Disclaimer: I won free ARCs of the 'Hear No Evil' trilogy in a giveaway.
When a book starts with a chase, you know it's going to be a good one—and 'Hear No Evil' absolutely does not disappoint.
East Hale is a hotel mogul, a hacker, and member of the Elite, a secret society of London's most richest and powerful. Oh, and he looks damn fine in a suit. Agent Nyla Kincaid works for Interpol and is determined to take him and the rest of the London Lords down, convinced that they're up to something shady.
And, well, they kind of are, but for good reasons. It's more complicated than Nyla initially realises, to say the least. But as time goes on and East helps her with another case entirely, her walls crumble and she starts falling for this devilish bad boy—and he for her, even though he knows she could put everything he and his friends have worked for at risk.
This is the first Nana Malone book I've read and let me tell you, I am hooked. She writes truly compelling characters, brilliantly tense narratives, and the chemistry is so hot I swear my Kindle nearly caught fire. Nyla is an absolute bombshell and I love how incredibly strong she is—she knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it. Malone also does a fantastic job of exploring the misogyny Nyla faces in a way that doesn't feel heavy-handed or in your face. East is not an exception to this either; there's a brilliant moment where he misjudges Nyla's emotions and puts her in the role of a scared little girl, and she very quickly sets the record straight.
I do think I would have had a better idea of the machinations of the Elite if I'd read the See No Evil trilogy first, but honestly, that didn't impact my enjoyment of this in the slightest. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and read Book Two!
Final verdict: Steamy, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns, Nana Malone is a goddess of the written word. 🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯/5 honeypots!