Dee Henderson

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.

One Discovery Will Change Lives

February 4, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

For me, a gal who is as single as a slice of American cheese (ok, I stole that line from someone), a haunted hero struggling with his past is attractive. Make him a protective brooding hero with a sense of justice, and I’m gone. And then, you make him look like Griffin McCray in Dani Pettrey’s Cold Shot (the first book in her Chesapeake Valor series), and I can just stare at the book cover for hours…but then, I’d never get to know the real Griffin, would I?

Former SWAT-team sniper Griffin McCray now leads a fairly quiet life as a park ranger at Gettysburg. Of course, the appearance of forensic anthropologist Finely Scott has stirred up a few emotions Griffin’s not ready to acknowledge. When he catches two men digging up a body (one that is most definitely not from the Civil War), Griffin and Finley are thrown into an investigation full of twists and turns.

With the help of Griffin’s friends, FBI Agent Declan Gray and Crime Scene Analyst Parker Mitchell, the group struggles to put the pieces of the mystery together. When evidence points to a sniper, Griffin’s expertise is called upon. And one thing he knows for sure is that he and his friends are in the sight of a sniper’s scope.

Pettrey does a fantastic job of drawing out the suspense in Cold Shot. Not only did I keep pushing forward in this book to find out who was behind the crimes (and the culprit continued to change in my mind as the story proceeded), there were many mysteries in both Griffin’s and Finley’s pasts to be uncovered.

Set around the Chesapeake Bay area in Virginia, this new series has lots of potential. All (or probably most) of the characters for the remainder of the series have been introduced in this first book. I’m looking forward to learning more about Declan, Parker, and Kate as well as maybe (hopefully) finding out what happened to Luke Gallagher in future books.

For fans of Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Series will enjoy Dani Pettrey’s offerings with suspense, a sense of family, romance, and adventure (check out her Alaskan Courage Series).

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

Taken by Dee Henderson

April 13, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I arrived in Atlanta two days ago.
This is day sixteen of freedom.
I like donuts and chili cheese dogs and most fast food.
I like lists.
I don’t like crowds.
I prefer quiet places.
I am very tired.
I don’t want to talk about it.

From Taken by Dee Henderson

When Shannon White, better known as Shannon Bliss, shows up in the hallway in front of his room after eleven years missing, Matthew Dane pledges to help. As a private detective and experience with his daughter’s kidnapping and subsequent return, he has a unique perspective into the return of a kidnap victim after years away. But Shannon’s nothing like his daughter had been. Determined to find justice, adamant in her refusal to talk about certain things, and her willingness to release information only on her schedule, Shannon’s biggest list involves bringing down the large family network of people who not only held her for eleven years but also her re-emergence into society. With a brother who is running for governor of Illinois, it will take some manipulation on Matthew’s part between Shannon, her family, the FBI, and the Chicago police.

Dee Henderson has done it again!! This book was fascinating in that at no point does the reader get Shannon’s point of view. Her story unravels for us as it does for Matthew. As I learned the horrors Shannon lived, I also so the strength of her character and her utter dependence and faith in God that helped see her through. With familiar faces from Henderson’s other popular books (an O’Malley even gets a nod!), it was fun to revisit these old friends and learn how they are doing when another crisis strikes. In addition, I was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes workings of the FBI and Matthew Dane—to learn what the authorities were willing to do to protect Shannon but still see justice was interesting. Fans of Dee Henderson won’t want to miss this one, but those who are new to Henderson’s books but enjoy romantic suspense will enjoy it as well.

Available April 28, 2015

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

Undetected by Dee Henderson

April 29, 2014 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Two days. Two days was all it took for me to get through the latest book from Dee Henderson. I am a fan of her books, and her latest offering, Undetected, did not disappoint. I was pulled into the story right away and didn’t want to put it down. I’m actually a little disappointed I have finished the story and don’t get to learn more about these characters and their lives. Although, knowing Henderson, they may pop up in another of her books in the future. A girl can hope, right?

Mark Bishop is the captain of the USS Nevada, a ballistic missile submarine that his crew mans for ninety-day submerged patrols in the oceans of the world. Being in charge of the 155-person crew is a responsibility that Mark takes seriously. He’s also decided that he is ready to be married again after losing his wife on nine years several years ago. He is ready to have someone to come home to, someone with a nice smile. Gina Gray is a genius. She entered college when she was fourteen and as her college thesis, she wanted to make life safer for her brother who is a submariner and developed something called cross sonar. After another failed relationship that she had hoped would turn to marriage, Gina heads to Washington state to visit her brother and work on a couple more ideas with sonar that will change the way the U.S. Navy handles everything. Soon Gina finds herself being courted by two men and has to decide which, if either, is the man God intends for her to marry.

I loved this book. The subject was very interesting, reminding me a lot of The Hunt for Red October (even though it’s been years since I’ve seen that movie), and the pace was just right. The action along with the romance kept things moving. It was fun to see brief visits from some characters from her previous books. If you enjoy a little action, a lot of interesting information, and some romance in your books, this is definitely one to put on your list.

****Bethany House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a positive or a negative review.