Books like Renegade

Spectacular start--worthy of an action movie it was so riveting--and an almost as riveting ending, but...something was not quite right with the middle of the story. I'm trying to put my finger on what was wrong with this one, and I think it was because it wasn't long enough. I think this story should have been expanded by at least 50-100 more pages--there was so much that could have been told with more detail and wasn't, and that's what made it just "okay" for me. I loved the characters, liked the suspense plot well enough, the romance had a lot of potential, but I had way too many instances of wanting "more". It's okay to leave a reader wanting a little more, but I was starving for more about the H/h pasts and their current relationship and a little bit more detail on the whole serial killer plot--just not enough time was spent on the details, IMO.The book starts out in a big, exciting way with Tech Sgt. Mason "Smooth" Randolph involved in a spectacular accident (that nearly takes his life) while on a test flight of a super secret military aircraft, forcing him to parachute into the inky night and into Nevada's notorious Area 51 (home of a secret military airfield with a reputation from the locals for UFO sightings). Was it really an 'accident', did Mason somehow screw up, or did someone sabotage the jet? When he crash lands he is taken into custody by a sexy security cop (Jill Walczak) who happens to be patrolling in the area. Jill's a former cop now working as a member of a covert surveillance force looking for a serial killer inside the local air force base (all the victims have ties to the air force). Mason's appearance seemingly out of nowhere raises Jill's suspicions--could he be the serial killer that they're looking for? Even though his story of being involved in an accident and having to parachute into a restricted area makes sense, and Jill recognizes him from seeing him on the base, she's not taking anything for granted. Lots of witty (from Mason) and cutting (from Jill) dialogue follows, as Jill cuffs and takes Mason down. When a smoky cloud of possible hazardous material appears on the horizon and is drifting their way, Mason and Jill must make tracks before getting contaminated. Forced into quarantine together overnight, they try to fight their physical attraction as they figure out if each can trust the other. Could this sexy, glib aviator possibly be the killer Jill is looking for? Why does Mason have a connection to all of the victims--is he an actual suspect or is someone out to frame him--and why? And why was Jill patrolling well inside of the area 51 border--could she be snooping for some classified information or is she just doing her job? When a driver-less car nearly runs down Mason and Jill as they're leaving the hospital, and Mason heroically saves the day, Jill is forced to admit to herself that despite his reputation as a smooth-talking ladies' man that maybe Mason isn't all that bad. After a break-in at Jill's home (possibly by the serial killer), Mason and Jill are forced into seclusion on the base, and they get to know each other a little better, revealing bits about their pasts, and decide to act on the attraction they feel for each other. Some hot love making ensues, helped along by a rose and a bunch of rose petals...It looks like Jill and Mason are well on their way to having some kind of relationship...but will Mason's reluctance to become emotionally intimate and Jill's expectations of being 'left' again by a man she's grown attached to get in the way? And will the person trying to frame Mason by linking him to the serial killings be caught? And what about the killer--who is he/she and why are they targeting the Air Force personnel? Things all come to a head when Mason and his crew participate in a test run of the secret hypersonic jet in front of visiting foreign generals. Will the person out to sabotage Mason be discovered, or will the jet and crew meet up with a spectacular accident? Will Mason and Jill get a chance to work on their relationship and realize that they may have a future together, or will the person out to get Mason and their twisted, petty jealousies get in the way?This was the third book in CM's Dark Ops series, and although it's not my favorite, it was still a decent read. Fans of the series will be happy to catch up with Jimmy Gage ("Hot Wire"), Vince Deluca ("Vapor"), Chuck Tanaka, and their girlfriends again, and read about the budding romance between recent widower Colonel Rex Scanlon and the (much younger) Italian singing sensation Livia Cicero--lots of time was spent on this subplot (at times I thought it overshadowed Mason and Jill's romance) and I expect to see more of these two in future books.So all in all not a bad read, but one that could have been a lot better with the development of certain aspects of the book (getting inside the mind of the serial killer a bit more; and more time devoted to the romance between the H/h). I'll definitely keep on reading this series, because I do like CM's style of writing and her characters. And I want to see what will happen with Rex and Livia! 3 1/2 stars.