Have your read TRAPPED by Irene Hannon?

Purchase Link -
DeeperShopping.com

About the book~
When librarian Laura Griffith's sixteen-year-old sister disappears on a frigid February day, leaving only a brief note behind, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to track down the runaway teen. That includes recruiting ATF agent turned PI James "Dev" Devlin to help. But the deeper he digs, the more he begins to suspect that something sinister is at work in the girl's disappearance. And the closer he gets to uncovering the truth, the clearer it becomes that the situation isn't just dangerous-it's deadly. 

Sharing my thoughts~Besides strong main characters, this book also has multidimensional secondary characters, and I especially enjoyed the camaraderie between the three PI's and Nikki, the office manager. I also feel like I got to know Darcy as well as Dev and Laura. After Darcy's free-spirited mother died, and then her elderly father, Darcy moved in with Laura, who didn't know anything about raising a teen. Stifled by Laura's old-fashioned rules and feeling responsible for her father's death, Darcy runs away, headed towards Chicago, but a storm grounds her in St. Louis. Little clips showing Darcy's transformation from obnoxious to grateful as the story unfolded helped me better understood her motivation. 

"Even if Laura's intentions were good, rules were for kids. If she had stayed, they'd keep clashing, just as she and her dad had. And look how that had ended."

At one point in the book (not giving away any spoilers here!), I felt Laura acted irrationally for the danger she was in, but since she was worried about her sister, I decided to cut her some slack. If I'd been faced with a similar predicament, I probably would have rushed into the same situation. How many times have I made spur-of-the-moment decisions and then regretted them later? 

What a fast-paced, chilling thriller made even more frightening because it's something that happens in real life! We inherently trust people because they look "safe" or because of their occupation. Scary! I picked up Trapped one evening while my husband was gone, and at times, my palms were sweating and my heart pounded with fear, but did that stop me from reading? Noooo. I just had to keep reading because with every page I flipped, the situation was too intense to put the book down. While the plot moved along at extreme speed, I felt the romance was a bit on the lean side, only really heating up at the end of the book, but I guess that's to be expected with the amount of action in this one. The faith thread was a gentle strand, weaved subtly through the book. 

Trapped is the second book in the Private Justice series, but can be read as a stand alone. I just don't recommend reading it alone. I'm still turning on lights and checking doors. :)

Disclosure: Sending a big thanks to NetGalley and Revell for providing me with an advance review copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Have You Read THE HIDDEN SON by Dianna T. Benson?

The Hidden Son by
Dianna T. Benson

About the book~ The Hidden Son (Book 1, Cayman Islands Trilogy)

When U.S. DEA Special Agent Lelisa Desmond refuses to follow an order to bury evidence in a high profile case, her superior inexplicably hires a hit man to kill her deep in the ocean off Grand Cayman Island. Lelisa survives the first attempt on her life, but someone close to her is mistakenly murdered in her place.

With no one to trust, Lelisa enlists Inspector Alec Dyer for help but learns she's his number one suspect in the scuba diving homicide. She sets off on a daring mission to bring down the man who ordered her execution. A man in a high position, with powerful friends. A man who will stop at nothing to silence her forever in order to hide his son's crimes.

Can she take him down, before he sends someone else to silence her forever?

My summary~
When Special Agent Lelisa Desmond disobeys a direct command, her supervisor orders her to take a vacation to the Caribbean with her partner and long-time friend. During a dive, her scuba buddy turns up dead. Alec Dyer, Inspector for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, plagued by his daughter's unsolved disappearance almost two years ago and pestered by his ex-wife, isn't sure he believes Lelisa's claims of innocence, especially when crucial evidence she claims to possess disappears.

What I liked...

First off, what an awesome cover, don't you think? It sums up the tone for the story. The author kept me biting my nails with an intense forward motion, a well-developed plot, and towards the end, a totally unexpected twist. Each character was unique, flavorful and realistic. This is one of those books that will stick with me for a long time.

and not so much...

At times, the technical jargon was a bit overwhelming, heavier than I generally prefer to read, but I willingly waded through because I enjoyed everything else about the book. Take my advice and keep going. You'll be glad you did.

I felt the spiritual aspect of The Hidden Son was lacking and somewhat forced, almost like an afterthought. It didn't contain cuss words or bedroom scenes, but if you're a strict CBA reader, you may find this book tends to be a bit on the "fringe." 

Overall...

A great debut novel by Dianna T. Benson! According to the author's website, she calls herself a "Thriller/ Adventure/ Suspense Author." I believe she delivered on all counts with The Hidden Son, and I look forward to reading the second book in the trilogy, Persephone's Fugitive, due out in July 2014.

Purchase Link

Disclaimer: I purchased my copy of The Hidden Son from an author book signing event. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Have you read The Hidden Son? 

