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Global Guardians #3
Run to You
The only way out is to trust the man who broke her heart.
Her sister has been kidnapped and FSB agent is hot on her trail--by going undercover into Taiwan's sex-trafficking trade. Now, she's in over her head . . . or is she?
Also deep undercover is Delta Force captain David Curtiss, after the kingpin of the Twin Serpents, the organized crime syndicate that has Yanna—and hundreds of others— in their clutches. But when he discovers Yanna, his mission is suddenly jeopardized. Now, David and Yanna have to rely on each other to save her sister and bring a trafficker to justice.
The thrilling conclusion to the epic Global Guardians series!
Previously published as Wiser than Serpents, Mission: Russia
Her sister has been kidnapped and FSB agent is hot on her trail--by going undercover into Taiwan's sex-trafficking trade. Now, she's in over her head . . . or is she?
Also deep undercover is Delta Force captain David Curtiss, after the kingpin of the Twin Serpents, the organized crime syndicate that has Yanna—and hundreds of others— in their clutches. But when he discovers Yanna, his mission is suddenly jeopardized. Now, David and Yanna have to rely on each other to save her sister and bring a trafficker to justice.
The thrilling conclusion to the epic Global Guardians series!
Previously published as Wiser than Serpents, Mission: Russia
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2008
About the author
Susan May Warren
192 books3,378 followersI can't help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with - a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him.
I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.
Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.
Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.
Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.
Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.
I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.
I'd love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. Write to me at susan@susanmaywarren.com. And, if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.
God Bless and Happy Reading!
In His Grip,
Susan May Warren
I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.
Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.
Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.
Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.
Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.
I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.
I'd love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. Write to me at susan@susanmaywarren.com. And, if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.
God Bless and Happy Reading!
In His Grip,
Susan May Warren
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
January 2, 2009
My interest was piqued after reading this particular line in the blurb on the back: "...Until Yanna discovered an ally deep undercover: Delta Force captain David Curtiss."
Whut.
I had to read after that, just to see how far south this story went. Let me count the ways:
1) Disclaimer: I'm definitely no expert on what various Army/Policing organizations functions are, but I think I've picked up enough through osmosis from various entertainment media and work to say....I reeeaally don't think Delta Force people are doing to be involved in an undercover arms-smuggling busts. In Taiwan. Not when, ya know, a couple of little wars in places like Afghanistan and Iraq are going on, and what with the Army not having enough people to spread around.
The author tries to tie David Curtiss' undercover op into counter-terrorism by saying these arms are being supplied to the insurgents in the Middle East. Irregardless, I find it hard to believe.
Really, the most appropriate organization would have been Interpol, if this handy wiki article can be trusted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpol
"...focuses primarily on public safety, terrorism, organized crime, war crimes, illicit drug production, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, child pornography, white-collar crime, computer crime, intellectual property crime and corruption".
Ding! Weapons smuggling AND human trafficking!! And they'll probably cooperate with local police who know the lay of the land and who probably have been trying to build cases against various arms dealers for years.
Too bad what the author does instead is have a Russian FSB (what's that? I had no clue, and the author didn't bother to explain until many chapters in) techie throw herself into sex-slavedom with 2 GPS transmitters and a lipstick knife, with rusty secret agent skills and apparently, an assumption that if anything happened to her, her two Russian FSB thug friends would come to her rescue.
That is, hop a plane and fly however many hours it takes to get from Russia to Taiwan, and find her, even though the only way they'd know something was wrong is if the GPS transmitters STOPPED working.
>_>
There's a term for this, isn't there? Something like, "Too Stupid To Live"?
2) The author's use of POV is a bit annoying. Partway through a paragraph, the author switches POV with no handy astericks or equivalent to let the readers know that the guy, not the girl, is talking now.
3) The distinct feeling that I am reading the fifth book of a series, despite no indications on cover or any "Previous Works by Author". All these Russian agents seem to be deeply mired/in love with various American people or their best bud's sister, and they all seem to have some tragic/exciting backstory but the author just throws little vague mentions here and there as if to say "these people are deep and interesting!" because of the implied pasts....
Only problem, I want to see it for myself before I'll agree that those characters are interesting. So for the most part, it felt like sitting in a group of people I just met, listening to them crack inside jokes to each other.
