Review – Silent Night Standoff

HOSTAGE SITUATION When armed robbers strike her bank, hostage negotiator Skyler Brennan's life is on the line. Rescue comes from the last person she thought she could count on—the ex-boyfriend who chose his job over their relationship. FBI agent Logan Hunter knows how much is resting on this case. The promotion of his dreams…and the safety of the woman he's never been able to forget. But when an unexpected twist in the case pulls Logan in two separate directions, he'll have to make an impossible choice. Will he manage to have it all by Christmas—a career and love—or will he lose them both? SILENT NIGHT STANDOFF is Ms. Sleeman’s best book yet. I’ve enjoyed all her books so far, but as true with most writers, the books keep getting better. I liked the fact that the “bad guy” wasn’t jumping out from behind sofas, but was more “out in the open” with his attacks. I liked the way Skyler had a whole team plus one who cared for her safety. I hurt for Logan, trying to take care of Skyler and deal with his dad’s rejection at the same time as trying to win over officers in a whole new area while striving to win a coveted promotion in a separate part of the country. I didn’t like the way Skyler reacted to him, but judging by the hurt she felt over his rejection (in the backstory) it was entirely realistic. I hoped that she’d be able to work out her anger and trust issues. I hoped they’d catch the “bad guy”. The whole suspense seemed pretty cut and dried for most of the book, but there was a twist I didn’t see coming. Recommended.