Double Dare

Readers’ Group Guide

Questions for your reading group…

1.Captain Maggie Holt wears her old wedding band to remind her to avoid emotionally demanding relationships while she remains an operative in the secretive S.A.S.S. forces.  This signals she is “unavailable,” and serves as a buffer against her own emotional vulnerability after her divorce.  Are females more vulnerable than males after a divorce?  With this kind of demanding job, what special qualities in both people would it take to make a relationship work?

2.After involvement with someone who betrays your trust or is abusive, can a new friend be “too good to be true”? Maggie, Amanda, and Kate discuss the too-good-to-be-true issue. How much does the opinion of friends influence the choice of partners or mates?

3.A busy mall at the time of a major holiday has been selected for a demonstration of GRID’s chemical warfare capabilities. What other type of gatherings might be selected for this kind of demonstration?

4.It is hard to balance being prudent and observant with feeling paranoid or overly suspicious. Does the possibility of events such as the mall attack influence your own daily activities?   Has your daily life been changed in any way by the new terrorist threats? Do you consider our domestic defenses adequate? Are you yourself more alert? Does your family have a plan in case of such an event?   Is life for ordinary civilians more dangerous or uncertain now than in other centuries, where surprise attacks from such enemies as the Romans, Vikings, Huns, or native tribes were common?

5.Linda Diel, the mall assistant administrator, was seduced to the side of Thomas Kunz by her qualities of envy and greed. How can such feelings attract someone to the very job that would feed such emotions?  Could someone with such strong feelings be persuaded to change to more humanitarian goals? Is it possible to recover from material and emotional deprivation to become sympathetic to suffering, rather than envious and hard? Amanda was an abused child, and became someone totally different than Linda – what might the influences have been that made such a change?

6.From the dramatic events at the mall, Maggie learns to trust Justin, at least professionally. She still doubts her own emotional response until learning of the real reason for Justin’s divorce. After hearing the story of the Garden Club, what do you think his response should have been?  Could it have been different and what would have been the possible result? “Cheating” has many causes, but is it ever justified?  Many times our judgments are made without the full story . Often, the full story can never be known.   Considering this, what is the best way to decide on the sincerity and honesty of a friend or mate?

7.Thomas Kunz is still up to more evil deeds.  Body doubles of Amanda, Kate, and Darcy?  What possible plan can he be hatching now? In your opinion, why is the duplicate of Maggie so important to the completion of his new scheme?

“It’s Christmas time and Maggie Holt, Secret Assignment Specialist (SASS) is not happy that she’s being teamed up to work with Dr. Justin Crowe Pharmaceuticals.  Maggie is not fond of men since her former husband, Jack, cheated on her with her former best friend, Karen.  She specifically doesn’t want to work with Crowe because she knows he was caught cheating on his ex-wife, Andrea.

Justin Crowe, a civilian, is working with SASS as a scientific expert.  He’s trying to prevent an extremely dangerous and deadly virus from being released by German-born Thomas Kuntz.  The SASS believes Kuntz will most likely try to target the Santa Bella mall with the virus.  Kuntz’ ultimate goal is to destroy the United States by destroying its economy.

As Maggie and Justin work together, their feelings for each other mount. The first priority, however, is the mission.

Vicki Hinze has again written a novel that sizzles.  Once she sets the stage, look out, because you’re in for a breathless ride.  And just like her novel, Body Double, Double Dare is so exciting, you might want to make sure your heart can take the ride.

It was also enjoyable to meet characters that returned to make an appearance from Body Double.  It was like meeting up with old friends, or dangerous enemies, and added to the fun.   Armchair interviews says:  Double Dare is suspense that won’t quit.”

–Armchair Interviews

“A top-secret government task force tries to stop an evil terrorist determined to bring down the U.S. economy by attacking the south’s largest shopping mall on the day before Christmas.  But he’s not only brilliant and ruthless, he specializes in creating ‘body doubles’ indistinguishable from the originals except by DNA testing.  Anyone could be a traitor…even the dishy doctor the lead agent is forced to work with.  I love this series.  There’s a wealth of detail about both how the military works and how it fails to work, as well as a really cool supervillian.  While the characters pick up on some clues, they recognize others as being important but not why, and miss others entirely, exactly as real people do.  They’re not super human, like Sherlock Holmes or James Bond, but they’re humans working at the upper limits of their capacity and string to do even more.  Thumbs: up.”

– Flickering Flames

“Action-packed from start to finish.  A fun, fast read.”

