Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Beyond the Code of Conduct by K.M. Daughters -- Book Review


Looking for romance? Looking for suspense? Looking for an outstanding book with tons of conflict and complex characters?

You'll find all that and more in Beyond the Code of Conduct, the second book in the Sullivan Boys series by the sister writing team known as K.M. Daughters.

A vicious attack on Bobbie Leighton's life destroyed her relationship with Joe Sullvian and left Joe permanently impaired. Now an FBI agent working in New York, Bobbie returns to Chicago to discuss the possibility that a baby trafficking case she is working on may have a connection to Joe's brother's murder.

Joe is determined to find out why Jimmy died and to bring his killer to justice. Joe and Bobbie go undercover as a rich cattle rancher and his arm candy wife looking to adopt a baby from a slick Park Avenue lawyer. Forced to live with one another day by day, Joe and Bobbie struggle to resist their feelings for one another. Can they overcome their past? And can they bring a murderer to justice before they become the next target on a killer's victims list?

Romantic suspense just doesn't get any better than this! I had not read the first installment of the Sullivan Boys series by K.M. Daughters, but as soon as I finished Beyond the Code of Conduct, I begged the authors to send me that book, titled Against Doctor's Orders. I can't wait to read it because if it is anything like Beyond the Code of Conduct, I will instantly love it.

Beyond the Code of Conduct opens with Bobbie showing up at Jimmy Sullivan's funeral and getting an icy reception from Joe. The authors immediately draw you right into the conflict and it doesn't stop until the very end. These characters are pushed beyond their limits every step of the way. You feel that pull between Joe and Bobbie, that fine line they walk between just working together and resisting the temptation to be together in a more meaningful way. You witness how much of an obstacle their past remains. And you want them to nab the bad guy as much as they do.

I've now read the last chapter three times and each time it gets better, is more touching and even more satisfying than the first.

While the strength of this book is definitely its complex characters, the gripping story keeps you turning page after page. I couldn't put the book down. I read it cover to cover in one night. At 180 pages, it's the perfect book to take on vacation or to read on a long car ride.

Beyond the Code of Conduct is romantic, it's filled with suspense, and it's one book that I would love to read again.


Title: Beyond the Code of Conduct
Author: K.M. Daughters
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 1-60154-544-4
SRP: $10.99

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great review!

I thought I'd encountered this one at another blog & added it to my To Read list, but it wasn't there. It is now :-).

Jane Richardson said...

What a terrific review - well done, ladies! :)

Jane x

Cheryl said...

This is an excellent book. I can't wait to read the first installment of this series.

Cheryl