Christian Book Reviews

Suspense and Mystery–Fatal Strike

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Deb HaggertyJune 23, 2019

Deb’s Dozen: Leah and Jon, FBI Snipers, Face Fears, Fatalities, Forgiveness, and Finally, Romance

Fatal Strike, DiAnn Mills’s latest entry in the suspense and mystery field, ranks as one of her best. She nails the characters of her protagonists, Leah and Jon, and makes us like them from the very beginning. Both carry secrets from their past that keep them from getting close to people. Nevertheless, their pasts make them excellent at their jobs of FBI snipers.

Fatal Strike starts with a hostage situation where Leah and Jon do what they do best–kill at a distance. The criminals, holding children as shields, make their jobs a bit easier. Immediately after the hostage situation ends, tasked with investigating a string of murders in Galveston, they cement their partnership. Three very prominent people–a cop, a lawyer, and a judge–killed by an injection of rattler venom to the heart form the center of the plot. However, a complex string of characters: a priest, a very angry police chief, the judge’s widow, several possible perps, keep Leah and Jon and us guessing.

Mills does what Mills does best with her suspense and mystery tales–leads us astray until the end of the book with just enough false trails. We wonder if the obvious suspect and real murderer coexist. Mystery, murder, and mayhem–loved every minute of Fatal Strike, which I read in one afternoon. Keep ’em coming, DiAnn! Five Stars!

DiAnn Mills, a multi-awarded, prolific author who always keeps her readers guessing, lives in Texas. However, she co-directs the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina. She loves her coffee, her friends, and her faith. Get to know her through her books. I’ve never once been disappointed.

Tyndale House gave me a digital ARC of Fatal Strike, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.

Human Trafficking Takes Cold Aim.

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Deb HaggertyJune 20, 2019

Deb’s Dozen: Human Trafficking Comes to Rogue’s Hollow. Chief Tess O’Rourke—On the Job!

Janice Cantore’s Line of Duty Series intrigued me from the first book. In Police Chief Tess O’Rourke, she created a likeable, fallible character you’d love to have as a best friend. And the love interest in the series, Pastor Oliver Macpherson, is equally charming and affable.

Cold Aim, the third book in the series, brings conflict to the growing relationship as they both struggle with job responsibilities vs. personal desires. The reader can easily see both sides of the disagreements. But, they’ll still root for both characters while understanding the emotions involved.

Tess, while recovering from a devastating fire in the area that has disrupted the Rogue’s Hollow, faces a tough decision. The FBI asks her to shelter a high-profile human trafficking victim. However, Tess doesn’t want to put “her” town at risk after the fire. When she sees how Oliver genuinely cares for the woman, she reluctantly agrees. The couple running the local shelter for abused women agrees to take care of Chevy.

At the same time, the FBI endeavors to solve a decades-old cold case. They think this involves the work of the same man who trafficked Chevy. As they look for links, danger lurks. When strangers come into town to work on the fire cleanup crew, Tess wonders if all are legit or if they are looking for Chevy. The action gets fierce, the convolutions fascinating, and the growing love between Tess and Oliver complicated. Four stars—you’ll enjoy reading Cold Aim.

To quote her bio, “Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired. Her twenty-two years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.” All of her books, nine in all, encompassing three series—Cold Case Justice, Pacific Coast Justice, and Line of Duty—all feature Tess O’Rourke.

Tyndale House Publishers gave me an Advance Reader Copy of Cold Aim, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.

Epidemic Induces World-Wide Terror

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Deb HaggertyMay 21, 2019

Deb’s Dozen: Dead Fishermen Off the Coast of Africa–An Epidemic in the Making?

One of my all-time favorite authors remains Davis Bunn/Thomas Locke. Whether writing biblical or contemporary fiction, fantasy or speculative, Bunn always entertains and intrigues. Outbreak is no different. The potential for a world-wide epidemic with no known cure would seem to be of a speculative nature, but Bunn writes this one under his own name. No matter which name he writes under, he never disappoints.

Something occurs off the coast of West Africa that causes the death of fisherman and many tribespeople. Whole villages are destroyed. The country’s military subsequently burns them. But under whose orders? Theo Bishop and Avery Madison saw the devastation with their own eyes. But by what cause?

Theo Bishop’s brother owns a drug company suspected by many of triggering the devastation. Theo and Avery race against time to both stop the spread of the epidemic. They need information as well as to clear Kenny. But who can they trust? Kenny’s wife? Preston Borders, his attorney? Della, the news reporter somehow involved in the case?

Racing against time to discover the cause of the epidemic, the trio uncovers a conspiracy of big business. The company is set to reap the profits from the disease-inducing agent. Will they succeed? Bunn spins a web of intrigue and romance as his characters seek to solve the mystery.

Seldom do I comment on the layout of the book itself, but the interior designer of this book deserves kudos. What a clever stratagem in design to keep the tension about the epidemic building! Great job!

Davis Bunn writes bestsellers–numerous bestsellers. Over seven million of his books are in print worldwide. Awarded four individual Christy Awards for excellence in fiction, the Christys also granted him a lifetime achievement award. He is Writer-in-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. He and Isabella, his wife, split their residency between England and the Florida coast.