Next up in Natalie Walters’ SNAP Agency series (see my review on book one, Lights Out, here), we join Kekoa Young as he goes undercover against his will to befriend the beautiful Elinor, his neighbor who may also be betraying her country by selling secrets to foreigners. Is this a recipe for romantic disaster? You bet.
I really liked Kekoa’s character in Lights Out, so I was happy to see he was our main focus for this second installment. Walters fleshes out his character more and adds more depth to him in this book. He goes from the goofy, easy-going computer guy in book one to a more nuanced computer-guy-turned-undercover-guy in Book Two. We still see glimpses of Book One Kekoa, but he definitely is more sober in this story. Elinor was also, in my opinion, a more likable character than our heroine in the first book. She faces (but isn’t defined by) grief; she’s intelligent and confident in her scientific pursuits without coming across as a stereotype; and she’s written in a way that seems to capture and portray well the gentle personality I associated with her as I read. I did enjoy hanging out with the other members of the SNAP agency, and look forward to book three which I believe will focus on a few more of the characters we’ve already met.
The plot for Fatal Code was more interesting to me than Lights Out. I felt like the ending was more climactic and the action was better spread out through the book. Walters can be surprisingly chilly in some of the choices the “bad guys” made (more cold-blooded murder than I was expecting), but I think this also adds credibility to the plot. I have enjoyed this series so far in the glimpse it gives into the defense sector of our country. Walters, based on her bio, knows what she’s talking about and it helps really add a realistic layer to the stories. But readers can be advised, while tactfully written, that intense evil is in there.
Walters’ books also have a spiritual component. As a Christian, I agree with the truths she is telling and am glad for the reminders. As a reader, I personally felt the books could have done without that aspect in that it distracts in some ways from the action-y feel of the stories. However, as I’m sure there are people of faith in the defense industry, I appreciate her representation of that and how that faith can fuel and comfort those workers.
To me, Fatal Code was a better read than Lights Out. I’m liking this hybrid of suspense, typical Christian romance fiction, and defense/spy thriller she’s got going on. I look forward to when book three is published, and I can get my hands on it!
Meredith
Copyright Natalie Walters and Revell. Image from Amazon.
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