirable and fits with her strong-willed personality. Remy is the strong, stubborn Cajun who's smooth, sultry, and savvy when he needs to be. It's hard not to fall for him. The bad guys are definitely bad with a little Voodoo and a lot of cold, hard evil.
Real romantic suspense, this third edition in the Degrees of Darkness Series manages to be my favorite. Faith issues remain mostly in the background, and profanity is used occasionally. I recommend you begin with Relentless, proceed to Retribution, and thoroughly enjoy Revenge by Winter Austin.
And finally I gotta say: that is one fabulous cover for this novel.
http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Degrees-Darkness-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00FWYXDTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384703409&sr=8-1&keywords=revenge+by+winter+austin
Father, thank you for Winter's imagination and talent. Thank you for her diligence and determination. Please continue to give her meaningful characters and stories and the time to complete what you've given her to do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.