Episode 166: When Protectors Need Protection: Our Review of Lynn H. Blackburn’s: Unknown Threat

The Secret Service agents who dedicate their lives to protecting others suddenly find themselves as targets in Lynn H. Blackburn’s gripping novel Unknown Threat, the first book in her Defend and Protect series. Our podcast team dove into this heart-pounding thriller, and we’re excited to share our thoughts with you. The Story That Hooked Us from Chapter One Unknown Threat follows Secret Service agent Luke Powell, who’s devastated after losing three fellow agents in unusual circumstances over just 10 weeks. When FBI Special Agent Faith Malone is assigned to investigate these unprecedented attacks, Luke finds himself torn between his attraction to Faith and his distrust of the FBI. With more agents being targeted, they must learn to work together to bring a killer to justice. As one of our hosts noted, “By the end of chapter one, every book of hers that I’ve read, it’s like you’re hooked. There is something big that you’re like, whoa, I gotta keep reading.” Blackburn’s talent for crafting irresistible chapter hooks makes this a true page-turner. Characters We Loved (And One We Didn’t) Faith Malone won us over with her determination and integrity. We loved her unique hobby of rowing and how she consistently proved herself trustworthy through her actions rather than just her words. Her relationship with her sister Hope provided some of our favorite moments—the classic sister dynamic and Hope’s blunt question about Luke being a good kisser had us laughing. The Secret Service Team felt like a real family unit. The bonds between Luke, Gil, Zane, Tessa, and their boss Jacob created authentic workplace relationships that drew us in. When Gil gets shot and insists Faith stay in the room because he wants to talk to her, it perfectly showed how she’d earned their respect. Janice, however, was a character we all wanted to shake. Her extreme bias and arrogance made her insufferable, though we recognized her importance in highlighting how prejudices can affect judgment and helping Luke see that not all FBI agents are the same. A Mystery That Kept Us Guessing The complex family history behind the murders created a web of connections we didn’t see coming. Even our host who was re-reading the book found herself wondering “Wait, who is it?” because Blackburn masterfully keeps the killer’s identity hidden until the very end. What struck us most was feeling sympathy for the killer by the story’s conclusion—something that rarely happens in thrillers. The revelation and explanation felt organic, not like an information dump, making us part of the investigation rather than passive observers. Our LiteraryScape Ratings Drama Level: Mocha ☕☕ (lots of familial complexity throughout) Mystery Level: Latte ☕☕☕ (couldn’t figure it out until the end!) Inspiration Level: Mocha ☕☕ (faith lived out quietly through actions) Romance Level