Book by Odell, Terry

Hiding behind the public façade of a private investigation firm–Blackthorne, Incorporated–are a band of elite covert operatives. Dalton (just Dalton—nobody dares call him Ambrose), is one of Blackthorne's best. A charming Texan, he prides himself on blending in, and there's no one he can't scam. But his obsession with putting a Colombian drug lord out of the picture threatens to endanger his life and the lives of his team. When Dalton nearly blows a simple undercover assignment at a fundraising gala, it convinces his boss to tether him to a dog-and-pony-show case at a halfway house. Instead, Dalton finds death, drugs, and danger. Street-smart Miri Chambers wants nothing more than to help everyone at the Galloway House shelter lead new and productive lives, but residents are disappearing without a trace. An unexpected meeting with Dalton at a gala turns into an assignment for him, but Miri doesn't think he’s taking the job seriously. Trust doesn't come easy to Miri. When the situation escalates into a combat zone, can she trust Dalton with her life … and her heart?

This book was published in hard cover by Five Star/Gale in 2012. Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence Finalist, Romantic Suspense. Behind the public façade of Blackthorne, Inc., a high-end private investigation company, lies a band of elite covert operatives, and they’re back doing what they do best. Foster (Fozzie) Mayhew, Blackthorne’s Intel Specialist, is cocky and arrogant, befitting his Aussie heritage. Put him in a helicopter with his surveillance instruments and he can spot the fleas on a squirrel’s balls from five hundred feet. He’s happiest when he’s rescuing hostages, getting them to safety while Uncle Sam is still negotiating. But Fozzie’s boss pulls him from the work he loves and sends him to locate Victoria Hamilton, estranged daughter of a rich client. Torie Stoker, born Victoria Hamilton, is hiding from her father who needs her at home and married. There’s no love lost between Torie and her family. They shipped her off to a Swiss boarding school when she was thirteen, and at twenty-nine, she’s never looked back. When her best friend, Kathy, dies, Torie settles in Oregon, determined to give meaning to Kathy’s death by continuing the botanist’s quest for rare plants with potential medical applications. When a man shows up with a gun, Torie realizes how badly her father must want her back. Fozzie wants nothing more than to locate his target, report to his boss, and get back to his real job. When he finds Torie being dragged away at gunpoint, his protective instincts kick in. Soon, they’re racing to discover why her father sent armed men after her. Or could it have something to do with Kathy’s pharmaceutical research to cure orphan diseases? The answers threaten to change Torie’s life forever. Rooted in Danger, the third in the Blackthorne, Inc. series, starts on a tropical island, and things heat up from there. Rooted in Danger will keep readers turning pages as the stakes—and romance–escalate.

What do you do when your life turns upside down? Whatever it takes. When Elizabeth Parker arrives in Deer Ridge with her eight-year-old son, she's constantly looking over her shoulder, afraid her husband won't believe she's dead, despite the new identity provided by the high-end firm of Blackthorne, Inc. Within hours of her arrival, a man shows up claiming he's there to hook up her gas line. When he keeps turning up, she's wary as to his motives. For Elizabeth, trust doesn't come easy. She'll never let her husband lay a hand on her son, no matter what, and if this man is working for her husband, she wants no part of him. Mark Grinciewicz, Grinch to everyone who knows him, was Blackthorne, Incorporated's top pilot. When his ex-wife dies, he is left with custody of a five-year-old son he hardly knows, and everything changes. Determined to do what it takes to help his son adjust to a new life, Grinch finds himself tethered to the ground, unable to do what he loves—fly. When he gets a call from Blackthorne, requesting that he take a simple assignment—teach a woman how to fit into the community under her new identity—he reluctantly accepts the task. Bad enough he's not supposed to let on he's aware of her identity, or that he's on her side. But what he doesn't know is that she has something her husband needs, and the man will do just about anything to get it back. Suddenly, everyone is a potential threat. Can Grinch break through her defenses and earn her trust in time to save her without endangering her son or his?

