GRR Reviews Final Target (Dublin Mafia) by Zara Keane

Final Target is an interesting mix of several genres including "spy thriller", "undercover", "search for parent's killer", "second chance at love", "the mob", and "bad boy". The author has managed to mix all these tropes into one story, and still managed to just tease us with enough plot for the next volume is quite amazing. But in a way, that is also the problem with this book... It just feels unfinished. But first, let's recap...

Moira Collins is an MI-6 agent travelling around the world for Queen and Country, until the last assignment that left her shocked and cranky. She wanted to be assigned to investigate the bombing that took her entire family except her, but her superiors forced her to take a vacation... But she went anyway, as a dancer, unaware that a contract has been taken out on her life. Lar Delaney is one of the troubleshooters for the Irish Mafia trying to go straight, and his mob boss uncle reluctantly agreed with one proviso... One last big job... Kill this girl who he believed was involved in killing his son, and who was a victim of a bombing believed to involve an IRA faction before when she was younger. But when Lar saw the file on his target... He froze. It was his former girlfriend "Moira", one he believed died in the explosion, and a body was identified as hers at the scene. How can she still be alive and needed to be killed? As Lars finally met Moira face to face... they did not shoot each other, for Lars wants to find the real culprits behind his boss's son's murder. As they attempt to navigate the lies among the Irish mafia, the IRA, MI-6, and possibly unknown players, they also have to keep themselves alive and discover the real culprit for the bombing. And the more they dig, the deeper the deception. And the closer Moira and Lars get, the hotter their passion burns...

The double-cross / triple-cross / suspense in not knowing the truth while trying to play all sides is certainly interesting, but they still haven't figured out the real mastermind behind that op yet, so the story was still unresolved. The characters seem authentic enough, not that I claim any operating knowledge of the IRA, Irish Mob or MI-6. The teaser to the next volume, seems too patently absurd to be believable. All in all, good read, even if it let me felt "hanging".

Category: romantic suspense

Primary Plot: MI-6 Agent wanting to investigate her parents' death found her former lover will be her assassin (but he didn't want to do it)

Tropes: mafia, spy, betrayal, reunion, return, disguise

Overall Rating: 4/5