Shattered, Erin Delaney Mysteries #1 by Nancy Mehl

 

Book description:

Was this the last thing she'd ever see? Would she be able to make things right before it was too late?

"God . . ." was all she got out before he lunged toward her.

Grappling with the aftermath of a tragic incident that altered her life, ex-police officer and bestselling mystery author Erin Delaney finds solace in the tranquility of a cabin nestled deep in the Smoky Mountains. But her restful stay is shattered when cries pierce the night, hinting at a lurking presence haunting the woods. When local police chief Adrian Nightengale seeks her help with a carefully arranged murder scene, she is thrust back into the world of crime solving. As they delve into the investigation, Erin's intuition reveals chilling truths about the killer's motives and strategically perfected methods.

Joined by the enigmatic Kaely Quinn-Hunter, a former FBI behavioral analyst, Erin not only embarks on a quest to stop the merciless serial killer, but also confronts the revived ghosts of her past. In a race against time, Erin must defeat her own demons while outmaneuvering a cunning killer or risk becoming the next victim in this deadly game of cat and mouse.

Shattered Sanctuary is a clean, Christian, thrilling suspense novel set in the Smoky Mountains, full of police investigations, haunted woods, eerie threats, and ominous evidence. For fans of high-stakes suspense, Lynette Eason, and Elizabeth Goddard.

My review:

This is an author who just seems to get better with each book and series, and this book is one of her best, in my not-so-humble opinion. There is so much to like about the book.

The setting: I only visited Tennessee once - Gatlinburg - but I love the area. So I really liked the setting for the book.

The characters: Erin was a great main character, as was Adrian. I loved the fact that the author brought Kaely Quinn Hunter from the Kaely Quinn series into this series. It made the story all the more interesting. And I am guessing a romance will develop between Erin and Adrian at some point. Romance takes a back seat and is a very slow burn in Mehl's last few series.

The plot: Amazing and genius...especially when Erin and Kaely started looking for a pattern. Very cool, if one can use that work for a psychopath's methods. And again, adding Kaely to the series was a genius move on Mehl's part. The way she had she and Erin work together made the book all the more interesting.

I feel the last few series this author has written lean more towards being thrillers. Her earlier books that were simply suspense/mystery were great reads, but she has surpassed those with her more recent series, and has become an amazing author. This book is proof of that.

There is a lot of talk about God in this book. Kaely is a Christian, and Erin is very skeptical of God and Christianity. I love how the author worked the Gospel into the discussions between Erin and Kaely, and did not pull any punches. And it only added to the story.

Lastly, the humor. I'll try not to give spoilers, but Erin and Kaely patronize a couple of businesses that are all about Dolly Parton. I was reading the book at work (I am allowed when not busy), and was chuckling out loud. Good thing the ER waiting room was empty.

My favorite line in the whole book: "I feel like I am in a Dolly Parton nightmare."

This was an amazing and masterful story, and I cannot wait to read the other books in the series.

Special thanks to the author for an copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own. 

About the author:

Nancy Mehl lives in Missouri, with her husband Norman, and her puggle, Watson. She's authored over fifty books and is currently at work on a new FBI suspense series for Bethany House Publishing. 

All of Nancy's novels have an added touch - something for your spirit as well as your soul. "I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing," Nancy says. "It's a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn't be writing at all if I didn't believe that this is what He's called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can't overcome with His help." 

You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: www.nancymehl.com. She also is active on the Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com and on FaceBook!

                                                        Coming October 2025

Crimson Sands, Task Force SEAR Book One by JJ Samie Myles

Book description:

 He trusts her with his life, but not with his heart.

Bible Smuggler Dakota Kimani is fearless in spreading the Gospel. When her friends are abducted by a Somali terror organization, she will do anything to rescue them—even reach out to the one man she wronged and vowed to never again contact.

Former Marine Raider Keith McCord isn't one to look the other way when innocents are slaughtered. So yeah, he agrees to help the woman who ripped out his heart. With a team of trusted operators, he infiltrates Somalia and finds himself waging war on terror and old feelings.

“No plan survives contact with the enemy” proves true when the hostage rescue turns dicey. The terrorists' tactics are aggressive and shrewd, leaving Keith questioning the loyalty of his teammates and allies. Meanwhile Dakota wrestles with a dark secret that threatens to destroy the tenuous bond she and Keith have reforged.