Do you agree with my review? What were your thoughts?

JOURNEY'S EDGE releases today!

A Routine Audit? Hardly.

Red flags—including some goon who's following her—raise McKinley Frasier's suspicions that numbers don't add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley's daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner's not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a "new man." She trusts the new Renner with her daughter's safety...but what about her heart?


"Honey, if you’re looking for that kind of action, you’ve got the wrong room."

"What?" McKinley gasped. She knew that voice, that rich timbre with just a hint of teasing. Always teasing, forever flirting.

Renner Crossman.

Oh, no! What kind of twisted sense of humor did James suffer from? She didn’t want to see Renner. She only wanted to know that he was in the hotel.

McKinley tilted her head back, inching her line of vision up to Renner’s face. Just to be sure. A lot could change after ten years. Look at her. She was a prime example.

She heard his deep intake of breath. Shock? Yeah, well, she could relate.

"Kinny?"

Ten years faded into yesterday. Those espresso-colored eyes still gleamed with mischief. Or was it something else? Maybe he hadn’t changed that much.

His hands tightened around her arms, pulling her against him. She closed her eyes and leaned into his chest.

Renner.

His heart thumped a tune with hers. His breath whispered against her hair. And the scent of his aftershave was like a dear friend. She sighed.

What was it about him that latched on to her innermost dreams and desires and wouldn’t let go? His grin? His have-no-cares-in-the-world style against her organized, have-to-know-everything-beforehand outlook?

He looped his arms around her back and pressed his forehead to hers, just like he used to do. When he’d made her feel loved and cherished. Protected. Special.

A clamp tightened around her stomach, cut off air, and she almost tossed the cookies she’d scarfed down in place of dinner. Gag.

Special.

Yeah, right. More like used and abused. Thrown away with the trash.

She wasn’t safe in here, either. She braced her hands against his chest and jerked a step back, telling her brain to reject his familiar, comforting scent. She would take her chances in the hall.

Available with White Rose Publishing.

Journey's Embrace by Dora Hiers

Introducing

Journey's Embrace

Book #3 in the Marshals of Journey Creek series

by Dora Hiers

Coming Soon

with White Rose Publishing.

Want a sneak peek? Here's an unofficial back cover copy:

After an injury forces Deputy U.S. Marshal Sage Michaelson off duty, he heads to his hometown with two things on his mind: recuperating and reevaluating. Sage can’t refuse his best friend’s plea to keep a protective eye on his younger sister after someone ransacks her house. But Delaney’s not so little anymore…and definitely not the “Dane” Sage remembers.

Flight Medic Delaney Hunt has loved Sage forever. But, he’s all about control and order while she embraces life and takes risks. She doesn’t need Sage looking over her shoulder, as much the idea appeals to her. But when her life hangs by her fingertips, who does she call to rescue her?

Will Delaney ever be the woman Sage wants by his side? Can Sage learn to live by grace, recognizing that God is in control? Can they overcome their fears to embrace life together?

Introducing Journey's Edge

Introducing...

Journey's Edge 

Available on 3/30 
with White Rose Publishing
Book 2 in the Marshals of Journey Creek series

A Routine Audit? Hardly.

Red flags—including some goon who's following her—raise McKinley Frasier's suspicions that numbers don't add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley's daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner's not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a "new man." She trusts the new Renner with her daughter's safety...but what about her heart?

Celebrating...

Another contract!

White Rose Publishing contracted

Journey's Embrace

~ 3rd book in the Marshals of Journey Creek series.

What a spectacular way to celebrate the New Year! 

I'm looking forward to an awesome 2012.

All Glory to God!

Still fighting the crowded stores?

Settle back in your chair, sip your coffee, click, click, and wait for the gift to arrive. Here's a gift idea~

Stop stressing over crowded lines. Order your autographed copies of Journey's End here. Only $10 plus shipping. Check out the purchase links to the right (note separate links for US/Canadian readers and UK readers due to shipping cost). A couple clicks and you're done.

A brutal murder…A devastated life rebuilt…Where one journey ends, another begins…

Devastated after the brutal murder of her husband, Chelsea Hammond vows never to love another lawman. Intent on rebuilding her shattered life, she turns her focus to helping troubled teens. But when an angry father bent on retaliation, threatens her, Chelsea must turn to the one man she never thought to trust: Deputy U.S. Marshal Trey Colten.

Trey wants only to protect Chelsea, but she blames him for her husband’s death. Trey can relate. He blames himself, also. As danger lurks, Trey begs Chelsea to heed his warnings. He let down one Hammond. He won’t let down another—especially one who now holds his heart.

When Chelsea is snatched from her home, can she put aside her fear and trust Trey with her life? Can she forgive him for destroying her past and let him help to rebuild her future?

Where one journey ends, another begins…