Book Review of Steve Westover's Defensive Tactics

Defensive Tactics is Steve Westover’s debut mystery/suspense novel. Defensive tactics is a book my wife and I both found easy to read, fast paced, and enjoyable.


Emily and Paul are young FBI agents. Jimmy is an acquaintance from both of their pasts. After tragedy has decimated his life, Jimmy is in bad shape. In the story, Emily wrestles to find the balance between personal standards and professional assignments. Paul faces workplace ethics and policies that stand in the way of his friends’ safety. Jimmy struggles with hope and liberation from past choices.

As the plot develops, the reader plunges into a foray of law enforcement tactics, organized crime, corruption, and integrity.

A couple of scenes left me uncomfortable. Most notable is the scene where Emily emotionally connects with Jimmy then falls asleep in Paul's apartment. I already felt a loyalty to Paul, and the developments between Jimmy and Paul were unwelcome for me. This was intentional on the part of the author to deepen key conflicts and heighten the emotional involvement of the reader—which Westover did successfully

I like Westover’s depiction of honest relationships devoid of the immature games people commonly play that hinder trust.

Defensive Tactics
By Steve Westover
Bonneville Books
246 pages
Purchase this book here.