Framed in Death Valley ~ Review

Framed in Death Valley

Desert Justice #1

By Dana Mentink

They were married for less than six months, and already their marriage was over. "For better or worse" went out the window when the worse happened, and Laney's heart has once again been broken by someone she trusted it with. Beckett Duke coming back is out of the question; she just wants him out of her life.

He needed to protect Laney no matter what it cost him personally. As long as she was tied to him, her life and livelihood were in danger. Divorce was the only answer. But before he disappears from her life forever, he needs to be sure she is safe from the threats to her life. 

Beckett's life fell apart when he was framed for murder. He never did it, but almost everyone is convinced he did it. When you are tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, what chance do you have of changing anyone's judgment? Worse, the killer might be back determined to keep him from finding evidence that proves his innocence. And Laney might get caught in that determination to stop him.

Framed in Death Valley is a well-paced read that will keep the reader guessing at just who the guilty party truly is. There are suspects aplenty but no clear motive as to why Pauline was murdered or why Beckett was framed. This is a clean-read suspense, no graphic murder scenes, perfect if you want suspense that doesn't give you nightmares. And being a Love Inspired Suspense read you know there will be a satisfactory outcome or at least the promise of one.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Love Inspired Suspense: Courage and optimism unite on the pages of Love Inspired Suspense. Find strength and determination in stories of faith and love in the face of danger.

A killer who will stop at nothing…

Framed for a murder he didn’t commit, firefighter Beckett Duke gave up on everything—including his marriage to spirited Laney Holland. That is until Laney’s life is threatened. Knowing the real killer is still at large, Beckett now has one purpose: protecting the woman he loves…and their unborn child. But sometimes, an innocent man’s second chance comes with a deadly price.

From Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Desert Justice

Book 1: Framed in Death Valley

Dreams of Savannah ~ Review

Dreams of Savannah

By Roseanna M. White

Cordelia "Delia" Owens dreams up stories, stories of heroes doing deeds of daring, of knights coming to the rescue of a maiden in need of rescue. She apparently doesn't see the darkness in the world around her if her stories are any indication, but the light and lightness she brings to those around her is why so many enjoy her presence. Delia's secret wish is to be rescued by Phineas "Phin" Dunn and be swept away in a romance. But war is upon them and Phin is on the eve of his joining up.

With Delia's promise to wait for him forever Phin joins up with the Confederate's Navy, but war opens his eyes to new horrors. And when he is betrayed he is feared lost. But the promise of "Forever" gives him something to live for. And Luther's care opens his eyes even further to the evils of slavery - Luther, a free black man, whose wife was stolen and sold as a slave. 

With her family pressuring her to marry, Delia struggles to cling to her belief that Phin will come back to her. But can a man who has seen and experienced what he has, truly return as the same person? As the world she knows begins to crumble around her Delia must decide what she believes and where her loyalties lie - is it with the South, her family, or the people she has come to know and love? 

Dreams of Savannah offers a glimpse it the world that was the South, a world divided but what freedom truly means. Is it for a few or for all? Everything worthwhile comes with a cost and sometimes that cost is fighting for what is right even in the face of opposition This is the lesson that both Delia and Phin must learn as they see beneath the world of privilege that they grew up in - a world that has been built on the backs of those held in bondage.

Dreams of Savannah is a departure from what one has come to expect from Roseanna M. White. Rather than setting her book in England, we are taken to Savannah, Georgia, at the height of enthusiasm for the Southern cause. Should Phin and Delia have been more aware of the plight of those enslaved in their households? Probably, but all too often, even in today's world, we are blinded to the sins of the world around us until it directly impacts our personal or professional lives. This is, unfortunately, a sad truth that most people have fallen into - we need to see with empathy beyond our own known world, to try to see the other side and hopefully gain a small measure of understanding.

This book while touching on the horrors of war and slavery does not get into all the gritty and gruesome evils that one might expect. This book is on the clean/gentle reads side of the spectrum of the genre. This is a good read and the discussion question at the back of the book offers the reader a chance to think deeper about the subjects touched on. Good for reading on your own or as a book club selection.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Cordelia Owens can weave a dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him.

As the War Between the States rages ever nearer and Savannah’s slaves start sneaking away to the islands off the coast to join the Yankees, both Phin and Cordelia get caught up in questions they never thought they’d have to ask–questions that threaten the very dreams of a future they’d cherished.

