Stay tuned below for a review & excerpt of Lethal Intent by Cara C. Putman.

Author: Cara C. Putman
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Released: January 12^th, 2020
Received: Blog Tour

I received a copy of Lethal Intent in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cara C. Putman is back with a brand new thriller, Lethal Intent. One that mixes legal and medical thriller themes with romance and more.

For a moment there, Caroline Bragg thought she had it all. She had the perfect job, and her relationship with Brandon Lancaster was finally going somewhere. Better yet, the company she works for (Praecursoria) has just developed a new treatment for leukemia. One that could save the lives of the children she knows.

However, nothing is quite as it seems. Her company is too intent on trying this brand new drug on a child. One from Brandon’s foster home, and it quickly becomes a conflict of interest for Caroline and Brandon both, as they have more in stake than it would appear at first glance.

“No, she wanted to build forever with this man she’d loved from a distance for years.

Now was their time.”

I can tell you with complete honestly that I have never read a thriller with such a unique blend of genres and elements. Lethal Intent is a romantic thriller, which isn’t new to me, but the addition of medical and legal thriller elements made it stand out. As did the fairly subtle infusion of Christian fiction.

All put together, it made for a unique read as I’ve never seen before. That’s always an impressive feat, as any avid reader will certainly know! So for that reason alone, I know that Lethal Intent will stick out in my mind for years to come.

I love how complicated the story became, the further it moved along. What seemed like a dream come true quickly became more complex, all thanks to the wonders of human behavior. Well, ‘wonders’ is certainly not the right word in this case, but you get what I’m saying.

I should warn you; if the world of medical research seems terrifying to you (even only at times), then this novel is going to chill you to your core. No exaggeration. It perfectly portrays some of the more…corrupt natures that seem to find their way into any sector that can provide money.

Long story short: Lethal Intent was every bit the thrilling novel I had hoped it would be, and then some. This is the first novel I’ve read by Cara C. Putnam, but I don’t think it will be the last.

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Excerpt

Caroline shifted in the high-backed chair. The massive conference room table made her feel more petite than usual. Quentin Jackson, the man propelling Praecursoria through its rapid growth, vibrated with energy as he studied her.

“We are on the cusp of amazing developments and a transition from the lab to trials. We have a few CAR T-cell therapies in early stages now with more in our pipeline.”

She racked her mind for the importance of T cells, and he gave a hearty laugh.

“Don’t worry if the science overwhelms you. We’ll have you up to speed in no time. All you need to know right now is that T cells are one of the two cells that make up white blood cells. The treatments we’re working on could be the difference between life and death for young cancer patients. We need your legal expertise and quick mind to synthesize the science with the map to market.”

“I’ve overseen several court trials related to patents, which should help with that process.” It had been an unforeseen aspect of her days clerking for Judge Loren. She swallowed against the lump in her throat that still welled up when she thought about his untimely death from pneumonia. A month ago she couldn’t imagine interviewing for a job somewhere else, even if a part of her knew that she should stretch her wings.

“When can you start? Today?”

She felt rooted to the chair. Everything was moving so fast. Could she really transition her experience managing clerks for a judge into managing patents and contracts for a start-up? While Praecursoria had been around for a decade as a cancer research lab, about eighteen months ago Quentin sold off its lucrative genetic testing branch to focus exclusively on the development of cutting-edge CAR T-cell therapies. Starting over that way was a bold if risky move.

She lifted her chin and forced a smile that didn’t waver. “If that’s what you need. First we have a few details to work out.”

He laughed. “I like the way you tackle issues head-on. That will be key in this role. I know how to steer the ship, and my chief scientist can navigate the research, but you’ll keep us on the legal straight and narrow.” He tapped his pen against the legal pad in front of him. Then he picked up her résumé and named a salary that pressed her against the chair. “There will be performance bonuses tied to the successful conclusion of trials. We want to look into stock options as well. That will be one of your assignments in conjunction with HR.” He slapped his hands on the table and she jumped. “My enthusiasm gets away from me sometimes.” He shrugged but never wavered as he examined her. “Let’s start with a field trip. The best way for you to understand why we’re doing this work and research is to show you.”