Natalie Walter’s Fatal Code is the second book in her SNAP Agency series. A romantic suspense novel, Fatal Code is about a modern aerospace engineer, Elinor Mitchell whose grandfather was part of a secret nuclear energy project for the US government in the 60s.

Now someone is after the people who were involved in the secret nuclear project. Elinor’s grandfather passed away and she is now in possession of his notebooks from that project. Elinor is in danger.

Bring in the SNAP Agency. Kekoa Young just happens to live next to Elinor and has a crush on her. When the FBI hires the agency to monitor Elinor, Kekoa is reluctantly put on the case.

What follows is an unraveling of encrypted messages, secrets, murder, and nuclear threats.

Walters introduced Kekoa in her first SNAP Agency novel. He is a muscular, big-hearted, Hawaiian man who is a former Navy cryptologist turned tech whiz. Touch, but vulnerable, he is a guy you want to root for.

Elinor may be an aerospace engineer, but she is naïve about the ways of the world. She makes some moves that go on the horror movie plot checklist where you just want to scream, “Don’t go there!”. But her innocence is endearing.

With threats of nuclear plans getting into Russian or Chinese hands, and danger closing in, this book is full of action and suspense. The SNAP team works well together but with the pressure facing Kekoa there is some tension in the group.

The back stories explore guilt, trust, and relationships as we learn more about Elinor and Kekoa and what drives them.

I enjoyed the book and its characters.