Deep Undercover ~ Review

Deep Undercover

True Blue K-9 Unit #4

By Lorena Worth

As the New York K-9 Unit continues to work on the murder of their boss and the disappearance of his K-9 partner Snapper, they have a serial bomber to deal with too. NYPD K-9 officers Brianne Hayes and Gavin Sutherland have suspicions about a realty group and decide that the only way to get the truth is to go undercover. 

There is just one catch to Gavin's plan - they'll have to go undercover as a married couple. A couple with money to spend and a spoiled dog who goes everywhere with them. Yes, Gavin's K-9 partner Tommy is going undercover as a spoiled pooch in the hopes that he can sniff out evidence leading them to the bomber.

But when someone starts targeting the pair, the only question is whether it is related to their bomber or to Jordan's murder.

This is the fourth book in the True Blue K-9 series and it continues the story arc that has been running throughout the series - what happened to Jordan Jameson and why. Will the K-9 unit ever get to the truth? If you have not read the previous books that should not be a problem - as this story while having the series thread running through it focuses more on Gavin and Brianne's bomb detection work and their undercover operation. And as this is a Love Inspired Suspense there is of course a possible romance in their future - all clean reading too.

Accidental Target ~ Review with Giveaway

Accidental Target
By Theresa Hall

It was just supposed to be a weekend get-together with her sister's family - a chance to meet her newest niece. Now she'll be lucky to live to see another day. Allison Moore has a life she is satisfied with - a good job and a place to call her own. But when she is involved with an icy road accident rendering assistance could cost her her life.

Sergeant Jackson Archer is first on the scene of a car going off the road into a fence. The victim claims that she is the victim of attempted murder. When evidence seems to maybe collaborate her story Jackson needs to dig deeper into her story. Soon everywhere Allison goes someone seems intent on killing her. 

If Jackson can't keep her safe her good samaritan story won't have a happy ending. Worse spending time with Allison is bringing up memories of his own loss - the vehicular death of his family five years ago. 

As the killer continually tracks them down - suspicion takes root that there maybe someone on the inside betraying them. With no one to trust Jackson may have to turn to the one person he blames for his loss - God. There is one thing he knows with certainty he can't do it alone much longer.

Theresa Hall's Accidental Target will keep you engaged as Allison's weekend away turns into a fight to survive. Allison and Jackson both have a lot that they are carrying around and this brush with losing their lives makes both reconsider just how they have been living. Allison is living with a crushed dream and a betrayal of the heart. Jackson is living with a reminder of his lost future and what could have been. Both have a time of growth and a meeting of hearts - which occurs quickly over a few days, this is, after all, a standalone book. Now as to whether they have a happy ending you will have to read the book. This was an enjoyable read that satisfied a weekend reading need. I would recommend this for those who what clean-reading suspense that is not filled with graphic descriptions. I also look forward to future offerings from the author. At just over 200 pages I found this to be a good weekend length to enjoy - I will admit I stayed up late as I wanted to know how it all turned out. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own honest opinions.

About the Book:

On an icy road 

in the dead of night

what she sees might get her killed.

Allison Moore can’t deny what she sees—a lifeless hand sticking out of a tarp in the back of a crashed pickup truck. Seconds later, she’s on the run with a murderer on her heels. Nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted…except for police sergeant Jackson Archer. But with someone set on silencing her, can Jackson keep his promise of protection?

About the Author:

Theresa Hall is an award-winning author of Christian fiction whose stories include military, law enforcement, and first responder heroes. As a native Texan, she loves to write suspenseful stories that happen in small Texas towns with old fashioned Southern values. She’s also a first-grade teacher who loves to cook, read good suspense, and binge-watch episodes of Dateline and Discovery ID. She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America) and ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She actively promotes fellow Christian Fiction authors on her blog and can be found online at http://https//www.theresalynnhall.com/

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Tracking a Kidnapper ~ Review

Tracking a Kidnapper
True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn
By Valerie Hansen

Right place, right time puts Officer Vivienne Armstrong in the perfect position to stop a kidnapping. While exercising her K-9 partner Hank, Vivienne all but stumbles onto a kidnapping. She and Hank set off in pursuit and manage to recover the young boy. But someone has decided that Vivienne needs to be eliminated and they are targeting her no matter where she goes.

