romantic suspense

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.

Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris

February 18, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

When I was in high school and then again when I was in college I worked in Christian bookstores. I remember the Christian fiction section. It was small (maybe five or six bookshelves with five or six shelves on each side). Thankfully, more authors have chosen this genre over the years. I feel like there are so many authors I have yet to read and then I read a book by a new-to-me author and think Why am I just now learning about this person?. As was the case with Lisa Harris.

Michael Hunt aka Michael Lindley aka Liam Quinn has been deep undercover for eight months. In his quest for justice, he has given up a lot. His family and friends believe he’s dead and the police think he’s a dirty cop. Now his cover has been blown and he is certain he won’t be able to cheat death this time around. And then he is rescued by two people who should be his enemies. Olivia and Ivan Hamilton are the son and daughter of the man Michael is gathering evidence on. As the three of them escape and evade their pursuers, Michael deals with whether his family and friends will forgive him, Olivia tries to come to terms with the fact the people in her life are not who she believed them to be, and they both struggle with the attraction they are feeling for the other. After running from both the law and the drug cartel, is there a possibility a man and woman from two different worlds have a chance at their own happiness?

From the first page, this book was non-stop action. Just when you think the trio is safe, something else happens to bring the action back into full swing. Hidden Agenda is the third book in Harris’s Southern Crimes trilogy but the first one I’ve read. While I wasn’t at all lost reading this book, I do want to read the other two just to get a better understanding of Michael’s sisters (who make an appearance in book three).

***Lisa Harris and Revell provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Web of Deceit by Susan Sleeman

February 6, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Over the past year and a half, I’ve been trying to study up a little on what makes a good writer. Things like showing instead of telling, tight dialogue, engaging chapters. Since I’ve been researching those things a little more, I’ve become more aware of when those things are done well or poorly in whatever I’m reading at the time. Author Susan Sleeman could teach a course on how to immerse readers in writing. As I was reading Web of Deceit (the first book in her Agents Under Fire series), I found myself highlighting passage after passage that stood out to me.

FBI agent Kaitlyn (Kait) Knight has spent the last three years searching for the man who murdered her twin sister in front of her, her brother-in-law. Juggling her career with caring for her three-year-old niece isn’t always easy, and when a computer code that resembles Fenton’s work surfaces, her team scrambles to check out the lead. They arrive on the scene only to find the Portland police already there to investige a murder. Detective Sam Murdock remembered trying to offer Kait comfort the day her sister died and is drawn to her when he sees her again. Both Kait and Sam are haunted by their past and as they work together to track down a killer before he claims another victim, they struggle with their own demons as well as their attraction to each other.

From the first time Kait and Sam meet in the book, their attraction is palpable. Kait’s guilt over her sister’s death as well as her determination to catch her sister’s murder resonates with readers. Sam’s concern for others, especially Kait and her niece, is evident through his words as well as his actions. Sleeman handles the details of the murders well, giving just enough detail to give the reader an idea of how gruesome the killer’s choice of death is but leaving much to the imagination. And her descriptions of police procedures make you feel like you’re right there with Sam, Kait, and the other law enforcement officials involved in crime scenes.

I didn’t want to put the book down as I was drawn into Kait’s world as a cyber criminalist for the FBI. And believe me, I will think twice before clicking on any link in my email from now on.

Web of Deceit will be released March 3, 2015. Pre-order from Amazon today.

Visit the author’s website to learn about this series and more

***The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own.

Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey

January 25, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

The McKenna siblings are back for the final book in Dani Pettrey’s Alaskan Courage Series. Reef McKenna and Kirra Jacobs are volunteering their Search and Rescue (SAR) skills during the Iditarod Race. When Kirra’s uncle doesn’t check in, she gets worried and goes looking for him. Reef won’t allow her to leave by herself and insists they go together. From the moment they find her uncle (well, even before that), the adventure begins. As Kirra and Reef, along with some of Reef’s family, search for Kirra’s kidnapped cousin. If they don’t find her by the end of the race, lives will be lost. As Reef and Kirra fly to several destinations they face not only the elements of the unforgiving Alaska terrain but also horrors from their past. And someone might be following them in an attempt to stop them from locating Meg.

Sabotaged is a fitting conclusion to this series. The entire family once again joins together to solve a mystery, putting all of their skills to use. I’ve been to Alaska once (my parents lived there for three years) and Pettrey describes the cold exactly as I remember it. The setting of the famous dogsled race allows readers to learn more about the beautiful state of Alaska and some of the fun stops along the Iditarod. Action, adventure, and lots of romance are Pettrey’s signature and she’s still going strong. The only disappointment is that this series is over, but the good news is this: she’s working on a new series.

Kindle version will be available January 27, 2015 but if you want to add the final to your book collection, you’ll have to wait until February 3, 2015 to buy the paperback in stores and online. But this book is worth the wait.

****Bethany House Publishers provided me a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock

January 21, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I seem to be in a romantic suspense mood this month. Lucky for me there are plenty of new releases from romantic suspense authors I like in January and February. Terri Blackstock has been a favorite of mine for several years now and on February 3, the Cramer sisters return to solve more crimes in Blackstock’s next installment of the Moonlighters series will be available to readers.

Holly Cramer has turned her life around. She’s a mother now and wants to be everything her daughter needs. After a murder gets away and her fiance is given a year jail sentence for violating his probation (which he shouldn’t have in the first place. Most people consider the man a hero). Juliet is struggling with being a single mother to three boys while trying to support her sisters. When police show up looking for information about the father of Holly’s daughter in connection with a murder, Holly decides to find him. She has to know he’ll stay out of her and Lily’s lives. When she does find him, things are more complicated than she realized and she’s pulled into another investigation against the man who has haunted her family for the past few years. As Holly and her sisters race to find the true murders and clear Creed Kershaw, they struggle with the past while learning to place their futures in God’s hands.

“I know I’ve said this before, Lord, but I’m so sorry for all the stupid choices I’ve made. I want to start over, with your guidance. I can’t afford to make mistakes now. Will you turn up the volume of your voice, and turn mine down? Will you give me that wisdoem you promised if we ask?” -Holly Cramer in Twisted Innocence

Once again, I was pulled into a mystery. Because I’ve read the other books in the Moonlighter’s series, I was acquainted with each of the characters in the book but readers will not be lost if this is the first book they pick up. From the first pages, the action begins and it’s hard to put the story down as the sisters and police work to find a man who has destroyed and taken lives. The Cramer family is close and their relationships evolve with each other as well as with the men in their lives.

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