End Game (Capital Intrigue Book #1)

Wow! This novel exceeds all expectations, a new level of excellence of the author! It is in-depth, terrifying yet full of faith and hope, full of action with one startling event after another. This Christian thriller includes men and women working for some of the most elite areas of government and military. I very much like the well-defined women in this novel who are authentic with other women, as well as the two men on the team to discover who killed the Navy SEAL and Army Ranger while trying to frame another SEAL for the crime. While for me it is secondary to this fabulous web of deceit, romance is possible for at least one of the women and healing found only in Christ to two of the women. FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan is called to the crime scene of a second victim in 3 days of the same type of murder. Upon arrival, she meets NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini. The first murdered man a few days ago was a construction worker. This man, however, is a Navy SEAL. NCIS doesn’t want to share, despite there being the risk of a serial killer and the SEAL being off duty. A couple well-placed calls brings Bailey to be a member on the investigative team Agostini leads. He calls the young woman on his team “Rookie”; she has worked for him for less than a year. Bailey, a law school graduate and FBI agent, is used to taking the evidence to build a case. Marco is a man of action, wanting to interview those who knew the victims and revisit crime scenes. Regarding Rogers, the civilian, some saw him as too quiet, and thought he was the killer-for-hire type of guy. The platoon leader of murdered SEAL Sean Battle did not believe another SEAL would have killed him. While they felt Lt. Alvarez was protecting someone, he wasn’t giving up any secrets. When examining Battle’s storage locker, Marco and Bailey barely escape before explosives go off. Evidence at both crime scenes indicates another SEAL was there. An Army Ranger was found murdered. Bailey was assaulted in her parking garage. And it only heats up from there. There are several things that impress me about this novel beyond the incredible plot. The author demonstrates God’s daily love for the men and women in the book and miracles are seen along with the prayers of His people. I like how vital the friendships of women are shown to be and miss having these close friendships in my own life. The women are open and honest about themselves with each other, and welcome other women into their activities. I appreciate how just the right mentor, and friends, come into Izzy’s life at the right time. This is a fabulous, intricate mystery with complex characters and multiple possible suspects. It becomes evident that criminal activities come from the highest levels and that Bailey is in the crosshairs of the most dangerous even as those behind the murder are not yet identified. It was impossible for this reader to determine the truth, including the motives behind the murders, and there are surprises throughout. I highly recommend this to fans of Christian romantic thrillers, various federal and military levels, espionage, and seeing faith in the Lord during even the hardest times. From a thankful heart: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Battle had something to hide - something so big he was willing to kill to protect his secret! Don’t even think of going out alone until you finish this book, and then you might want to stay away from dark alleys! The author has given us a story that has so many twists and turns in it, you begin to wonder if the mystery and murder will ever stop. Bailey Ryan, an FBI agent, is on loan for the duration of this investigation. Marco Agostini is the head NCIS Special Agent and her partner in the quest to solve this multiple murder. Add another NCIS agent, an Army Ranger and a JAG lawyer to the team and the possibility of solving the case gets better...or does it?? With multiple murders, possible suicides and targeted attacks this suspense thriller will keep you guessing the whole time. Follow the team as they forage through the evidence until they can bait the trap to catch those who are guilty. This fabulous book, which you don’t want to miss, is just the beginning in the Capital Intrigue series and one I look forward to thoroughly enjoying!

I really enjoyed End Game by Rachel Dylan. It is the first book in the Capital Intrigue series and definitely worth reading if you love inspirational suspense romance stories. This is actually the first book that I've read by Rachel Dylan and I will definitely be reading more by her in the future. FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan and NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini team up to find a possible serial killer in the Washington DC area where most of the evidence is pointing to a Navy SEAL sniper who Bailey is refusing to believe is guilty. I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.