FBI Agent Caleb Black has been called in to profile a killer for the Brooklyn PD and is asked to assist with Vivienne's case. He takes his job seriously and is determined to keep Vivienne safe. There is just one problem Vivienne reminds him of his late wife and this case is hitting too close to home.

As Caleb and Vivienne work to identify the kidnapper they have to deal with their growing attraction and deal with the other's take-charge attitude. Can they trust God to be in control Tof their lives and this case?

Tracking a Kidnapper is a clean read romantic suspense that delves into a spouse's survivor's guilt, kidnapping, and stalking. There are no graphic scenes so this book won't give you nightmares or unpleasant mental images. Overall this was a good read and several hours away from one's normal life experiences. So if you have a weekend that you want to spend in Brooklyn while enjoying the comforts of your favorite chair look no further. I have to admit the dog on the cover was all the motivation I needed to check out this book. I admit it the cover drew me in before I had even read the description. But I have no regrets for the time spent and it was a pleasant diversion to the news of the day (just saying).

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Foiling a criminal’s plans makes an officer and her K-9 partner targets.

Thwarting a kidnapping has thrust Officer Vivienne Armstrong and her K-9 partner, Hank, right into the culprit’s crosshairs. Now, even with danger stalking them at every turn, Vivienne refuses to stop working, but FBI agent Caleb Black intends to do his job and safeguard her. Together, can they stop the would-be kidnapper from striking a final, fatal blow?

Explosive Situation ~ Review

Explosive Situation
True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn
By Terri Reed

Detective Henry Roarke has been stuck in the office since he was falsely accused of using excessive force. Now with a new IA officer on the case, Henry is starting to feel the stress. He needs to be out on the street doing his job with his partner Cody. But until he is cleared of all charges he is stuck filing and training with the other K-9 officers.

Adding to Henry's stress is his little sister Riley. For the last 6 years, he and Riley have been it and she is eager to get out from under his protective wings. When a bombing threat is sent to Henry's phone he knows he has to act fast as Riley is in the vicinity of the threat location. IA officer Lieutenant Olivia Vance is more than a little annoyed when Detective Roarke leaves in the middle of her questioning. When Henry on restricted duties she feels compelled to go along with him to ensure that he follows protocol and finds his sister in time.

Olivia is good at her job but the animosity Internal Affairs officers face is not one of its perks. She's determined to get to the truth about the night in question. Henry seems on the up-and-up but there are no witnesses to verify either version of events. She needs to get a feed of how he works and whether he is as good as his fellow officers' claim.

Explosive Situation finds Henry and those close to him being targetted - does it have anything to do with the potential charges against Henry or is it something else? Only time will tell as Henry works to keep those close safe and to keep his heart unentangled, which is becoming harder to do the more he gets to know Olivia Vance.

This is yet another good read from the True Blue K-9 Unit series. This book follows the Brooklyn Unit but some of the officers that were in the original True Blue K-9 Unit series are well represented in this series. And come on everyone loves a good dog story and this one has dogs aplenty. Want to get away from your everyday routine? This is an excellent way to spend a few hours unwinding from your ordinary.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:

With his K-9 partner at his side,

can he survive false accusations and a bomber?

Detective Henry Roarke’s determined to prove his innocence to internal affairs officer Olivia Vance—but first he must survive the bomber targeting him and his bomb-sniffing K-9, Cody. With a coming baby to protect and an investigation to pursue, Olivia has her hands full…until she becomes a target, as well. Can they catch the bomber before they all lose their lives?

Closer Than She Knows ~ Review

Closer Than She Knows
By Kelly Irvin

Since losing her mother as a child, Teagan O'Rourke fears the thought of losing the people closest to her. With her father, step-sister, and step-brother all police officers, it is a possibility. Opting for a safer career, Teagan works as a court reporter, but soon she finds herself and those she loves targetted by a killer.

Now she is getting an up-close look at death as the killer taunts her using her love of mysteries to communicate his intentions with each murder he commits. Can Teagan, her family, and closest friends discover the killer's identity before he kills one of her family?

Max Kennedy will do anything he can to keep Teagan safe. Max knows Teagan sees him as one of her best friends. He wants something more that involves a lifelong commitment but doesn't want to lose the friendship that they have. With a killer targeting her, he needs to work with Teagan's family to keep the killer from exacting his revenge. But Max has a secret that he fears will alter Teagan's opinion of him, a secret that he's not ready to share.

Closer Than She Knows is not a book to read before bed if you have an early morning because you won't be able to put it down. The identity of the killer is well hidden so that the reader is wondering, is this him? The taunting letters have a unique signature that only has significance to Teagan, and the contents reveal just how close the killer has gotten to her. And he is getting closer to his end goal, making Teagan and her family feel the full force of his revenge. This is the perfect read if you are looking for suspense that keeps the pages turning.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion ~ all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

A serial killer bent on revenge . . . 

and striking too close to home. 

Teagan O'Rourke has always loved murder mysteries. In her job as a court reporter, she has written official records for dozens of real-life murders. She's slapped evidence stickers on crime scene photos. She's listened to hours of chilling testimony. But she's never known the smell of death. And she never thought she might be a victim.

Until now.

A young police officer is murdered just inches away from her, and then a man calling himself a serial killer starts leaving Teagan notes, signing each with the name of a different murderer from her favorite mystery novels.

Panicked, Teagan turns to her friend Max Kennedy. Max longs for more than friendship with Teagan, but he fears she'll never trust someone with a past like his. He wonders how much of God's "tough love" he can take before he gives up on love completely. And he wonders if he'll be able to keep Teagan alive long enough to find out.

As Teagan, Max, and Teagan's police officer father race to track down the elusive killer, they each know they could be the next victim. Desperate to save those she loves, Teagan battles fears that once haunted her in childhood. Nothing seems to stop this obsessed murderer. No matter what she does, he seems to be getting closer . . .

A Promise to Keep ~ Review

A Promise to Keep
By Melony Teague

Attending her high school reunion is the last thing Savannah Sanderson wanted to do, but she made a promise. And she wasn't about to break the promise she made to her late husband. But she'd rather stay among the stacks of books that help hide her away from most of the world.

Michael McCann left Point High after graduation and before his best friends got married. He couldn't stand to see the girl he loved getting married. But he never told Savannah how he felt and then Nick won her heart. And he's never found anyone who could measure up to Savannah.

Could their 20 year HS reunion be a second chance or will the prison that Savannah has created for herself keep her from living life? A Promise to Keep is a book that will keep the reader hoping that Savannah will become the person she used to be. One who realizes that risks are a part of life. And that without small risks one cannot truly live. But even more one hopes that she can recapture the faith that she once held to so tightly, a faith that she has let slip away to pain and anger.

Those who like heart-warming reads and Love Inspired books will enjoy this offering from Melony Teague. The characters are likable and one can see both Savannah and Michael's viewpoints as they embrace the unexpected and unplanned detour that life has just handed them. What would you risk for a second chance at love? This is the question that both must themselves and sometimes the answer is one that means a major change in life, thought, and heart.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.



About the Book:

Research librarian Savannah Sanderson wants nothing more than to escape into her happily-ever-after novels with their larger-than-life fictional heroes. But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion, drinking ghastly punch, and taking desperate measures just to keep her vow, even if she has to hide behind the décor to do it.

Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah.

Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero?

The Way of the Brave ~ Review

The Way of the Brave
Global Search and Rescue #1
By Susan May Warren

Orion Starr is angry and he lays the blame squarely on God - everyone he's ever cared about has been taken from him. And his last mission ended his career and left members of his team damaged or lost. He's hidden himself away in Alaska in the shadow of Denali. But Hamilton (Ham) Jones is determined to recruit him to rescue team and he is in Alaska to pitch his company one more time.

Jenny Calhoun has been living with guilt about how the mission in Afghanistan went so wrong and she squarely puts the blame on herself and her faulty assessment of their asset. Orion and his team paid the price for her mistake. She wants to forget her past but she just can't. And when she and her friends Aria and Sasha set out to conquer Denali she had no idea just how quickly everything would go wrong.

Orion is convinced that Jenny is the woman he fell in love with in Afghanistan just before everything went wrong. She disappeared from his life and he hasn't seen her since. But this woman doesn't seem to know him but he can't get her out of his mind and when she and her climbing group go missing Orion has to search for her. But Denali is an unpredictable presence that can turn deadly in mere moments and time is against them.

The Way of the Brave is the first book in a new series and it brings the action to the reader in a most impressive way. All the main characters are hurting and dealing with it in different ways - for some their secret pains are revealed but not all (this is after all this is the first book in the series). There is a political thread that runs through this story that those who have read the author's previous series (Montana Marshalls) will be familiar with. Senator Isaac White is running for President and he has connections that Orion and Ham need to learn about a missing former teammate, They have a man who may be in trouble and they need White's help to be on the QT as there are concerns about a rogue government element being involved. So if you like an edge of your seat quality to your reading with a double dose of romance, some intrigue and a whole mess of secrets you will most likely be in anxious wait for what happens next.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:

Former pararescue jumper Orion Starr is haunted by the memory of a rescue gone wrong. He may be living alone in Alaska now, but the pain of his failure–and his injuries–has followed him there from Afghanistan. He has no desire to join Hamilton Jones’s elite rescue team, but he also can’t shirk his duty when the call comes in to rescue three lost climbers on Denali.

Former CIA profiler and psychiatrist Jenny Calhoun’s yearly extreme challenge with her best friends is her only escape from the guilt that has sunk its claws into her. As a consultant during a top-secret mission to root out the Taliban, she green-lighted an operation that ended in ambush and lives lost. When her cathartic climb on Denali turns deadly, she’ll be forced to trust her life and the lives of her friends to the most dangerous of heroes–the man she nearly killed.

Orion and Jenny will have to put their wounds behind them to save their friends...and their hearts.

The End of the Magi ~ Review

The End of the Magi
By Patrick W. Carr

This book is one you won't want to put down once you start reading. So just block off some time, get out a don't disturb sign, and pull out your largest mug filled with your favorite hot beverage (in my case tea). And just read away.

The End of the Magi opens on Daniel in 537 BC Babylon just as those captive Israelites able and willing to return to the Land of Promise are given the choice. But returning to the home of his fathers' is not an option for him. Daniel feels led to make sure that the prophecy of the coming Messiah is not lost to the people of Israel when they once again fall away. To do this he must remain in Babylon directing the future of the Magi.

More than 530 years have passed since Daniel gave the Magi the task of searching the skies. Myrad, a young Persian man who has been taken in by Gershom a Hebrew Magi, has a dream. This dream will forever change his life - a star that isn't a star forever holds its place in the heavens. Hearing of Myrad's dream, Gershom knows that his son by choice is to be counted among the Magi. But the Magi are about to be betrayed by the very king they advise and Myrad will be left with no choice but to flee all his knows and fulfill the last request of his father.

In his escape, Myrad took something of great value to those who betrayed the Magi. And this something has him being hunted and he will need to gain allies who will help him understand his dream and fulfill Daniel's mission for the Magi - to make known the coming of the Messiah.

The End of the Magi doesn't conclude with the birth of Yeshua (Jesus) but rather another 30 years pass and the child they found has become a man. And this man has come under the wrath of the leaders of the very people who claim to be awaiting him. But Yeshua isn't what they wanted - rather than a kingdom born of the sword to overthrow those in control he has come to fall to the sword.

At less than 400 pages this book seems more than that just because it is so moving. In no way does the story drag or lag - it is just that there is so much to it that one can't believe that it fits into such a few pages. In no way does the telling fill crimped as if something was cut to make it fir but rather it is a well-rounded reading that is perfect for the Christmas and Easter seasons.

Having read Patrick Carr's previous fantasy series I was delighted that this book that is not fantasy was just as excellent. This book falls into the Biblical fiction genre and it is excellent. This one doesn't feel like a little of this is borrowed from here or there to make the story work. This book is complete and most definitely a standalone title.  Excellent reading that I would highly recommend.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Centuries before the magi arrived in Bethlehem,

a prophecy sets a young magus on his path . . .

Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel calls forth a select group of men who will count down the calendar until the arrival of Israel's promised king. Centuries later, as the day draws near, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are slain by a ruthless Parthian queen.

Equipped with very little, in haste Myrad escapes the city and, searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is keeping secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable asset, an epic journey filled with peril, near captures, and dangerous battles begin.

With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can't forget, and the promise that the world will never be the same.