Customer Reviews

Phantom in the Night (B.A.D.: Bureau of American Defense, Book 6)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I pre-ordered this book on Amazon in March 2006. Back then it was supposed to be written by Sherrilyn Kenyon and was titled "Look Into The Dark." So over two years later, the book arrives and it's got SK's name in huge type, a new title, and lo and behold, a co-author. Uh-oh. Yeah, the BAD series isn't my favorite from SK, and now there's some other author involved. It's not a bad book. Really. But I didn't see much Sherrilyn Kenyon in it. I've never read Dianne Love, but I'd bet she did the heavy lifting on this one. This book isn't funny; the main characters are distant, although I liked the hero better than the heroine; the baddies are a bunch (and I mean *bunch*) of (undefined, but seemed kinda Catholic) religious nutjob sadists...blech. I found it unbelievable...and I totally accept the existence of Acheron and the Dark-Hunters. The ending wrapped up really fast, leaving a wide open space for sequels galore. The last BAD book I remember reading had lots more interaction of BAD agents; this one had cameos with Joe, Tee, Carlos, and Mako. The whole thing left me very unsatisfied.

The one thing which can be said for S. Kenyon is that she is creative in finding new ways to disappoint her readers. A Phantom in the Night is not a Kenyon book it is a Diana Snell book. S. Kenyon has decided to follow in the footsteps of fellow authors such as James Paterson who creates a world for one or two books (The Women's Murder Club) and then passes it off to a co-author. The reader then believes he is getting a Kenyon or Patterson book but it is really the work of the co-author. The more established writer is used to draw readers in and to price the book at the better selling author's price point.

Unfortunately, the co-authors seldom have the writing experience to write a best seller and generally shift the "world" which was originally created into their own vision.

A Phantom in the Night has very little to do with B.A.D. as it was originally presented. The agent depicted in this story is brand new (2 to 3 months on the job) and is working a case on her own with only cameo appearances by the other agency operatives.

Other reviewers have described how hokey the villains of the book are so I won't go into detail. If you choose to purchase and read this book (it's not a horrible read just a terribly average one) do so with the understanding that it does not have the Kenyon flair nor does it have the excitement of a B.A.D. sequel.

I wanted to like this book. It was on my must-have list and I bought it the day it came out. It's possible that I over-hyped the book in my own mind and that my diappointment in it is exaggerated, making me judge it more harshly than deserved.

I can't really pinpoint my least favorite part of the book. Maybe it was misused words (i.e. lathed when laved seemed appropriate) or maybe it was the cartoonish over the top secret society villians. I had to roll my eyes several times at the utter lack of plausibility, even within the confines of suspended belief required to enjoy fiction. Often, I wondered at the seemingly out of character actions for such highly trained operatives. I finished the book, and I even enjoyed parts of it, but I had to repeatedly put it down when the story became tedious and/or boring.

Overall, I'd say it was inconsistent, with delusions of grandeur.

Plot Summary: Terri Mitchell works for an alphabet soup government agency, and she's currently on the trail of a major drug dealer. Nathan Drake was special-ops Army, but he went AWOL to save his twin brother, Jamie, who was about to take the rap for being a drug mule. When Jamie's corpse turns up next to a container full of drugs, Terri starts her investigation, and Nathan turns vigilante. Naturally they cross paths and start bumping into each other on purpose. Terri has an annoying attack of stick-up-the-butt, and she asks Nathan to turn himself in and trust the system to deliver justice. Oh, puh-lease. I didn't like her from that moment on.

The title and cover art had me assuming this would be a paranormal romance, but alas no, the story is about some government spooks tracking drugs. It's a bad sign when I can put down a book in the middle, read something else, and finish it a few days later. It's even worse when we're talking about a big name author, since my expectations are higher.