Death breathing down their necks, Keith and Dakota are in a fight for their lives, their faith, skills, and trust in each other pushed to the breaking point.

My review:
  This is the author's second published book. She wrote one of the books in the multi-author series, A Breed Apart: Legacy. I have been curious what her first book in her own series would be like, and it was an amazing read. 

  Crimson Sands is not a light read. Most of it takes place in Somalia, and there is open persecution of Christians by Islamic radicals. There is nothing overly graphic in the book, but it does bring home the reality that not all Christians around the world have it as easy as we do in the U.S.

  But even with some heavier stuff like that in the book, there is also some humor and banter between the team mates. Goats play into that humor a couple of times. 

  Dakota (female - I'll never get used to it being used for females) - and Keith were great main characters. They had had a relationship eighteen years prior, and had not seen each other since. There was a lot of conflict between them, and also between Keith and his brother that had to be resolved and forgiven.

 There is pretty much non stop action, drama, and suspense for much of the book. Rescuing imprisoned Christians from Islamic radicals intent on killing them is not an easy task, and Myles does a terrific job on portraying what that might be like, along with authentic weapons and military actions and methods. 

I really enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to more in the series. Myles has created some great characters, and it is evident she is already a pro at spinning a great story around those characters. 

Special thanks to the author for an advance e-book copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own. 

About the author:
JJ Samie Myles Growing up in the beautiful east of Switzerland, JJ Samie Myles spent her childhood chasing adventures and crafting stories with her vivid imagination. Curious what the big wide world has to offer, she became a travel agent and later a missionary, collecting enough writing-inspiration for a lifetime. Now she shares her passion for thrills and God’s grace through her suspense and faith-filled stories.

Crimson Sands will be released on March 19. 

Check out her other book, Riot, the third book in the Breed Apart: Legacy Series.

New and notable author: Jorgia Yates

  I have not done one of these posts for a while, and decided I needed to after reading a new author today. 

 Her books came up as a suggestion a few months ago, but there was one problem: There were none published yet. She did have a free prequel out for signing up for her newsletter, but I had not read it yet since it wasn't on Goodreads - I keep track of books for my reading goal there.

However, book one in paperback came out before the e-book for a change, and I ordered it as soon as I saw it was available. It arrived today, so I decided to read the free prequel. I loved it, and then read the first book in the series, Collision Course. It was even better. Here is the plot:

Serve his country or rescue his wife?

Federal Air Marshal Reese Donovan has sacrificed everything he loves to keep another 9/11 from occurring again.

After living apart from his wife, Verity, for a year, the last thing he expects is harrowing news that will force him to examine where his loyalty lies.

While he’s been busy keeping the skies safe, Verity narrowly escaped a deadly explosion.

To add insult to injury, the trauma has left her suffering from selective amnesia.

Verity believes she and Reese are still happily married.

With his wife depending on him to fill in critical memories before the bomber strikes again, Reese must lie to Verity while placing his faith in the private security team he holds responsible for widening the cracks in his marriage.

Unsure of who he can trust, and with time running out, Reese will face his greatest fear.

Prevent a terrorist attack or save the woman he still loves.

Buckle in with Reese and Verity for an explosive start to a high-octane Christian Romantic Suspense series where nothing is what it seems, love can be lethal, and any day could be your last...

Here is my review I posted for it on Amazon, Goodreads, etc:

Awesome debut novel. I love security type suspense novels, and am looking forward to reading more in this series. There was so much to like about this book. Reese and Verity were great and likable main characters. The fact that they were had been separated for a year and were getting a divorce, and only he remembered that was a great part of the plot - I do like a good amnesia story.
I liked the Hightower team, and the author did a great job on the interactions between them, and the friction between Reese and the team because of him being so suspicious.

And the suspense was top notch. Especially the airplane scene towards the end of the book. That scene shows this author has the skills to write great suspense.

Ever since I ran across this author, I have been eagerly waiting to read this book. And I am impressed.

I highly recommend her books, and am looking forward to the second book, Lethal Deceit, coming in June. 

Link to get the free prequel, Covert Risk:  https://www.jorgiayates.com/subscribe.html#/

About the author:

Jorgia Yates writes swoony Christian Romantic Suspense with protective heroes and courageous heroines who constantly find themselves in sticky situations they need to shoot or smooch their way out of.\

After meeting as two awkward teenagers in the nineties, Jorgia married the man her soul loved, and they have been blessed with two cherished children on the spectrum.

