The Secret Brokers by Alexandrea Weis is an ingenious blend of thriller and espionage, a novel with strong characters and conflict. Dallas August runs a group of elite spies for hire. Well-trained in espionage, these elites will get clients any secret for a price. Dallas receives an assignment to uncover what Gwen Marsh knows about the death of a mafia kingpin. She is a loner and a very secretive kind of woman, and she is also very beautiful. Dallas poses as a bodyguard, but it seems like Gwen doesn’t want him close to her. But then, they are forced to work together as the FBI and the mafia close in. Is Gwen what Dallas thought she is or is there more to her? As the game becomes more dangerous, Dallas must ensure she is safe, but can he protect himself against enemies, mostly the invisible ones?

The Secret Brokers by Alexandrea Weis is a page-turner, a well-crafted and balanced story that will make the blood pump faster through readers' veins. The author does an impeccable job of creating a sense of danger in readers. There is the pervading feeling that something bad is going to happen; the reader doesn’t just know when. There are narrow escapes and tight situations that are pulsating. The Secret Brokers makes for a great read for fans of thrillers and crime fiction. Espionage is skillfully handled, and I loved the exciting cast of characters. The novel is action-packed, fast-paced, and delightful. The prose is gorgeous, the drama real, and the conflict well-crafted to move the story fast in unpredictable directions.

Dallas August is a former FBI man, the new owner of a 'spies for hire' company, and very good at his job. When Carl Bordonaro, a mafia man, asks Dallas to do a job, he has little recourse but to accept. His assignment is to pretend to be a bodyguard to Gwen Marsh, but his real mission is to find out the secret that a dying man has told her. Gwen is alone at her horse farm, as her father is being held to testify in another case, and it opens the door for Dallas to protect her. Gwen and Dallas immediately form a hate/love relationship and each in their stubborn way makes the job difficult. Both of them have had bad romantic relationships in the past and are doing their best to fight any feelings they may have for each other. However, they are forced to work together against the many threats that have them running.

The Secret Brokers has a lot going on throughout the plot. There is suspense, intrigue, murder, spies, mystery, romance, and many twists and turns. The Secret Brokers is a stand-alone book but author Alexandrea Weis has a previous Nicci Beauvoir series that is the story of Dallas and Nicci. I felt that there was more than enough tie-in information in The Secret Brokers so that I was able to understand Dallas and his fear of getting into another relationship. I enjoyed reading this book with all the twists, turns and especially the surprise ending.