GUEST REVIEW: Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies by Cynthia Cooke

Genie Marsters has secrets. She has empathic abilities, she can get impressions from people near her. She wanted to be normal. She also has two other sisters with the same abilities. After her mother's "accident", the three girls were split up, given new identities and sent to different boarding schools. Growing up, she believed her father did this because as the head of the CTA, Counter Terrorism Agency, a secret government agency he was busy with work. When she was older, Genie joined the CTA too.

Kyle Montgomery was Genie's partner and lover when she worked for the CTA. Her secrets eventually caused their breakup. Becca, one of Genie's sisters was involved with Sean Emerich whom she met in school. Emerich was an international crime boss who organized "everything from the movement of illegal arms and counterfeit goods to human trafficking." He was interested in the Marsters sisters, the question was, why? After an explosion in a warehouse that killed her sister Becca and severely injuring Kyle, Genie goes into hiding and quits the CTA. She never visits Kyle in the hospital believing she is protecting him. Kyle feels betrayed. While she is in hiding, she receives her mother's necklace in the mail. Feeling something is wrong with her father, Genie tries to get in touch with him to no avail. She is going to his estate to see what is going on. After rescuing her, Kyle goes with her, she is also getting visions of her "dead' sister. Genie's third sister, Cat was a wife with a husband and two children and far removed from anything dealing with the CTA. The sisters had very little contact with each other based on the recommendations of their father.

The story follows Genie and Kyle's search for answers from her father about what really happened to their mother, Becca's "death", why they were sent away, their psychic abilities, who the mole in the CTA is, why Sean Emerich wants the Marsters sisters and can they find the love they thought was gone.

This romantic suspense is the first in a series by Cynthia Cooke and she is off to a great start. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, a new twist was added. I enjoyed the relationship tension between Genie and Kyle as they tried to figure out if they could recover the love they used to have and make a go of it. I keep hoping she would let loose and tell Kyle all of her secrets. Can't wait to see if she finally tells him in future books. I also tried to figure out who the mole at the agency was. Too many suspects. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a new romantic suspense series. I look forward to the next book.

~JANET RODMAN~