Category: Suspense

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.

Blind Trust

Blind Trust, #3
By Natalie Walters / Revell

Blind Trust is the last book in The SNAP Agency trilogy written by Natalie Walters. Previously, I read and reviewed book one: Lights Out . This series is satisfying to read due to the fast action, contemporary plots, and wonderful characters. Blind Trust, book three, is part romance and part mystery. The lead characters with the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency (SNAP) waste no time diving deep into the investigation of a suspicious death. The action is triggered by a threat to the protagonist, Lyla Fox. The man suspected of making the threat turns up dead in the correctional facility where he had been serving his sentence. The timeline of this event was odd. The inmate took his own life two days before the threat on Lyla was carried out. This is the thread the investigators follow to get to the bottom of the mystery. This path leads them onto a deeper plot where the stakes are higher and the threats more intense.

Readers will enjoy the book’s fast pace and the fun dialogue. The cyber-sleuth Kekoa remains a key player who adds humor to the conversations and lightens some of the hours spent at the agency.

Lyla Fox and Nicolas Garcia are independent individuals with specialized training. The romantic relationship that blossoms between them is one to follow with great interest. They are mature professionals learning how to trust one another. Over the course of the story, their perspectives move from rugged independence to accepting how important it is to treat those we love with care and understanding. They realize that solo acts with little regard for the impact of their actions can have unintended bad outcomes.

Readers can appreciate the great action told with smart prose. I enjoyed book three, but realize I haven’t read book two. The success of this book prompts me to find book two so I can complete this fast action series. I received a copy of the book from the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Present Danger – Rocky Mountain Courage Book 1

Present Danger #1
By Elizabeth Goddard / Revell
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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.

Tom Threadgill’s Network of Deceit

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Network of Deceit
By Tom Threadgill / Revell

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A great suspense novel with a contemporary plot. Threadgill is a new author to me. The characters were original, well drawn out, and all woven together into a very satisfying reading experience. At mid-point, I said to my husband, “You would like this book. You can have it when I’m finished.” He didn’t wait. The next day he picked it up and jumped right in. From that point forward we managed two bookmarks until its conclusion; “His” and “Mine”. He finished before me but offered no spoilers. At the end he asked, “So this author has another book?” We both want to read Threadgill’s first book titled Collision of Lies. Isn’t that the best compliment an novelist can earn? Two satisfied readers looking for the author’s other published works.

The female protagonist, Amara Alvarez, is smart and competent. The story opens on her first days at her new assignment in the San Antonio’s Homicide Division. Her desk is a card table. It’s not like they rolled out the red carpet to welcome the newbie. Mostly she wins negative attention from one veteran detective who mocks her earlier work, harangues her with belittling language, and talks about the office pool he initiated to see just how long she will last. From this point forward, she’s the underdog you’ll root for hoping the snarky veteran will have to eat crow. One detective, Starsky Peckham befriends her and eventually assists on a case. Their story line is superb with funny banter studded with nuggets of wisdom.

The crime is quite a mystery that is a tough puzzle to solve. You’ll be glad to follow the cast through to the end. In exchange for my honest review, I received a print copy from the publisher, Revell.