Finished Ice Storm by Anne Stuart. It’s the fourth and latest book in her Ice romantic suspense series.

This time, the story focuses on Madame Isobel Lambert, who runs The Committee, a covert organization devoted to stopping arms dealers, terrorists, and other bad guys. Her latest assignment is to rescue Killian, a mercenary who sells his services to the highest bidder. Killian plans to trade information to The Committee in exchange for a new life. There’s only one problem. Killian is the only man Isobel has ever loved — and she shot him and left him for dead years ago.

I was really looking forward to reading Isobel’s story because she’s such a strong, capable woman in the three previous books. I wanted to see what Stuart would do with a woman who was just as much of a badass as her male heroes.

I was so disappointed.

Like the rest of her colleagues, Isobel is burnt out and slowly coming undone. The violence, the tough choices, the sacrifices, it’s all getting to her. That’s fine. I understand that. But Isobel comes off as so ineffective next to Killian. Despite all her training and experience, he repeatedly gets the upper hand throughout the book. He drugs, subdues, and seduces Isobel with ease. He’s more in control of the mission than she is.

I didn’t much care for Killian, either. He was just cruel and manipulative, with no real redemption at the end.

Stuart’s writing is still tense, tight, and beautiful, and I enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous books, especially Peter, Reno, and Genevieve. And I’ll read the next book in the series whenever it comes out.

But Isobel was such a disappointment I have to give this one a thumbs down.

Up next: Not sure. Maybe the graphic novel Quiver or Don’t Look Down by Suzanne Enoch.