Thursday, February 25, 2021

Network of Deceit by Tom Threadgill


Book description:

 She's following her instincts. They're following her every move.

After her rescue of nearly fifty kidnapped children made international headlines, Amara Alvarez gets what she's worked for: a transfer to San Antonio's Homicide Division. But reality sets in quickly when her first case, the suspicious death of a teenager at a crowded local water park, plunges her life into chaos.

As the investigation moves forward, Amara finds herself stalked online by cybercriminals who uncover her personal life in frightening detail. With few leads, she's forced to resort to unconventional methods to find the killer and prevent her first murder investigation from ending up in the cold case files.

Tom Threadgill is back with another riveting page-turner featuring the detective who is willing to put everything on the line to see justice served and lives protected.

My review:

  Network of deceit is only the second book I have read by this author, and I am really liking his books and style. Though this book and the one it follows does not have a series name, it is a series and this book continues after the first one.

  As with the first book, the main character is a female who is now a homicide detective. (Side note...the Christian fiction market is geared too much towards women, so I wish this male author would have had his series about a male instead of a female).

 The plot for this series is a very complicated and well thought out plot. It starts with what appears to be a simple death of a seventeen-year old boy, but goes far beyond that by the time the game is over. Role playing games, ransom-ware, and a lot of other things factor in. The author did a great job of describing a lot of technological stuff in a way that was interesting and didn't make my eyes glaze over.

 There is a lot of suspense and mystery in this book, and the author does keep the reader guessing as to what is really going on, and who the guilty party......or parties are. He also did what I felt was a great job of portraying what a detective new to homicide might do and act as they are in a different kind of job than they are used to with the procedures and all that they have to learn.

 This book had what the first did not: a romantic interest with a fellow detective, Starsky. The female heroine is a likable character, and so is he. Slight spoiler: the book seems to indicate that this romance may continue and develop further. I love humor, and I found myself laughing over some of the back and forth between these two.

  The complicated plot did come to a satisfying end, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to that point in the book. I loved the story, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. This is truly quality Christian fiction, and the author has me hooked as a reader. 

I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.


About the author:


Tom Threadgill is a full-time author and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the International Thriller Writers (ITW). The author of Collision of Lies, Tom lives with his wife near Dallas, Texas. Learn more at www.tomthreadgill.com.


  Network of Deceit is available from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Group. Thanks to Revell for the review copy.


Book #1



Obsession, Nanchez Trace Park Rangers #2 by Patricia Bradley

 

Book description:


This one's personal

Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she's forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation.

To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed. Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past, and he doesn't intend to let her down again. Especially now that her life is on the line.


My review:

   This is Patricia Bradley's third trade paperback series with Revell, and each one seems to be even better than the others. 

   Obsession is the second book in the Nanchez Trace Park series, and brings new characters and a new mystery with it. In addition to the stalker and the mystery of who is shooting and digging at the site when no one is there, there is also the mystery of Emma's brother missing for 10 years, suspected of murdering a girl before his disappearance.

 The book was a great read. The plot was very well done and thought out, the characters were quite likable, and the suspense was non-stop....with some romance tossed in with a couple broken up for 10 years.

 I thought the stalker part was very well described and executed. I eventually caught onto who the most likely culprit was, but for most of the book the author had me guessing.

 And I did read the book in one setting. I have a hard time putting down a great suspense novel like this one, and I had time......so I read it all to the great ending, which seemed to come all too fast.

 There was one sad part to the story, but I won't give away any spoilers. I loved the story, and am looking forward to more in this series.

I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.


About the author:


Patricia Bradley is the author of Standoff and Obsession, as well as the Memphis Cold Case novels and Logan Point series. Bradley won an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award in Romantic Suspense, a Daphne du Maurier Award, and a Touched by Love Award; she was a Carol Award finalist; and three of her books were included in anthologies that debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. She is cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Bradley makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.


  Obsession is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

 Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

             

                                               Book 1 of The Nanchez Trace Park Rangers Series



Saturday, February 20, 2021

The Inn At Cranberry Cove

   

Book description:


I have read a handful of June Foster's books, and enjoyed each one. This is her second foray into Christian suspense, and it was a great foray.

    The Inn At Cranberry Cove isn't a fast paced nail biting suspense novel with bad guys chasing the hero and heroine, but that doesn't mean it is boring or not suspenseful. There is a mystery, rumors of a hidden treasure, and bad guys. It just leans more toward what is called a cozy mystery...which are awesome also.

  I enjoyed the story, and read it in one sitting. The hero and heroine of the story were very likable characters, with James' recent personal tragedy making him all the more endearing to readers. There were also a couple of characters who weren't likable, but then they were the bad guys of the story.

  The plot was a great one, and the setting of an old inn made for a terrific setting for the story. The inn and town descriptions made me want to visit what I assume is a fictional town. 

  I appreciate authors who don't shy away from Christian content, and Foster never does. Both Ashton and James had stopped going to church for their own reasons, and they slowly worked their way through that issue. James had guilt from his actions of 2 months ago, and had to realize that God forgave him and he needed to forgive himself.

  This was a romantic suspense novel, so of course there was a romantic angle, and yes, I even enjoyed that.

  The Inn At Cranberry Cove was a great read, and is number 1 in a series, and it left me looking forward to reading more in this series.

I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.


About the author:

An award-winning author, June Foster is also a retired teacher with a BA in Education and  MA in


Counseling. She is the mother of two and grandmother of ten. June began writing Christian romance in 2010. She penned her first novel on her Toshiba laptop as she and her husband traveled the US in their RV. Her adventures provided a rich source of information for her novels. June enjoys writing stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find the path to live godly lives.


Check out her website at JuneFoster.com