Point of Danger - A Review

 

Point of Danger

by

Irene Hannon

Irene Hannon presents a morning talk show host, Eve Reilly, whose job and life are being threatened from three very distinct directions. Detective Brent Lange will be responsible for following the clues. He has three problems - it is his first case as a newly hired detective and he is quickly falling for Eve and he does not handle relationships well.

The author has created a believable faith-based suspense novel. The context is current starring, among others, none other than the bane of the conservative movement, a group of antifas. The story moves quickly as the reader tracks the various villains found in the story.  My only complaint was the transitions found in the middle of most chapters as the spotlight moves from protagonist to detective to antagonist to supporting characters. I found myself having to highlight these unexpected transitions as I tracked the story. I would hope these transitions might be better marked in the final text. In spite of this minor difficulty, I have no problem in giving this a five-star review. 

______________ This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Statue of Limitations - A Review

Statue of Limitations 

by

Kate Collins

Statue of Limitations appears to cross multiple genres:

• Cozy Mystery
• Legal Thriller
• Romantic Thriller
• Art Mystery

But into whatever genre the reader decides to place this book, it easily rates 5-stars.

Athena Spencer had returned home with her son after the breakup of her marriage - whether that was a good thing or not remains to be seen. She stays behind one night at her father’s garden shop to work on her secret blog where she discloses her family’s secrets to the world, but she is disturbed by a sound in the back of the shop. A quick search finds her face to face with Case Connelly who quickly claims to own the “The Treasure of Athena”, a statue standing in the middle of her father’s garden center. Athena and Case will spend the greater part of the book trying to verify the owner of the statue and saving the garden center and the other shops of Little Greece located in Sequoia MI.

Murder, theft, kidnapping, and lies, will define a variety of people (both good and bad) from the community of Little Greece; but they all contribute a great story that held this reader’s interest from beginning to end. I enjoyed the few hints on how to preserve a flower arrangement put into the appendix which made the book practical as well as entertaining. Anyone who has received a bundle of unarranged flowers as a gift will appreciate the suggestions included here.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

End Game - A Review

End Game

 

by

Rachel Dylan

Short Summary: 
He saved her life;
she saved his life;
they had fallen in love.

The story was more involved than that simple summary. This faith-based romantic thriller was an alphabet soup of police agencies working to solve multiple murders in the Washington DC area: NCIS, JAG, Army CID, Seal Team 8, FBI, CIA, the Arlington Police Department, and the Arlington DA’s Office. Each had a role in bringing a group of criminals to justice - and they wanted to do it before any other innocent person was killed.

As expected, Rachel Dylan has created an exciting and complex story worthy of the genre. The author has indicated that there will be future stories in this series; this reader hopes that the series brings back many of the same characters from the various federal agencies in future volumes, they worked well together as a team and some friendships were just beginning.   

The book would be a welcome addition to a church or public library. It would be enjoyed by those familiar with the author or genre.  

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Seconds To Live - A Review

Seconds To Live 

by

Susan Sleeman

Deputy U.S. Marshal Taylor Mills, assigned to the WITSEC detail in Portland, OR, must work with FBI Agent Sean Nichols, assigned to the RED (“Rapid Emergency Deployment”) team from Seattle, WA, to identify and apprehend a hacker using the alias of Phantom. Phantom’s crime - hacking the WITSEC database containing the names of thousands of individuals being offered protection by the U.S. Marshals Service. Phantom’s first target appeared to be Dustee and Dianne, twin sisters. Dustee had a nasty habit of not following the WITSEC rules designed to protect their charges, and now the twin’s lives were in danger.

Solving the clues would take the technical IT and forensic skills of both the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI’s RED team. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep most readers of faith-based romantic thrillers happy and engaged. The romantic component was a bit more than what this reader usually likes, but the book still is easily a 5-star read.

