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Devil's Shroud #4
Deadly Allure
An ex-military man relies on the skills he's never forgotten…
When former special ops soldier Dave Logsdon nearly hits a beautiful motorcyclist in the thick Oregon fog, nicknamed the Devil's Shroud, he never expects to be thrown back into a world of espionage, deceit and danger. But secret agent Nicole Steele is desperate for an out-of-the-way place to hide, and Dave's run-down yacht is the perfect spot. The emotionally wounded warrior is powerless to deny her request…and his rising desire for her.
Nicole must decrypt the database she's stolen before it's too late. She soon learns the threat is bigger than she could ever imagine and U.S. national security is at stake. Will her unexpected bond with Dave survive once the enemy's identity is finally uncovered?
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
56 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Elle James
698 books1,211 followersAward-winning author Elle James grew up as an air force military brat. She received her work ethic from her rock-solid father, her creative streak from her artistic mother and inspiration from her writing partner and sister, Delilah Devlin. As a former member of the army reserves and a current member of the air force reserves, she's traveled across the United States and to Germany, managed a full-time job, and raised three wonderful children. She and her husband have even tried their hands at ranching exotic birds (ostriches, emus and rheas) in the Texas hill country. Ask her, and she'll tell you what it's like to go toe-to-toe with an angry three-hundred-and-fifty-pound bird and live to tell about it!
Her adventures in the army and air force reserves, and the wild antics of her life on a small ranch in Texas give her fodder for mystery, suspense and humor in her writing. Elle writes gothic, paranormal mystery for the Harlequin Intrigue line and paranormal romantic comedy for Dorchester Publishing. A former manager of computer programming and project management professionals, Elle is happy she now has the opportunity to pursue her writing full time.
Her adventures in the army and air force reserves, and the wild antics of her life on a small ranch in Texas give her fodder for mystery, suspense and humor in her writing. Elle writes gothic, paranormal mystery for the Harlequin Intrigue line and paranormal romantic comedy for Dorchester Publishing. A former manager of computer programming and project management professionals, Elle is happy she now has the opportunity to pursue her writing full time.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 15, 2014
Fantastic book with two great leads and gripping action. It starts with Nicole, aka Tazer to her fellow agents, acquiring a database containing information about suspected arms dealers. She's discovered and pursued, but manages to get away, but not before discovering that someone is going after her fellow agents. On her own and needing somewhere to hide out, she heads for Cape Churn. After colliding with Dave in the fog, he takes her to his boat, which turns out to be a great spot to lay low.
What a beginning for these two. They had met briefly in a previous book, where Nicole had managed to rub Dave the wrong way. Now he wants nothing to do with her or her problems, but finds himself helping anyway. I loved watching these two clash. They start out really pushing each other's buttons. Dave came home from the army determined to keep to himself. He still has nightmares from the loss of a friend. He refuses to get close to anyone and suffer that kind of pain again. Nicole is focused on her job. After being betrayed by the man she loved, she no longer trusts men or her judgement about them. Dave wants nothing more than for her to get what she needs and get off his boat so he can get back to his normal life. But there's something about Nicole that gets to him and it isn't long before he wants to help her.
Nicole is a strong and independent woman, used to working on her own, but quickly finds herself glad to have Dave's help. I loved seeing the two of them find a way to work together. They discovered that they made a very good team. During their enforced proximity their attraction really took off. As much as they tried to convince themselves that it was just physical, they found themselves sharing things that they don't usually talk about. They're starting to feel things they never expected and neither knows what will happen to them when the mission ends.
The action in this story was gripping right from the start. It seemed that Nicole and Dave were barely one step ahead of trouble no matter what they did. There were quite a few twists and turns and plenty of heart pounding moments as they worked to get the information to someone who could do something about it. The ending had me riveted as they tried to reach their goal.
I also loved seeing Nicole's teammates from the previous books as they provided what backup they could. It's always great to get a follow up and see how a relationship continues to grow strong. It was also fun to see how the women made sure they didn't get shut out of the action.
