J.D. Robb discussion

As commander of the nation’s most elite FBI counterterrorism unit, agent Max Bhagat leads by hard-driving example: pushing himself to the limit and beyond, taking no excuses, and putting absolutely nothing ahead of his work. That includes his deep feelings for Gina Vitagliano, the woman who won his admiration and his heart with her courage under fire. But when the shocking news reaches him that Gina has been killed in a terrorist bombing, nothing can keep Max from making a full investigation–and retribution–his top priority.

At the scene of the attack, however, Max gets an even bigger shock. Gina is still very much alive–but facing a fate even worse than death. Along with Molly Anderson, a fellow overseas relief worker, Gina has fallen into the hands of a killer who is bent on using both women to bait a deadly trap. His quarry? Grady Morant, a.k.a “Jones,” a notorious ex-Special Forces operative turned smuggler who made some very deadly enemies in the jungles of Southeast Asia . . . and has been running ever since. But with Molly’s life on the line, Jones is willing to forfeit his own to save the woman he loves.

Together with Max’s top agent Jules Cassidy as their only backup, the unlikely allies plunge into a global hot zone of violence and corruption to make a deal with the devil. Not even Jones knows which ghosts from his past want him dead. But there’s one thing he’s sure of–there’s very little his bloodthirsty enemies aren’t willing to do.

Character List
(view spoiler)[
Max Bhagat: FBI counter-terrorist team leader and negotiator, and Jules’s boss.
Gina Vitagliano: Former hostage that Max helped save, AIDS Awareness International volunteer.
Jules Cassidy: FBI Agent.
Molly Anderson: Free spirited volunteer who is in love with Grady; Gina’s tent-mate in Kenya.
Grady Morant: Formerly known as David Jones. American ex pat, former Special Forces turned smuggler.
Deb Erlanger: FBI agent and Jules' teammate.
Joe (Yashi) Hirabayashi: FBI agent and Deb's partner.
Peggy Ryan: FBI agent and team leader.
Robin Chadwick: Actor and Jules'
Adam Wyndham: Jules' ex-boyfriend.
Laronda: Max's administrative assistant.
Rita Henniman: Max and Gina's couples counselor.
Leonard (Lenny) D'Angelo: Bank robber.
Ronald Shaw: Max's first team leader.
(hide spoiler)]

Discussion Question #1
Discussion Question #2
Discussion Question #3
Discussion Question #4

Looking forward to continuing this awesome series! :)

Me, too. Max and Grady and Jules in the same book, wow!

What a combo! lol I really like Max...and, of course, I fell head over heels over Jules in the last book.

I to am looking forward to continuing this series....love it

It is an interesting group!

already read because I had to find out about Max and Gina. Out of all the characters Max and Jules are my favorite so am glad to have read what happens with Max. will chime in when everyone has read.

Finished Breaking Point! Be still my heart! Loved it. ;)

Yay! I'm so glad you're enjoying this series, Sandra.

We'll open up the discussion on September 8.

Listening to this one now and really enjoying the beginning :)

***This is now a spoiler zone.***

Max Bhagat in black bikini briefs with the word Stud across the front in red sequins....could you get that image out of your head?

Seriously, what insights did you gain about Max from that prologue?

Max is a "Stud"! omg...what a scene. Couldn't believe he just took it all off rather than stand there in those briefs. lol I absolutely fell in love with Max in this book. As to the prologue - I need to take a minute to skim back through as it's been "several books ago" for me. I know I liked getting that insight into a younger Max - one who was just starting a long & storied career - and one whose career would become his everything, his life.

That image brought a real smile to my face; an unorthodox way to get the job done! I really liked Max more because of his background information in this book. His coping mechanism: he got straight As.

There's almost a twenty-year age difference between Max and Gina. In some of the earlier stories, the age difference was reversed in terms of gender (Nils & Meg, Joan & Mike). Is your perspective the same for this relationship? Why or why not? Are the circumstances different? Is Max right to be concerned?

Did you believe for a minute that Gina had died?

Jonetta wrote: "Did you believe for a minute that Gina had died?"

No. Just couldn't see it playing out like that.