Here's what happened: During the first half of the book, Nathan's face remained hidden from Terri during their encounters. The authors managed to make it fairly believable, and it lent some spice to the story. As soon as Nathan's identity was revealed to Terri, I lost interest. Then it just became a story about agents clutching at straws, fighting their own bureaucracy, and remaining clueless until they fell into the bad guy's clutches. I want to root for the good guys, but it's hard to cheer for the dullest pencil in the box. There wasn't a single instance where Nathan or Terri outwitted or outgunned the enemy. What was I left with?

Terri was the biggest disappointment. Giving her average height with a double-digit dress size was a nice change from tall and thin, but I seriously doubted she had the chops to be a traffic cop, much less some secret government agent. She needed saving so often, I don't think Terri should be trusted in the deep end of a kiddie pool. Apparently this is the third book in a series about this cloak-and-dagger agency, but I won't be rushing out for the first two.

The B.A.D. series:

Born to be BAD (3 BAD Novellas){BAD Series #1, 2, and 3}

BAD Attitude (Full length novel){BAD Series #4}

Playing Easy to Get (1 BAD Novella w/novellas from other authors){BAD Series #5}

Phantom in the Night (Full length novel){BAD Series #6}



FINALLY!!! Kenyon's excellent writing style is back. Remember loving her early DH novels? They had mystery, dangerously noble heroes with deep emotional wounds, heroines whom you could respect, villains you could fear, and growing romantic relationships that had real chemistry... I had started to think Kenyon's well had run dry. "Phantom in the Night" proves otherwise. At just over 400 pages, this novel kept me rapt.


Nathan Drake has devoted his entire life to taking care of his mom and his twin brother, Jamie. As soon as Nathan was old enough, he joined the army. His goal was to save enough money to send Jamie to college. That dream came to a halt when Nathan received a message that Jamie had been framed by a well- known drug lord. Jamie was about to be sent to prison for two years. Knowing Jamie was not tough enough to survive in prison, Nathan went AWOL and took Jamie's place in the court system. Now, two years later, as Nathan is leaving prison he finds out that the same drug lord has had Jamie killed. His mom having died of cancer while he was imprisoned, Nathan has no one left to live for... no one left to take care of. His one purpose in life now is to find Jamie's murderer. Nothing else matters.

Terri Mitchell is on a case that will make or break her career... and possibly her freedom. Former DEA, she is being investigated for the murder of her partner. After her release from her position in the DEA, BAD agency recruited her. Still, if she can't prove her innocence in the DEA murder mystery, she'll be going to prison.

While conducting her investigation, Terri examines a corpse in the morgue. The beautiful dead man, Nathan Drake, is believed to be a drug mule and possible army deserter. His brother, Jamie, is currently in prison for drug trafficking. A few days later, Nathan's body disappears from the morgue. The drug world is under siege. A "phantom" is attacking drug runners and informants. He roughs men up, gets info about high ranking drug lords, then leaves his victims alive but terrified... the phantom is none other than the dead drug mule, Nathan Drake.

When Terri and Nathan cross paths, they have a choice to make. Help one another, or hinder one another. Terri knows this man, who hides his face from her, is the phantom who has been scaring the drug world. Nathan fears that Terri is involved in a case that is much deeper than simple drug trafficking. Terri decides to work with the phantom for now, hoping he can give her answers only he knows. Nathan wants to keep Terri close so he can protect her from the very men who killed Jamie. Before he knows it, Nathan has a new person to take care of... a new reason to live. For Terri, who thought she had learned all of life's lessons long ago, a new understanding of dedication to loved- ones is unfolding in her soul.


This book was awesome. It left a huge door open for future BAD novels. I hope the series will continue to be this good. I'm definitely on board for the next book.


If you are new to contemporary romance, and you want to try paranormal romance, Kenyon's Dark Hunter series is very popular. The early books are excellent. Start from the beginning. Here are the first three in the series:

Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, Book 1)

Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, Book 2)

Night Embrace (Dark-Hunter, Book 3)


If you want more Contemporary Romantic Suspense, try these terrific series:

Pamela Clare's investigative reporter series (First three in the series):

Extreme Exposure

Hard Evidence

Unlawful Contact (Berkley Sensation)


Roxanne St.Claire's "Bullet Catchers" (bodyguards) series (First three):

Kill Me Twice (The Bullet Catchers, Book 1)

Thrill Me to Death (The Bullet Catchers, Book 2)

Take Me Tonight (The Bullet Catchers, Book 3)

I started reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's collaborative effort with Dianna Love "Phantom in the Night". I have 3 words for it - Get from Library. It is blatantly which chapters are by Kenyon and vice versa.

