Cold case

Justice Delivered by Patricia Bradley: Review

April 20, 2019 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Another romantic suspense from Patricia Bradley that pulls you and grips you until the end.

About the Book

Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. A victim of sex trafficking, she’s been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can’t even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she escaped her captors and is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn’t bring herself to report to police for fear of reliving her captivity is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.

When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has before it’s too late. When that proves to be not enough, she’ll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

Award-winning author Patricia Bradley keeps the suspense taut and the stakes high in this fast-paced story that will have readers turning pages long into the night.

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Book Depository //

Christianbook // Goodreads

Justice Buried by Patricia Bradley (Review)

September 15, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

In an effort to get her security consulting business off the ground, Kelsey Allen has been spending a lot of time up in the air, rappelling down buildings and climbing through windows to show business owners their vulnerabilities to thieves. When she is hired to pose as a conservator at the Pink Palace Museum in order to test their security weaknesses after some artifacts go missing, she’s ecstatic. But when her investigative focus turns from theft to murder, Kelsey knows she’s out of her league–and possibly in the cross hairs. When blast-from-the-past Detective Brad Hollister is called in to investigate, Kelsey may find that he’s the biggest security threat yet . . . to her heart.

Crackling with romantic tension and laced with intrigue, this suspenseful story from award-winning author Patricia Bradley will keep readers guessing–and looking over their shoulders.

Amazon / Goodreads

Catching Heat by Janice Cantore

September 5, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

In the third and final installment of the Cold Case Justice series by Janice Cantore, readers get to catch up with Detective Abby Hart and PI Luke Murphy as they embark on their first case together on a special task force.

Their case brings the two of them near the town where the mastermind behind Abby’s parents deaths, and she is desperate to do a little digging while in the area. Even if Luke doubts the plausibility of her proof.

As both Abby and Luke deal with their growing attraction to each other, they also have to learn to trust each other, to open up. When they are handed one more case to look into, one that they all believe will lead to only dead ends, things get interesting…and dangerous.

While more series authors tend to write stand-alone stories these days, it’s nice to come across one like Cantore’s every once in a while. I enjoyed following Luke and Abby through all three books (Drawing Fire, Burning Proof, and Catching Heat), gives the readers more insight into these two characters. By the end, I was not only wanting the happy ending for Abby and Luke, for Abby to find the answers she so desired, but also felt like I really knew these two characters. Of course, this means that if you haven’t read the first two books in this series, you may as well just purchase them right now.

Cantore offers a book that keeps the action moving along (I didn’t want to put it down) while including her expertise and knowledge of police procedures. Who better to write such a thrilling page-turner than an experienced ex-law enforcement officer.

***Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book via the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

April 29, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Dee Henderson is a master at taking characters from her other books and weaving them within her latest stories. The threads that tie all of her characters together are one of the many reasons she’s often at the top of my list when someone asks for a good romantic suspense writer. In her latest offering, Traces of Guilt, not only does Henderson continue the trend of incorporating her past characters, she gives voice to one of them.

While balancing not only multiple points of view (more than two which is a bit of a change for her) but also multiple storylines and crimes, Henderson’s ability to tie everything together through the Thane family is a reflection of her ability to engage readers. I felt like I was sitting in the room with Evie, Gabriel, and Ann as they worked to solve two cold cases in the town of Carin.

Most of the book is in either Evie’s or Gabriel Thane’s point of view but we do get some insight into the other characters once in a while. It was great to get a better peek into Ann Falcon’s life (she’s shown up in books between her story in Full Disclosure and this one but in Traces, we get a better insight into her life now that she’s happily married).

I appreciate that Henderson writes strong female characters despite some horrific experiences and the men in their lives who are not only protective of them but also who encourage and uplift them.

There is just the tiniest hint of romance between the two main characters in this one. They’re building a friendship—one that hopefully blossoms into more in future books. In the end, she left me wanting more (which I’m hoping will be a wish fulfilled because this does look like the start of a new series: An Evie Blackwell Cold Case).

Traces of Guilt is available to pre-order with a release date of May 3. Just a helpful suggestion: Pick up Sins of the Past (also available May 3) and read Henderson’s novella before Traces and you’ll recognize one more name.

***Bethany House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

How to Solve a Murder

August 23, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

The other day, someone on Facebook posted this picture:

This actually happens to me more often than I’d like to admit. I’m a bookworm and get immersed in a good book. The latest culprit? Janice Cantore’s first book in the Cold Case Justice series.

Homicide detective Abby Hart has a reputation of being professional and efficient. When she’s the lead on a crime, she will find the guilty party and bing him to justice. But Abby’s biggest case, the one she wants to solve more than anyting, is a twenty-seven-year-old cold case. One that took place when Abby was six: The murder of her mom and dad.

When a local glory-hound PI witnessess someone leaving the scene of a murder Abby has received the call-out for, she is forced to speak with him. Through subsequent conversation, she learns Luke Murphy also has a connection to the Triple Seven case involving her parents.

As the two share information and put their heads together, several dots connect and Abby believes there just might be enough to re-open the case for investigation to search for new evidence…if it’s out there.

Throughout Drawing Fire, I felt like I was working the investigations right along with Abby (questioning how the pieces fit together and that sense of accomplishment and relief when crimes were solved. Cantore’s twenty-plus years of experience on the policy force shines through her writing.

And the connection Abby and Luke are both fighting whenever they’re together is palpable.

But, I will warn you, this book ends with somewhat of a cliffhanger (or two). There are questions left unanswered. While a great way to get readers to come back for the next book in the series, it’s somewhat of a let down to know it will be another year before I’ll be with these characters again.

If you’re one of those people who refuses to read a series until it’s complete, definitely write this on down on your future TBR list. If you’re like me and enjoy a good book in your hands as soon as it’s available, pick this one up today.

Available at your local bookstore or Amazon today.

******Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.