This book could easily find a home in many reader’s personal libraries, a local public library, or the church library.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Tell Her No Lies - A Review

Tell Her No Lies

by

Kelly Irwin

Who does Nina Fischer trust? Her dad? Nope, he left before she was born. Her mom? No, she is an alcoholic with a history of lying. As an adult child of an alcoholic, she had learned her lesson well - you can’t trust anyone. And with the murder of her step father, the question becomes even more confusing.

Kelly Irwin has written a new romantic thriller that held this reader's attention from beginning to end - broken people are not all bad people, some are, but not all. Kelly would learn that as she sought answers to her step father’s death. At times more questions would arise than answers, but slowly, surely, Nina would find most of the answers and the God, that she needed; but some questions would not be answered - or would take even more time.

Though most of the book focuses on the homeless community, brokenness is found in all walks of life. Some people come out of it better people, others find themselves even more broken, and others are still seeking to find their way out of the hole they have built for themselves.

My biggest disappointment with the book is that there is clear path to a sequel - there is room for more character development as relationships continue to be built and cemented. Short of that, this book represents one of the best faith based books of the genre that I have read. In spite of this flaw, it is easy to give the book a 5-star review.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Hidden Peril - A Review

Hidden Peril

by

Irene Hannon

A Review

Beginning with three murders, one in Syria and two in St. Louis, MO, Irene Hannon’s most recent thriller takes Kristin Dane, the owner of WorldCraft, a sustainable craft store, and FBI Special Agent Luke Carter, into the midst of an ISIS terror cell operating on their very doorsteps. The crimes are personal and the closer they come to the discovering the center of the cell, the more danger the key players will find around them.

The excitement does not end until the reader hits the “Epilogue”. The Epilogue does tie up the loose ends for the story, but it does so sluggishly and the reader quickly wishes it were over. Thankfully, it is no longer than most of the book’s chapters and does not detract from the body of the work. It might have made a more satisfying conclusion if the Epilogue had been wrapped into the “Teaser” included for the author’s next book in the series which begins with “Chaos …” Though coming from a Christian publisher, the book is light on faith; but for those for whom faith is an issue, there is little that will offend. Made into a movie, the story as presented by the author would be easily rated PG-13. This reader found the story well-done and a rewarding read.

This book will make great holiday reading for fans of the author, fans of light romantic thrillers, and fans of FBI or police procedurals.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Burdom of Proof - A Review

Burden of Proof

by

DiAnn Mills

A Review

DiAnn Mills has written a compelling and (mostly) believable story The books begins with FBI Special Agent April Ramos trying to talk Benson off the ledge from which he is threatening to jump. Before she can recover from that experience, a young woman thrust a baby into her hands before disappearing into a parking lot. Minutes later a man accousted April, claiming that he is the child’s father. Not knowing who to believe — she keeps the child and arrests Jason for kidnapping. Big Mistake. But would take most of the book to figure that one out.

What follows is a well-written story that twists around a variety of families — some to be trusted, some not. But of course, that is what makes for an interesting story.

The book will be appreciated by those who are fans of romantic thrillers — I did. The author did a good job showing how the faiths of both April and Jason grow as they work together to separate those who can be trusted and those who cannot be trusted. But one issue routinely presents itself in the typical romantic thriller. This pastor remains concerned about why a book from a Christian author and publisher would model a healthy romance developing in a week or two. Though the relationship grows too quickly given real people, the issues that face two people falling in love are not ignored. Given the confines of a single novel, it is the compromise that must be acknowledged.

Despite that concern, the story is fun and worth the time spent reading. The book will be well received by the church library. The elements of faith are not overwhelming; the book will also appeal to the general public. Thus, it would be worth purchasing for one's personal use or as a gift for other readers.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Kill Shot - A Review

Kill Shot

by

Susan Sleeman

A Review

Ace said he was going to be killed, but his therapist, Dr. Olivia Dobbs, did not believe him. After all, PTSD had defined his fears over the last few years. She thought they had made real progress, but now he was back with the delusions again.

Except this time he was not delusional and before the first chapter was half over, he was dead.

