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Undercover FBI #2

Special Agent Finnegan

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Love for his father makes a man weak - what’ll happen when he gives his heart to a woman?

When Special Agent Finnegan O'Reilly gets shot, and the news brings on his father’s heart attack, he decides to take leave from further undercover assignments. The O'Reilly has suffered enough and Finn can’t be the cause of more distress for this beloved old rascal. Then his boss forces one more case on him - to take place in their own pub. Acting as the target to expose serial, suicide killers rampaging through New York City, Finn must play the part of a wife-beater, a cheating husband and an all-time jerk. No problem, until he meets his make-believe wife.

Renée Knight enjoys her job as a New York City cop. Her disguises have become a permanent fixture in her life, and no one knows what she really looks like. Except for the father she loves fiercely… the man, whose suicide makes no sense. If it means going undercover in an Irish pub where the culprits hang out, she’s their girl. Playing the wife of the bar owner to catch the killers—easy. But they never intend for her to fall for this guy, she does this all on her own. Now she has to hire the assassins to arrange his suicide. Can she catch them, before they complete the mission?

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2014

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About the author

Mimi Barbour

127 books695 followers
Mimi is an incredibly busy NYT and USA Today award-winning, best-selling author who has nine series to her credit, as well as over 45 books and numerous multi-author box collections.

Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island with her pup, Charli, and writes her various romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye.

She’s been known to say: “If I can steal a booklover’s attention away from their every-day grind, absorb them into a fantasy love story, and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”

**1st place prize of the 2015 - Chanticleer Reviews - Clue Awards. Special Agent Francesca
**A TOUCH OF PASSION, has just become the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards.

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5 stars
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56 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
Profile Image for Maria.
441 reviews24 followers
December 5, 2014
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

A romantic suspense filled with plenty of action and steamy chemistry, Special Agent Finnegan is the first book I’ve read by author Mimi Barbour. Colorful characters, good dialogue and two separate mysteries kept me turning the pages to uncover what would happen next. Set in New York City, Ms. Barbour reminds us of the dedication and sacrifice law enforcement agents take to keep the rest of us safe.

On leave from the FBI due to an injury received in the line of duty, Finnegan O’Reilly is unsure what his future holds. Guilt over his father’s heart attack, and having to shoot a youthful suspect, Finnegan thinks it might be time to change careers. Summoned back to work early, he finds himself reluctantly agreeing to take on a new undercover assignment that will take place in his family’s bar. Trying to catch a “serial suicide killer”, has Finnegan pretending to be married to a New York City detective, falling in love was not a part of the plan.

Undercover at a local college, Renee Knight is determined to catch a rapist who grows bolder with each attack. She’s also determined to get the local FBI to declare her father’s “apparent suicide” a homicide. Attracted to an agent she keeps “running” into while talking with her dad’s friends, Renee is pulled into a joint investigation with the FBI and finds herself posing as the agent’s “wife” and working in his family’s pub. Falling for Finnegan O’Reilly was not a part of her assignment.

Ms. Barbour does a good job developing both main characters; Finnegan and Renee have just enough in common to make a relationship between them believable while their differences make them attractive to each other. Both dedicated to helping their fellow man through law enforcement, they approach their jobs with an attitude that will not accept failure. While Finnegan is dealing with guilt over having to kill someone in the line of duty, Renee looks forward to getting a chance to maybe giving a violent offender a taste of his own medicine. I easily connected with both characters and found their steamy attraction to each other believable and hot!

The secondary characters are well developed and I fell in love with Finnegan’s dad, Collin O’Reilly aka The Joker and The O’Reilly. He’s funny, loveable and reminded me a bit of a jolly leprechaun. Both Finnegan and Renee’s bosses are dedicated to their jobs, driven to succeed and care about their agents. The “criminal masterminds” are also well developed and are an interesting mix; both evil and cunning, they are successful because they are determined to stay out of jail and have really thought out their crimes.

Will Finnegan and Renee be able to catch the “serial suicide killers” and bring them to justice? Will their steamy romance last beyond this particular case? You’ll have to read Special Agent Finnegan to find out. I enjoyed it and I think you will too.
Profile Image for Becky Claxon.
1,944 reviews12 followers
January 15, 2020
I enjoyed this book. Finnegan and his father are so funny together. Finn has been undercover for a long time, but got shot and had to recover. His poor father had a heart attack when told about Finn. Now Finn is thinking about retiring from the FBI. There is someone killing people and making it look like suicide. Unfortunately Renee, who is a city cop, found her beloved father killed by the suicide killer. She is heart broken, and wants her uncle Jack who is heading up the FBI investigation to let her in on the sting. The one clue they have has something to do with the pub his father owns. Renee and Finn have to work together in the pub to try and find the killer. I enjoyed watching the two get to know each other. I loved how Finn is so protective of the lines he loves. I encourage you to read the book.
Profile Image for Book Him Danno.
2,403 reviews62 followers
December 10, 2018
The author Mimi Barbour doesn't disappoint with her ability to tell stories that bring emotion, excitement and down right action pack in a nice little wrapping. Readers will finish the book before they even know it and will be wanting more.