Due to pesky physical disabilities, Jorgia is limited in what she can do outside the home, so she lives vicariously through her characters' exciting adventures.

                                                             Coming in June: 

Waylaid, Windy City Westons Series #1 by Jerusha Agen

Book description:

 Someone wants to kill her. She wants the killer to finish the job.

Spring Weston will do anything to rise in the ranks of pro cycling and prove she isn’t the one failure of the five Weston siblings. Anything except cheat. When she learns of doping on her cycling team, she’s determined to uncover the truth. But she can’t if she’s dead.

Sergeant Torin Cotter may not be the hero the public thinks he is, but he recognizes fear when he sees it. When he takes over the investigation of the collision that landed Spring in the hospital, he’s compelled to protect her from whatever danger she’s in, even though he knows he might fail. Again.

Spring’s faith in God isn’t enough to help her face the living nightmare she awakened to after the accident. But neither she nor the handsome sergeant see the greater threat that’s coming until it’s too late.

If they’re going to survive, Spring and Torin will not only have to confront their worst fears—they’ll have to find a reason to live.

Waylaid is the first installment in the thrilling Windy City Westons series that features five siblings who encounter danger and love in the city of Chicago. (Each book can stand alone or be read as series installments.)

My review:
  I loved this author's first series, Guardians Unleashed, which was totally awesome. I have been looking forward to this first book in her new series, very curious what it would be like. 

 This is going to be a totally different series. This one is about siblings, which I really like, and the setting is totally different. 

 I liked the two main characters a lot. Spring is a complex character that has issues that she deals with poorly, but you can't help but like her. Torin is an emotional basket case, still struggling with the shooting of his wife a few years prior. 

And then there are the other four Weston siblings. Man, could five siblings be any different than these five?
Robert: the oldest brother, psychiatrist, quiet, serious, and the voice of reason, though his reason doesn't seem to include God.
Victoria: one of Spring's physical therapists. Christian, trying to do the right thing
Patricia: consistently late, very flighty, seems stuck on herself, but cares about her family.
Henry (Hank): the youngest sibling. He only makes a brief appearance at the end of the book, so not a lot is said about him, other than the fact that he is thinking about doing something to disappoint their dad.

 Speaking of their dad....what a pompous arrogant jerk. He seems to only care that his kids follow him into the medical field. Which Spring did not. 

 Anyway, what a great read. There is tons of suspense.....especially  the rehab center scene that takes up a lot of the book - I won't give spoilers away - but the author outdid herself on that ordeal. And there is a big surprise on a bad guy that I never saw coming. 

 I loved the faith element in the book. Spring is a Christian, but very angry and bitter towards God because of what happened to her. I get the idea that only she and Victoria are Christians, so there is a little tension between the siblings because of that. (Hank may be..as I said, not much info is given about him so far). 

 The book had a great ending that left me wanting more of this family and series. I am looking forward to the next book, Wasted, which will be about Victoria. Coming waaaay out in October. 

Special thanks to the author for an advance e-book copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

About the author: 
Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner, but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes romantic suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ.

As a child who spent most of her days with a book in-hand or creating her own, Jerusha has always had a tremendous love of stories. She has long seen the world in terms of story—God’s story for humanity and the smaller stories of individuals that make up that bigger story of life itself. This fascination with story seemed to mean that she was destined for a life of telling stories herself. She followed the obvious start on that path by obtaining a B.A. in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis.

Then God took Jerusha on an unexpected twist in her life story and gave her the opportunity to work in the film industry. Jerusha wore many hats for films in the local independent film industry, from production and personal assistant, to script supervisor, camera operator, and producer. But her favorite roles in the film biz were easily that of directing and screenwriting.

God gradually worked in Jerusha’s life to bring her out of the film industry and back home to her original dream of writing novels. She can’t imagine a better way to earn a living than to spend time creating stories with the ultimate Storyteller and Creator.

In between writing and reading scary romantic tales, Jerusha enjoys curling up with her two little cats and three very big dogs to watch movies. Her favorite movies, like her favorite books, tend to have plenty of suspense and romance.

When she manages to be pried away from movies and books, Jerusha’s other favorite activities include cross-country skiing in beautiful Midwest winters, baking and eating decadent desserts, drawing, and painting.

Waylaid will be available March 27.

Look for Wasted October 2025.