4) The strange implication that all these FSB agents have NOTHING TO DO. No pressing, Russian national security-related work, no Leave of Absence forms to fill, not even a supervisor to call before they jump on a plane to Taiwan to rescue their stupid friend.
5) The ridiculous idea that if one undercover agent's partner is caught by the bad guys and outed as a spy in front of everyone, that the OTHER undercover agent is still safe to continue the charade.
6) The boringness of everyone having already fallen in love with each other ages ago.
There are so many things wrong, I don't know why I'm still going to finish reading this book. *sigh* It appears I'm just one dissenting voice among many admirers though, so go ahead and try it out for yourself.
Whut.
I had to read after that, just to see how far south this story went. Let me count the ways:
1) Disclaimer: I'm definitely no expert on what various Army/Policing organizations functions are, but I think I've picked up enough through osmosis from various entertainment media and work to say....I reeeaally don't think Delta Force people are doing to be involved in an undercover arms-smuggling busts. In Taiwan. Not when, ya know, a couple of little wars in places like Afghanistan and Iraq are going on, and what with the Army not having enough people to spread around.
The author tries to tie David Curtiss' undercover op into counter-terrorism by saying these arms are being supplied to the insurgents in the Middle East. Irregardless, I find it hard to believe.
Really, the most appropriate organization would have been Interpol, if this handy wiki article can be trusted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpol
"...focuses primarily on public safety, terrorism, organized crime, war crimes, illicit drug production, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, child pornography, white-collar crime, computer crime, intellectual property crime and corruption".
Ding! Weapons smuggling AND human trafficking!! And they'll probably cooperate with local police who know the lay of the land and who probably have been trying to build cases against various arms dealers for years.
Too bad what the author does instead is have a Russian FSB (what's that? I had no clue, and the author didn't bother to explain until many chapters in) techie throw herself into sex-slavedom with 2 GPS transmitters and a lipstick knife, with rusty secret agent skills and apparently, an assumption that if anything happened to her, her two Russian FSB thug friends would come to her rescue.
That is, hop a plane and fly however many hours it takes to get from Russia to Taiwan, and find her, even though the only way they'd know something was wrong is if the GPS transmitters STOPPED working.
>_>
There's a term for this, isn't there? Something like, "Too Stupid To Live"?
2) The author's use of POV is a bit annoying. Partway through a paragraph, the author switches POV with no handy astericks or equivalent to let the readers know that the guy, not the girl, is talking now.
3) The distinct feeling that I am reading the fifth book of a series, despite no indications on cover or any "Previous Works by Author". All these Russian agents seem to be deeply mired/in love with various American people or their best bud's sister, and they all seem to have some tragic/exciting backstory but the author just throws little vague mentions here and there as if to say "these people are deep and interesting!" because of the implied pasts....
Only problem, I want to see it for myself before I'll agree that those characters are interesting. So for the most part, it felt like sitting in a group of people I just met, listening to them crack inside jokes to each other.
4) The strange implication that all these FSB agents have NOTHING TO DO. No pressing, Russian national security-related work, no Leave of Absence forms to fill, not even a supervisor to call before they jump on a plane to Taiwan to rescue their stupid friend.
5) The ridiculous idea that if one undercover agent's partner is caught by the bad guys and outed as a spy in front of everyone, that the OTHER undercover agent is still safe to continue the charade.
6) The boringness of everyone having already fallen in love with each other ages ago.
There are so many things wrong, I don't know why I'm still going to finish reading this book. *sigh* It appears I'm just one dissenting voice among many admirers though, so go ahead and try it out for yourself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2021
This third and final book in the series was the best one for me. Even though this story was about David and Yanna, I enjoyed that Victor and Gracie also played a big role and even that Roman, Sarai and Mae also featured a lot.
The plot about the human trafficking was scary, thrilling and dangerous, but also sad because even though this book was initially published in 2008, this topic is still a serious issue in the today as well, maybe even more so.
I enjoyed how the author had two different plots going, one in Seattle and one in Taiwan, and how the author brought everything together in the end.
This was a realistic story about criminals, government agents and love.