The Blackthorne, Inc. covert ops team is back with another action-adventure romantic suspense from Terry Odell. This time, it’s Computer Nerd meets Cartel Lord. For Jinx, interacting with people is highly overrated. Computers are his life. On the job, he’s an intel gathering expert for Blackthorne, Inc. Off duty, he’s a shooter in computer role playing games. But what happens when he’s sent into the field to face real enemies with real guns? Josiah Ignatius Nix—Jinx to all who know him—is the glue holding the Blackthorne, Inc. covert ops teams together when they’re on a mission. In the comfort of his basement office, with his favorite companions—his computers—a click of the mouse provides him with up-to-the-minute intel, which keeps the team alive. Until the intel fails and a hostage rescue mission goes south. Both the hostage and team are captured, and the boss sends Jinx to the jungles of Mexico as an undercover field agent. The cartels have been kidnapping American engineers to build and maintain their private cell phone networks. Jinx’s skills make him a prime target for capture, a way to infiltrate the cartel and rescue not only the company’s client, but also the missing team of operatives. Soon, he finds himself paired with Elle Sheridan, a cop whose missing sister is in the middle of a human trafficking ring. Will Elle be able to convince Jinx that Blackthorne’s mission needs to be expanded to include rescuing her sister? And if she does, will the two of them be able to stay ahead of rival cartel leaders and get out alive to make some private connections of their own.

Can a feisty security agent who hates taking orders and a covert ops specialist who has something to prove, put aside their own differences and their own agendas long enough to uncover the secrets of Windswept Heights? Blackthorne, Inc. medic Glenn "Hotshot" McCade itches to get away from what he considers milk run assignments after being injured on a previous op. Does the boss think Hotshot can’t pull his weight on a real mission anymore? What are a few nightmares? Nothing he can't handle. Aches and pains? He’s had worse. When he's given an "eyes-on" only mission, and paired with a woman—a part-timer who works Security, not Covert Ops—he worries that his future with Blackthorne, Inc. is on the line. Is she there to evaluate his performance? The mission? Simple. Locate a woman, believed to be at a super-private compound for the rich and famous, and report back. Nothing more. His cover? Pretend to be a filthy-rich, arrogant adventurer and infiltrate the compound. But inside the mysterious Windswept Heights, he finds a lot more than his target. Should he stick to the rules, or follow his gut? Olivia Fairbanks is content with her two part-time jobs. She's a Physician's Assistant in an all-female practice, and works Security for Blackthorne, Inc. After growing up forced to believe her only function in life is to be the subservient wife of a rancher or farmer, she's finally recognized she’s any man’s equal. When Mr. Blackthorne summons her for a new assignment, she's surprised to find it's a Covert Ops job, albeit a simple one. Her role is to masquerade as an assistant to one of the Blackthorne Covert Ops team members, but she reminds herself that she's second-fiddle to him only for the purpose of this assignment. It's her cover, not her life. Still, old feelings of resentment and inadequacy surface. Before long, their simple mission turns into something far more complex, and with much deadlier consequences. Will she convince Hotshot McCade to accept her as his partner? And can she deal with the romantic feelings springing up between them? Watch as things heat up in this sixth book in Terry Odell’s popular Blackthorne, Inc. action adventure romance series. Hotshot, the team medic, is paired with Olivia, whom readers might remember from Danger in Deer Ridge. The action will leave you as breathless as the high-altitude Rocky Mountain setting.

