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The Ranger Brigade #4
Black Canyon Conspiracy
He'd rescued a beautiful hostage, now he needed to keep her alive
Former Special Forces soldier Marco Cruz has no time for messy emotions. But the beautiful TV reporter he saved from a hostage ordeal now faces graver danger. Someone wants Lauren Starling dead -- and the sinfully handsome Ranger wants to be the one to protect her.
Teaming up to find a killer and bring Lauren's kidnapper to justice, Marco and Lauren go on the run -- outside the law -- in a harrowing race for their lives. Before long, Marco begins to have unfamiliar feelings for Lauren -- admiration, sympathy…and a powerful lust. He knows what's going on between them is unprofessional. But also undeniable.
Former Special Forces soldier Marco Cruz has no time for messy emotions. But the beautiful TV reporter he saved from a hostage ordeal now faces graver danger. Someone wants Lauren Starling dead -- and the sinfully handsome Ranger wants to be the one to protect her.
Teaming up to find a killer and bring Lauren's kidnapper to justice, Marco and Lauren go on the run -- outside the law -- in a harrowing race for their lives. Before long, Marco begins to have unfamiliar feelings for Lauren -- admiration, sympathy…and a powerful lust. He knows what's going on between them is unprofessional. But also undeniable.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 18, 2015
71 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Cindi Myers
458 books116 followersPseudonym: Cynthia Sterling
Cindi Myers worked as a newspaper reporter, travel agent and medical clinic manager before turning to writing full time. She's written both historical and contemporary romance, as well as dozens of short stories and nonfiction articles. Cindi thinks writers have the best job in the world.
Former president of San Antonio Romance Authors, Cindi is a member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc., and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.
She and her husband and their two dogs live in the mountains Southwest of Denver. When she's not caught up in creating new characters and stories, Cindi enjoys reading, quilting, gardening, skiing and hiking. She's also in demand as a speaker, teaching workshops and making presentations to both local and national writing groups.
Cindi Myers worked as a newspaper reporter, travel agent and medical clinic manager before turning to writing full time. She's written both historical and contemporary romance, as well as dozens of short stories and nonfiction articles. Cindi thinks writers have the best job in the world.
Former president of San Antonio Romance Authors, Cindi is a member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc., and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.
She and her husband and their two dogs live in the mountains Southwest of Denver. When she's not caught up in creating new characters and stories, Cindi enjoys reading, quilting, gardening, skiing and hiking. She's also in demand as a speaker, teaching workshops and making presentations to both local and national writing groups.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 23, 2017
Lauren Starling is a TV reporter who (in a previous book, I believe) was the prisoner of demented millionaire Richard Prentice. She was rescued by ex-Special Forces agent Marco Cruz, and a connection has remained ever since.
Due to his money and connections, Prentice is able to get Lauren fired because of her bi-polar disorder, claiming she is obsessed with him. He also convinces a grand jury that he is innocent, and gets the joint operation that is after him disbanded.
Lauren won't go down without a fight. With Marco by her side, she figures the best plan of attack is to meet Prentice head on, especially since other frightening events have occurred to her that she believes he is responsible for. Of course, this doesn't go to plan!
While I enjoyed this romantic suspense tale, I think Cindi Myers was making a lot of it up as she went along! By the end, quite a few plot strands don't make sense in retrospect.
While Lauren and Marco are on the run from Prentice is where this story hits its stride, and delivers some decent action sequences and suspense. However, getting there is a bit of an uneven ride, as the events that take place up until that point are unclear as to their relevance after the final outcome is revealed. Nonetheless, they are exciting in their own right.
Characterisation is good. Marco is my kind of alpha male! He's scared to love, of course, but it's due to the vulnerability it could expose him to in his line of work. Also, his very job description relies on this sort of stoicism. It was realistic and believable. Lauren wasn't quite as successful as a character. I didn't really like the way the book bandied about the term "crazy" so loosely! It's okay to be crazy. We obviously still have a long way to go in terms of this sort of casual ableism in fiction! I really liked the character of Lauren's sister, Sophie. She was smart and strong.
If the first half had more of a connection to the exciting second half, this would have been 4 stars! What a pity.
Due to his money and connections, Prentice is able to get Lauren fired because of her bi-polar disorder, claiming she is obsessed with him. He also convinces a grand jury that he is innocent, and gets the joint operation that is after him disbanded.
Lauren won't go down without a fight. With Marco by her side, she figures the best plan of attack is to meet Prentice head on, especially since other frightening events have occurred to her that she believes he is responsible for. Of course, this doesn't go to plan!
While I enjoyed this romantic suspense tale, I think Cindi Myers was making a lot of it up as she went along! By the end, quite a few plot strands don't make sense in retrospect.