This can be read as a stand a lone novel or as part of the series either way Readers will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Sarna Publishing for a copy of Mimi Barbour Special Agent Finnegan
Profile Image for Beatrice Followill.
1,383 reviews35 followers
December 6, 2021
Great characters, fast paved story. Fin and Renee are both law enforcement that you would want in your corner, they are advocate s for women and fight for justice ,esp when its personal for them . This is the first I have read/listened of this author, will definitely be looking for more of her books I. The future .
Profile Image for Tracie R.
2,142 reviews
November 26, 2018
4.5 Stars Book 2 in Mimi Barbour’s Undercover series, Special Agent Finnegan is a great addition. Fabulous characters, an engrossing storyline with suspense, humour and heartbreak made this a great weekend read. I would recommend this book and series
Profile Image for Anne.
203 reviews6 followers
December 29, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, Finnegan, an FBI agent on leave after being shot is taking care of his father's bar after his father's heart attack, and Renee, a New York city cop, working undercover at a college to nab a serial rapist, these two meet in the middle in an attempt to set-up killers for hire. Renee, insisting to an old family friend (Finnegan's boss) that her father would never have committed suicide, threatens to investigate herself if something isn't done. I loved the fact that Renee wore so many disguises no one knew what she really looked like. Finn and Renee keep running into each other for brief periods of time increasing the level of sexual tension. Finn, struggling with his future plans which might not include the FBI, is flung into this investigation as the only lead seems to be his father's pub. Brought together in a joint investigation, our couple develops a plan to trap the killers. The plot, and sub-plot, were well done, a few nice twists really upped the overall suspense level. The writing was enjoyable making this a very easy read. The characters were very engaging, and the secondary characters, especially Finn's dad, were well-fleshed out. Except for Finn's boss' boss (the big boss), I found his one appearance a little out of whack, and his anger over the top. It just took me away from the story for a couple of minutes trying to figure out what his problem was. On the whole, a well-written, fast-paced, romantic suspense story. I think the way the plot and characters were fleshed out took this from a four star to five star book for me. Let me just add to those who are looking for it, there is no graphic sex in this novel. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
Profile Image for Beth.
101 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2015
OMG, Irish cops and FBI centered around a neighborhood Irish bar complete with an old curmudgeon keeping an eye on things.

Let me just say that I discovered book one of this series, Special Agent Francesca, a few years ago and fell in love with the characters and the story. Many rereads later I was overjoyed to find there was a book two and hopefully a book three this spring.

This story has it all: a hot guy who knows his way around behind a bar, a sexy undercover agent with a penchant for disguises even when she's not working, humor, a great story and a wonderful ensemble cast for backup.

Highly recommended :)
Profile Image for Jo-Anne.
1,685 reviews35 followers
November 29, 2017
What an incredible story. There are two undercover cops trying to flush out a serial killer who made the murders look like suicides. The plan is for the female cop to act as though she hates her husband (the male cop). That isn't too hard to pull off because she is making him out to be a cheater and wife-beater. They play out these scenes in the man’s bar since that is where the killers appear to find their “clients”. They hope the woman will be contacted by the killers and make her an offer she won't want to refuse - getting rid of her husband. Even though that puts her partner’s life in danger, they both know its part of the job.

I love police stories and especially undercover ones. But for the main characters to fall for each other when they have to act like they hate each other makes this story even better. This is a gripping suspense as well as a terrific romance. You can feel the emotions in this book. Especially the love between the main characters and the strong affection Finn and his dad have for each other.

If you like romantic suspense, you won’t want to miss this book.
Profile Image for Leslie.
1,760 reviews19 followers
January 4, 2020
I received this book free as an ARC reader for review.

Agent Finn fell in love with a dimple!

This was an odd book. It really felt like it had two completely separate parts. I know the first part was designed to let you get to know the characters and for them to meet each other but what could’ve been accomplished in a chapter or two took almost half of the book... and it was a bit of a slog.

Then, at about 46% through my e-book, the characters actually started to interact with each other and a story seemed to take off. Then I felt like it skipped a bunch. Two people who had pretty much just met were all of the sudden in a passionate relationship, all kissy and emotional...It was odd. I actually went back and looked to see if I had missed something. The action was OK, basically the same scene repeating. That poor girl really needs to invest in some nice scarves. There’s no explicit sex, But lots of passion and some very stereotypical “claiming” by a typical alpha male. I think Papa O’Reilly, called Joker was probably my favorite character. Talk about a caricature of an Irish pub owner!


