Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Gone But Not Forgotten

SERIES:  TIN

AUTHOR:  Charlie Cochet

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  266 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 16, 2021

BLURB:

Codename: Chaos.
Former THIRDS agent turned TIN operative Dexter J. Daley is a legend. Just ask him, he’ll tell you. Chaos isn’t so much a codename as it is Dex’s state of being. As a spy for the Therian Intelligence Network, Dex has spent the last four years bringing down the bad guys. Hell, his middle name is literally Justice. But a new mission brings him face-to-face with a different kind of monster, one with a weapon that can alter the course of history. Failure is not an option, but as the mission goes from dangerous to deadly, Dex finds himself up against a far more terrifying force, and this time, there’s no escape.

Codename: Atlas
As former team leader for Destructive Delta and now a TIN operative, Sloane Daley knows what it feels like to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. But no matter the challenge, Sloane knows that together, he and his husband, Dex, can overcome anything. When their latest mission takes a personal turn, Sloane is forced to confront the very thing that created him. Looking back to a past he thought he’d left behind is the least of Sloane’s problems, because the greatest threat he’s about to encounter… is his own husband.

REVIEW:

NOTE:  This book is the first of the new spin-off series from Charlie Cochet’s highly successful and popular THIRDS series.  As such it contains major spoilers for all previous books.  I would recommend reading the first series before tackling this new one or you may be quite lost 😉

Dex and Sloane Daley have been married for four years now.  We last saw them after their wedding when all hell broke loose 🙂   They have spent the last four years training with TIN and going out on missions around the globe.  Dex has definitely become more focused it appears and Sloane is right there supporting him every step of the way.  They are making a difference and they really like their jobs.  Their handler is a familiar face as is their boss – Sparks.

However, after a successful mission they are asked to potentially take on a very delicate case – one that their handler doesn’t think they are ready for.  But after finding out the target they need to retrieve, Dex is all in.  Sloane knows that once Dex makes up his mind, it’ll be impossible to divert him.  So they go into it knowing that the stakes are ridiculously high.  The most difficult part of the job will be pretending that they are not together and that they aren’t bonded.  They are going to have to train for this, because the evil mastermind of this little escapade won’t hesitate to destroy both of them in his bid to control Therians and their traits.

When they arrive at the remote destination, it’s clear that things are not at all what they were led to believe.  They discover something much more nefarious than they anticipated and these discoveries impact their mission and their ability to make a clean getaway with the target.   They go from being the hunters to being the hunted and it will take everything they’ve got to make it out alive.

Wow.  It’s been almost four years since we’ve seen Dex and Sloane, but during that time, they have not been idle 🙂  While we don’t see the intervening years in this book, we do get information on their training and what they’ve been up to.  While they are still Sloane and Dex, they are a more mature and serious couple in many ways.  The cases they have been through with Destructive Delta could be trying – but the cases they are involved in now are at a whole new level.  And of course there is the ever present but unknown consequences of Dex.  It seems like each level of danger and rage is unleashing something that neither of them understands and certainly can’t control.  And Dex has to deal with things he never anticipated or experienced before.  Fair warning that there are quite a few dark moments here.  I don’t want to be spoilery here, but I am quite keen to find out what happens next.

There are a number of cameos from the DD crew and Dex’s family.  The extended teams from THIRDS, including old friends and former foes as well.  We still don’t know how much to trust Sparks.  But to illustrate the difference in Dex, we have a lot less 80s music (although thankfully some) and far fewer sugary snacks.   Dex is mostly business in this one and Sloane is there to help him.  They both realize that they are going to need help to figure out next steps and where they go from here.  The level of intrigue and suspense as well as the action and new awful level of villainy kept me on the edge of my seat!  Very intriguing!  Thankfully we only have to wait until April for the next installment which is good news for everyone 🙂  Highly recommended for fans of the THIRDS especially!

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon