by Linda O. Johnston
Imagine a situation in which your beloved sister disappears. You fear she’s dead and even believe she was murdered by her awful husband–but you’ve no evidence to prove it, not even her body. They have a son, and you’re worried about him. And when someone tells you that the husband did indeed kill her, you’re even more upset.
And then “accidents” start happening to you–but nothing you can prove was instigated by him, either. You can’t even provide eyewitness testimony because you’ve seen nothing for certain. And so, your life in danger, you flee.
That’s the story behind COVERT ALLIANCE, my new Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel. In it, the protagonist, Kelly Ladd, now has a new identity thanks to my fictional ID Division, which is kind of like witness protection for people in danger who can’t actually testify in court as witnesses because what they know isn’t the kind of evidence needed. Kelly is grateful for the new identity but, seeing on social media that her nephew is in danger, breaks all her promises and returns home to protect him–knowing that the ID Division has also sent an undercover agent to try to find the evidence she couldn’t collect. That’s Alan Correy. They meet, and each suspects who the other is–and even so they’re attracted to each other… and start working together to bring the bad guy down.
I enjoy writing romantic suspense. In fact, I always say that each of my mysteries contain at least a little romance, and all my romances–romantic suspense or paranormal these days–always contain some mystery or suspense in them.
My Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries certainly contain an element of romance. TO CATCH A TREAT was a May release. So do my Superstition Mysteries, and UNLUCKY CHARMS will be my next published novel, available in October.
I’m currently working on my next Harlequin Nocturne paranormal romance about Alpha Force, a covert military unit of shapeshifters. There’s mystery and suspense in this story, too.
So despite my multiple genres, there are at least some recurring themes that weave their ways through all of them. And oh, yes. Most of my stories, though not my current Harlequin Romantic Suspense novels–yet–have dogs in them!