I received this book for free from via Goodreads.
FBI profiler Evelyn Baine meets up with another FBI Agent Jen Martinez, who asks for her help. By visiting a compound which she suspects is harbouring a cult, when they are both kidnapped my these survivalists. But is all what it seems. ( )

4.5 stars.

In Seized, the third installment in Elizabeth Heiter's The Profiler series, FBI agent Evelyn Baine is kidnapped and held hostage by a survivalist cult.

Now she has solved the kidnapping case that drove her to become a profiler, Evelyn is at a crossroads. She feels adrift and cannot decide whether she wants to continue her career in the FBI while at the same time, the thought of leaving fills her with panic. She is plagued with self-doubt and she cannot help but question her ability to accurately profile the cases she is reviewing. When fellow FBI agent Jen Martinez approaches her with her suspicions that a local cult is a terrorist threat, Evelyn is reluctant to become involved but Jen leaves her no choice but to agree. What should have been a quick assessment rapidly turns deadly when Jen is shot by cult leader Ward Butler and Evelyn is held hostage at the cult's compound.

At first, Evelyn is just trying to survive the situation but once she realizes the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) has been called in, she pushes aside her alarm to try to give the team as much information as possible. She also tries to use her profiling skills to assess Butler and another cult member, Rolfe. She is conflicted by the men's actions which in makes her very indecisive about her profile. Evelyn's panic also makes her feel like she is missing vital clues that could help her nail down the profile but her fears for her safety make it impossible for her to impartially gauge the increasingly volatile situation.

Once Evelyn is rescued by HRT, she is officially assigned to the case but she still remains uncertain of her profile. Things move at a breakneck speed when another threat is uncovered and someone she cares for is injured in the line of duty. Evelyn is also in the unusual position of following a case through to the end and she feels pressured to commit to her assessment of the main suspect. At the same time, she is still trying to evade a confrontation with her boss about the future of her career.

Seized is a suspense-laden and intriguing thriller that has an unusual but compelling storyline. Evelyn still continues to be a multi-faceted character who has been shaped by her past but is trying to come to terms with the fact that this no longer defines her. Elizabeth Heiter does a wonderful job keeping the series fresh by focusing this latest installment on a terrorist cult instead of the usual murder and/or kidnapping storyline. Appealing characters, an unique but relevant plot and plenty of action make this newest addition to The Profiler series an aboslute must read for fans of the mystery/suspense genre.
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A special thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth Heiter returns with her third installment in The Profiler series (nicely researched) with SEIZED -Evelyn Baine, profiler for the FBI – finds herself in one of the most dangerous situations yet, with what appeared to be "survivalist cult" holed up in the mountains—turns deadly.

Evelyn is sharp and she knows how to think like a killer – whether a serial killer, arsonists, bomb-maker, child abductor or terrorist, as she has crawled around in all of the twisted minds. She had learned their fantasies, and figured out their next moves and chased them down. But no matter how many she found, there were always more. She is a non-conformist and does not always follow the rules. (I like this).

Having read the previous books in The Profiler series (highly recommend) in order to learn more about Evelyn and the motivation behind the woman-- both personally, and professionally:

In Book # 1 HUNTED , we meet Evelyn Baine, a profiler for the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit. She has wanted this job since she was a child, when her best friend disappeared. She is sent to Bakersville, Virginia and comes head to head with a serial killer who is hunting her. She tracks down a deadly serial killer known as the Bakersville Burier and learned just how deadly it can be to get inside the head of a killer.

In Book #2 VANISHED she returns to her home town for another child abduction case in Rose Bay, South Carolina for a suspense psychological mystery thriller with a mixture of light romance and intrigue. Evelyn has waited for this case her entire life after the disappearance of her best friend—when the Nursery Rhyme Killer resurfaced after eighteen years of silence.

In Book # 3 SEIZED, the intensity heats up! Evelyn returns with fellow agent Kyle McKenzie taking them to a remote area of Montana wilderness.

Lee Cartwright had been convicted of bombing two black churches and one mosque. People had died and dozens were injured. He was seeking notoriety. Evelyn is profiling him in the Montana State Prison. He was an anti-federalist. He had told officials he had a copycat, and the FBI wanted to find out if it was true.

Dan Moore, FBI had sent her, because she is on his shit list. A suitable punishment for not following orders on her last case. She was not a team player. Now she has to determine if this guy is telling the truth.

From brain washing, cults, survivalists, home grown terrorism-----Evelyn is sent to check out a dangerous cult of survivalist in the Montana mountains in a compound. What appears to be a routine investigation lands her on the wrong side of a hostage situation and in the middle of an emerging terrorist threat. The cult leader Butler has a score to settle with the FBI. A terrorist.

In addition to the physical dangers, Evelyn has her own internal decisions and crossroads. Does she continue with her position at the FBI or is something else on the horizon?

The one driving force in her career had been her need to solve her friend’s case. However, she learns there are a lot of people out there with their own Cassie's. People with someone dead or missing from their lives, people who needed closure, and Evelyn would give it to them.

It was nice revisiting with Granny Mabel, the woman who had stood behind her, now in a nursing home in SC. Fans of Allison Brennan, Tami Hoag, Catherine Coulter, and Lisa Jackson will enjoy the gripping series.

Sounds as though Evelyn will return for #4 for a brand-new adventure and more to come with Kyle! Recommend reading all the books in the series. Can’t wait to see what’s next! ( )