Critical Alliance

Starred review from April 11, 2022
Goddard continues her Rocky Mountain Courage series (after Deadly Target) with this thrilling battle of wits between two hackers. Mackenzie Hanson, a reformed hacker with a shady past, returns to the Montana headquarters of her family’s tech company after she gets a warning about a cybersecurity risk. In town, she bumps into Alex Knight, a handsome Diplomatic Security Services special agent she knows. When shots ring out, his quick thinking saves her life. Then, threats to Mackenzie’s sister lead Mackenzie to reconsider the cause of her brother’s recent death, ostensibly by heart attack. She recruits Alex for protection while figuring out who’s trying to hurt her family, suspecting the involvement of a shadowy hacker from her past. She prays for God’s help as she uses her technological skills to track this figure down before they make good on their threats. Ever-escalating tension, well-developed characters, and some clever misdirection will keep readers glued to their seats. This skillfully crafted tale of faith and redemption hits its mark.

July 1, 2022
Mackenzie Hanson left home and her family's business after turning herself in for computer hacking at 16. She and one of her partners got community service, but their unknown partner, Notorious 2.0, was never caught. Mackenzie has turned her life around with a successful career as a professor of cybersecurity, but while on a date, she learns that she is in danger, and her father's tech company is under attack. She returns to Montana and finds that there's something sinister going on at the family business. Special Services Agent Alex Knight has returned to Montana to recover from a mission gone wrong and is evaluating his next moves when he reconnects with Mackenzie. They only met once years ago, but he's never forgotten her. Can they prevent a cybercrime that could have national implications? Is Notorious 2.0 involved? Beautiful scenery and an adrenaline-charged plot are strong appeal factors in the closing title in Goddard's inspirational romantic suspense trilogy, Rocky Mountain Courage, which will delight readers with the return of previous characters and a secondary mystery.

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