*I read this on Kindle Unlimited.*
The plot about the human trafficking was scary, thrilling and dangerous, but also sad because even though this book was initially published in 2008, this topic is still a serious issue in the today as well, maybe even more so.
I enjoyed how the author had two different plots going, one in Seattle and one in Taiwan, and how the author brought everything together in the end.
This was a realistic story about criminals, government agents and love.
*I read this on Kindle Unlimited.*
June 22, 2008
Is Agent Andrevka on a mission of suicide...? She is obviously not being reasonable, as an agent that has not used her field operation knowledge since her training, Yenna decides, well... she'll go ahead and try to take on one of the worlds biggest human trafficking rings, the Twin Serpents, not suprised yet, well here's the real rub, she's going to attempt to do this alone. Good thing for her Delta captain David Curtiss is her friend, rather than the American being the FBS agent's worst nightmare... in this book she got enough of the stuff that dark dreams are made of leaping into living breathing reality without him being against her too! Susan May Warren captured me again in a story of heart stopping suspense rooted in faith. David and Yenna are real people with real problems...namely getting away from the psycopath chasing Yenna and freeing her sister from the clutches of one of the Serpents! But I'm not going to give away the whole story. If you like action, and love stories rooted in a firm Christian theme this is the book for you! Ms. Warren, Congratulations on a job well done.
February 23, 2013
Susan May Warren is at the top of my list as a Christian writer. I fell in love with both David "Preach" and Yanna but have to admit that David was really "too good to be true". His ethics were admirable and uncompromising even though he is deeply in love with an unbeliever.
I especially loved the humor in tense situations with the ongoing dialog each character had with themselves! This kept me chuckling throughout the book.
This is part of a series and since other characters are involved from previous books I would suggest reading them as well..although it's not absolutely necessary to enjoy this book.
I especially loved the humor in tense situations with the ongoing dialog each character had with themselves! This kept me chuckling throughout the book.
This is part of a series and since other characters are involved from previous books I would suggest reading them as well..although it's not absolutely necessary to enjoy this book.
December 18, 2012
This is a cute story of a two people in love yet unwilling to admit the attraction. In the midst of that story is the reality of "Trafficking"; Yanna's sister is missing in that trafficking and Yanna is going to find her. Even when the man who professes to just be friends, and she is in love with tells her she going back home instead of finding her sister.
The story is a good romance story but lacking in action, thus I gave the book four stars.I liked the characters and their interaction. Good read for YA.
The story is a good romance story but lacking in action, thus I gave the book four stars.I liked the characters and their interaction. Good read for YA.
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June 2, 2008Just finished this one. A great fictional way to have you eyes opened to the plight of people around the world sucked into the world of human trafficking. I read it in one night.
October 30, 2021
Another romantic thriller in the Mission Russia series. With twists, turns, and suspense galore, Warren once more kept me reading past my bedtime. I have enjoyed this series because it has taken place in Russia as well as Taiwan (this time) and deals with sex trafficking of young girls.
December 20, 2016
Wiser Than Serpents is Book 3 in the Mission:Russia series. I had not read the first two books. This one caught my interest because it deals with human trafficking, something I wanted to understand a little better.
The main character, Yanna, has a sister who finds a husband via the internet. She leaves Russia for the United States to marry this man she has never met and gets caught in a human trafficking ring.
Yanna, an FSB agent, then signs up to find a husband and allows the same thing to happen to her so she can find her sister. However, she doesn't tell anyone what she is doing.
As the story unfolds, one of the themes that develops is that of a woman not trusting men because the men she has loved have repeatedly broken their promises to her. This has also led her to believe that God doesn't really care about her. She feels that the only one she can trust is herself. Fortunately she has friends in her life that patiently pray for her try to dispel the lies she believes.
Another thread in the story is the romance between Yanna and David. So much tension is created as neither one is brave enough to tell the other how they really feel. It is a beautiful example of the struggle a Christian man might go through in a romantic relationship.
Having not read the first two books, I did feel that the characters were not as full as they could have been. However, the book can definitely stand alone.
I did learn more about human trafficking and how it happens virtually right under our noses. I enjoyed being able to see what those who are fighting against it do through the pages of this book.
