...and I'm not talking about Immortals from Highlander. Our "theme" this week is to post the best book we read in 2010 with a review. Huh? How can I choose one book from all the great reads of last year?

I can't. But what I can do is tell you about one of the best I read from the RomanticSuspense genre. I'm choosing "The Third Secret" by Tara Taylor Quinn because it's part of an incredible series called The Chapman Files. Each title is just as good as the last.

I especially enjoy this series because, as a writer, I am in complete awe of how easily Ms. Quinn floats between 1st and 3rd person POV. And she does it well! She also demonstrates the ability to weave several concurring stories together and never lose the reader.

"The Third Secret" continues the journey of psychologist Kelly Chapman and her personal struggles as a new parent to a troubled teenager. Kelly's scenes are told in first person. We learn she has recently gained custody of a fourteen year old girl who was used as a drug mule and sexually exploited by one of the town's model citizens.

At the same time, Kelly's good friend, defense attorney Erin Morgan, seeks advice when she takes on a client with a secretive past. Rick Thomas has been accused of murder. Instinctively, she believes he's innocent of the charges but new evidence seems to pile up against him. The more deeply she is drawn into his life, the more Erin worries she is allowing a physical attraction to override her logic. She's never compromised professional ethics before - but she's never had a client like Rick Thomas.

Rick is hiding something - a secret life as a drug dealer, gun smuggler, and international spy. Using the alias Tom Watkins, Rick has spent two decades working undercover for a covert special ops team. He wants to retire but someone has discovered his true identity and they're coming after him.

As Kelly, Erin and Rick's lives intertwine, I found myself savoring each scene like a sip of fine wine while looking forward to the next. Ms. Quinn has developed her characters with depth and realism, using sensory details to draw the reader in. Each character has a fascinating secondary story that affects the way they deal with the dangerous elements around them.

Tara Taylor Quinn has crafted a dynamic series with The Chapman Files. It's light on actual sex, long on suspense and has just the right amount of sexual tension to satisfy romance readers.

If you read this title, you'll rush out to buy the others.

Deb