What a beginning for these two. They had met briefly in a previous book, where Nicole had managed to rub Dave the wrong way. Now he wants nothing to do with her or her problems, but finds himself helping anyway. I loved watching these two clash. They start out really pushing each other's buttons. Dave came home from the army determined to keep to himself. He still has nightmares from the loss of a friend. He refuses to get close to anyone and suffer that kind of pain again. Nicole is focused on her job. After being betrayed by the man she loved, she no longer trusts men or her judgement about them. Dave wants nothing more than for her to get what she needs and get off his boat so he can get back to his normal life. But there's something about Nicole that gets to him and it isn't long before he wants to help her.
Nicole is a strong and independent woman, used to working on her own, but quickly finds herself glad to have Dave's help. I loved seeing the two of them find a way to work together. They discovered that they made a very good team. During their enforced proximity their attraction really took off. As much as they tried to convince themselves that it was just physical, they found themselves sharing things that they don't usually talk about. They're starting to feel things they never expected and neither knows what will happen to them when the mission ends.
The action in this story was gripping right from the start. It seemed that Nicole and Dave were barely one step ahead of trouble no matter what they did. There were quite a few twists and turns and plenty of heart pounding moments as they worked to get the information to someone who could do something about it. The ending had me riveted as they tried to reach their goal.
I also loved seeing Nicole's teammates from the previous books as they provided what backup they could. It's always great to get a follow up and see how a relationship continues to grow strong. It was also fun to see how the women made sure they didn't get shut out of the action.
March 24, 2024
This is back to high octane, exciting, intriguing writing. The kind I like. SOS IS A SECRET ORGANIZATION UNDER THE PRESIDENT. A great secret brotherhood fighting for our country against its own corruption around the world. Tazer and Dave were victins of fighting for their country and were scapegoats of our higher up politicians that almost got them killed and wrongfully list their jobs.
Tazer , part of SOS, and Dave, the ex specul special forces soldier, team up with the rest if SOS, whatever not under arrest, to fine the high ranking official responsible. The rest is history.
Tazer , part of SOS, and Dave, the ex specul special forces soldier, team up with the rest if SOS, whatever not under arrest, to fine the high ranking official responsible. The rest is history.
January 11, 2018
Devil's Shroud is a great place, especially if you like mystery, government agents, romance and a fun read.
June 8, 2023
Soooooo great. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Loved all the twists and turns it took.
October 9, 2023
Deadly Allure
Great story. This was action packed from the get go. Not only an action packed story but with romance mixed in.
Great story. This was action packed from the get go. Not only an action packed story but with romance mixed in.
August 4, 2014
I was given this book in return for an honest and impartial review, so thanks!
I have come to love Ms. James’ books because they deliver each and every time. Her heroes are strong, dependable, yet also vulnerable and often damaged in some way. The heroines are strong, feisty, sometimes also vulnerable or even defensive and closed off and no-one is ever looking for the love they find. Usually it hits them on the head like a big hammer which is fun to read!
It is great to see the characters develop throughout the story and I often feel like a coach on the side lines rooting for them, gasping when there is danger and hoping that whatever mess they are in they will get out of it safely. Sometimes I am also yelling at them in my head and wanting to slap them so that they open their eyes and see what is in front of them. This is what makes Elle James stories so interesting, entertaining and just a great read!
When I got book four in the Deadly series, Deadly Allure, I went and got the other instalments and read them. I am one of those readers who will read a story out of order if I have no other choice, and this often happens when I am reviewing books, but given a choice, I like to read from beginning to end. Deadly Allure can be read as a standalone but in my honest opinion the Deadly series just works better together, one book after the other. If you want to read them in order, then here they are -1. Deadly Reckoning 2.Deadly Engagement 3.Deadly Liaisons 4.Deadly Allure.
