Beneath the Surface, Dive Team Investigations #1 by Lynn H Blackburn

Book description:

After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.

Ryan finds satisfaction in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.

Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new voice in romantic suspense. Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go until the final heart-pounding page.

My review:

  I started following Lynn on Facebook awhile back, being interested in her books. I had not read her previous books, as they are Love Inspired Suspense novels and there are way too many of those to keep up with. I saw she had a trader paperback book coming out from Revell, who always puts out quality Christian suspense, and put it on my list of to-read books. Then she posted one day she needed people for her street team....people to read, review, and help get the word out. I applied, and one thing I wrote under reasons I should be on it was this "You probably won't get many guys apply, and you need guys on your team too....." I got on, and I am  the only guy :)

 Onto the book:

  I enjoy reading books by new authors, finding out what their writing style is, and how much I am going to like their books. Blackburn did not disappoint, but exceeded my expectations. I love a good suspense novel, and good doesn't begin to describe this book. I made the mistake of starting the book one day on my lunch break at work, and man was it difficult to put the book aside to go back to work. The action and suspense start immediately, and never let up.

 Here's what I liked:

 The suspense: There were two mysteries going on at the same time. There were bodies being found that had been murdered, and the main chick, Leigh, had a stalker that grew more and more threatening and daring as the book raced towards an end.

The characters: Characters can make or break a book, and Blackburn came up with some awesome characters for this book and series. The two main characters, Ryan & Leigh were very easy to like and get caught up in their story. The dive team over all was also full of great characters, and I found myself hoping the next book would be about Gabe Sanchez, but I don't think it will be.

The romance: Maybe I am becoming a romantic sap, but I am enjoying the romantic parts of these books more than I used to. This one was more believable than some, in that the couple had had feelings for each other since high school, but Ryan had never acted on them because her brother had warned all his friends away from her....something that made the romance and story amusing.

The bad guy: I like a book that is complex enough that you can't figure out a motive or who the killer is, and this book certainly fell into that category. It was interesting to read the theories as the team would gather to brainstorm, and the author made that interesting and believable, yet keeps the reader guessing who and why.

The ending: What would a book be without an ending? And this one had a great one. I kind of guessed a certain thing would happen (no spoilers here!), but when it did happen I still was kept guessing what was going to happen next. The book came to a very suspenseful and climatic happening, followed by the romantic ending....which I thoroughly enjoyed and approved of.

 This lady can indeed write a great suspense novel that has everything I enjoy, and had me turning pages as fast as I could read them. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about this great team of investigators, and am eyeing the author's Love Inspired Suspense novels. Definitely 5 star material here.

About the author:

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She's passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don't make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.

Check out her website at LynnHBlackburn.com.

Beneath the Surface is available March 6 from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to the author for the review copy.