3.5+ starsIMO, not quite as good as the 1st book. I think it's because the stories behind the stories about Meg and John (Nils) were stretched out until the end of the book. And it was tough to see Meg putting herself deliberately into harm's way, asking for Nils' help and then lying through her teeth. She's a smart cookie, no doubt... but is she really *that* smart to figure out how to get the GIK terrorist out of the embassy by using the SEAL team? Meg didn't think everything through, that was clear and realistic; but some of her actions were tough for me... perhaps because I'm not a mother. I can relate to a mother doing anything to protect her child, but to actually believe that Amy and her grandmother, Eve, would be unharmed and alive... I suppose that's the only thing that kept her going, and the terrorist group knew that.The back story about Meg, her husband Daniel, and John Nils was interesting at first. It got a bit old, though. And Nils' story? I can't say that it mattered that much to me, in the end; he wasn't quite what everyone thought he was. OK, so who is?As usual, I *loved* the WWII story that Eve told to Amy and Bear during their captivity. It was clever and with enough twist to keep you interested and impressed. I'm sure there are many such stories that exist which many of us might never know. I, personally, didn't know this story about Dunkirk and the boats that rescued the British soldiers and spirited them away to safety. Then again, I'm not a WWII buff - I just find it interesting that in the glut of movies and stories about WWII, I've not heard or glimpsed a story about this event.As for the story with Sam/Roger and Alyssa... well, it was rather unsatisfying. I looked ahead and found that they are featured in book #6, so obviously, these two aren't done. It's just sad that they decided to go their own way now. Seems as if they might have saved a lot of heartache coming up. Then again, don't we all do things like this? Not grab onto what's right in front us, because we're afraid? Sam obviously isn't going to rush Alyssa, and she obviously won't be rushed. And I get that Alyssa's focused on her career and concerned that a relationship, especially with a SEAL that she might very well work with in future, could derail that career. But in the end, does a career warm your bed at night or your heart?In many ways, the kidnapping thing just seemed really strung out over too many pages. The action takes place in a matter of days, but reading it, it felt as if it were weeks. And while I'm sure Nils will get a dressing down by Paoletti, it's tough to imagine that even positive results at the end of the "mission" would be enough to keep Nils from losing something - rank or perhaps his place on this particular team? But I'm not in the military, either, and I suppose that sometimes the end does justify the means in cases such as these.One thing this book made me want to do, though, is learn a few more languages!!!