The main character, Yanna, has a sister who finds a husband via the internet. She leaves Russia for the United States to marry this man she has never met and gets caught in a human trafficking ring.
Yanna, an FSB agent, then signs up to find a husband and allows the same thing to happen to her so she can find her sister. However, she doesn't tell anyone what she is doing.
As the story unfolds, one of the themes that develops is that of a woman not trusting men because the men she has loved have repeatedly broken their promises to her. This has also led her to believe that God doesn't really care about her. She feels that the only one she can trust is herself. Fortunately she has friends in her life that patiently pray for her try to dispel the lies she believes.
Another thread in the story is the romance between Yanna and David. So much tension is created as neither one is brave enough to tell the other how they really feel. It is a beautiful example of the struggle a Christian man might go through in a romantic relationship.
Having not read the first two books, I did feel that the characters were not as full as they could have been. However, the book can definitely stand alone.
I did learn more about human trafficking and how it happens virtually right under our noses. I enjoyed being able to see what those who are fighting against it do through the pages of this book.
July 13, 2008
Susan May Warren really knows how to write suspenseful tales about unrequited love. Wiser than Serpents contained such passion and spiritual depth that it took my breath away. I loved her Josey series because it's so funny, but I really loved Wiser than Serpents because of the depth of emotion between the main characters in the book. It amazed me how much serious brutality (as in blood and guts) was allowed in this Steeple Hill book. But it was necessary to make the storyline believable. I was impressed, to say the least.
Susan's tale of romance and intrigue not only had me turning the pages, but holding my breath each time Yanna and David were together. The sparks between them were electric. I'm serious. And the deep emotional connection they had was beautiful and sacrificial, especially on David's end. He was willing to lay his life on the line so many times because of his love for Yanna. It was exhilarating. And his internal conflict was so intense because he wanted her so badly, but had to deny himself to the point it rocked him to the core. What a heroic hero! Fabulous story and incredibly romantic. I'd give this story a ten out of ten if I had a rating system. Seriously. The ending left me glowing.
Susan's tale of romance and intrigue not only had me turning the pages, but holding my breath each time Yanna and David were together. The sparks between them were electric. I'm serious. And the deep emotional connection they had was beautiful and sacrificial, especially on David's end. He was willing to lay his life on the line so many times because of his love for Yanna. It was exhilarating. And his internal conflict was so intense because he wanted her so badly, but had to deny himself to the point it rocked him to the core. What a heroic hero! Fabulous story and incredibly romantic. I'd give this story a ten out of ten if I had a rating system. Seriously. The ending left me glowing.
August 2, 2011
It's amazing at what David is willing to sacrifice for the woman he loves and even more amazing is what he is willing to do to stay in the will of the God he serves. He struggles with the depths of evil he has to become a part of in order to bring justice to the underworld of the slave trade; and he struggles with his love for an unbeliever. Being human, he has wants like any other man but his spiritual side wars with his fleshly side. Christians can appreciate this nuance but others may not get it at all. For the Christian, the suspense, mystery, romance, and spirituality of this book rates 5 stars. I consider it at the top of all the books I've read. I also consider this Russian Series at the top of my favorite series. Even, if you aren't a christian, you will enjoy the undercover work, glimpses of the sex trade, side story lines of other characters, and the developing relationship between the main characters. The author has a sense of humor too which helps tone down the more violent parts. I highly recommend anything she writes.
November 22, 2023
This was a sweet romance…It was bittersweet to watch both David & Yanna struggle with their feelings for one another. I loved how it was based on a solid friendship and genuine love for one another. I also really appreciated that Susan May Warren wrote such a Biblically solid standpoint on being unequally yolked with an unbeliever and why it’s important for someone to come to know the Lord on their own and not because they want to be with someone who happens to be a Christian.
The suspense and excitement was great, in typical Susan May Warren fashion! Loved seeing Gracie & Vicktor’s story continue in this story was well!
The suspense and excitement was great, in typical Susan May Warren fashion! Loved seeing Gracie & Vicktor’s story continue in this story was well!
April 11, 2016
LOVED This Book!
My heart cries out whenever I hear about human trafficking! If only we can stop this horrible crime from happening. This book tackles this subject and more. It shows the intricate struggles of many countries and the vast problem this is.
