Book Review: Thin Ice by Irene Hannon

by Sandra Ardoin

Thin Ice carries on the Men of Valor series with the second McGregor brother, Lance, as a newly-minted FBI Special Agent in St. Louis. 

Christie Reed knows loss. In one year, she buried her parents and then her sister Ginny. But when she receives a letter that indicates her sister did not die in a house fire as believed, but was kidnapped, she defies the kidnappers order and contacts the FBI. 

Lance McGregor gave years of his life as a Delta Force leader, but after a tragedy, he left the service under a cloud of self-doubt. Strong on ego and light on the desire to settle down, his first case and first meeting with Christie leaves him awestruck with attraction.

Out of nowhere, an urge to weave his fingers through hers swept over him, the impulse so powerful his hand was already halfway to its destination when he caught himself, forcibly shifting direction to grab his coffee cup instead. 

Keep your mind on the case, McGregor, not the woman. You’re here to investigate, not console.

I read the beginning of this novel as a promo at the end of the first in the series, Buried Secrets, and it hooked me with its sensory detail and emotional impact. I knew I’d want to read the second book.

I did have a bit of a concern in the first half of the story when it came to the romantic element. There were times when, to me, the “attraction” to Lance overwhelmed the emotional impact of Christie’s sister being in the hands of a kidnapper—maybe a monster. It seemed a bit too much “romance novel” focus at a time when I would have thought her every concern would be on Ginny’s welfare. For me, she lacked a sense of urgency. 

That aside, I liked the way Ms. Hannon dealt with certain aspects of the plot that could have been wrapped up in an “all is well” manner. I enjoyed the plot, the climax, and the small visits from “Mac” and Lisa from the previous book, as well as Mark Sanders from An Eye for An Eye (Heroes of Quantico series). The villain is competent, psychopathic, and evil to the hilt. The spiritual thread is light, and we get a glimpse into the problems of the the third McGregor sibling. 

Bottom line: Although this isn’t my favorite Irene Hannon romantic suspense, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of your reading time.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This book came to me free from the publisher, Revell Publishing, with the hope that I would mention it on this blog. There was no requirement for me to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.