This is the first book by Dianna Love that I've read. Dianna Love writes toward the masochist/bondage/torture interest which is okay for those that have the interest. I can't imagine why Kenyon decided to write with Love. Remember the Suzanne Brockman books that went from present time to past time and how distracting it was from the flow of the story. Phantom in the Night is just as distracting.

I think it is time to put Kenyon on the shelf as One Series Hit Wonder. The Dark-Hunter Series has become so wordy and filled with useless knowledge that the die hard fans from the very beginning with Fantasy Lover have felt the series has lost the edge.

Sherrilyn, I, (Chizer in Florissant) am truly sorry to write but feel a loyalty to all the Kenyon fans that wait months, even years for another book to save their much coveted book allowance for another book. This is a borrow from library book, especially considering the price!

I read this book recently and loved it.

I've read Kenyon, and I've read Love (formerly writing as Dianna Love Snell). The interesting thing is that this book is NEITHER Kenyon NOR Love, but is like a whole new author. I couldn't pick out one or the other here. The book has the strengths of both I think.

I'm not sure how the two of them did this, as I understand collaboration is difficult and seldom works well, but this one does work. It's a brilliant blend.

The hero in this book is incredible. A strong, wounded man. A great character.

It has a "larger world threat" and they've set the stage for a whole series of great stories from the B.A.D. agency, which now has a lot more punch and a really cool edge. I get into connected series and I'm already looking forward to the next book.

I'm totally pumped that two amazing writers have found a way to give us readers something different from what either of them does alone, and something unexpected.

It is nice that MS Kenyon highlighted one of the girls from BAD. But I have a bit of a problem with how whimpy she is. Come on folks she works for BAD lets give her a bit of balls. Her I Q really isn't that great either. Street smarts where did they go?
What happened to all the smart remarks that the bad boys & girls are known for?
Now TI is a woman from BAD in all the ways that count. She really really needs to get together with MR Public.

I was pleasantly suprised by this book! I generally like the paranormal stuff, but this was a pleasant change. I subsquently went and read the other BAD books and found that I really like this style. It could easily be a movie. The characters are funny, and the heroine(even though I wanted to smack her a little) was not nauseating! I will keep my eyes open for future related books because there is a building plot with the secret society involved!

From experience, author collaborations are difficult to pull off and seldom work well, saying this we were left eating our words after finishing Phantom in the Night.
Nathan Drake is a hero with a dark past. Once a solider for Special Forces, he risked being labelled a deserter to the US army to rescue his twin brother Jamie from New Orleans crime boss Marseaux. Once home Nathan is faced with Jamie's false prosecution over a drug trafficking charge and knowing his brother won't survive two minutes in the pen Nathan and Jamie switch identities. Jamie taking on his twin's life as a disgraced solider and Nathan serving two years in prison.
The night before Nathan's release Jamie is found shot point blank through the head, ending the identity of Nathan Drake.
Terri Mitchell is a kick butt heroine with issues of her own. Not the least of which is saving Nathan from himself. Recruited by the Bureau of American Defence after the controversial death of her partner Terri is on the hunt for mob boss Marseaux, convinced of his involvement. Nathan and Terri join forces to uncover the truth behind both her partner and Jamie's death.
The suspense in this book was creepy and just complicated enough, while the romance is just outstanding, the relationship between Nathan and Terri never felt rushed, and instead it progressed slowly and hotly.
If you read the other BAD stories and didn't really care for them, do yourself a favour and give Phantom of the Night a try, you will find it's on another level. The writing is great and fast paced and the plot won't release you until the last page is turned.