Rachel Reynolds is expecting a normal weekend. She takes her son to the park to play on a normal weekend morning. While her son is standing at the tip-top of a high slide a gunman attacks, aiming for Rachel. Someone pushes her down, grabs her son, and hustles them off to safety, and then Rachel learns that she is the last living person named on a hitman’s list.
Jack Sergeant is hired to take care of Rachel. He’s been trailing her for awhile, without Rachel’s knowledge, and now he won’t leave Rachel’s side. He is unsuccessful trying to find any links between the other victims and Rachel. But he feels a connection to Rachel—her dead husband asked Jack to make sure Rachel and her son were safe.
When the killer makes several more attempts on Rachel’s life, even breaching the safety of the safe-house, it seems that she doesn’t have a chance. She’s desperate to make sure her son is cared for, and equally desperate to keep Jack at a distance. Will love—or the killer win?
The Last Target is the first Love Inspired Suspense I’ve read by Christy Barritt. I love her cozy mysteries, and was anxious to read this. Being a suspense, rather than a mystery, The Last Target does have a different feel, and since it is written in third person rather than first it’s different in that way, too.
Rachel is a realistic heroine. She’s shocked at the rather abrupt change to her life, shocked to learn someone wants her dead, and devastated when her friends and coworkers are taken down. Jack is a typical military man, gruff, stern and expecting to be obeyed without question. Ms. Barritt is very good at character development.
I enjoyed reading The Last Target. Available online or at some brick and mortar stores. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book.
