I'm not entirely enamored of the series title To Serve and Seduce, but the first book gets it off to a cracking start. Set in Chicago, a busy, beautiful but sometimes bleak city, SEDUCED BY THE BADGE looks under the lid of human trafficking. Detective Danni Winstead from Georgia arrives and pairs up with Armstrong Black in search of the creeps who abducted her sister. Fortunately Danni's sister managed to escape, but other women are not so lucky.

The undercurrent of romance is swift to arrive as Danni and Armstrong feel each other's appeal right away. But Danni takes a risk by masquerading as an innocent in the hope that she'll meet the traffickers. Armstrong, who has already taken the newcomer to have a meal with his warmhearted family, can't believe she put herself in such jeopardy, without arranging for backup in advance.

I have to think that if Danni was a teenage girl she would have been abducted quite quickly, but as she's more mature and has more contacts, even though she pretends she needs a job, the traffickers go through a charade of getting to know her and inviting her to parties. Here she meets a girl called Ginger, who doesn't have many options in life, and Pius, the leader of the criminals.

We get a good look around the city and meet a variety of residents, as well as Armstrong's friendly family and the cops in the station. Danni is only in the city on assignment, and before too long, Armstrong can't stand the thought of her leaving. But first she has to survive her undercover work.

I enjoyed the complex, detailed police thriller, and the adult romance feels pretty real. I hadn't previously read anything by Deborah Fletcher Mello, but I will be looking out for more. She has a few series in print including Just Desserts and Sultry Southern Nights. SEDUCED BY THE BADGE is a good read and addresses a topical issue.

Book Summary

Chicago detective Armstrong Black follows the rules—his rules. When he’s assigned to partner with an Atlanta detective who’s hell-bent on bringing down criminals who targeted her sister, he’s determined to stay in control. But stunning Danni Winstead is all blazing temper and sweet temptation. Working with her tests Armstrong’s restraint; trusting her could put them both in fatal jeopardy…