From The Ashes, by Stacy Lynn Miller is a crime thriller about Manhattan Sloane is a police detective on the San Francisco gang detail.
Sloane is determined to catch the Los Dorado Mexican Cartel’s gang leaders and have revenge for the death of her wife Avery in a fire they caused 8 months ago. That day she lost her wife and sixteen-year-old Reagan lost her mother, so Sloane’s career has become a subject of reconsideration. As Reagan’s fears and her own losses have mounted, Sloane is torn between a career she loves and a daughter she is now solely responsible for.
Finn Harper is an agent with the DEA assigned to the gang detail, who was there when Sloane’s wife died. Sloane and Finn have a history. When they were in junior high, they each had crushes on the other. Sadly, Sloane was pulled out of school and sent to live with her grandmother because her parents had died in an automobile accident. The two girls lost touch, and never had the chance to see where it might have gone. Many years and promotions later, each is at the top of their careers. Now they have been thrown back together in this operation, and have discovered that even after all this time, they have strong feelings and attraction toward one another.
There are many questions to answer and all must be considered while chasing and arresting these very dangerous criminals. How long should Sloane grieve and allow Reagan to grieve before she allows herself to accept her feelings for Finn, and tell her that she reciprocates the love Finn has promised her? Can she continue to work and keep from descending into the evil she has almost burned in through her losses?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I enjoyed the confidence in these two lead characters. They both pressed forward in what they knew they wanted to do and achieve, in spite of serious losses. I can see professionals acting in these ways. The book is very well written.
Cons And Heads Up
The book has some very improbable points which could have been handled a bit differently. The twists in plot were a bit predictable.
The Conclusion
I enjoyed reading this book. As the middle book of a crime series, I found it easy to jump into the story and there were a lot of thrills and action. I would read more books by this author, hoping that the characters might be more fleshed out having started from the beginning.
Excerpt from From The Ashes by Stacy Lynn Miller
“Sloane led the way to the interview rooms. She was lumbering a little less today in her walking boot. Finn hoped her physical healing was an indicator of her emotional healing as well. Sloane steered her into the observation chamber of an empty room and then stepped closer. Finn shifted her focus to Sloane’s lips.
At the prospect of kissing them again, the saliva in her mouth built to a level she couldn’t ignore. Let her make the next move, Finn chanted in her head.
“Yesterday was very important to me. I hope you don’t have regrets,” Sloane said with a sense of certitude that turned the heat up even more.
“Not at all.” Finn licked her lips at the memory of bringing herself to climax last night by conjuring up images that went well beyond the scope of their roadside encounter.
“Good, because I don’t either.” Sloane leaned in closer, her mouth inches from Finn’s.
“I dreamed about you last night.”
“I did the same.”
“Tell me about your dream.” The rasp of seduction in Sloane’s voice was an octave lower than her usual tone.
Finn’s arousal settled in her throat, forcing a hard swallow. When more images “images from her fantasy reappeared, her skin tingled, driving her to close her eyes. “You were between my legs.” Her breath hitched on the vision. “Your mouth was hungry to taste me.”
“I had the same fantasy.” Sloane’s breath quickened into steam, mixing with hers.
The heat of Sloane’s words fanned Finn’s embers. Their lips inched so close to each other that a wisp of Finn’s wavy hair couldn’t have passed between them. Let her make the next move, Finn chanted again in her head, but those thin, cherry-red lips taunted her. A millimeter lean forward, and she would taste whatever sweet or salty delight Sloane had snacked on after lunch. She dug deep, pulled back, and focused again on Sloane’s mouth. Sloane would have to initiate this.
Right on cue, Sloane captured her lips in a fiery kiss, darting her tongue in with the force of a serpent. The taste of chocolate—and pretzel?—invaded her mouth and teased Finn’s hunger. Every inch of her ignited when a hand pressed against the swell of her back, forcing their hips together.
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Series: A Manhattan Sloane Thriller
Out of the Flames
From The Ashes
Beyond the Smoke
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1-642471731
Publisher: Bella Books
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