– RT Book Club

” Non-stop action from beginning to end, DOUBLE DARE is the latest installment of the War Games series, featuring S.A.S.S. agents and their deadliest enemy, Thomas Kunz.  Fast-paced, and filled with characters both familiar and new, DOUBLE DARE is sure to be on many holiday wish lists this season.”

– Romance Reviews Today

“DOUBLE DARE can be read as a stand alone, but to be honest, the series is so excitingly intense and suspenseful, that you do yourselves a disservice if you don’t pick up the other two books, BODY DOUBLE and DOUBLE VISION.  With the holiday season as a backdrop, Ms. Hinze has given us an excellent reason to take a break in our preparations and read!”

– Romance Readers Connection

“DOUBLE DARE will capture your attention from page on eand not let it go until the very end.  Even after I shut this book, Maggie and the rest of her buddies at S.A.S.S. stayed in my mind.  Vicki Hinze creates an emotionally complex heroine who isn’t afraid to kick butt, but is terrified of risking her heart.  Justin is wonderful charming, and flawed enough to make you root for him to win over the reluctant Maggie.  This book will keep you up all night, and you’ll love every minute of it.  I look forward to more tales from the S.A.S.S. team.”

– Romance Junkies

“An outstanding addition to the War Games miniseries with its vivid depiction of threats in today’s society.  Watching this couple develop a trusting relationship was a delight, especially when Maggie gets some help from other S.A.S.S. members.  DOUBLE DARE is a first-rate story, where the pace never slows down and the characters are unforgettable.”

– Cataromance.com

“DOUBLE DARE is chaotic, close to home, a wonderful thrill ride and everything that I’ve come to expect in a Vicki Hinze book.  It moves the word set in the War Games universe forward, answers some questions, and asks some more.  The story is as chaotic as a plot hinged on averting terror should be; it was a page turner.  But the chaos didn’t take way from the clarity of description that a thriller reader demands; in fact, the action seemed somehow magnified for the reader’s benefit because it was so well described.  It’s the third outing for the S.A.S.S. unit, and the characters introduced in the earlier books continue to develop and change, even as they remain true to their core personalities.  Kate’s desire to be in control was definitely appropriate and Sally Drake’s reply, though expected, was more realistic because the reader could see it coming.  “It was Maggie’s turn.”  And what a turn it was.”

– NY Stacy, bookseller

“Santa Bella Mall, Florida – December 23 and 24, 2005

‘Tis the day before Christmas, and the mall braces for disaster; International terrorist Thomas Kunz will release a deadly virus, unless S.A.S.S. can be faster.   Agents and security were scattered throughout the mall, waiting for Darcy to give them the call.  Captain Maggie Holt is taking the lead, and Dr. Justin Crowe and his antidote is just what we need.   After her husband’s betrayal, Maggie has troubles with trust,  But when the time comes, can she do what she must?

The two hundred stores in the mall won’t even hear, of closing on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

So Maggie and S.A.S.S. will have to do their best, to take all the precautions they can, and pray on the rest.  Located so close to the Air Force Base, the mall’s Winter Wonderland puts the Special Forces in place.  With a chance to strike at two of his greatest enemies, Thomas Kunz passing this up? Please.  Making things even more complicated, S.A.S.S. has no idea if Kunz’s doubles have been situated.

Time’s running out ‘til the virus is released, will Maggie and her team be able to keep the thing leashed?

Non-stop action from beginning to end, DOUBLE DARE is the latest installment of the War Games series, featuring S.A.S.S. agents and their deadliest enemy, Thomas Kunz.  His use of body doubles has Maggie wondering if any of the people working in the mall could be the “inside” person helping Kunz.  The S.A.S.S. agents featured in earlier installments, Amanda, Kate, and Darcy, play a large part, not only in identifying threats, but also in helping along the potential romance between Maggie and Justin.

The plan to release the virus is not just a terrorist act; DR-27 is still relatively unknown, and this will also serve as a demonstration of its capabilities.  In fact, so little is known about the virus that Justin — the man who developed the only antidote — has yet to field test it.

Fast-paced, and filled with characters both familiar and new, DOUBLE DARE is sure to be on many holiday wish lists this season.”

–Jennifer Bishop, Romance Reviews Today

“Vicki Hinze builds an S.A.S.S. story from first page to last, with surprises at every turn, and thousands of lives at stake, and all of it in the terrified, but capable hands of a beautiful female secret agent. “

–Lucele Coutts, NovelTalk

“Readers will need a seatbelt as this thriller stays at faster than light speed.  Delightful speeding rocket ride.”

– The Best Reviews

War Games Series #4

December 2005

Silhouette Bombshell

ISBN: 0-373-51383-6

Trade and Digital.