SILENT SENTRY by THERESA RIZZO

Standalone – Slow build romance set in Mafia suspense 

Protecting her could cost him everything.”

SILENT SENTRY by THERESA RIZZO

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK

❈ ❈ ❈

Reviewed by Jenny & Gitte

“Sex, revenge, and money:  the top three reasons for murder.”

We love it when we can sink ourselves into something that feels different and although we love our Mafia themed stories, we also love nothing better than to grip hold of our Kindles as we lose ourselves to a fabulous thriller, suspense or mystery whilst revelling in a slow build romance every now and then! And we’re happy to say, Theresa Rizzo’s Silent Sentry delivered on all accounts.

Silent Sentry is set in Detroit around the time of the collapse of the economy and the author really does capture the crime, despair and hopelessness the people of this city were facing.

“Overt drugs, gangs, poverty, thieves, prostitutes, corruption – everything Gross Pointe wasn’t. As a teenager it represented ‘forbidden territory.’ Don’t tell me you weren’t curious?”

Silent Sentry was a potent, suspenseful and convincing story set against a believable backdrop. A slow burn, mystery, mafia romance that captivated us throughout. We couldn’t help but become beguiled by Joe and Gianna’s story as it built from its slow beautiful beginning through to its heart stopping conclusion as secrets and subterfuge unravels.

Gianna Donnatelli has known Joe Scarfili most of her life. He’s been the man she’s held a torch for even though Joe had previously married and lost his wife, Gianna’s feelings never abated. When Joe and Gianna catch up, under mysterious circumstances, those old feelings are brought to the fore and Joe finds himself falling for the beautiful, clever, no nonsense Gianna.

Joe worries over Gianna’s involvement with helping the underprivileged in crime ridden Detroit, with memories of his wife being killed in a drive by shooting still fresh in Joe’s mind. Joe lives by the family’s creed of “family takes care of family“ and as Gianna is pretty much part of his family, he wants to protect her and Gianna really does need protecting because someone is out to get her.

“But they don’t hurt, the way you hurt. Their lives go on untouched while yours is shattered.”

Gianna has created a program that has the potential to revolutionise the Health industry and could foreseeably be worth billions of dollars and someone wants her burgeoning company, so much so she has been targeted by a hacker, or is there something more sinister afoot?

Theresa Rizzo delivered a cleverly written, mature story with attention to detail and research that was meticulous.  From the inner workings of the Mafia to the technical terminology used for Gianna’s fledgling company, Prometheus, all contributed to providing a feeling realness in the world Theresa Rizzo had created.

This author has woven an intoxicating and stirring mystery romance packed full of intrigue, secrets lies and suspense, together with some fascinating characters, which ensured we became immersed in her world from beginning to end.

What a cleverly written, mature telling Silent Sentry was. Not so much in the characters ages, as Joe is only 35 and Gianna is ten years his junior, but in the delivery of the story.  This has Italian, American and Russian mafia involvement but it was never over the top, always stayed on track and kept us interested with the  flourishing romance between Joe and Gianna, and the intrigue as the story unfolded.

 4.5✯