#3: Enemy Mind (Silhouette Family Secrets, 2003) - Maggie Shayne

 Professor Zachary Ingram teaches economics. He's not a hero. He's just an average guy. At least until push comes to shove and he has to find the hero inside himself to survive. Dr. Maisy Dalton is a psychiatrist specializing in the deprogramming of former cult members. When she gets a call about an intriguing case, she can hardly refuse.

What she finds is not exactly what she was told. And Zach is not the man his kidnappers expect him to be.

 This is the first full length ebook I've read from Harlequin, and I have to say, it was a fantastic first pick. I only vaguely remember seeing anything about this continuity when it came out in 2003. Obviously I didn't read it then, but I intend to finish it this year.

The strength of this book lies in Maisy and Zach's characterization, I think, though the plot intrigued me and none of the other, secondary characters bugged me. I was a little worried that the "bad guys" would be of the TSTL variety for a while, but Ms. Shayne managed to give them brains and make them not nearly as incompetent as I feared. As a matter of fact, I found myself grudgingly impressed.

I can't imagine the pressure an author must be under to set up a continuity, establish the world and some of the major points of consistency for it, and still somehow manage to write a compelling story. I think Maggie Shayne did all of that expertly with Enemy Mind. If things like genetically enhanced humans and organizations with names like MEDUSA and the Extraordinary Five sound like fun, check out this book!

Overall Grade: A

Writing is like a drug. Anyone who tells you it isn't is trying to sell you something more addictive. Like crack.