Having said that, I did sort of shoot myself in the foot by doing this, because Dave Logsdon, the main character in book number four pops up as a minor character in book two and the jump from then to book four where Dave is the hero had me thinking I had the wrong Dave. He is different in this story and now that he has a much better, more defined and fleshed out background, it didn’t really mesh that well with the Dave in book two, who I thought was quite wimpy and not really hero material and certainly there was absolutely no inkling given that that Dave could and would become this Dave with all of his background and story! Anyway, enough of the two Dave’s, this is only my impression and my only minor gripe.
Dave in Deadly Allure does however have much more depth and I just loved the lone man, island type character that he was in the beginning and seeing how much Nicole Steele, aka Tazer, managed to get under his skin, even though he was ever so reluctant to admit it. The same went for Nicole who had been betrayed and hurt by someone she had loved and as a result had lost a promising career.
What was also fascinating was seeing these two characters go head to head. They are both experienced operatives, well, ex in Dave’s case and I liked the fact that they were able to operate almost independently of each other as well as together and that there wasn’t always one who was superior experience wise and directing how the other should behave and/or act.
Another interesting thing was that both thought that they were fine being their own little islands and I was wondering how Ms. James was going to solve this dilemma, because it usually ends up with one person sacrificing for the other and this sometimes to me is a copout because it means the writer has put that in the too hard basket with the relationship too difficult to work out and this is the easiest way out. I was waiting to see what would happen and I wasn’t disappointed in that respect at all.
This book has action galore, so if you like a story that races along at break neck speed with all sorts of villains popping up out of the woodwork and danger, then this is the one for you. What amazes me is that these tiny towns can so quickly become the centre of intrigue, danger and sometimes even death!
The beauty of the story was also that I wasn’t able to work out who the villain of the piece was until it was revealed right at the end. The group that Nicole works for has basically been shut down, so you have an idea that whoever is doing this has power and connections, but who is definitely not clear. Thanks to the other stories, Nicole has backup already in place, if somewhat on the fly and it was interesting to see how the characters from the previous stories were woven back seamlessly into this one.
The suspense and action was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat and the development of the romance between Dave and Nicole was everything my overactive imagination thought it should be and more. The sex between these two was hot and amazing and just another piece of the story that fit in seamlessly.
I really enjoyed this story of two emotionally damaged loners coming together and realising that being together was much better than apart. This is an entertaining and exciting series and I hope that it continues!
I have come to love Ms. James’ books because they deliver each and every time. Her heroes are strong, dependable, yet also vulnerable and often damaged in some way. The heroines are strong, feisty, sometimes also vulnerable or even defensive and closed off and no-one is ever looking for the love they find. Usually it hits them on the head like a big hammer which is fun to read!
It is great to see the characters develop throughout the story and I often feel like a coach on the side lines rooting for them, gasping when there is danger and hoping that whatever mess they are in they will get out of it safely. Sometimes I am also yelling at them in my head and wanting to slap them so that they open their eyes and see what is in front of them. This is what makes Elle James stories so interesting, entertaining and just a great read!
When I got book four in the Deadly series, Deadly Allure, I went and got the other instalments and read them. I am one of those readers who will read a story out of order if I have no other choice, and this often happens when I am reviewing books, but given a choice, I like to read from beginning to end. Deadly Allure can be read as a standalone but in my honest opinion the Deadly series just works better together, one book after the other. If you want to read them in order, then here they are -1. Deadly Reckoning 2.Deadly Engagement 3.Deadly Liaisons 4.Deadly Allure.
Having said that, I did sort of shoot myself in the foot by doing this, because Dave Logsdon, the main character in book number four pops up as a minor character in book two and the jump from then to book four where Dave is the hero had me thinking I had the wrong Dave. He is different in this story and now that he has a much better, more defined and fleshed out background, it didn’t really mesh that well with the Dave in book two, who I thought was quite wimpy and not really hero material and certainly there was absolutely no inkling given that that Dave could and would become this Dave with all of his background and story! Anyway, enough of the two Dave’s, this is only my impression and my only minor gripe.
