After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton-the sweet "girl next door" who has grown into a remarkable woman. The town's infamous bad boy, Tom has always longed for Kelly. Now he has one final chance for happiness, one last chance to win her heart, and one desperate chance to save the day . . .
The Unsung Hero opens with SEAL Team 16 rescuing a diplomat’s wife. She isn’t very cooperative with her rescuers to say the least. When the rescue is leaked; the SEALS quickly put a backup plan in play that also goes awry, and Tom Paoletti receives a head injury. After his hospital stay, he is put on a mandated 30-day vacation.
Tom is fighting this forced vacation because it will break up his team. His attitude ruffles feathers with his superiors, which causes them to poo-poo his sighting of the terrorist known as The Merchant. The brass is convinced Tom is hallucinating, a side effect of his injury. Upset, Tom head to Baldin’s Bridge to visit his Uncle Joe. Still planning how he can cut this leave short and get back on duty when another sighting makes him rethink his plan.
Uncle Joe lives and works on the estate of Charles Ashton, a friend since WW II. These men have secrets they won’t discuss. Also visiting is Kelly Ashton, Charles’ daughter. Kelly was in love with Tom in high school. They were friends, but Tom couldn’t act on any feelings because of Kelly’s age. After school they took different paths, Tom joined the military, and Kelly went to medical school. They haven’t seen each other since.
What I love—everything!
Tom reconnects with Kelly in a believable way. It is a slow, but not too slow, reacquainting then deciding if this is going to be a short-term hook-up or more. Kelly hasn’t had the best luck with relationships, and Tom is married to his job. Kelly has the added stress of trying to resolve past hurts with her father who is dying of cancer. Who wouldn’t take it slow under those conditions?
Also woven into this story is Tom’s niece, Mallory, and her relationship with David. Mallory is the town’s “bad” girl. She meets up with David, a nerd, who wants to draw her as the heroine in his graphic novel. The two start a friendship that turns into more. It is a well-done YA relationship that didn’t make me gag once.
Last, but not least is Charles and Joe
telling their story of meeting when Charles was injured in France, and Joe was
working with the French Resistance. They
are both still love the woman of their wartime love triangle. Their story is told in flashbacks that fit
nicely with the current events of the book.
If you know anyone who served in
World War II, you know that they don’t talk about their service and their many heroics.
The flashbacks are a reminder of the horror of that war.
Suzanne Brockman fits a lot into 400 pages which all comes together nicely by the end. It's not easy to construct past and present in a meaningful way but Ms. Brockmann does it seamlessly. The current day heroics of this unusual group is captivating. The loyalty of Tom’s team regardless of his mental state makes me feel good. The three generational look at life and romance, and a good dose of suspense keeps me turning the page. It is all well-done.
For the life of me I don’t know why I waited so long to start reading The Troubleshooters series, but I will continue with the next book in record time.
5 STARS
Great review Sharon. I just started reading The Troubleshooters series last year and love them too. I also wondered why I waited so long!
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