Criminal Instinct by Kelly Lynn Parra

Publisher: Carina Press
Published Date: 6/7/10
How I got this book: NetGalley


Five years in prison or five years working as an undercover agent?

Not the easiest choice for Ana Moreno, who has a history of B and E convictions and a problem with authority. But it's a decision she and four other felons are willing to make to stay out of a jail cell.

When a deadly shipment of Ecstasy heads for San Francisco, Ana's team is sent to stop it. Ana's task: get close to the handsome and dangerous Jonas Saven, right-hand man of a suspected drug dealer with a deadly agenda. As Ana uncovers a web of secrets, betrayal and revenge, her heated attraction to Saven grows.

But with time running out to stop the dangerous drug lord, Ana must complete her mission--even if it costs her everything...
*Blurb taken from Author’s Website*



Criminal Instinct is a great romantic suspense new release from Kelly Lynn Parra. Ana is a convicted felon, and is given the option of serving jail time, or spending five years as an undercover agent on the harsh streets of San Francisco. Needless to say Ana chooses her freedom, and is stuck working on a team with other convicted felons, and a boss that is a total hard ass.

When the team learns of a potentially fatal shipment of Ecstasy inbound to San Fran, they must do everything in their power to find the drugs before they hit the streets. While Ana is out hitting up every contact she can think of, she has a chance run in with the uber-mysterious Jonas Saven, a potential suspect high on the list.

In order to find out everything she can about the shipment, she cozies up to Saven to try and get as much information from him as possible. But the more she gets to know him, the more doubts Ana has about his guilt, and the more she questions whether or not he really is the all mighty drug lord he is made out to be.

I really enjoyed this book. Parra kept me guessing up until the last possible second whether or not Saven was one of the good guys or not. The twists and turns surrounding Saven’s history were totally unexpected and tore at my heart strings. I also loved the drama surrounding Saven’s sister and right hand man, hopefully there will be another book going more into their story!

Ana’s character was great as well. She was broken from a childhood spent abandoned and alone, a lifetime of thieving to get by, and a devastating job gone wrong that threw her into the undercover role she hates. Her way of dealing with her co-workers, or lack thereof, seemed so genuine and real. I love that she was able to grow and find ways to deal with change; watching her develop a rapport with her teammates and find ways to connect as individuals working within a team. Seeing a character grow like that is always something I enjoy in my stories.

All in all, I give Criminal Instinct 3 out of 5 undercover secret agents!