Dave in Deadly Allure does however have much more depth and I just loved the lone man, island type character that he was in the beginning and seeing how much Nicole Steele, aka Tazer, managed to get under his skin, even though he was ever so reluctant to admit it. The same went for Nicole who had been betrayed and hurt by someone she had loved and as a result had lost a promising career.
What was also fascinating was seeing these two characters go head to head. They are both experienced operatives, well, ex in Dave’s case and I liked the fact that they were able to operate almost independently of each other as well as together and that there wasn’t always one who was superior experience wise and directing how the other should behave and/or act.
Another interesting thing was that both thought that they were fine being their own little islands and I was wondering how Ms. James was going to solve this dilemma, because it usually ends up with one person sacrificing for the other and this sometimes to me is a copout because it means the writer has put that in the too hard basket with the relationship too difficult to work out and this is the easiest way out. I was waiting to see what would happen and I wasn’t disappointed in that respect at all.
This book has action galore, so if you like a story that races along at break neck speed with all sorts of villains popping up out of the woodwork and danger, then this is the one for you. What amazes me is that these tiny towns can so quickly become the centre of intrigue, danger and sometimes even death!
The beauty of the story was also that I wasn’t able to work out who the villain of the piece was until it was revealed right at the end. The group that Nicole works for has basically been shut down, so you have an idea that whoever is doing this has power and connections, but who is definitely not clear. Thanks to the other stories, Nicole has backup already in place, if somewhat on the fly and it was interesting to see how the characters from the previous stories were woven back seamlessly into this one.
The suspense and action was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat and the development of the romance between Dave and Nicole was everything my overactive imagination thought it should be and more. The sex between these two was hot and amazing and just another piece of the story that fit in seamlessly.
I really enjoyed this story of two emotionally damaged loners coming together and realising that being together was much better than apart. This is an entertaining and exciting series and I hope that it continues!
August 3, 2014
I have had the pleasure of reading quite bit of Elle James' work lately and I must say I have found another new favorite author. Deadly Allure has me captivated from the beginning to the end. This is one of those books that is packed full of suspense and drama that had me wondering what else could possibly happen. I really really enjoyed Deadly Allure.
Nicole Steele is on a mission that has went wrong. She finds herself in danger without help, so she sets off for a place she knows she can find some backup. However when she is almost hit on the road by Dave Logsdon she finds at first an unwilling ally.
Dave has enough on his plate and is certainly not looking to end up in the middle of a dangerous mission with one beautiful woman. However as more drama happens and he finds out more he not only finds himself falling for Nicole but wanting to help with her mission.
I don't want to tell you too much about this fabulous story. I will tell you there is plenty of drama and suspense and some really steamy scenes. I loved the characters and really enjoyed watching Nicole and Dave find a way to work together to get done what has to be done. Nicole is one feisty independent woman and Dave is one creative fella that comes up with several inventive ways to keep them safe. They really do make a compelling couple and a force to be reckoned with when it comes to making sure they get to the bottom of the problem. I have to say I was completely surprised by who the culprit of their problems is. There are many twist and turns involved to solve the mystery and a few humorous moments along the way as well.
Elle James does a wonderful job of creating characters that are fun and interesting to read about and a storyline that has a way of drawing me right in and not letting go until the end. I will be looking forward to reading more of her work soon.
This is part of the Deadly series but never fear, if you have not read the previous books this one can be read easily as a stand alone. I have not read the previous books in this series and I had no problem at all and did not feel like I was missing any pertinent information. Although I'd love to read the previous books in the series because I'm sure they are wonderful as well. As I said before Elle James quickly became one of my new favorite authors. She's a very talented lady.
If you are looking for a steamy suspenseful story then you really should pick up Deadly Allure. I think you will enjoy it. I know I certainly did.
I received the opportunity to read this wonderful story so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you on Deadly Allure.
Nicole Steele is on a mission that has went wrong. She finds herself in danger without help, so she sets off for a place she knows she can find some backup. However when she is almost hit on the road by Dave Logsdon she finds at first an unwilling ally.
Dave has enough on his plate and is certainly not looking to end up in the middle of a dangerous mission with one beautiful woman. However as more drama happens and he finds out more he not only finds himself falling for Nicole but wanting to help with her mission.
