Category: Suspense

Hidden in the Night

Hidden in the Night, Softcover, #3
By Elizabeth Goddard / Revell

This book is the third novel in Elizabeth Goddard’s Missing in Alaska series. I chose the book due to this unique setting and early mentions of retrieving a lost manuscript of Jack London. Goddard’s main character is a rare-book collector and former FBI agent. These plot ingredients were irresistible to me. There were many excellent parts to the book. The dialogue was concise and great. The Alaska setting was stellar. I could feel the cold wind. I especially liked all the action in the planes and the stealthy, night time escape by boat. The characters were realistic and interesting. As they moved through the story, they were very active in solving the plot’s mystery. The characters all had different motives for pursuing the lost manuscript and this brought the action to an apex. 

  The romantic theme running through the book was well balanced, with just enough emotion that moved the plot ahead but didn’t make it seem unrealistic or out of place. 

I was lukewarm about the conclusion to the manuscript story.  For me it bordered on the fantastical and made the book more like a doomsday sci-fi novel. Not a genre I typically choose to read. I might have been more in step with the novel if I had read the previous two books in this series. 

I thought the villains in this book were portrayed with sufficient measure of selfishness and greed. Both Carl and Donovan passionately pursued ill-gotten gains but their evil actions were thankfully thwarted by the good guys.  I always read author notes at the back of the book. The information shared here reminded me again why I chose the book to read in the first place. I also was a fan of Jack London’s Call of the Wild. I remember reading it many years ago. Readers will find Hidden in the Night full of action and fast-paced. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Counter Attack

0741624: Counter Attack, #1 Counter Attack, #1
By Patricia Bradley / Revell

By Patricia Bradley

If you’re looking for a fast paced crime novel with lots of twists and turns then choose Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley. It’s a great read. A serial killer is the mastermind behind the rising body count. The crimes occur first in Chattanooga but then follow our protagonist, Alex Stone, to her new job in Russell County Tennessee.

The steps Alex Stone and Nathan Landry take to put a stop to the murders draw us into the action just as if we were doing a ride-along with their law enforcement units. Alex has just been sworn in as the interim chief deputy for Russell County, Tennessee, and Nathan Landry is Pearl Spring’s chief of police. The two have a history together that goes way back to high school. While she resists re-starting a romantic relationship with Nathan, ultimately they are drawn together.

Alex’s ambition is to be Chattanooga’s first female police commissioner. The interim chief deputy assignment is just a short detour. Her grandfather held the position until he was sidelined by a heart attack. Her grandfather knows Alex is the best choice to fill his position and thumbs his nose at anyone daring to cry out, “Nepotism!” He pulls her back to her hometown in Pearl Springs and away from the action in Chattanooga. Alex figures she has no other choice but to take on the role for as long as she is needed. It’s her grandmother that stands out as someone who offers wise counsel when the going gets tough. She is a Christian woman with a strong faith. She encourages Alex to weigh her choices carefully and recites Isaiah 58:11 to remind her to seek the Lord’s guidance in her work and life choices.

Immediately, they discover a woman killed in a rental home. The victim’s appearance, manner of death, and crime scene evidence reveal an exact match with the serial killer’s Chattanooga crimes.

Reader’s will develop a list of suspects with strong motives throughout the story. Each suspect is entangled in a strong web of deceit. The drama intensifies at the end, until all is revealed.

I’ve read one other Patricia Bradley book. Each one is accurate, engaging, with strong believable characters. I received a complimentary copy of Counter Attack in exchange for my honest review.

Present Danger – Rocky Mountain Courage Book 1

Present Danger #1
By Elizabeth Goddard / Revell
Buy at Christianbook.com

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A mystery with great action and a sophisticated plot. Elizabeth Goddard’s Present Danger was a joy to read. It’s book #1 in her Rocky Mountain Courage series. At the story’s close, you’ll hope the release of book #2 is near. The main characters are experienced investigators working a search and rescue mission in Montana’s Gallatin National Forest. The original search mission ends positively, but the discovery of a body at the foot of a steep cliff sets in motion a new murder investigation. The veteran detectives on the case, Jack Tanner and Terra Connors, have a history together. In their youth they were a romantic couple but Jack left Terra cold for a FBI career. Terra moved on, but always carried the hurt Jack caused and never came to terms with the reasons that prompted his abrupt departure. Now with a case to solve, and plot details that put Terra in mortal danger, the couple are embroiled in solving the case, and find their feelings for one another rekindled.

A major clue to the mystery is a remote mountain cabin stocked with Native American artifacts and a remnant of a Middle Eastern tablet buried in the ground. If Terra and Jack can unravel the mystery surrounding the illegal network of trafficking these historic artifacts, they will find the guilty suspects responsible for two murders in addition to theft.

The Rocky Mountain setting adds an intense backdrop to the action. The mountain hiking required to investigate clues is both arduous and dangerous for Jack and Terra. The roster of suspicious characters expands to eventually cast doubt on Terra’s grandfather and brother. The suspicion of doubt hanging over their lives makes the investigation more personal for Terra.

Dogs and horses have great roles to play in this story. No spoilers here, but you’ll like how the author wove them into the action. Overall, readers will appreciate the intricate plot and dramatic ending with more than one surprise reveal. I received and advanced reader’s copy of from the publisher, Revell, in exchange for my honest review.