While Lauren and Marco are on the run from Prentice is where this story hits its stride, and delivers some decent action sequences and suspense. However, getting there is a bit of an uneven ride, as the events that take place up until that point are unclear as to their relevance after the final outcome is revealed. Nonetheless, they are exciting in their own right.
Characterisation is good. Marco is my kind of alpha male! He's scared to love, of course, but it's due to the vulnerability it could expose him to in his line of work. Also, his very job description relies on this sort of stoicism. It was realistic and believable. Lauren wasn't quite as successful as a character. I didn't really like the way the book bandied about the term "crazy" so loosely! It's okay to be crazy. We obviously still have a long way to go in terms of this sort of casual ableism in fiction! I really liked the character of Lauren's sister, Sophie. She was smart and strong.
If the first half had more of a connection to the exciting second half, this would have been 4 stars! What a pity.
September 20, 2015
Excellent conclusion to the series. Lauren is the reporter who had gone missing in the first book, and who was rescued at the end of Colorado Bodyguard. She is determined to see the man responsible brought to justice, but he is rich and powerful and very good at evading consequences for his actions.
Marco is one member of the Ranger Brigade and the one who helped rescue Lauren. He has spent years burying his emotions in order to do his job, but something about Lauren has those feelings reappearing. When it becomes apparent that someone wants her dead, Marco is the one determined to protect her.
Throughout the previous books, all clues led to Richard Prentice being the mastermind behind the crime wave in the area, but hard evidence was impossible to find. Even after Lauren's rescue he was able to sway public opinion against her. His diatribes against the government in general and the Ranger Brigade in particular end up getting the task force disbanded. But being the good guys that they are, the whole crew and their ladies refuse to go down without a fight. Taking the investigation private they come up with an unorthodox plan. Lauren and Marco will beard Richard in his own home and attempt to find the proof that they need. What happens then sends Lauren and Marco out into the wilderness on their own, trying to evade capture. They stumble upon something so unexpected and frightening that they realize they are the only ones who can prevent a huge disaster. I loved their creativity and resourcefulness as, working together, they are finally able to bring an end to Richard's delusions. The entire last third of the book had me on the edge of my seat as I wondered how they would get out of one crisis after another. The final confrontation was intense and scarily realistic in today's world.
I loved the relationship that grew between Marco and Lauren. Lauren has had an especially rough time lately, and recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder is finally getting her life back on track. She is dealing with the stigma of mental illness, which makes her reluctant to believe that someone like Marco could ever be interested in her. I loved the way that Marco not only didn't look down on her, he admired her strength and her courage and made sure she knew it. He had his own insecurities, thanks to his youth in gang ridden LA and his later activities in the Special Forces. He was sure that Lauren could do much better than someone like him. I loved the ending as they confessed their feelings for each other, but also accepted the truth that their lives together would probably never be easy, but if they were together it would all be worth it.
Marco is one member of the Ranger Brigade and the one who helped rescue Lauren. He has spent years burying his emotions in order to do his job, but something about Lauren has those feelings reappearing. When it becomes apparent that someone wants her dead, Marco is the one determined to protect her.
Throughout the previous books, all clues led to Richard Prentice being the mastermind behind the crime wave in the area, but hard evidence was impossible to find. Even after Lauren's rescue he was able to sway public opinion against her. His diatribes against the government in general and the Ranger Brigade in particular end up getting the task force disbanded. But being the good guys that they are, the whole crew and their ladies refuse to go down without a fight. Taking the investigation private they come up with an unorthodox plan. Lauren and Marco will beard Richard in his own home and attempt to find the proof that they need. What happens then sends Lauren and Marco out into the wilderness on their own, trying to evade capture. They stumble upon something so unexpected and frightening that they realize they are the only ones who can prevent a huge disaster. I loved their creativity and resourcefulness as, working together, they are finally able to bring an end to Richard's delusions. The entire last third of the book had me on the edge of my seat as I wondered how they would get out of one crisis after another. The final confrontation was intense and scarily realistic in today's world.
I loved the relationship that grew between Marco and Lauren. Lauren has had an especially rough time lately, and recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder is finally getting her life back on track. She is dealing with the stigma of mental illness, which makes her reluctant to believe that someone like Marco could ever be interested in her. I loved the way that Marco not only didn't look down on her, he admired her strength and her courage and made sure she knew it. He had his own insecurities, thanks to his youth in gang ridden LA and his later activities in the Special Forces. He was sure that Lauren could do much better than someone like him. I loved the ending as they confessed their feelings for each other, but also accepted the truth that their lives together would probably never be easy, but if they were together it would all be worth it.
