Eclipse

Eclipse is the fifth book in the Ravens Nest series.

Teresa Atkins, the vice president of the domestic branch of Willis & Atkins Construction is drawn into the line of fire when her ex-husband sees a big payday in getting her out of the way and cashing in on a sizeable life insurance policy along with taking control of the generous trust fund in place for their three children.

Private security contractor Emma Finch is hired to watch over and protect Teresa - from a distance. Balking at the invasion of her privacy, Atkins stubbornly refuses to hire a personal bodyguard. Finch, a British national and ex-spy, is the resident explosives expert working for Saint Philip Neri Industries, or SPNI, for short. Her cushy babysitting gig turns into mayhem when an unscrupulous private investigator targets Atkins with a romance scam and the woman’s peculiar former in-laws travel all the way from Belgium to knock at her door at the behest of her scoundrel former husband.

SPNI Agent Rohan Rook, who usually partners with Finch from behind his computer keyboard, is sent into the field to assist the ex-spy when Teresa gets attacked by a gang of bikers. The two agents fend off the assault and follow a fleeing Atkins through a thick forest only to stumble onto the mythical otherworldly pathway to Orion to seek refuge from certain death. Stuck in a strange and magical world, the duo faces challenging situations in order to make their way back, forever changed.

The ensuing investigation into suspicious activity puts them on a collision course with cunningly connected and devious human traffickers intent on using the construction company to grow their criminal empire. 

Compounding the situation, Emma’s prominent activist father, William Finch, is scheduled to appear as the keynote speaker at a high-profile local event on human rights and equality. 

Rook is a man haunted by his own demons. His murky past catches up with him and threatens to destroy Emma and her family when William Finch is targeted.

As the stakes get higher, Teresa fears for her life while her cruel ex - a man hell bent on destroying her - closes in.

In Eclipse, the team, together with other members of the SPNI, Interpol Agent Clara Meadows, and Sophia Parker’s family, all race against time to ward off disaster.

Life for Teresa Atkins, juggling being a single parent of three with a corporate career as Vice President of a multinational construction company—and with a new, mischievous puppy in the home—just became more complicated. Her hectic life tailspins out of control as unbeknownst to her, her unscrupulous ex-husband has his eyes on a big payday: the control of her children and their trust fund, her family's business, and a sizeable life insurance policy. 

Dr. Jessica Atkins, instructs her close friend, Sophia Parker of SPN Industries, to keep a protective eye on her sister, which results in barely thwarting a dire outcome. Private security contractor and explosives guru Emma Finch is tasked with keeping Teresa Atkins safe, albeit from a distance as her reluctant client refuses help. Her cushy babysitting gig turns to mayhem when Teresa's life is endangered by a duplicitous private investigator, insolent in-laws, and armed gangsters hired to terrorize her. 

As the situation escalates, the man who has been supporting her from afar for many months, Agent Rook, is drawn away from the safety of his desk to provide field backup hundreds of miles away. Used to being a solo operator, Emma Finch has to begrudgingly contend with relying on another. Complicating matters for Emma, her parents fly in for a conference on human rights and equality, and plan to catch up with their secretive daughter. The visitors are roped into peril as fringe group protesters target William Finch, who is the keynote speaker at the conference. Friends and family join in on the protection plans, and things heat up when one SPNI agent connects with another. 

Eclipse is the 5th book in the Ravens Nest series. The characters are drawn into unexpectedly haunting scenarios, encounter human traffickers, and navigate life-threatening situations as menacing third parties close in on them.

Alex Croft has lived and worked in healthcare in several countries, whilst traveling to many more. Drawing on life experience and exposure to different cultures, the author weaves aspects of psychology, medical treatment modalities, humanity, the power of conviction and intrigue into the story lines. 

A fan of different genres of fiction, the author incorporates elements of suspense, humor, romance, action, adventure and fantasy into contemporary writing to enhance the reading experience.

Eclipse is the fifth book in the Ravens Nest series.