Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power of attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca’s parents have the final say.
 
Four years later, Rebecca’s attacker, Eban—the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder.
 
It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom. 

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Overkill
Series:
Author:  Sandra Brown
Genre:  Romantic Suspense
Published:  August 16, 2022
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
My Rating:  4 stars

Overkill presents an intriguing premise… what to do when your ex-wife is in a vegetative state type of coma and the man who harmed her is being released from prison.  The only thing that may send him back for murder is if you pull the plug and she dies.  Adding to the suspense, what if the woman who is prosecuting the criminal and is asking you to end your ex-wife’s life in order to keep others safe has also become quite important in your life in a romantic possibility way?  This kind of plot thinking is the reason I read every release of Sandra Brown’s.  Often they make me think outside of the box, beyond my normal thought process into the ‘what-if’ territory.

I enjoyed Overkill very much.  Zach and Kate were believable characters, the steam rising between them was blinding at times, there were other factors in play as well such as his ex-wife’s parents and how they’ve refused to let their daughter die in spite of being told there is no hope for recovery.  And then, there’s a very nasty, vile villain to contend with – it was so easy to loathe the very air that Ebon breathes.

Because this is a Mystery/Suspense that should be experienced firsthand I’m not going into any details beyond saying that I read this in one sitting, enjoyed myself, and would recommend it to those readers who enjoy a bit of steam and romance mixed into their suspense books.  It’s a good story, one that will make you think a bit about your own views.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available in print, audio, or for your favorite e-reader