I don't want to tell you too much about this fabulous story. I will tell you there is plenty of drama and suspense and some really steamy scenes. I loved the characters and really enjoyed watching Nicole and Dave find a way to work together to get done what has to be done. Nicole is one feisty independent woman and Dave is one creative fella that comes up with several inventive ways to keep them safe. They really do make a compelling couple and a force to be reckoned with when it comes to making sure they get to the bottom of the problem. I have to say I was completely surprised by who the culprit of their problems is. There are many twist and turns involved to solve the mystery and a few humorous moments along the way as well.
Elle James does a wonderful job of creating characters that are fun and interesting to read about and a storyline that has a way of drawing me right in and not letting go until the end. I will be looking forward to reading more of her work soon.
This is part of the Deadly series but never fear, if you have not read the previous books this one can be read easily as a stand alone. I have not read the previous books in this series and I had no problem at all and did not feel like I was missing any pertinent information. Although I'd love to read the previous books in the series because I'm sure they are wonderful as well. As I said before Elle James quickly became one of my new favorite authors. She's a very talented lady.
If you are looking for a steamy suspenseful story then you really should pick up Deadly Allure. I think you will enjoy it. I know I certainly did.
I received the opportunity to read this wonderful story so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you on Deadly Allure.
August 3, 2014
I loved this book. It was soo good. It pulled me in from the very beginning and once I started I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting and was not ready for the book to end.
This book is part of a series and it draws you in from the very beginning. You don't need to have read the other books in the series to fully enjoy and understand what is going on in this installment. We met Nicole, or Tazer, in previous stories, as well as Dave in the last book. This just means that we know a little bit about them and have been intrigued by what we have seen. There is so much more to both of them that we get once we finally start reading their story. We also get to see characters from previous books again. This story starts with Nicole doing an op on her own and it goes downhill fast even though she completes her task. She has to go into hiding and try and find a safe spot to decrypt the code and get the information and find out who the traitor is and how high up the chain of command it goes. She heads by to Cape Churn and is placed with Dave to decrypt the file.
This story is a very smooth read and has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing on what is going to happen next and how things are going to change. There is plenty of action in the story. It will keep your attention the whole time as you try and figure out what is going to happen next and how Nicole and Dave will work out their relationship. Especially since they are both in denial about having actual feelings for the other person for most of the story, though they don't let that keep them apart. The sex is hot and fairly explicit but not overly so and just adds to the story. I enjoyed it and I felt that it stayed true to their personalities. I really liked that about the story. The characters were complete and expressed in a way that I felt like I knew them and they stayed true to that. I really enjoyed the characters and because I did I wasn't ready for the story to end. I wanted to keep reading about Dave and Nicole.
I really enjoyed this book and this series. I can't wait to read more.
This book is part of a series and it draws you in from the very beginning. You don't need to have read the other books in the series to fully enjoy and understand what is going on in this installment. We met Nicole, or Tazer, in previous stories, as well as Dave in the last book. This just means that we know a little bit about them and have been intrigued by what we have seen. There is so much more to both of them that we get once we finally start reading their story. We also get to see characters from previous books again. This story starts with Nicole doing an op on her own and it goes downhill fast even though she completes her task. She has to go into hiding and try and find a safe spot to decrypt the code and get the information and find out who the traitor is and how high up the chain of command it goes. She heads by to Cape Churn and is placed with Dave to decrypt the file.
This story is a very smooth read and has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing on what is going to happen next and how things are going to change. There is plenty of action in the story. It will keep your attention the whole time as you try and figure out what is going to happen next and how Nicole and Dave will work out their relationship. Especially since they are both in denial about having actual feelings for the other person for most of the story, though they don't let that keep them apart. The sex is hot and fairly explicit but not overly so and just adds to the story. I enjoyed it and I felt that it stayed true to their personalities. I really liked that about the story. The characters were complete and expressed in a way that I felt like I knew them and they stayed true to that. I really enjoyed the characters and because I did I wasn't ready for the story to end. I wanted to keep reading about Dave and Nicole.
I really enjoyed this book and this series. I can't wait to read more.
August 25, 2014
Deadly Allure is a romantic suspense by Elle James. It is a fantastic suspense that begins on page 1 and ends on p 283. The main characters are well developed and the minor characters are only slightly developed. The plot is easy to follow and well thought out.
Dave Logston has only getting to the Cape Churn marina safely and out of the fog. As a former special ops soldier, Dave had seen a lot; but the fog at Devil’s Shroud was some of the worst he had ever seen. What he had not planned on was being hit by a motorcycle that ran the stop sign. The rider landed in the ditch. Dave knew he had to get out and help and so he did. To his surprise the motorcyclist was a woman! Not just any woman, but Nicole Steele, known as Tazer to her friends. She had just been here shortly before with others of her agency and the FBI and CIA to stop a terrorist plot from taking place. What was she doing here now?
Nicole Steele was on the run. She didn’t know who was after; but she knew she was in big trouble when she couldn’t contact her boss or her computer geek friend. She came to Cape Churn because two of her team were still here and she needed help badly. Unfortunately, she gets Dave’s help. She has to decode a flash drive she had just stolen to figure out who they could trust in the government or not. She didn’t need the added attraction of gorgeous Dave Logston.
Will the men following them catch them before the decryption is ready? Who is pulling the strings from above? It has to be someone with lots of power since they are sending Black Hawk helicopters to kill them.
Dave Logston has only getting to the Cape Churn marina safely and out of the fog. As a former special ops soldier, Dave had seen a lot; but the fog at Devil’s Shroud was some of the worst he had ever seen. What he had not planned on was being hit by a motorcycle that ran the stop sign. The rider landed in the ditch. Dave knew he had to get out and help and so he did. To his surprise the motorcyclist was a woman! Not just any woman, but Nicole Steele, known as Tazer to her friends. She had just been here shortly before with others of her agency and the FBI and CIA to stop a terrorist plot from taking place. What was she doing here now?
Nicole Steele was on the run. She didn’t know who was after; but she knew she was in big trouble when she couldn’t contact her boss or her computer geek friend. She came to Cape Churn because two of her team were still here and she needed help badly. Unfortunately, she gets Dave’s help. She has to decode a flash drive she had just stolen to figure out who they could trust in the government or not. She didn’t need the added attraction of gorgeous Dave Logston.
Will the men following them catch them before the decryption is ready? Who is pulling the strings from above? It has to be someone with lots of power since they are sending Black Hawk helicopters to kill them.
October 3, 2017
Again another great story! And Dave gets his own story!!!!
Hitting a gorgeous motorcyclist in the fog was not the way Dave had imagined the day going! Hiding with Dave in his boat, kept her away from those who had been following her, but why is this sexy captain starting to break down her defenses.
Has great highlights and awesome ending!
Hitting a gorgeous motorcyclist in the fog was not the way Dave had imagined the day going! Hiding with Dave in his boat, kept her away from those who had been following her, but why is this sexy captain starting to break down her defenses.
Has great highlights and awesome ending!
August 19, 2014
I just loved this book it was thru the roof. Elle writes with such creative passion that page after page the suspense is amazing. This book is for anyone who likes a little romance with their suspense!
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January 12, 2016"An action-filled plot mixed with intrigue is the highlight of this story. Appealing lead characters will keep readers turning the pages" (RT Book Reviews). 4 1/2 stars
June 25, 2015
Wow.
Nicole and Dave two damaged American hero's. A great adventure. This story kept me wondering when and how these two would be caught. A good read.
Nicole and Dave two damaged American hero's. A great adventure. This story kept me wondering when and how these two would be caught. A good read.
March 2, 2016
It was going well... And then they rushed the ending into like 3 paragraphs..., pissed off about that
October 31, 2016
Loved it
Quite a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Ms. James does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat
Quite a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Ms. James does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews