Reading, Writing & Pondering

When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard is the first book in the new Mercy Ridge series. After finishing this book, my first thoughts were, "Whew, what a ride!" It sure kept me turning pages. Sarah Ellison makes her way to Mercy Ridge after learning that her brother was murdered in relation to a deathbed confession by her grandfather. She hopes to find out why and knows that the government buried some sort of secret in the nearby Cascade Mountains. Can She find it? Former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin hasn't worked as a mountain guide for 2 years--not since his dad died in a tragic accident while he was nearby. At first, Ryder says he won't help Sarah but as she continues to face problems, he decides to go ahead and be her guide.  I enjoyed getting to know Sarah and Ryder in When the Silence Breaks . Sarah and Ryder face some obstacles before they head up the mountain. Once on the mountain, they face even bigger obstacles. I don't want to give anything away. This ...

  I have been anxiously awaiting Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn for a few months now. This book is the third book in the Gossamer Falls series. You could read it as a stand alone but it would be more enjoyable if you read the series in order. This book is Bronwyn Pierce and Mo Quinn's story. I have been wondering about them since the series began. This book did not disappoint. Bronwyn is running The Haven, her family's exclusive mountain resort. She runs a tight ship and does a good job. . .but something is off and she can't put her finger on the problem. Mo is a former army intelligence officer so she asks for his help in finding a problem in the book-keeping that her gut tells her is there. She also feels she is being watched. Her family has a lot of issues and she isn't sure how the "bad" guys are in this situation. Can they figure it out before her time runs out? I read Last To Fall in a day and enjoyed it all. I liked how the relationship developed be...

  I have to be honest, I am not fond of winter or cold places so reading a book set in Alaska wouldn't be my first choice--EXCEPT it is written by Susan May Warren. I will pretty much read anything she writes. Track of Courage is the start of a new Call of the Wild series and is set mainly in Alaska.  Keely William is a pop singer who came to Alaska to search for her biological mother. When she sees her, she chickens out on telling her who she is. . .and gets on a plane to go home.  However, things don't go as planned when the plane is hijacked and crashes.  Dawson Mulligan is an ex-cop who had a bad knee injury and has some PTSD after a rescue that went wrong. He decides to fly home to Copper Mountain to recuperate and figure out his next move. On the way home, they spot the downed plane. His dog, Caspian, then runs off on a trail of a survivor.  When Dawson catches up to Keely, they both may have found more than they bargained for. Can Dawson get her out of t...

  Water Grave by Mitchell S. Karnes is the first in the Abbey Rhodes Mystery series. This is a series that I think would best appeal to those readers who enjoy true crime or psychological thriller/suspense type books. About the book: Six years ago, Hannah Leah Abelard needed a fresh start. She changed her name to Abbey Rhodes and enlisted in the United States Army as a part of the “Ever Vigilant,” 18th Military Police Brigade. They taught her how to be a great cop. Abbey moved to Tennessee three years later and joined Metro Nashville’s Police Department. Now, in her third month with Homicide, Abbey is thrust into a case that may bring the walls she built crashing down around her, exposing a dark past she thought she’d left behind. A young pastor is found dead in the bottom of his baptistery and Abbey is forced to investigate the one place she swore never to return-the church. The case takes Abbey deeper into a tangled web of lies and secrets where the most dangerous ones...

  Are you looking for a new fast-paced suspense read? Storm Warning by Elizabeth Goddard will keep you turning pages to figure out what is going on. Remi Grant is a former army photographer who is struggling with amnesia. She has been in hiding the past couple of years and simply can't remember what happened. However, puzzle pieces start coming in the mail that are supposed to be significant and help her remember--before it is too late. Can she finally remember what was so terrible she blocked it out? Remi now manages a secluded lodge. There a mysterious man saves her life not just once but twice. Still she isn't sure Hawk is one of the good guys but she wants to trust him. Hawk has some issues of his own that he is struggling with as well. He has been told his former army brother, Cole, is now working for the dark side. Thrown together, Hawk and Remi work to solve both of their mysteries. Is there a connection between them? I enjoyed Storm Warning . The pacing was good and I ...

Hidden Mountain Secret s by Kerry Johnson is the latest book in the Tunnel Creek suspense series from Love Inspired Suspense.  Brielle Holt is an antique dealer who has stumbled into more than just the latest great finds for her antique shop. Unfortunately, she is in the middle of a family feud and it could have grave consequences for her--and her staff at the antique store. Fortunately, her old family friend, Lucas Scott, who is a trained detective is there to help her--but can he keep her safe? Hidden Mountain Secrets continues the story of the Holt family if you have read the two books prior to this release. However, it isn't necessary to read those to enjoy this story. I enjoyed the action and the suspense in this story. It took me a bit to figure out how the villain in the story was. These books are a quick read and a great size to stick in your book bag to carry with you and read when you have extra time waiting somewhere. Since they aren't as long as a trader paperback,...

Ned is the third book in the Minnesota Marshalls series by Susan May Warren. Let me tell you, with her many years of writing experience, this author knows how to write books that keep your heart pounding and your fingers turning pages quickly. Ned has been through four years of training to be a Navy SEAL. He has the woman of his dreams, Shae Johnson is waiting for him in Switzerland. Unfortunately, when he finally gets to see her after being on a mission, the two have a disagreement. That is bad enough, as both Shae and Ned almost instantly regret their words, but right afterwords Shae goes missing. Shae has been kidnapped by Russian thugs and is in Siberia. What will it take to get her back? Ned has some hoops to go through to get to Shae. I love all the action in this book. I like the close-knit Marshall family and how they all work to help each other out in difficult times. I also like Shae and my reader heart goes out to her in her difficult predicament that I can not imagine in ...

  Lyla Fox has a reputation in the SNAP Agency for being impulsive and following her instincts, which has her taking a lot of risks. Nicolas Garcia is cool and controlled. He is drawn to Lyla but can his heart handle it when she takes chances he wouldn't? In Blind Trust , readers finally get to see Lyla and Nicolas work together in a whole new way. We also find out some back story on both characters that makes it is truly hard to put Blind Trus t down once you start reading it. I enjoyed this final book in the SNAP Agency series. I think this one is best enjoyed by those who have read all the preceding books, including Initium . I don't recommend it as a stand-alone. Blind Trust gave me all the feels. I pulled for Lyla. I pulled for Nicolas. I pulled for other characters. I love that the characters from Fatal Code and Lights Out are part of this book. I just really enjoyed all of these books and all of the characters. I like the spiritual element in this book. I liked the wa...

  Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley is the first book in the new Pearl River series.  Alexis Stone has been working in Chatanooga as a police detective when her grandfather has a heart attack. He asks her to fill in as interim sheriff in Alexis' hometown of Pearl Springs until he gets back on his feet. She had been trying to solve the Queens Gambit serial killer case when she left Chatanooga. The first day on the job as interim sheriff, the killer strikes again. Each time, the killer leaves a white chess game pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it. To solve the crime, Pearl Springs Police Chief, and Alexis high school sweetheart, Nathan Landry helps her track down the killer. Counter Attack has a lot of action. I don't play chess but the chess pieces and the moves the killer left were interesting. At the same time, I didn't feel the suspense with this book that I have with other Bradley books. Maybe because, in this case, I figured out the killer early on in the b...

  Under Fire by Lynn H. Blackburn is the third installment in the Defend and Protect series. I have enjoyed this series a lot and Under Fire was a great conclusion to the series.  Special Agent Tessa Reed made some big changes in her life. She thought she left her old ways completely behind her--when the past caught up with her as she works to protect the President during a fundraiser. USSS Agent Zane Thacker is also in town to help protect the President. Tessa and Zane reconnect and may become more than friends--or will they let the past come between them? I enjoy all of the main characters in the Defend and Protect series. I especially enjoyed seeing Zane and Tessa's relationship grow in Under Fire . I enjoyed the romance. I enjoyed the plot and trying to figure out the mystery of the book. There is a lot of action in this book, just like the other books of the series. Under Fire is definitely a book that will keep you up turning pages to get to the end. I received a copy ...

  I have been looking forward to Sundown , the third book in the Sky King Ranch series, by Susan May Warren. If you haven't been reading the series, you could read it as a stand alone but I think it would be better enjoyed as part of the series since many characters from the first two books are in this one. There are also characters from other Susan May Warren books in Sundown , which is also fun. Tae has been staying at Sky King Ranch following plane crash. She has been healing and also helped nurse Colt Kingston back to health following his last mission with Jones, Inc. where he received some serious injuries. Now Colt and Tae must work with other family members to figure out how to solve a problem and possibly save the world.   As a whole, I enjoyed Sundown . Like the other books in this series, there is a lot of action and some romance in between. I enjoyed the story for the most part. I especially like how the Kingston father of them all, Barry, helps them figure thi...

    Private Investigator Kenna Banburry is back in Salt Lake City, where she lost everything two years ago when a serial killer deeply injured her and killed her boyfriend. Since then, she has been working to solve missing person cases and bring the bad guys in. She has just done the same, when a series of murders in Salt Lake City turn towards her as the one behind them. Is she out for revenge now? Cold Dead Night by Lisa Phillips is a fast moving book with a complicated plot that will keeps the reader guessing right up to the end. I did have an inkling who the killer was but I didn't figure a lot of it out until nearly the end. There is the inkling of a romantic relationship in this book but otherwise it more of a suspense book than romance. There isn't much in this book in the way of faith, although there is indication that Kenna has faith in God. It took me awhile to warm up to her as a character because she was so defensive through much of the book. I didn't really fe...

  I do love a good mystery with some heart-pounding suspense. Deception by Patricia Bradley is full of mystery and suspense both--there are more than a few unanswered questions that the reader has while reading this book. ISB Ranger Madison Thorn is back in her home town of Natchez to investigate a white-collar crime. It has been a few years since she investigated violent crimes and she isn't anxious to work in that area again. Unfortunately, she is forced to investigate a violent crime--and it is personal one--in more ways than one. However, a former childhood friend, Clayton Bradshaw, comes alongside her to help with the investigation. Deception was an intriguing book from start to finish. I really didn't want to put it down. I was amazed at how Bradley wove several mysteries together to create an amazing tapestry of both deception to the characters in the book and clues that build up to an exciting conclusion for the reader. I liked Madison and Clayton and their budding r...

  Are you looking for a book that mixes sweet romance with fast-paced Suspense? The Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey is the latest book in the Coastal Guardians series. CIS Agent Noah Rowley and his team are shocked when a mass shooting happens on the Coast Guard Base. Coast Guard Flight Medic Brooke Kesler also becomes a target when one of the gravely wounded shooters talks to her--and the wrong person sees that he did. Brooke and Noah face a lot of danger and challenges as they seek to figure out why the shooting happened and who the mastermind behind it is.  At the same time, Caleb and Austin are involved in a different mystery. Who polluted the waters with a dangerous chemical--and why?  This is my first book by Dani Pettrey. I have been wanting to read her books for awhile and so glad that I did read this one. However, I read it as a stand-alone. It was quite good but would likely be even better if I read it within the series.  I liked all of the good-guy charact...

  Critical Alliance by Elizabeth Goddard is a suspense book--focused on cyber crimes. . .with some action and adventure between real people thrown in. This book is the Third book in the Rocky Mountain Courage series. You could read this book alone but it would be a better read in order with the other books in the series. In Critical Alliance , Mackenzie Hanson is a professor of cybersecurity at a Michigan university. When she finds out her father's company is under cyber attack, she heads home to help--even though she isn't sure her family will want to see her.  Alex Knight is also back home in Montana on a leave from his job in Diplomatic Security Services. He is supposed to relax but then he is drawn into the mystery facing Mackenzie as they renew their friendship. I enjoyed the mysteries in Critical Alliance . I figured out a few things but there were also some I didn't know until it was revealed in the book. Some of the implications of what the hacker could do were pr...

    What do you get when you mix a book featuring Amish people with suspense? A new book called, Among the Innocent by Mary Alford. Ten years ago, Leah Miller's entire Amish family was murdered. She thought the killer committed suicide. But was that the right guy? Miller, along with the new police detective Dalton Cooper, are faced with a new case where an Amish woman is murdered in the same way almost exactly 10 years later.  Among the Innocent is my first book by Mary Alford. This book kept me turning pages quickly to find out who the real killer was. The plot was fast-paced and the story line moved along quickly. I liked the main characters, Leah and Dalton. However, I didn't think there was much romance to develop a relationship and I thought it happened a little too quickly.  I bring this up because it is labeled Romantic Suspense. . .and I think just "Suspense" would have worked better as a label. Anyway, I was more interested in finding out who the bad guy w...

  Are you a fan of clean mysteries and suspense books? If you haven't read James R. Hannibal, I would encourage you to give this author a try. Elysium Tide is a book full of mystery, suspense, lots of action and some twists and turns that you may not see coming. Dr. Peter Chesterfield, one of the top neurosurgeons in London, is a workaholic who just had a big blow-up with his colleague--and his boss orders him to attend a medical symposium at a luxury hotel in Maui. Not surprisingly, Peter has a had time relaxing once he gets there so he takes a midnight walk on the beach--where he pulls a woman with a skull fracture from the water. Sadly, in spite of his skill, he can't save her and he becomes obsessed with finding her killer. . .much to the frustration of Lisa Kealoha, who is the detective assigned to the case. Maybe if they work together, they can find the killer? I devoured Elysium Tide quickly as I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed Peter's dry British humor. ...

  Lots of action and romance are a big part of Sunburst by Susan May Warren, the second book in the Sky King Ranch series. Sunburst starts out with both romance and action. This book flips back and forth a bit between the beginnings of a relationship that got cut short between former Navy SEAL Ranger Kingston and Noemi Sutton. They met and spent two weeks dating and getting to know each other in Florida. Now Ranger is in Nigeria trying to save his brother Colt, and also Noemi as he quickly discovered, in Nigeria. From there, the book is constant action--with back and forth relationship between Noemi and Ranger. I enjoyed Sunburst as a whole. It is full of action that kept me turning pages. There are rich descriptions of the area, the culture and the foods in Nigeria that I enjoyed. I also liked the romantic wedding that took place in Nigeria--even though it was just part of "the operation." At the same time, I did get a bit frustrated with the characters as they kept going...

  Dr. Ivy Collins is one driven lady. She is the head of a company and close to a breakthrough after years of hard work and research. Then one day she finds herself in a terrible position with some pretty awful people holding her hostage. Can she get out? If she does, how can she keep working on the project? U S Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon may be able to help her. Can he save her? Can he help her solve her work problems too? Malicious Intent starts out making my reader-heart pound and Lynn H. Blackburn doesn't give my heart much rest until the end of the book. This is romantic suspense series is one that I have really enjoyed. I like the characters. I like how they are real but also share their faith. I like the action. I like the romance. I think the cover is eye catching and works well for the book. Malicious Intent is the second book in the Defend and Protect series. I can't wait for the next book, which I hope is Zane and Tessa's story. I received a copy of this book...

  EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton starts out this book in the midst of a high stress situation. She just piloted a helicopter and had to make an emergency landing with a patient in desperate need of care on board. Add to that that her radio isn't working so she heads out to find help during a raging storm with a serial killer on the loose. Woah! Talk about starting out the book running! Life Fligh t by Lynette Eason is sure a page turner. The pacing in this book just keeps the reader on edge right through to the end. Life Flight is one wild ride for the reader going along with some interesting characters. Penny connects up with Special Agent Holt Satterfield as they both try to stay alive amidst the chaos in the area and just when you think they got the killer, you wonder, did they get the right man? There is a lot of action in Life Flight . I'll be honest, I like this author but this one creeped me out more than the usual Christian suspense book. The killer especially cree...