Award-winning author Terry Odell delivers another action adventure romance with Identity Crisis, the seventh installment in the Blackthorne, Inc. covert ops series. Readers will enjoy the chase and suspense of Holly Granger’s and Brett Cashman’s Colorado love story. Not following orders might cost him his dream job, but it could save her life. Brett Cashman yearns for a job as a Blackthorne, Inc. covert operative. But does he want to help people, or is he after the rush danger brings? Brett has the skills, but as one of the only recruits with no military background, he’s having trouble adjusting to the whole taking-orders gig. Fortunately, his boss sees his younger self in Brett and cuts him some slack. With a last chance to prove himself, Brett must protect a woman who has no idea she’s in danger. The catch? He’s not allowed to tell her why he’s inserted himself into her life. Holly Granger ran away from her wealthy daughter-of-a-rock star lifestyle in her teens, when she couldn’t face the notoriety. She’s changed her name, found an inconspicuous career in middle-management, and gets through each day trying to avoid being noticed. Her parents never made any effort to find her, so why is someone from their rock star days after her now? And why is he accusing her—falsely—of treason? Will she have to disappear again? An apparent chance encounter with Brett sends Holly into what she considers an alternate universe. She wants no part of it, but when it’s obvious someone is threatening her safety, she reluctantly accepts Brett’s protection. It doesn’t take long for Brett to get another order from on high he’s having trouble following—Blackthorne’s number one “Do not get involved with the principal.” Can he follow the rules, or will his attraction to Holly cost him his chance to become a Blackthorne operative?

Heroes aren’t fearless. They just don’t let fear get in the way. Her life is in danger… Police officer Lexi Becker is being targeted. When her husband was murdered three years ago, Lexi moved to a small town to get away from the memories, to get away from the pain. But she can’t get away from the gut feeling that a drug lord, known only as The Falcon, was responsible for her husband’s death. As she quietly conducts her own investigation, it becomes clear to Lexi she could be The Falcon’s next victim. Afraid her local police department has been infiltrated by The Falcon, she turns to the only man she can trust for help: her former patrol partner. But so is her heart. When ex-cop Marv “Fish” Frisch is assigned bodyguard duty instead of a covert ops assignment, he fears he’s being punished for a failed training mission. The last assignment he expected was Lexi Becker. Now he’s forced to deal with the attraction he felt when they worked together. As they go into hiding, Fish can’t keep his feelings hidden from Lexi. It seems she feels the same, but danger is everywhere. Someone’s bugged her house. An illegal opioid network. People dying. And an even more sinister plan is being put into action… When Lexi is torn between hiding or coming to the aid of an orphaned child, Lexi leaves Fish’s protection. Now she’s on her own, a prime target for The Falcon…unless she can outsmart him. Will Lexi survive long enough to tell Fish how she feels? The Blackthorne, Inc. Series: When Danger Calls Where Danger Hides Rooted in Danger Danger in Deer Ridge Dangerous Connections Windswept Danger Identity Crisis Falcon’s Prey Also by Terry Odell: The Pine Hills Police Series The Triple-D Ranch Series The Mapleton Mystery Series

She says she doesn't need protection. He knows better. And for him, it's personal. After a second on-the-job injury, Nash “Rambler” Hanley is worried about being able to continue as a covert operative for Blackthorne, Inc. Rescuing people in distress is what Nash does, and he can’t imagine his life outside of the Blackthorne teams. While he’s stuck on medical leave, he accepts his partner’s offer of a stay at his mountain cabin to recover and regroup. Warned that the cabin needs repairs, Nash isn’t surprised to see signs of neglect. What he is surprised to see is a woman who’s taken up residence. Danika Payton has her eyes on winning a Pulitzer for her reporting, although she’s still stuck in the soft news Living section of the Albuquerque Gazette. She’s sure her next story will move her up, but instead, she’s fired. Her boss says it’s a matter of downsizing, but the abrupt way she was let go, and the threatening letters that start arriving tell her there’s more to it. She takes to the road, doing her best to stay off the radar and ends up in a remote area in the Colorado mountains. A storm has her seeking shelter in a vacant cabin. Nash is tempted to send Danika on her way, especially since nothing she says rings true. However, it’s clear to him she’s in trouble, and his helper instincts kick in. Danika wants no part of Nash’s help, but the haunted look in his eyes triggers nurturing feelings she wasn’t aware she had. She’ll do anything to make him laugh. The threats escalate. But are they directed at Danika, Nash, or his partner? Can Danika and Nash figure out which of them is being threatened and who’s behind the threats before it’s too late?