REVIEW: Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare

SETTING/TYPE: Romantic Suspense
COPYRIGHT: 2008
SENSUALITY: Hot
SERIES: I-Team series (Book 3)

SUMMARY:

Taken hostage by a convicted murderer while reporting at a prison, Sophie Alton has no idea that the man holding the gun to her head is the bad boy who was her first love in high school. Condemned to life without parole, Marc Hunter finds himself with no choice but to break out of prison after his younger sister disappears with her baby.

Though he regrets what he has to put Sophie through, he can’t let anything get in the way of his stopping the corrupt officials who are set on destroying what’s left of his family. But being near Sophie rekindles memories for both of them. As the passion between them heats up, so does the conspiracy to put both of them in their graves.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

UC is another book in her series about a team of investigative reporters. However, all of these books stand alone so no need to go back and read them in order. I have long been a fan of Pamela Clare's writing whether it's historical or romantic suspense. Ms. Clare is an auto-buy author for me but I was especially anxious to read UC after reading that she had spent 24 hours in jail as part of her research for this book. And wow, does it pay off for the reader. I found it very realistic and gripping from the first page and had a hard time putting it down.

Sophie Alton is a reporter who has been writing a series about women in prison and is focusing on the story of one prisoner, Megan Rawlings. Sophie has come to care about Megan as she struggles to get off drugs and gives birth to a baby while in prison. After Megan is released from prison Sophie wants to follow Megan and her baby as they adjust to life on the outside through a halfway program. But Megan runs away with her baby in violation of her parole.

Sophie knows that Megan's brother, Marc "Hunt" Hunter, is serving time in federal prison for the murder of a DEA agent. But she is unaware of the fact that she and Hunt have a past history. He is her first love from high school who walked out on her. She requests an interview with Hunt hoping he can help her find Megan. Hunt realizes that Sophie is his past lover but he is a desperate man. When she comes for the interview he uses Sophie as a hostage and flees the prison with her.

Sophie is fearful and angry but quickly discovers Hunt's connection to her past and eventually is sympathetic to his plight. She believes him when he tells her about how he was framed for murder and Megan's disappearance is somehow connected. Sophie and Hunt team up and she uses all her skills in investigative journalism to escape the police and find his sister. What follows is a roller coaster ride with all its twists and turns. This is a story of corruption and betrayal and there are lots of complications. Although I found a few scenes that were not quite believable, UC is a real page turner with some scorching hot love scenes and well done characterizations. Hunt and Sophie are a great couple. I love a good steamy romantic suspense that doesn't skimp on the romance and Clare delivers another one with Unlawful Contact. My favorite RS of the year so far.

GRADE: B+