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DESTRUCTION OF THE GREAT WALL
Book three in the romantic suspense series TOUR DIRECTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE BLURB I'm Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. At last, one of my fondest wishes has come true! Will Talbot, my favorite Super Spy and the love of my life, wants to include me in his covert mission to recover a list of double agents for the US government. Wow! Usually, I want to know everything, and he can't tell me anything. Now, I'll be part of the action. I am so-o going to love this! Not that I have a big role. I only have to pretend we're husband and wife when he accompanies me on my China tour. The tour group members are strangers we'll never see again, and we can spend three intimate weeks together. I mean, how hard can that be? Surprise, surprise! My parents show up on the tour as replacements for some cancellations. Now, we have to lie and tell them we're married to protect Will's cover. And then, other problems erupt when someone tries to kill me and terrorists kidnap me and my mother to lure Will into a trap. Not to mention the damage my assault rifle does to the Great Wall... Oh, man. It wasn't my fault. Really! |
EXCERPT
“Get down!” Will yelled over his shoulder. He fired off a six-shot burst as he dropped prone into the tall grass and out of sight. There was no other cover here — nowhere else to go.
Oo-kay, Harriet Ruby, this is no time to lose it your cool. I dove onto my stomach after him, but not before I took a heavy painful blow to the chest.
“Aii!” My body slammed into the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me. The soft wet earth sent splatters of mud across my goggles.
With all the air whooshed out of my lungs, I couldn’t breathe and lay there gasping for oxygen. I couldn’t think. Three projectiles whizzed past my head in rapid succession.
Ohmigod! Time to get out of here. Vision impaired, I scrambled in the direction I thought Will had gone. My elbows and knees dug into the ground, dragging my body on my stomach through the wet grass, my automatic weapon clutched in both hands in front of me.
Zing.
This was no fun at all. Where was he?
My heart pounded against my ribcage. Sharp pain stabbed through me with each breath. My aching hands knotted around my rifle. Black dots cavorted in front of my eyes and everything had fuzzy edges. I sucked in a big gulp of air ― along with it a small bug.
“Aah-ugh!” I tried to spit it out but already the critter fluttered its wings in my throat.
Coughing, I buried my face against my arm to muffle the sound. Before I could stop hacking, a hand grasped my ankle and pulled me into a pit behind a bunker.
“Eek!” I smashed down on top of a warm body. A nice hard, well-muscled body. One I recognized by feel and scent. “You did that on purpose.”
“Shh.” Will waited long enough for both of us to relish our position, then rolled me off onto my rear end.
I pulled away and sat up, then collapsed with my back against the dirt wall of the ditch. He studied me for a long moment ― although I couldn’t see his expression through the protective gear ― then pulled some sort of spy instrument out of his backpack and fiddled.
Damn these grim-faced, efficient, military types. At least today he didn’t have a razor-sharp crease in his camos. Shaking my head, I reached up to wipe the grime off my face with my sleeve. “Ow!”
Will crouched behind the bunker, peering into the tool, which now looked like a small periscope. He whipped around.
“You’ve been hit.” His tight voice conveyed alarm.
Jeez, did he need to lighten up, or what?
I threw down my automatic Spyder MR2, pulled off my facemask and helmet, and sent them rattling to the ground beside the weapon. "Right. And it hurts like the devil.” I stared down at the damp red stain on the front of my shirt.
REVIEWS
Review for RWASD
September 18, 2010 by Tami Vahalik
This is the fifth book overall, but the third in novel length for Harriet Ruby Tour Guide Extraordinaire. Once again we are off on an adventure with Harriet, her Super Spy Guy, Will and a few interesting twists to the cast of characters. Destruction of the Great Wall doesn’t disappoint on the adventure and tangles that Harriet once again finds herself in. Harriet’s own words best sum up the novel, “Oh, man. It isn’t my fault. Really!”
Review by Happily Ever After Reviews
October 2, 2010 by Lynn Marie Hunter
4 Tea Cups!
This is a really fun book. It continues the story of Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I’m going to suggest that you go buy them because (a) they’re fun to read and (b) they help you understand what is going on in this book.
The writing is light weight and the hero and heroine continue on with their love affair, which is, as always, satisfying. Ms. Siracusa does a wonderful job of describing China—sometimes too good of a job, occasionally description slows down the plot—and I think you’ll enjoy the setting as really unique.
Will there come a point when I get enough of Harriet’s antics? Maybe. But I haven’t gotten there yet and I’m really enjoying the series. I think you will too. So go buy book 1 if you haven’t so you can read this book. You won’t be sorry you did.
Review for Good Reads
September o3, 2010 by Jo-Anne Vandermeulen
This is my favorite of the Harriet Ruby: Tour Director Extraordinaire Series. You'll feel as though you actually traveled to China and confronted terrorists in the process, as well as experiencing the development of a once-in-a-lifetime love.
AMAZON.COM REVIEWS
Destruction of the Great Wall, September 10, 2010
By Dee Newcome (Chesterton, IN)
I am a new reader to Ann Siracusa's books. I thoroughly enjoyed the Destruction of the Great Wall. I like the way she intertwines "Fate" of bringing two people together of opposite natures. One a travel agent the other an undercover agent. He is on the tour and brings her into the action by having her pose as his wife. Very exciting and thrilling episodes, and the sex life they have sizzles. A very good read.
Community Reviews October 02, 2010
By LynnMarie
Rating: 4 Tea Cups!
This is a really fun book. It continues the story of Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I’m going to suggest that you go buy them because (a) they’re fun to read and (b) they help you understand what is going on in this book.