Profile Image for Karen.
1,424 reviews2 followers
March 8, 2020
Suicide Killers

This KU library selection takes place in NYC, where undercover FBI agent Finnegan O'Reilly is helping out at his father's Irish pub while the man recuperates from a heart attack. Finn's boss wants him back on the job, but Finn says no until the op becomes personal.

Renee Knight, undercover officer with the NYPD, and a master of disguise, is currently working uc to capture a brutal rapist on a college campus. She still struggles emotionally with her father's untimely death, an apparent suicide. But Renee believes he was murdered and she has been hounding her boss to investigate, to look into whether a serial killer could be behind his death. So when her boss presents her with the opportunity to go uc in an Irish pub to try to catch the killer, Renee willingly takes the job. What she doesn't count on is her attraction to the FBI agent playing the role of her husband.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than book one. The mc's are likable, the setting and storyline are well developed, and it's an easy book to get lost in. I've already bought the next book and am looking forward to beginning it.


Profile Image for Nikki.
654 reviews5 followers
December 10, 2019
Special Agent Finnegan: Undercover FBI Series book 2 by Mimi Barbour is a 5 star read.
Special agent Finn O’Reilly has taken a leave of absence from his job as and FBI agent after he was shot on his last job and his father ended up having a heart attack, so taking some time to help run his father’s pub he’s taking stock of his life until he’s called in by his boss and asked to take another job, this time out of the pub to find a murderer.
Renée Knight is an Undercover police officer she’s good at her job. When Renée’s mother died of cancer Renée decided to take her mother’s wigs and uses them in her daily life only allowing her father to see the real her, when her father dies in an apparent suicide Renée knows that her father wouldn’t kill himself so goes to her fathers old friend an FBI agent and asks him to help her find out the truth. Going undercover with Finn she finds more than her fathers killer.
6,329 reviews24 followers
December 17, 2018
When a spate of murders are made to look like suicides the police know that they have a killer on their hands and they know that a bar is where these murders are centered from So special agent Finnegan O'Reilly goes undercover as a wife beating cheating husband New York City cop Renée Knight will play the part of his wife hoping that the murderer will contact her to get rid of her deadbeat husband. As the danger increases and the murderer moves in on Finnegan Renee as to except that she has fallen for her partner and the feeling is mutual now she has to catch the killer before he kills the man she loves. This is a fast paced murder mystery that grabs you from the first page and never lets you go until you turn that last page I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a great romantic suspense story
Profile Image for Kristen Lewendon.
7,710 reviews47 followers
July 27, 2019
In so many ways, this series reminds me of a written version of the Lethal Weapon movies. There’s the heavy law enforcement presence, the silly, loving family and friends, and the twisty little mystery with lots of action and suspense. I love that Renée is so fierce and independent. What I love even more is that her tough outer shell hides a vulnerable heart with the consistency of gooey marshmallow. And Finnegan is her mirror image with his own tough-as-nails persona and gold-plated marshmallow heart. Even more than I loved watching this pair interact with each other, I adored seeing the time spent with their friends and family. Those connections are where this book really came alive for me.
Profile Image for Tracy Quoka.
298 reviews1 follower
December 10, 2019
I received this book for an honest and voluntary review. Finn O'Reilly is leave from the FBI, to run his father's Irish pub while The O'Reilly recovering from a heart attack. Renee Bishop is an undercover officer for the NYPD. So undercover that no one knows what she really looks like. These two are teamed up to investigate a bunch of questionable suicides, all have one thing in common Finn's family bar. Finn struggles with coming off his LOA and Renee has another case that she needs to tie up first, which is interesting and the reader as well as Renee thinks she's got the perp figured out until the very last minute. This is the second book in the FBI undercover series, but a complete standalone.
Profile Image for Floraljoy.
878 reviews
December 12, 2019
A little Irish love:
Another fast paced, action packed romantic suspense novel by the talented Mimi Barbour. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning and had me frantically turning pages to see how it would all turn out. There was humor and witty banter but it also had a depth to it, especially surrounding the issues of domestic abuse.
Finn and Riley were both likable characters and it was fun seeing their relationship develop into something long lasting. I particularly loved the elder O'Reilly, what a card he was! I would have liked an epilogue but overall this was an enjoyable, easy read.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
21 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2018
BOY, IS HE SPECIAL !!!!

This story grabs you at the beginning and never let's go. We start with a murder, we see how the killers do the deed and why they are so difficult to catch. One girl cop and one FBI guy set up a sting operation to catch the murderers. The writing is superb, you can feel the excitement and the scared feelings right along with the characters. I probably will be reading more from this author. I did get this book for free and am leaving a voluntary and honest review.
Profile Image for Pansy.
1,922 reviews25 followers
May 27, 2019
I enjoy the first book enough that I thought I would try the second. I enjoyed this one just as much. I did discover this series really can be read in any order. The only thing they have in common is undercover FBI. The New York characters in this book were not the same as the New York characters in the first book. That kind of surprised me, but no big deal.