The FBI’s Critical Incident Response team was called in to investigate – not because of who was killed, but because of how he was killed. And that was Top Secret and could not be shared outside their own unit.

Agent Rick Cannon, though not the team leader, was asked from the beginning to take charge the investigation. But from the moment he first crossed paths with Dr. Olivia Dobbs, he had to separate his personal reactions to her from his professional responsibilities – after all, she was the first person on the scene and was a likely suspect. That distinction would not come easy.

Both Olivia and Rick would have their faith challenged as they worked the case. Their families would find ways to interfere with their personal lives and hard decisions would have to be made in response to each of their families of origin.

The author has written an exciting, thrilling, story that would take the FBI unit and its home office, more than simple forensics to solve. The number of bodies would grow – including members of Congress and personal friends of the FBI team. Their team would travel from Washington DC to Atlanta, GA. And the 7 days would see non-stop action for those involved in the case.

Two comments. First, the book involved more romance than I would normally like to see in a book I would choose off the shelf. Relationships, healthy relationships, do not develop in seven days, though that is part of the thesis of this book. However, the book was a romantic thriller and those kinds of relationships are often found in the plots of these novels. Regardless, this reader was disappointed.

Second, if the author would choose to create a series of books using these characters, there would be time for a healthy, growing, relationship to be modeled. The Critical Incident Response team did not have a profiler on staff – Olivia could easily fill that position – as a consultant, if not a formal FBI agent. Perhaps this is planned, but it was not obvious to this reader.

Even with these two concerns, the book warrants 5-stars. The plot is intense, the characters are real, and settings are believable.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Lone Witness - A Review

Lone Witness

by

Rachel Dylan

A Review

Rachel Dylan has written a thoughtful legal thriller with a bit of romance thrown in to make life interesting for the protagonist and her father’s choice for a bodyguard.

Sophie Dawson is an Assistant District Attorney for the Fulton County (Atlanta, GA) District Attorney’s office. After receiving a promotion from the Criminal Division to the White Crimes Division, she finds herself on two sides of the law — serving as the prosecutor for a case involving an investment banker overcharging of his clients and serving as the lone witness at a late night convenience store double homicide. The catch — both cases could end up with her being killed by the respective defendants.

The story is well-written and easily held this reader’s interest.  If produced as a movie it would be rated PG13 — because of violence.  The violence is not excessive, but occurs throughout the book. My major complaint was the nature of the romance — the protagonist is determined to change the mind of her bodyguard who, given his family of origin, has no interest in pursuing romance at this point of his life. The language chosen by the author almost makes one believe it is acceptable to aggressively stalk an unwanted suitor. At least as presented in the book, though maybe suitable for a romance novel, this reader felt that the behavior was inappropriate for a Christian desiring to set an example for others whether as the character of a book or in real life.

  

For the reader looking an exciting escape from life or just a good clean thriller, not cluttered with gore and sex, Lone Witness would fill the bill. Having a place in both the public library and the church library; this book would satisfy readers coming from many directions.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Blind Spot - A Review

Blind Spot

by

Dani Pettrey

A Review

Blind Spot is a romantic thriller - with a touch too much romance for this reader.

This book picks up where Cold Shot and Still Life began. The team of FBI and private investigators are onto the trail of human traffickers and a terrorist - it would take time to see the connection between the two cases and only one could be solved.

The newest book again weaves in both the professional and personal lives of the characters. Though I enjoyed the book, it felt like there was a bit more romance - though nothing provocative or uncomfortable - in the telling of this story than needed. The author also, as in the earlier books, again focuses on faith issues - notably for this reader, “trust.” Trust of God, of others, and trust of ourselves.  

The author also prepares the reader for the next book in the series as she concludes this story with:

“You did a great job.” Everyone’s attention swung to Luke standing in the doorway, a grim expression on his hardened face. “But we’ve got a far more lethal threat on our doorstep.”

But for that, we will need to wait till next year.

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the author for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.