Narrated by Nicol Zanzarella & Greg Tremblay

Rachel Grant’s romantic suspense novels are among the very best in the genre. Her plots are always superbly constructed and impeccably researched, her characters are engaging and whip-smart, and she always achieves a good balance between the romance and the suspense plot. A new release from her will always catch my eye, and her latest, Don’t Look Back (book three in her Evidence: Under Fire series), is a terrific addition to the series and to the the genre as a whole.

The story opens with a flashback to an event six months earlier, in which art historian Kira Hanson was rescued after being kidnapped by a terrorist group being financed through art theft and artifact trafficking. The person to find her was Navy SEAL Lt. Commander Randall Fallon; the two of them had had some interaction previously and there was a definite spark of attraction between them, but Kira was abducted before Rand could ask her out, and even though he reached out to her later, he’s heard nothing from her since the rescue.

When the story proper begins, Kira is about to give a series of talks to some of the marines, soldiers and sailors stationed at Little Creek Fort in Virginia, on the topic of why it’s not a good idea to remove artifacts from the countries to which they are deployed. This isn’t normally her kind of gig, but her good friend Diana (book two, Trust Me) has been suddenly taken ill, and asked Kira to stand in at the last minute. Kira is happy to do it, even though it means postponing her long-planned trip to Malta. She’s surprised to see Randall Fallon sitting in the front row for the final session; he asks if they can talk for a few minutes afterward and it’s during that chat that they realise that Kira’s late father must have intercepted Rand’s emails to her and then warned him off. Kira has absolutely no idea why he would have done that, but doesn’t have the time to work it out; she has an early flight in the morning and needs to get home. She’s delayed (again) when the base is locked down due to there being an active shooter inside – and as the sound of gunfire comes near, she can also hear something else… the sound of her own name, called out in a sing-song voice. Rand takes the guy down, but he dies before he can answer any questions.

Kira’s trip to Malta has been prompted by her desire to find out more about her family history. Her father had made many trips to the island for reasons he’d never disclosed, and before he died, Kira found letters that spoke about the return of ‘family legacies’. Further investigation revealed that her father had spent the last four decades searching for the art stolen from his family by the Nazis, and she’s determined to find out more – and perhaps fill in some of the gaps in her knowledge of her own past.

While Kira is enjoying the historical sights of Malta’s capital, Valetta, and making arrangements to meet with the step-cousin who provided the information about her father’s quest, the brass back at Little Creek have identified the shooter as a civilian employee – and found details about Kira’s search for stolen art in Malta on his laptop. Convinced, more than ever, that Kira is in danger, Rand asks for leave to follow her so he can act as bodyguard and see if he can find out if there’s a connection between Kira’s trip to Malta and the attack on Little Creek. He and Kira worked together briefly the previous year when he posed as her client, an author in the market for buying art – they can resurrect that cover. Rand is given permission to go – on the understanding that this isn’t an op, and he’s on his own if something goes wrong.

Kira doesn’t quite know how to feel when Rand shows up. On the one hand, she’s attracted to him and his presence could certainly come in useful; on the other, this is her trip and she isn’t going to be told where she can go and who she can see by anyone, least of all a man she didn’t invite along. But Rand is quick to realise when he’s overstepped and apologises, asking only that Kira keep him in the loop, that she discusses her plans with him so that they can make decisions together.

Once Kira and Rand are together in Malta we’re really off to the races and the discoveries come thick and fast as Kira starts to realise the true extent of her father’s deceptions. I’m not going to spoil anything, but a stunning reveal around the half-way point blows everything Kira thought she knew about herself out of the water, as bits and pieces of youthful memories start to return. Murder, betrayal, art theft, spies, ruthless oligarchs with grudges to settle… all are added to the mix as Rachel Grant draws together her carefully laid plot threads to form a fast-paced, exhilarating story that had me glued to it, desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

The romance between Kira and Fallon is steamy and nicely done – that they have a history (and Rand already being totally smitten) makes it easier to credit their falling for each other in such a short space of time. Rand is another of the author’s swoonworthy heroes; an alpha who isn’t all ‘me, Tarzan, you, Jane’, Rand listens to Kira, never talks down to her or tries to take over (well, the one time he does, he’s quick to realise his mistake and correct it). He’s absolutely, 100% got her back, giving her the kind of belief and support she’s rarely – if ever – received from others, who tend to underestimate her. If you enjoy a hero-in-pursuit, Rand’s your guy! Ms. Grant’s heroines are clever, capable and resourceful, and I’ve always loved that they all, in some way, have careers in archeology or historical research. Not only are those fairly unusual jobs in the genre, but the author’s own background as an archaeologist means that the characters always speak with authority and authenticity about their work. Her insight into the internal politics of Malta is fascinating and her research into the history and geography of the island is excellent, putting the reader in the middle of the breathtaking streets of Valetta in the sweltering summer heat right alongside Kira and Rand.

I do have a couple of niggles about the story. Firstly, while much mention (too much, perhaps) is made of Kira’s social anxiety and shyness, on the page, she’s always confident and self-assured; and finding it hard to believe that someone as hot as Rand could really be interested in her is a bit of a stretch as he’s the one making all the running. Also, while the majority of the story works as a standalone (see note, below), a handful of chapters near the end are devoted to tying up of some of the plotlines from the previous two books, and feature a different set of PoV characters.

Rachel Grant ‘regulars’ Nicol Zanzarella and Greg Tremblay (narrators of the Evidence and Flashpoint series respectively) are back at the microphones for Don’t Look Back, with Ms. Zanzarella reading Kira’s PoV and Mr. Tremblay Rand’s. They’re both hugely experienced and talented vocal actors and they’re on top form here, delivering well-paced, confident and accomplished performances that nail the emotional content of the story. Anyone who is familiar with my reviews at (the now ‘retired’) AudioGals will already know I’m a massive fan of Greg Tremblay’s; he’s one of the best male romance narrators around. His portrayal of Rand is spot on; he’s sex on a stick but is also the guy you want at your back in a fight – honourable, dedicated and take-no-prisoners. Mr. Tremblay is able to perform female characters very convincingly, and he differentiates clearly between Kira and Freya, who is the other main female role in the story. As Kira, Ms. Zanzarella expertly conveys her determination and the multitude of emotions she’s experiencing as she makes unsettling discoveries about her past, giving her an underlying vulnerability she takes care not to let her enemies see. She, too, differentiates clearly between all the characters and, like Mr. Tremblay, uses a variety of accents when called for; the one thing I can fault her on is that her male voices, while good, tend to be a bit same-y and I sometimes needed to listen out for the dialogue tags in scenes featuring conversations between several men.

With an exciting plot that will have you on the edge of your seat, a sexy romance, and fantastic narration, Don’t Look Back is my favourite book in the Evidence: Under Fire series so far and I’m more than happy to offer a strong recommendation.

Breakdown of Grade:  Narration – A-; Story – A-

Running time: 12 hrs 44 minutes

Note: The main storyline in Don’t Look Back works as a standalone, although it does feature a number of secondary characters who have appeared in both the Evidence and Flashpoint series as well as some from the previous books in this series. It’s not essential to have read any or all of them; the characters in question have pertinent roles to play in this story, and there’s enough information given to clue in anyone new to the series. I would, however, say that some familiarity with the author’s other books would be advantageous.