Jonetta wrote: "There's almost a twenty-year age difference between Max and Gina. In some of the earlier stories, the age difference was reversed in terms of gender (Nils & Meg, Joan & Mike). Is your perspective t..."

In general - I don't want to sound "sexist" but I believe this big an age difference works best if it is the man that is older. (I know! I know!) 20 years is a huge difference if one is 20 years old & the other is 40 years old. But I think that as the younger of the two gets older, it becomes more realistic that it could and does work. 25 & 45 sounds better for some reason. But that's just me. lol

I do believe Max had reason to be concerned, but my reasons don't really have anything to do with age. For me, Max's biggest obstacle was the roles they played - the man who "saved" her vs. victim. And therein lies Max's problem - he had to get past seeing her as the victim he didn't save. Part of the time, I felt a little like he was using the "age" thing as an excuse to keep her at bay - to keep control of the situation & hold himself in check.

Anyway - I haven't had a problem with any of the age difference couples in this series. They're written in such a believable manner that it's easy to accept them, imo.

That's so perfectly stated, Sandra. It may sound sexist but with that age difference, the world around them is much more tolerant of the male being older, especially as they age. I don't have an issue with it but the reality is that the reverse is more a rarity.

(I remember when actress Juliet Mills (Hayley Mills sister) married Maxwell Caufield, it was a BIG deal because she was 39 and he was 21. No one gave this relationship odds of making it at the time. Now, she's 75 and he's 56 and they're still together!)

I agree completely with your assessment of Max and his concerns. He has a point but it's also his hang ups, too.

No, I didn't imagine that Gina had died. I'm just glad now that Max got over his hang ups, which had gotten tiring, to be honest.

I never believed that Gina died!
I could understand Max being concerned when Gina first started having feelings for him, because of the age difference and the him rescuing her deal. But, by the time this story happens, I don't think he had reason to be concerned. Gina had been in love with him for quite a while; she was older and according to a therapist ( Max spoke to one I believe) the victim, rescuer thing wasn't an issue anymore.
I think Max concerns were things HE needed to deal with.

I agree, Maggie. Gina was the grown up here.

In defense of Max, though, we got teeny peeks into his adolescence and what we saw wasn't so good. I think his hang ups go w-a-a-y back.

I never believed Gina was dead either. I like the way Max always lets Gina take the lead and initiate the sex between them as Max never feels its correct to do so. He is in everything else in his life in control but not with Gina. thru out the book he slowly comes around until the kitchen scene Oh My Yummmy

Gina seems to be the one person who gets under that veneer. Even Alyssa didn't have this effect on him.

The author jumps around in time to tell Max and Gina's story. Was this confusing or did it work in the long run?

I usually like when the author jumps back in time to show us what happened to this point, but I found this a little bit confusing. I think there was little too much jumping around. We started in the present, then back 4 months, then back 18 months, then to present, then to 16 months, then again to 4 months. I kind of wish when she went back in time she just would have stuck with it up till the present. Of course, maybe the story would drag too much.

I fell behind and just finished this yesterday.
Loved this one!!!

Wendy wrote: "I fell behind and just finished this yesterday.
Loved this one!!!"

I just fell head over heels for Max in this one! Loved it too!

I have loved Max from meeting him the first time. And I love Max and Gina together too. I could just smack him when he starts dwelling on the age thing. The age thing sure didn't make a difference on the kitchen table LOL

Wendy wrote: "I have loved Max from meeting him the first time. And I love Max and Gina together too. I could just smack him when he starts dwelling on the age thing. The age thing sure didn't make a difference ..."

No, it didn't! Lol

Lol! Not a bit:)

I rooted for Max and Gina from the airplane. Boy did it take him long enough to get over his hangups.

Jonetta wrote: "Lol! Not a bit:)

I rooted for Max and Gina from the airplane. Boy did it take him long enough to get over his hangups."

It sure did!

I was behind on reading and even further behind on commenting, but loved this one, loving this series more and more with every book, if that is even possible!
A lot sticks with me so far from this, one thing being the singing of Elvis.
I didn't find the jumping around confusing and while I feel like if it was gonna jump, it didnt have to jump so much to so many different times at the same time, I think it did in the end help create the story as well as it did.