July 2, 2018
A really fun, edge of your seat read. What I really enjoyed was the author portrayed a heroine, Lauren, with bipolar disorder, something I can't recall seeing in any of my previous reads. I loved that she did not try to hide any of the symptoms that Lauren experienced but let the reader experience with Lauren her ups and downs. I also enjoyed that the hero, Marco, did his research on the illness and did not try to push Lauren past her limits but recognized how he could support her when she experienced any bipolar episodes. I had not read any of the previous books in this series so I was a little confused by some of the secondary characters but overall I loved the team dynamics and how Marco and the heroes from the previous books recognized that the women in their lives were strong and able to protect themselves. Fun read!
August 6, 2025
This was a fun adventure. I liked that our heroine had bipolar disorder and this had such a healthy outlook on mental illnesses. I’ve never read an Intrigue book from Harlequin, but it was a great time. Like an action movie, to be honest. It didn’t give me enough time to really love our couple as a couple, but I liked them. Our villain was so bad it was almost ridiculous. Almost a caricature because it was so over the top. But overall, it was fun. I found this in a little free library, so it was worth my time. I’m not sure about buying these though. I tend to like the vintage Harlequins more.
August 13, 2022
Black Canyon Conspiracy
This is a story that deals with a couple issues that are very prevalent in our world today. Cindi Myers does a wonderful job of telling a story and helping to bring understanding to these issues.
This is a story that deals with a couple issues that are very prevalent in our world today. Cindi Myers does a wonderful job of telling a story and helping to bring understanding to these issues.
September 30, 2022
full of suspense
This book is so full of suspenseful moments that I thought for sure Marc and Lauren would be caught or killed. Brilliant
This book is so full of suspenseful moments that I thought for sure Marc and Lauren would be caught or killed. Brilliant
August 9, 2016
This novel begins after a series of events that take a bit of explanation. The author doesn’t give us all the details at once but allows the reader to piece together the needed information through following the story.
The romance builds slowly but steadily, as we’re dealing with two people who have trouble getting a grip on their emotions. One is the typical stoic male, a man who favors the John Wayne school of feeling. But his closed-off emotions aren’t due to some foolish ideal of manhood but simply a necessary aspect of his life as an ex-Special Forces soldier. Marco Cruz has seen and done terrible things and he’s had to compartmentalize his feelings if he wasn’t going to go insane.
Lauren Starling has the opposite problem. She’s been diagnosed as bipolar and needs medication, meditation and a serene environment to keep her mental faculties from yawing out of control. Naturally, in this situation, in which Lauren is being beset by her former kidnapper, serenity is going to be the last thing she gets.
This novel is action packed with the tension ratcheting higher once Lauren and Marco try to take down the formidable Richard Prentice, a man whose money has put him above the law. He’s powerful, ruthless, cunning and devious. He’s a forceful villain and the threat he poses is dire enough to be believable.
Lauren proves herself to be a capable partner to Marco. She herself is resourceful, strong and powerful, learning an inner and outer strength she didn’t know she had. The growing partnership between her and Marco rises beyond mere heat (although I could have done without the obligatory kissing-while-in-the-middle-of-danger scenarios) and I was thrilled to see her taking her part in getting them out of some sticky situations. My kind of gal.
This novel is definitely a notch above others I’ve read recently and deserves a look by people who like their romance with powerful, strong female leads.
The romance builds slowly but steadily, as we’re dealing with two people who have trouble getting a grip on their emotions. One is the typical stoic male, a man who favors the John Wayne school of feeling. But his closed-off emotions aren’t due to some foolish ideal of manhood but simply a necessary aspect of his life as an ex-Special Forces soldier. Marco Cruz has seen and done terrible things and he’s had to compartmentalize his feelings if he wasn’t going to go insane.
Lauren Starling has the opposite problem. She’s been diagnosed as bipolar and needs medication, meditation and a serene environment to keep her mental faculties from yawing out of control. Naturally, in this situation, in which Lauren is being beset by her former kidnapper, serenity is going to be the last thing she gets.
This novel is action packed with the tension ratcheting higher once Lauren and Marco try to take down the formidable Richard Prentice, a man whose money has put him above the law. He’s powerful, ruthless, cunning and devious. He’s a forceful villain and the threat he poses is dire enough to be believable.
Lauren proves herself to be a capable partner to Marco. She herself is resourceful, strong and powerful, learning an inner and outer strength she didn’t know she had. The growing partnership between her and Marco rises beyond mere heat (although I could have done without the obligatory kissing-while-in-the-middle-of-danger scenarios) and I was thrilled to see her taking her part in getting them out of some sticky situations. My kind of gal.
This novel is definitely a notch above others I’ve read recently and deserves a look by people who like their romance with powerful, strong female leads.
August 29, 2015
2.5stars
Really bland. Didn't enjoy it.
Really bland. Didn't enjoy it.
Read
January 12, 2016Miniseries: The Ranger Brigade
Read
January 12, 2016Miniseries: The Ranger Brigade
July 11, 2015
I will miss this series. I loved the characters.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews