rounded up from 3.75
Still mostly enjoying these characters, but the subject matter on this one bothered me. A very accurate and touching presentation of grief hit a bit too close to home for me and this seriously impacted my enjoyment of this book. ( )

When Sam's brother-in-law, Spencer dies from an overdose of fentanyl poisoning from laced Oxycontin pills that he had been taking illegally for pain, she is determined to find the source, taking her into the world of narcotics trafficking. As her sister, Angela, tries to move forward, Sam works with her team and those in her department on the case. While finding and examining new evidence, several of her friends and coworkers suffer problems that make the progress of the investigation move much more slowly than Sam would like, but Sam isn't known as someone who gives up...ever.

State of Shock is one of the most depressing romantic suspense novels I've ever read. It is well written and the plight of opioid addiction is dealt with in auspicious manner, but the amount of tragedies and negative issues in this book make it a difficult read. I have enjoyed the First Family and the Fatal series from the beginning and have always noted very emotional aspects to the stories, but with each new entry, the plot lines seem to be getting more and more distressing. If this trend continues, I'm not sure if I can continue on with the series. Overall, State of Shock is quite a downer in a series that has continued to move in that direction. ( )