Hostile Ground

By: Aleksandr Voinov, L.A. Witt

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

After the deaths of three undercover cops investigating a drug ring in a seedy strip club in Seattle, Detective Mahir Hussain has been sent to finish the job. He joins the club’s security team in the hopes of finding enough evidence to bust the operation before the men in charge find a reason to put him in a shallow grave. 

To protect the strippers, only gay men can work the club. Ridley, the cold and intimidating head of security, knows exactly how to test potential new hires - including Mahir. From the minute they meet, Mahir and Ridley engage in a dangerous dance of sex and mind games. Mahir needs to find his evidence before Ridley figures out he’s a cop - and before they both grow too close to betray one another. 

As the game goes on, Mahir burrows deeper into the operation, where he learns there’s much more happening than meets the eye...and why every cop who made it this far has been silenced with a bullet.

©2018 L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov (P)2019 L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

I was so happy to see this finally in audio!

LA Witt is one of my must-read authors, but I had not read anything by Aleksandr Voinov before. Let me tell you, the two of them together are FANTASTIC! I will definitely be updating my TBR list with them in mind.

Hostile Ground is a full-length novel that reads like a novella because it is so fast-paced and page-turning.

What I loved about this book:

- The two MCs are both very alpha but realistic and not over the top. They are both in law enforcement, so you have that certain “cop” element/ego, but both have a nurturing side that they are not afraid to show.
- Kinza, Mahir’s nephew. He added a wonderful element of family and continuity to the story and I am really, really hoping we will see him in a future book!
- The action/mystery part of the story. Usually this part of the book is filler for me. I really like the emotions/relationship part of a romance and the rest is just a vehicle for that. In this book the mystery part of the story (catching the bad guys) was really exciting and kept my interest.
- The relationship/Sex. Super sweet relationship with very hot sex. Enough said.
- Nontraditional characters. I really enjoyed the fact that Mahir is Muslim and not a stereo-type but a full-fledged, unique character who gives us insight into a culture not typically seen in most romances.

What I didn’t love:
- That it ended!
- That I haven’t seen the sequel yet!

This is a fantastic book by a fantastic writing duo and I highly recommend it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Audio

Nick is – yet again – wowing me with his talent! I loved the subtle way he chose to portray Mahir. He does a great job with the LOADS of characters in this story including the young characters and the female.

This absolutely is the best way to enjoy this story – highly recommended!

6 of 5 stars!

So great!

This book is extremely interesting, suspenseful, well written, with characters you want to get to know. I really enjoyed it and was sorry when it ended. Highly recommend.

twisty complicated undercover operation

Would I listen to it again: yes ✔
Did the story keep me engaged: yes ✔
Was I invested in the characters: yes ✔

📖 Story comment: good pace, well developed characters, complex story.
I really enjoyed Hostile Ground and was completely invested in the story, although I needed to cheat and listen to the first few minutes of the last chapter to check who was still around at the end !!!
I'd like to see this duo get another book - they made for a well matched team.

🎧 Narrator comment: I enjoyed Nick Russo's narration of Hostile Ground. He suited the characters, has good timing, inflections and intonations and bought the story to life.

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📌 Where does it fall on my personal scale? 8
• 1 not my thing • 2 didn't like the narration • 3 didn't keep my attention • 4 was good, but once was enough • 5 enjoyed it • 6 will listen again if i'm in the mood for the narrator • 7 goes on the "re-listen" list [4⭐] • 8 kept me up past bed-time [4.5⭐] • 9 recommended to family/friends [4.75⭐] • 10 own it in all formats [5⭐] • 11 keep a copy with me at all times [5⭐]
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Well done story with great narration

At first listen, the story starts out slow as the exposition element seems difficult to grasp. Hold on - the story quickly catapults into an amazing intrigue with many twists and turns. The climax will sure surprise many well-attuned listeners. Highly recommend.

A tangled up mess

Oh wow what a tangled up mess. A complicated and at times hard to follow mess. But over all well written.
Narrated well, but I think a more rough and gravelly voice would have been a better fit.

Good reader, bad story

The story is weak. Although it begins well, it soon falls apart. A bit of a waste for the really good performance from the reader.