I disagree with the reviews that said you didn't need to read the previous books. I was SO confused. The book starts off with the action and I was like "who the heck are these people? how did they end up in a Russian mob run whore house? Who the heck is Derrick and why can't they find him? Hell, when did they lose him?!?". So, I struggled to really connect with the book. That being said, I liked the writing and suspense so I do think I will grab book one and start the series. Perhaps I will change this rating later!