Fatal Scandal - Book Review

By Marie Force

Synopsis

As a new year dawns in the capital city, dual scandals rock the Metropolitan Police Department—and Lieutenant Sam Holland is right in the middle of them. Chief Farnsworth is catching heat for the way he handled a recent homicide investigation, and Detective Gonzales is accused of failing to disclose an earlier connection to the judge who decided his custody hearing.

When Gonzo’s fight for his child turns deadly and he has a shaky alibi, Sam must defend two of her closest colleagues. All while her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, settles into his new office at the White House.

Nick begins to wonder if the president is using him for a political boost, and his worries mount over a complication in the plans to adopt Scotty at a time when Sam is being put through the wringer by the always-rabid DC press corps. As the evidence against Gonzo piles up, Sam suspects someone is gunning for her—and her team.

Review

FATAL SCANDAL is book 8 in the Fatal Series, and this is one of those series that I love and have to buy when the next instalment is released, regardless of the cost. While this is the eighth book in the series, only about a year has passed since the events in book 1. In that year, Sam and Nick have reconnected, gotten married, been promoted and started an adoption process.

This is not a stand-alone novel and I recommend you start from the beginning if you’re interested in getting to know this series. I have previously read books 1-7 and I still had trouble remembering past events, scandals and investigations that are mentioned throughout this book.

Nick is now the Vice President of the United States of America, but he’s very concerned that since being sworn in six weeks prior, the President and his staff have had zero contact with him. He now fears that the President simply used Nick’s popularity to ensure his own re-election into the most powerful position in the world.

Sam’s MPD’s Homicide Division is currently being rocked by two scandals: one involving Detective Gonzales’ custody battle and his connection to the judge; and another involving Chief Farnsworth’s decision to put a homicide investigation on hold for a Narcotics Division op. The scandals erupt further when the two civilians involved are murdered and all fingers point to the officers in question. Trying to clear her people’s names and solve the murders prove difficult when someone inside the MPD leaks inaccurate yet damning information to the press. The hunt is now on for the killer and the leak trying desperately to discredit her department.

On top of that, Nick and Sam are trying to adjust to Nick’s new way of life and the necessary intrusion of the Secret Service, as well as handling Scotty’s adoption process which has the potential to be thwarted.

What can I say about Sam other than the fact that I love her? Only that she’s strong, independent and quick witted with a very dry personality. She’s fiercely loyal to those she loves and cares about, but piss her off and she becomes the ultimate bitch who’ll put you in your place and make no apologies about it.

“And you wonder why you’re always pissing people off.”
“I don’t actually wonder.”

And Nick? Well, he’s just become Mr Vice President, and who doesn’t love a man in a very high position of power? His love for Sam is deep and beautiful, and their sex scenes are not only scorching and heading towards kinky, but loving as well. But I think I love Nick most when he’s interacting with Scotty. They have such a wonderful Father/Son relationship and a couple of scenes brought tears to my eyes.

So as I said earlier, this is one of those series that is a must read for me. That being said, we are up to book 8 now and as much as I love following Sam and Nick, I’m wondering how much longer the series can go on for. Thankfully the main group of characters haven’t changed, and there’s not a whole bunch of new characters added in every book that you have to try and keep up with. The hardest part is remembering all the previous investigations and events, especially when those events seem to used against Sam.

“I hate this day with a fiery passion of a thousand haemorrhoids.”