The writing is light weight and the hero and heroine continue on with their love affair, which is, as always, satisfying. Ms. Siracusa does a wonderful job of describing China—sometimes too good of a job, occasionally description slows down the plot—and I think you’ll enjoy the setting as really unique.
Will there come a point when I get enough of Harriet’s antics? Maybe. But I haven’t gotten there yet and I’m really enjoying the series. I think you will too. So go buy book 1 if you haven’t so you can read this book. You won’t be sorry you did.
Barnes & Noble Reviews
Anonymous, Posted January 14, 2013
Love this series Never dull. A very good series.
□
“Get down!” Will yelled over his shoulder. He fired off a six-shot burst as he dropped prone into the tall grass and out of sight. There was no other cover here — nowhere else to go.
Oo-kay, Harriet Ruby, this is no time to lose it your cool. I dove onto my stomach after him, but not before I took a heavy painful blow to the chest.
“Aii!” My body slammed into the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me. The soft wet earth sent splatters of mud across my goggles.
With all the air whooshed out of my lungs, I couldn’t breathe and lay there gasping for oxygen. I couldn’t think. Three projectiles whizzed past my head in rapid succession.
Ohmigod! Time to get out of here. Vision impaired, I scrambled in the direction I thought Will had gone. My elbows and knees dug into the ground, dragging my body on my stomach through the wet grass, my automatic weapon clutched in both hands in front of me.
Zing.
This was no fun at all. Where was he?
My heart pounded against my ribcage. Sharp pain stabbed through me with each breath. My aching hands knotted around my rifle. Black dots cavorted in front of my eyes and everything had fuzzy edges. I sucked in a big gulp of air ― along with it a small bug.
“Aah-ugh!” I tried to spit it out but already the critter fluttered its wings in my throat.
Coughing, I buried my face against my arm to muffle the sound. Before I could stop hacking, a hand grasped my ankle and pulled me into a pit behind a bunker.
“Eek!” I smashed down on top of a warm body. A nice hard, well-muscled body. One I recognized by feel and scent. “You did that on purpose.”
“Shh.” Will waited long enough for both of us to relish our position, then rolled me off onto my rear end.
I pulled away and sat up, then collapsed with my back against the dirt wall of the ditch. He studied me for a long moment ― although I couldn’t see his expression through the protective gear ― then pulled some sort of spy instrument out of his backpack and fiddled.
Damn these grim-faced, efficient, military types. At least today he didn’t have a razor-sharp crease in his camos. Shaking my head, I reached up to wipe the grime off my face with my sleeve. “Ow!”
Will crouched behind the bunker, peering into the tool, which now looked like a small periscope. He whipped around.
“You’ve been hit.” His tight voice conveyed alarm.
Jeez, did he need to lighten up, or what?
I threw down my automatic Spyder MR2, pulled off my facemask and helmet, and sent them rattling to the ground beside the weapon. "Right. And it hurts like the devil.” I stared down at the damp red stain on the front of my shirt.
REVIEWS
Review for RWASD
September 18, 2010 by Tami Vahalik
This is the fifth book overall, but the third in novel length for Harriet Ruby Tour Guide Extraordinaire. Once again we are off on an adventure with Harriet, her Super Spy Guy, Will and a few interesting twists to the cast of characters. Destruction of the Great Wall doesn’t disappoint on the adventure and tangles that Harriet once again finds herself in. Harriet’s own words best sum up the novel, “Oh, man. It isn’t my fault. Really!”
Review by Happily Ever After Reviews
October 2, 2010 by Lynn Marie Hunter
4 Tea Cups!
This is a really fun book. It continues the story of Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I’m going to suggest that you go buy them because (a) they’re fun to read and (b) they help you understand what is going on in this book.
The writing is light weight and the hero and heroine continue on with their love affair, which is, as always, satisfying. Ms. Siracusa does a wonderful job of describing China—sometimes too good of a job, occasionally description slows down the plot—and I think you’ll enjoy the setting as really unique.
Will there come a point when I get enough of Harriet’s antics? Maybe. But I haven’t gotten there yet and I’m really enjoying the series. I think you will too. So go buy book 1 if you haven’t so you can read this book. You won’t be sorry you did.
Review for Good Reads
September o3, 2010 by Jo-Anne Vandermeulen
This is my favorite of the Harriet Ruby: Tour Director Extraordinaire Series. You'll feel as though you actually traveled to China and confronted terrorists in the process, as well as experiencing the development of a once-in-a-lifetime love.
AMAZON.COM REVIEWS
Destruction of the Great Wall, September 10, 2010
By Dee Newcome (Chesterton, IN)
I am a new reader to Ann Siracusa's books. I thoroughly enjoyed the Destruction of the Great Wall. I like the way she intertwines "Fate" of bringing two people together of opposite natures. One a travel agent the other an undercover agent. He is on the tour and brings her into the action by having her pose as his wife. Very exciting and thrilling episodes, and the sex life they have sizzles. A very good read.
Community Reviews October 02, 2010
By LynnMarie
Rating: 4 Tea Cups!
This is a really fun book. It continues the story of Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I’m going to suggest that you go buy them because (a) they’re fun to read and (b) they help you understand what is going on in this book.
The writing is light weight and the hero and heroine continue on with their love affair, which is, as always, satisfying. Ms. Siracusa does a wonderful job of describing China—sometimes too good of a job, occasionally description slows down the plot—and I think you’ll enjoy the setting as really unique.
Will there come a point when I get enough of Harriet’s antics? Maybe. But I haven’t gotten there yet and I’m really enjoying the series. I think you will too. So go buy book 1 if you haven’t so you can read this book. You won’t be sorry you did.
Barnes & Noble Reviews
Anonymous, Posted January 14, 2013
Love this series Never dull. A very good series.
□