I found this story a bit more 'thrilling' than the last one. No big surprises though not entirely predictable either. A nice mix. Again, I found myself enthralled with something I didn't want to put down. Nice job.
Profile Image for Suzette.
2,893 reviews17 followers
December 6, 2019
Another wonderful story in this series by Mimi Barbour. She writes stories with lots of heart, action and love. Finn is a strong and sensitive character. He feels things, and loves deeply. He is loyal and dedicated to the people in his life. Renee is a cop who is dedicated to to protecting people. She hates injustice and can’t help stepping in when she sees someone being hurt. The two get together to work on a case and can’t help but fall in love. Collin, Finn’s dad, is another character you will not be able to help falling in love with. A great page turning read with excellent characters.
Profile Image for Jenni Bishop.
4,072 reviews44 followers
August 25, 2020
Special Agent Finnegan (Undercover FBI Book 2) by Mimi Barbour is a read that will have
you on the edge of your seat. I enjoyed the first book and Mimi did not let me down with this
second book in the series. What happens when a sexy Irish FBI agent is partnered up with a
cop who has a love of disguises? I love the quirkiness that Mimi installs to her characters
and they make for some funny and explosive moments. With plenty of action, thrills and
spills and romance for our characters this is one journey you will enjoy whilst they try to find
the killers wreaking havoc in their town.
Profile Image for Dawn Cunningham Roether.
293 reviews3 followers
November 24, 2018
This my first book to read by Mimi Barbour. It did not disappoint. Great story and great characters, Kept me turning the pages. The opening chapter really sucks you into the story with professional killers that stage the murders as suicides. The two main characters go undercover as a married couple that hate each other, yet in real-life the chemistry between them is off the charts. If you like suspenseful, undercover, investigative-type books, you will like this one!
Profile Image for LeeAnn Lewis.
323 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2019
Loved this story! The suspense is amazing throughout this story. Renee likes to wear wigs and colored contacts, but when Finn runs into her three different times, he recognizes her and can't seem to forget her. When they get paired together to solve a case, the sparks fly. It is a wonderfully written story that keeps you interested in what is going to happen next from the very first page. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Rosemary Hughes.
3,370 reviews19 followers
November 18, 2020
He had had enough of the covert operations, especially after his father's near death experience, from a heart attack, when he had been told his son had been shot in the line of duty.

She was a NY cop, who had lost her father in what looked to be a suicide, but a number of factors pointed to foul play.

Together they were set to find out those causing death and mayhem, making it look to be suicide in each case.

Interesting read!
191 reviews
January 14, 2018
Another great read by Mimi Barbour

The 2nd book in the Undercover FBI series, Special Agent Finnegan is a fun read that keeps you on the edge of your seat while Finn and Renee work together undercover to find a pair of serial killers and fall in love with each other at the same time. Even though this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.
Author 106 books595 followers
August 28, 2018
Mimi Barbour has a way of making you fall in love with her characters, especially the "Joker", the old man in the story. She defines her characters with such outrageous quirks, like a heroine who wears wigs!
Plenty of action and suspense mixed in with the satisfying romance for a fun and endearing couple! I truly wanted to read more about this couple after the story ended.
Profile Image for Meryl.
1,471 reviews6 followers
November 30, 2019
Great read.

Loving this series! This story is full of intrigue, it looks at abuse and the different aspects of helping people through difficult times. Finn and Renee work together in an undercover operation that is intriguing and action packed. Their chemistry sizzles. The story has wonderful deep characters and everyday heroes who stand up for those in need.
2,434 reviews6 followers
December 11, 2019
This is the second book in the Undercover FBI series and was well written. Renee and Finnegan have sizzling chemistry. Their banter was hilarious at times to read. This has action, danger, a serial rapist and so much more. The characters are strong, protectors and you can't help caring for them. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
35 reviews
March 27, 2021
New binge author for me.

I read Mimi Barbour's first book in the series and enjoyed it so read numerous 2 and now I'm hooked. The characters were a blast, you do kinda have to go with love at first sight ( or darn near close to it), these two know what they want and don't play games, aside from needing the occasional confidence boost. Heading off for book #3.
288 reviews
June 19, 2017
What a joy to read!

This book was such a joy to read. Renee is such a kick arse cop that doesn't like to look the same for all her undercover work and so has a bit of a thing for wigs. Finn is a FBI agent that ends up pairing up with her for a case and maybe for more.
September 9, 2017
Interesting story. Murders made to look like suicides in a very convincing manner. Then special agent Finn and New York City cop Renee decide to set up a sting in the bar that Finn's father owns and end up falling for each other. Keeps you guessing till close to the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews

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