Book Review - Fatal Affair by Marie Force

Marie Force is a new author to me.  After reading Fatal Affair I am certain that I will be reading more of Ms. Force's impressive catalogue.  As anyone who knows me will attest to - I am a huge Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb fan.  It was a blog post about what happens AFTER the HEA that turned me on to the Fatal series.  The post - which can be found here, if you are interested - referenced Eve and Roarke from Robb's 'In Death' series.  My attention was snagged and I read the entire post with rapt attention.  Then, to my delight, the commenters began sharing more series with couples who are living their happy-ever-afters.  I am absolutely thrilled to know that there are more authors out there who are willing to keep telling the stories of their characters as they live their Happy-Ever-After.

Intrigued by the priase for Marie Force's Sam and Nick of the Fatal series - I looked the books up on Goodreads.  Further impressed by the reviews and ratings, I downloaded Fatal Affair to my Nook and proceeded to devour the book. 

Samantha Holland is a Washington D.C. Metropolitan Homicide Detective.  At the beginning of Fatal Affair she is back to work after a previous case of hers had gone tragically wrong.  She is immediately thrust into the high profile case of mudered Virginia state Senator John O'Connor.  Feeling that she has something to prove - to herself, her family, her colleagues - Sam dives feet first into the case.  And runs right into Nicholas Cappuano.  He is the one who got away for Sam - and the one she could never forget.  He is also Senator O'Connor's political right-hand man (or the guy behind the guy, as Nick says) and best friend.  Sam can't stop thinking about Nick but he is tied to her case in every way and therefore a major complication.

Nick is shocked when Sam is the Detective assigned to John's case.  He has never forgotten her and also considers her the one who got away.  Once he is ruled out as a suspect in his friend's murder - he makes it clear that he is sticking to Sam as much as possible.  He has invaluable information and access that he is certain will help Sam solve the case.  Of course, he has a personal agenda, as well.  He intends for he and Sam to make up for lost time and hopefully pick up where they had previously left off with one another.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series.  Sam and Nick are real and believable characters.  They felt like people you'd be proud to call friends or family members.  They are slightly flawed human beings with great hearts trying to find their happiness in a crazy world.  The secondary characters in the book are just as enjoyable and I look forward to reading more about them, as well.  The  Fatal series is as follows: Fatal Affair, Fatal Justice, Fatal Consequences, Fatal Destiny, and Fatal Flaw (to be released February 6, 2012).