The Empire, #3 in the Filthy Trilogy and #10 in the Dirty Rich series by Lisa Renee Jones is a stunning, captivating thrill ride that concludes the story of The Bastard, aka Eric Mitchell, and The Princess, Eric’s stepsister, Harper Evans. Eric has now officially replaced all previous book boyfriends because he is everything that makes a great alpha male: a handsome, sexy, intellectually brilliant, tattooed, damaged, extraordinarily complicated ex-Seal who knows what—and who—he wants and will go to any lengths to protect the few people he truly loves. His character is so complex and compelling, all other protagonists pale in comparison. And Harper is his perfect foil – first as an antagonist and second as the only woman he’s ever loved. Add in all of the characters we’ve come to love from previous stories in the Walker Security and Dirty Rich series, and it’s a treasure trove for LRJ fans.The Filthy Trilogy is a dark saga of a toxic, corrupt, and deadly family, with twists, turns, and misdirects that keep you guessing—from the first word to the last—who did what to whom, and why. It is an intelligent, well-written story that articulates the hidden darkness within all of us—greed, jealousy, rivalry, desperation, and revenge. But it’s also a tale of redemption, the longing for acceptance, the struggle to reconcile the dark and light within us, and the fear that the darkness will win. I didn’t just read The Empire, I devoured it because the first two books ratcheted up the stakes so high I couldn’t wait for the answers to all the questions left in their wake. And as astute as I am in figuring out whodunits, Lisa kept me wondering until the very end.That being said, I hoped for two things I didn’t get in The Empire. First, I was hoping for a terrifying conclusion, a genuine life-or-death confrontation that would bring this story to an unforgettable climax. Lisa gave us that in Grayson and Mia’s story, but I hoped for even more from this one. Although satisfying in many respects, the conclusion—particularly for Isaac (indeed the ‘bad seed’ here) didn’t provide the closure I needed for that character. Ultimately, justice was not served to three characters who played such a major role in attempting to bring Eric and Harper down. Second, although I loved the push-pull, trust-or-can’t trust dynamic between Eric and Harper, not to mention their explosive chemistry, there was a little too much of both for my taste, and it felt too repetitive by the end. There was a little too much navel-grazing, particularly on Harper’s part, which weakened an otherwise strong heroine.Nevertheless, I’m sure I’ll reread this trilogy because of its intelligence, darkness, and complexity—but mostly because of Eric. I want more of him. As Lisa herself might say, “so much more.” Lisa is a master at romantic suspense, her characters are utterly unforgettable, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.