Not what I expect from Heather Graham ( )

1.5 stars

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Kody Cameron is only at home helping at her family’s historical estate in Florida for a couple weeks before she returns to New York to continue working at a Pub and as a live actress. When masked men come in waving guns and demanding she tell them where a decades old treasure is hidden she thinks it's a joke, until the guns fire very real bullets.
Nick is undercover trying to capture a career criminal but he recognizes Kody right away as the woman in New York that he briefly saw but can't stop thinking about. With a little boy hidden away and new hostages to worry about, he can't put an immediate end to the criminal gang he's infiltrated plans.
Kody and Nick will have to fight criminals, the everglades, and their attraction if they want to stay alive.

First in the Finnegan Connection series, Law and Disorder starts us off with Kody and Nick. Kody works at Finnegan's pub and Nick is friends with Craig who dates Kieran Finnegan. The beginning thrusts many characters at you, a lot of side characters that only get their names mentioned and some that linger on; it was extremely overwhelming and gave the story a chaotic feel. While I very rarely mention editing mistakes in arc copies, from about 20-40%, our heroine's name frequently changed from Kody to Dakota and this made it even harder for me to keep everyone straight.

The plot has Nick working undercover trying to catch a career criminal. The gang wears masks and goes by old gangster names like Dillinger, Barrow, and Capone. I think there were 5 or 6 in the gang but the leader Dillinger and Barrow (Nick) are the only two really focused on while the rest weren't given enough life and more so clogged the story. Dillinger kidnaps a mayor's kid and hides him without telling his gang while they think they are just taking hostages at a historical site to look for a hidden treasure. Here is where the story is both interesting and overly convoluted. The author gives great history about this area in Florida and its mob background but kind of info dumps it before you have a chance to get to know the characters and become involved with the story. Dillinger's motivation and idea to have Kody find a hidden treasure that no one has found for decades and not even proven to exist was side-eye unbelievable and the shaky suspense foundation lead to disheveled and flaky actions by the characters.

Kody came off a bit foolish with her mouthing off and fighting a man with a gun; she was borderline TSTL. Nick's character came off more believable with trying to keep the situation under control and still work to capture the bad guys. With the author working in the mobster historical details, hostage situation, and treasure hunting, there was not a lot of room for romance. I never felt or saw why or how our couple fell in love; their connection was pretty non-existent for me.

This felt like a very rushed story where characters and fun historical snippets were thrown at me and story structure and character development were forgotten.
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Mediocre at best and predictable. Under cover FBI guy Nick falls for Kody when she is taken hostage to find an old mobster treasure ( )

Good book. Kody is home in Florida for a couple weeks before starting her new play in New York. She is stunned to be taken at gunpoint by a man in the mask of an old time gangster, and even more so to discover that her family's museum has been taken over by a gang of them. The leader of the gang is convinced that she knows where a decades old stash of jewels and money is, and wants her to lead them to it. Kody is scared, but determined to do what she must to protect the other hostages. Oddly enough, one of the gang seems to have the same intent, a man whose eyes seem strangely familiar.

Nick has been working undercover for about three weeks. He is with an FBI unit in New York who has been tracking "Dillinger" for months, trying to get the evidence they need to arrest him. Nick and Kody briefly encountered each other at a mutual friend's pub in New York. Nick is worried that Kody will recognize him and blow his cover.

That brief encounter had sparked an instant attraction. It was still there, though Kody was confused at first by the attraction she felt to a criminal. He was protective of them, and had moments when he was nice to her, but he was a criminal! If Nick hadn't been sent off for the undercover mission, he would have asked Kody out. He hasn't been able to get her out of his mind, but this isn't the way he wanted to meet her again. I liked the way that he appreciated her protectiveness for her friends and the intelligence with which she approached her situation. I enjoyed his fight to keep in character and not give in to the attraction. I loved Nick's quick action to ask her out once they were out of the swamp, and Kody's own pursuit of what she wanted. I liked their frank talk about how their careers have affected past relationships and what they want from this one. I loved the ending, with Kody having her big moment with friends and family there. Nick had his a little later, and I liked the hint of vulnerability there. I hope to see more of them in a later book.

The action is intense from the beginning as Dillinger and his people hold hostages to ensure that their demands are met. He is constantly on edge and making threats against Kody and the hostages. Nick has to play things very cautiously, keeping to his criminal persona while at the same time trying to keep them alive. Kody is pretty feisty for a captive and pushes the envelope by being somewhat confrontational with Dillinger. Her reasons are good, as she wants to ensure the safety of her friends and guests, and she's pretty sure they won't hurt her until they get what they want. There are several times when Nick isn't sure how they'll get out of it. Nick could have shot Dillinger and ended things, but he discovered that a little boy had also been kidnapped and hidden as "insurance" and he has to discover the boy's whereabouts before that happens.

The danger changes when the action moves from the house to the Everglades. Dillinger is becoming more intense and unpredictable. Besides having to deal with the criminals, there are also environmental dangers to contend with, such as alligators, crocodiles and snakes. There's some heart-pounding action as Nick and Kody manage to escape, but while they are safe Dillinger has disappeared. Just when Kody and Nick think they are safe, he reappears. I loved Kody's presence of mind here as she attempts to contribute to her rescue. The final confrontation was terrific as Kody's contribution, along with Nick's actions finally bring him down. ( )

Dillinger, also known as Nathan Appleby, kidnaps Dakota Cameron from the historic home her family owns and holds her captive in the Everglades, constraining her to locate Anthony Green’s missing treasure for him. Each man in his gang wears the mask of a well-known mobster and answers to that name. However, one of the men in this group, masquerading as Barrow, is actually undercover FBI agent Nicholas Connolly.
Will Nick find a way to stop the gang and secure the release of all their hostages? Will he be able to keep Kody alive? And what will he do about his attraction to this spunky woman?

Despite the almost-comical “bad guys” and Kody’s propensity for questioning her captors and always needing to have the last word, the story moves along at a brisk pace and offers a few unexpected twists. Readers will easily predict the ending, but getting there will be a fun read. ( )