"Moving Target" by Lynette Eason

Moving Target (Jan. 31, 2017) by Lynette Eason.*

While his friends know that he’d oppose a birthday party in his honor, they also know that something’s very wrong when Detective Quinn Holcombe and bodyguard Maddy McKay don’t show up. No word, no heads up. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Maddy and Quinn awake in a cement room with a map mural of an island. A madman calling himself the Chosen One abducted them for his games. His hunting games are like something out of “The Hunger Games,” except there’s only one killer, and his games are one-sided. As in, he wins, and his victims die. Always.

            Until Maddy and Quinn win the first round – so far, the only prey to do so – and now they have the “honored privilege” of advancing to the next round. The killer declares that it’ll get personal now, though fighting for one’s life and survival seems rather personal already. It’ll take the combined efforts of Maddy’s Elite Guardians coworkers and their other friends to outwit this killer. In his twisted beliefs, the killer believes that he is called to kill for a specific purpose. He’s twisted biblical numerology to fit his death system.

            The third book in the Elite Guardians series hits the ground running. An inspirational romantic suspense novel, there is a romance budding between Maddy and Quinn, who’ve been friends now for years, but the suspense is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve a very active imagination, there are certain scenes that may overwhelm your psyche and sour your stomach, even though they’re not explained in great detail. This story is a race with many obstacles, and it’s a turbulent ride. It makes for fast reading, as the active plot grabs you. But there is also warmth in the camaraderie of the Elite Guardians and their friends and in the strong faith of many of the characters, though there are those, like Quinn, who are struggling to keep their faith above water. We’ve all had to tread water at some point, and, like Quinn, hopefully we’ve come out the stronger for it.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”