Happy Friday, and welcome to another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books! Today I’m sharing the first line of a legal thriller that just released this week: Lethal Intent by Cara Putman.

“The phone felt warm against her cheek. Caroline Bragg ran a hand along the edge of the clothes hanging in her closet and inhaled, then slowly released her breath.”

Lethal Intent by Cara Putman

The Basics

Title: Lethal Intent

Author: Cara Putman

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover: If they expected silence, they hired the wrong woman. 

Caroline Bragg’s life has never been better. She and Brandon Lancaster are taking their relationship to the next level, and she has a new dream job as legal counsel for Praecursoria—a research lab that is making waves with its cutting-edge genetic therapies. The company’s leukemia treatments even promise to save desperately sick kids—kids like eleven-year-old Bethany, a critically ill foster child at Brandon’s foster home. 

When Caroline’s enthusiastic boss wants to enroll Bethany in experimental trials prematurely, Caroline objects, putting her at odds with her colleagues. They claim the only goal at Praecursoria is to save lives. But does someone have another agenda? 

Brandon faces his own crisis. As laws governing foster homes shift, he’s on the brink of losing the group home he’s worked so hard to build. When Caroline learns he’s a Praecursoria investor, it becomes legally impossible to confide in him. Will the secrets she keeps become a wedge that separates them forever? And can she save Bethany from the very treatments designed to heal her? 

This latest romantic legal thriller by bestseller Cara Putman shines a light on the shadowy world of scientific secrets and corporate vendettas—and the ethical dilemmas that plague the place where science and commerce meet.

My Thoughts

Cara Putman writes excellent legal thrillers, and Lethal Intent is my favorite of her books so far! The combination of legal and medical issues brought up some ethical dilemmas that added to the suspense in a unique way. I loved the dynamics between Caroline and Brandon – they had been friends for years and were already dating at the beginning of the book, so the story follows the growth rather than the beginning of their relationship. That’s not as common in romantic suspense, but it worked so well for this story! I also really enjoyed the focus on foster care, especially learning about the different challenges Brandon faced with his unique version of a foster home.

This book does include some characters from Cara Putman’s past books, but it is a stand-alone novel. I would recommend Lethal Intent for fans of romantic suspense, especially fans of Rachel Dylan and Irene Hannon.

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.