The Bottom Line: A fast-paced, high-stakes romantic suspense thriller.
As the sequel to Kimberly A. Biggerstaff’s Lex’s Story begins, U.S. Air Force Captain Lex Rogov has a complicated personal life. Lex has a daughter from a previous relationship who will be living with them now that his ex is moving to Romania. Meanwhile, Lex is expecting a son, Alek, with new wife Laura.
And that’s far from it. A delicious wrinkle is Lex’s stalker, Cindy, a bartender with whom Lex may or may not have had a one-night stand. When Laura finds out, she seems ready to call it quits. What she doesn’t realize is that Cindy is wanted by authorities for allegedly drugging and blackmailing several men.
Just as Lex attempts to convince Laura of his innocence, he spots a gun barrel poking out of a car on the street and a red dot on his wife. He steps in front of Laura just in time, quite literally taking a bullet for her. But Lex’s troubles are far from over. Lex and the family are rocked by allegations of dark activities during wartime and an explosive reveal about Laura’s past.
While Lex clearly has a mysterious and interesting professional life that includes combat, high-stakes diplomacy and a high security clearance that has him working in the Pentagon, the story puts most of its focus on Lex’s family drama. Biggerstaff’s vision demonstrates how messy life can get, especially when divorce, kids from multiple relationships and long-distances are in the mix. That includes how smothering extended family members can be, no matter how well-intentioned their motives are. Case in point, stepmother Sam, who happens to be a Colonel (“you can call me Sam or Commander ”), gives Lex enough professional and personal advice to drive any son crazy. And things really go haywire when Sam decides to run a background check on Laura, an act that nearly sends Lex over the edge.
Written in spare, dialogue-heavy prose, Lex’s Story II is a quick read that can easily be completed on a long flight. However, readers are strongly encouraged to read the first installment, Lex’s Story, to ensure they understand all the family relationships.