Yet woven in this book is the sweet story of a love for a woman who feels unworthy of love. Also in this story the author shows us a love of a man that is true and deep.
This book is a great ending of the Mission: Russia series. It brings the other characters in and wraps all the stories up BEAUTIFULLY.
My heart cries out whenever I hear about human trafficking! If only we can stop this horrible crime from happening. This book tackles this subject and more. It shows the intricate struggles of many countries and the vast problem this is.
Yet woven in this book is the sweet story of a love for a woman who feels unworthy of love. Also in this story the author shows us a love of a man that is true and deep.
This book is a great ending of the Mission: Russia series. It brings the other characters in and wraps all the stories up BEAUTIFULLY.
April 6, 2009
I enjoyed this novel. It kept me engaged wondering what would happen from moment to moment. I needed something that would be a lighter read after all the heavy stuff I have been reading. I enjoyed Yanna and the journey she goes through trying to locate her sister that was caught up in the underground slave trade. I of course enjoy a good read that has a strong male character.. and this one had a few!
December 25, 2011
Another great novel from Susan May Warren. It took awhile for the story to pick up speed and for the suspense to build, but once it did, I was hooked in. The author not only provides an interesting read, but touches on the sensitive subject of human trafficking and the growing problem it poses the world.
June 29, 2008
I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the refreshing look it took on being unequally yoked. It was also a great reminder to me of God's provision to us as believers when we follow His will for our lives.
August 10, 2010
I liked the characters in this book and found them funny at times. However, this book was just not thriller-y enough for me. The author seems to have a great sense of humor, so I look forward to reading more of her books.
August 4, 2008
I have fallen in love with this author's stuff..if you like Dee Henderson's "true heroes" series, you will love this series. A Russian agent finds herself entangled in a human slavery ring after her sister mysteriously disappears. This kept me on the edge of my seat!
August 30, 2014
Great book. An interesting topic as we are becoming more aware of human trafficking. If you enjoy Christian suspense you will like this book. The very end could have been a little more suspenseful but overall a great end to the series.
May 17, 2019
Great book by Susan May Warren set in Russia. I love the romantic suspense with the international angle, and throw in some fairly deep emotion and you have a winner.
August 12, 2010
Awesome book. Third in a series. She is an awesome author.
July 2, 2008
I'm not a big suspense fan, but I am a big Susan May Warren fan. Exciting and eye-opening book about human trafficking.
January 14, 2009
Had potential but got lost along the way. ;-(
June 14, 2009
suspenseful read!
September 25, 2009
Love this book--especially since I've read it whilst living in Taiwan!
October 5, 2009
Good, but similar to other Susan May Warren plots. David & Yanna just need to get married!
April 21, 2012
I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, but I really got into it. This is a great book!
September 18, 2012
I really liked the way SM Warren dealt with the potentially unevenly yoked relationship. That she dealt with it at all is a plus, even more so the way she dealt with it.
May 27, 2014
Loved it
August 27, 2016
Love this story
Suspenseful and hard to put down. Loved the whole series of Mission: Russia. Loved the characters in each book and the author ties their stories altogether!
Suspenseful and hard to put down. Loved the whole series of Mission: Russia. Loved the characters in each book and the author ties their stories altogether!
August 16, 2022
So, I managed to read this one of the series first (somehow not realizing it was the 3rd of the series, which would explain why some of the narrative seemed to assume some familiarity with the characters and previous events, but still give adequate recall for the reader's benefit). I liked it enough that I do plan to read the other two books in this series. The situation of the story is both heart-wrenching and interesting, and while still perhaps maybe a little far-fetched in regards to the ability of characters to escape life-threatening situations, it is better than some other similar type stories/situations I have read by other authors, both in the balance of a good adventure/thriller with a romance, and giving details without being too salacious. Even though I know that there is human trafficking, and sadly, the US is one of the biggest customer of that, I found this book stirring up anew my anger against this horrible practice of slavery, and a desire to do more to see it ended. Shame on those who would take women, girls, (and probably men and boys too) and treat them as a commodity or property. Shame on those who would pay to have a few moments of "pleasure" violating another individual. May God give peace and protection for the victims and for the rescuers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews