Narrated by Greg Boudreaux
In the Shadows is book three in Hailey Turner’s Metahuman Files series of military/sci-fi/suspense novels which features an elite, tight-knit unit of men and women who acquired very unique powers following their exposure to Splice, a deadly chemical that kills almost all who come into contact with it. Those not killed by the chemical are changed at DNA level and become metahumans, each possessed of some sort of superpower that ranges from telepathy to telekenisis, from super strength to shape-shifting. There’s an overarching plotline running throughout the series which means it’s advisable to listen to the books in order – and there are spoilers for books one and two in this review.
The first book, In the Wreckage, introduced listeners to Captain Jamie Callahan and Alpha Team of the Metahuman Defence Force and set in motion the series’ main plotline – the hunt for a terrorist group known as the Sons of Adam who is trying to create metahumans of its own by conducting experiments on human subjects. In book two, In the Ruins, the action moved to London, and Alpha Team was joined by MDF Intelligence Agent Sean Delaney – formerly of the CIA – in an operation between the MDF and the UMG (its UK equivalent) to gather evidence about the Russian government’s involvement – via the Russian Mafia – in those experiments as part of its plan to create an army of metahumans. During the course of these novels, Jamie and Alpha Team’s sniper, Kyle Brannigan, became lovers and are now in a long-term relationship that has to remain a secret because of the MDF’s strict non-fraternisation rule. Keeping their relationship a secret is hard on both of them, and Jamie also has to deal with the pressure being put on him by his wealthy family to quit the military and go into politics like his father, who is likely to earn the Republican nomination for the upcoming Presidential election. Jamie has no intention of leaving the MDF, but agrees to a compromise; he’ll accompany his father on the campaign trail when he can, and by the time In the Shadows opens, he’s doing just that. With Jamie’s absence (for part of the story anyway), the focus of this novel shifts slightly and moves away from Jamie and Kyle as the main romantic couple – but never fear, all the other things that work so well about this series are still very much in evidence; skilful worldbuilding, sexy love scenes, superbly written action scenes and the terrific camaraderie between the members of Alpha Team, who all have very specific parts to play and are never just “window dressing”.
The novel opens as Sean continues to pursue the investigation begun in the previous book. In the guise of CFO of the cyber-security company created for Alpha Team’s mission in London, he’s meeting with casino magnate Adrian Wolcott in the hopes of getting an “in” with the man’s younger brother, Declan, who is the owner of one of the top private military companies in the US – and who has been linked to Nikolaas Jansen, a well-known black-marketeer (and a powerful empath) and the Russian mob. When the mission goes pear-shaped, Sean can’t risk blowing his cover by using his phase power (he’s able to move through solid objects) to get himself out, so Alpha Team – minus Jamie and Kyle – is sent to New Miami to effect an extraction.
Once accomplished, Sean returns to MDF HQ where he’s informed that the mission parameters have changed somewhat, and that he’s being seconded to Alpha Team, who will provide back-up and support when he goes back undercover in the attempt to make contact with Declan Wolcott. Having spent most of his adult life working alone, Sean can definitely appreciate the prospect of having people around him to watch his back; he’s rarely had the luxury of being around people who know what he does for a living, and it’s freeing for him. As is knowing he won’t be disavowed and left to fend for himself if things go wrong. Over a decade living a double life means Sean is adept at lying, concealing his reactions and slipping into whatever persona is required of him – but it has also separated him from his family (who think he’s a bank auditor), and his parents and siblings are getting tired of the excuses Sean trots out to avoid visiting, not knowing he keeps his distance in order to keep them safe.
Since working with Alpha Team in London, Sean has struck up an unlikely friendship with Kyle’s brother, Alexei Dvorkin (Kyle was adopted by the Dvorkins when he was a teen). Alexei made no secret of his dislike of spies, yet there was a definite undercurrent of attraction between the two men during the mission, and since it ended, they’ve met for lunch a few times and kept in touch. Even though he’s well aware that Alexei’s dislike of his profession means nothing but friendship is on the table, Sean can’t deny that he’s strongly attracted to the handsome Russian with the hot bod and the unexpectedly dry sense of humour.
At the risk of sounding clichéd, Alexei is something of a Russian (Teddy) Bear. Big, muscled and deadly, Alexei can also be ridiculously sweet (and more than a bit naughty!) and is incredibly loyal to those he cares for. He’s had his share of hook-ups and flings, but he prefers to go to bed with people he likes and feels a connection with – and right now, his attention is turned towards one particular brown-eyed, brown-haired, slightly aloof intelligence agent.
I’m not saying more about the plot; it’s clever and fast-paced, and the author’s ability to write vividly descriptive action sequences is once again on display; there’s a superb set-piece in the second half of the book which played out like a mini-action movie in my head. The romance between Sean and Alexei is also really well done; we saw them working together in the last book and witnessed the sparks flying and we know they’ve been meeting up since, so when their relationship turns physical, there’s already an emotional connection between them, which the author builds on during the course of the story. The love scenes are hot, sexy and sweet at times, without the element of D/s that characterises those between Jamie and Kyle.
I don’t think anyone will be surprised when I say that Greg Boudreaux’s performance is flawless and does much to enhance what is already a really good story. These novels are ensemble pieces, so there is a large number of recurring secondary characters, both male and female, all of whom are distinctly characterised and performed consistently across the three books in the series so far. The female members of Alpha Team – all of them kickass and fabulous – are easy to tell apart; Annabel’s southern drawl, Madison’s energy and impish glee at the prospect of getting to blow shit up and Katie’s calmly authoritative “don’t fuck with me” manner are all brilliantly realised. When it comes to the guys, Sean’s lighter tone contrasts nicely with Alexei’s deep, Russian-accented rumble, and Mr. Boudreaux injects a tenderness and vulnerability into their private moments which really conveys the depth of their feelings for one another. I also like the way in which, when Kyle and Alexei converse in Russian (which they do fairly often) Alexei’s accent disappears and his speech is more fluent – which makes perfect sense, as he’s speaking in his own language (and wouldn’t have an accent).
In the Shadows is a high-octane, high-stakes story featuring a set of really engaging characters and a sexy and emotionally satisfying romance. It’s a terrific addition to the Metahuman Files and I’m eagerly anticipating the audio release of book four.
Caz
Buy In the Shadows by Hailey Turner on Amazon
