FBI special agent Julianna James is a top-notch negotiator who has never lost a hostage. Surely she can manage to take care of her much younger sister, Dottie, who showed up unannounced to live with Julianna while she finished her senior year of high school.
A former sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Clay Snyder left the army after a tragic incident that he can't get past. Now he's working as a high school resource officer until he can figure out what to do with the rest of his life.
Their paths cross when Julianna is called in to negotiate a courtroom hostage situation involving Clay's sister. Impressed and a bit intimidated by the calm, capable woman with the dark hair and blue eyes, Clay invites her to speak at his school. Dottie's school.
But as the anniversary of a school shooting from Julianna's past approaches, it becomes clear that her perfect record is about to be tested and that Dottie is at risk. If Julianna and Clay can't figure out who's behind the attacks, more innocent people will die—and Julianna just might be one of them.
Oh my, it has been a while since I have written a review for a suspense novel. I recently got a ton of books on Audible, including Lynette Eason's Crossfire. I was intrigued from the get-go by the description. Hostage negotiation is such a God-given talent, and I wanted to know more about Julianna's relationship with her sister. I enjoyed getting to know the characters throughout the story, and the suspense level was through the roof. It was one of the few that I have not been able to guess the bad guy. I thought the layers and the foreshadowing were excellently done. I will say that as a teacher, it was a bit horrifying to be reading about school shooting/hostage situations, just because it is unfortunately so real for us now, but I totally respect the way that the author approached the entire situation and the different types of people you will find in a school. It was very realistic to me, and definitely worth the read! The narrator also did a great job, although sometimes I think the sentences didn't quite flow the way they would if I were reading with my eyes instead of listening. Overall, a great experience!
