The Deadly Shallows
– Dani Pettrey –
Coastal Guardians #3
Bethany House Publishers
Published 5 July 2022
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I didn’t even know I was in the mood for a good suspense novel when I started Deadly Shallows but that’s exactly what I got.
Tag: Suspense (Page 1 of 12)
These Deadly Games
– Diana Urban –
Wednesday Books
Published 1 February 2022
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I’m not entirely sure if I am super impressed with this book, super annoyed or impressed that it both intrigued me and annoyed and horrified me at the same time. Can one be so conflicted about a book? I’m going to lay out the good and the annoying.
These Deadly Games is a thriller that leads its main character Chrystal on a wild game that very quickly turns deadly. No end of twists, puzzles, dares and tasks that might seem innocent but quickly turn deadly. This mystery thriller is high stakes and there are some very serious consequences.
For Chrystal, her focus is completely set on winning a spot in her friends’ esports team. The prize money would ensure her family could stay in their home. But when she receives a text with an image of her younger sister tied up with a message – complete the dares or she dies. Chrystal must decide – her sister or her family’s future? Can she do it all and make sure her friends never learn the truth?
Life Flight
– Lynette Eason –
Extreme Measures #1
Revell
Published 4 January 2022
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If you enjoy books that will have you checking over your shoulder and keeping the lights on at night, then you’ll enjoy Life Flight. A mix of romance, suspense and mystery as the characters race to stay out of the crosshairs of a serial killer.
When Penny Carlton is forced to make an emergency landing during a medial evac flight, she doesn’t expect to find herself the target of a dangerous serial killer. But that’s exactly what happens when a storm takes out her tail rotor blade and she sets out on foot to find help. It’s the perfect night for an escaped prisoner. Dark, wild and stormy. And a helicopter might be the perfect ride out of there. That’s exactly what FBI Agent Holt Satterfield must prevent. With danger closing in and time running out, Penny and Holt team up, because surviving this night is not the only danger they will face as they race to track down this serial killer before he claims more victims.
Sunrise
– Susan May Warren –
Sky King Ranch #1
Revell
Published 4 January 2022
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I do so love it when my favourite authors are consistent in their writing. And Susan May Warren has to be one of the most consistent at writing amazing, thrilling, romantic novels. I know when I open a SMW novel that I can sit back, relax (or tense up, because let’s face it, those characters are about to be tested to their very limits) and just enjoy.
Another new book from another new series by Susan May Warren and she brings all her excellent storytelling, epic plots and relatable characters. Plus that romance we know and love.
The Escape – Lisa Harris – US Marshals #1 – Revell – Published 3 November 2020
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Synopsis
US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are thrust into a high-profile case when they are called on to transport two prisoners across the country on a private plane. But when the plane experiences engine trouble en route from the Pacific Northwest to Colorado, the pilots crash-land the aircraft deep in the heart of the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest.
When Madison and Jonas regain consciousness, they find both pilots and one prisoner dead–and one fugitive on the run. They’ll have to negotiate the rugged and remote backcountry through Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado while tracking a murderer who is desperate to disappear–and will do anything to stop them.
My thoughts
A new series by Lisa Harris, this book will have you on the edge of your seat as the characters chase down an escaped felon.
Madison and Jonas are US Marshals. Their assignment is to transport two prisoners, but when their plane goes down they must fight to survive the elements and to find their escaped prisoner. But he always seems to be one step ahead of them and they will have to fight for their lives if they can try and outwit him.
The Escape is the first book in a new series. Judging from the ending, the next book in the series will continue the investigation into Madison’s husband’s murder. We readers are given just a few clues right at the start of the book and the end of the book, but otherwise the story remains focused on the escaped prisoner and trying to recapture him.
The Price of Valor – Susan May Warren – Global Search and Rescure #3 – Revell – Published 6 October 2020
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Synopsis
Former Navy SEAL Hamilton Jones thought that the love of his life was dead. But when a girl claiming to be his daughter shows up with a dire message from his wife, Ham knows he will stop at nothing to find her and bring her home.
Kidnapped by rebels while serving as an interpreter in Ukraine, Signe Kincaid has spent the past decade secreting out valuable information about Russian assets in the US to her CIA handler. Fearing for her daughter after being discovered as an operative, Signe sends her to Ham for safekeeping. She’s ready to give her life for her country, and she can hardly expect Ham to rescue her after breaking his heart over and over.
When Ham discovers the reason Signe has kept her distance, he must choose between love for his wife and love for the nation he has vowed to protect. Will he save the many? Or the few?
My thoughts
Another thrilling offering from suspense pro Susan May Warren. While writing this review of Price of Valor, I had to go back and check my reviews of Warren’s previous books to make sure I wasn’t using the same lavish praise phrases, but you could read any of my reviews of any of her books and apply it to Price of Valor, because her books are just that consistently good and I loved this book just as much as all her other books.
Price of Valor is the third book in the Global Search and Rescue series. I recommend reading the series in chronological order, as the characters arcs overlap the books and it is much easier to follow their backstories by reading the lead-in to their stories in the previous books. Each book is as exciting and engaging as the last, so it’s no hardship to read them all.
Price of Valor features Ham, leader of the search and rescue company, ex-military, and father – surprise. He never knew he and his wife had a daughter, nor that his wife actually survived the incident he thought she had died in. Instead, she and his daughter have been living in a terrorist’s training camp. Another surprise – his wife is CIA operative. Now, she has sent their daughter to live with Ham while she tries to bring down the head of the terrorist organisation. Ham wants to help but he can’t risk his new-found daughter’s safety, nor does he know if Signe is the same woman he married all those years ago or if life undercover has changed her.
Point of Danger – Irene Hannon – Triple Threat #1 – Revell – Published 6 October 2020
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Synopsis
Radio talk show host Eve Reilly is used to backlash from her pot-stirring on-air commentary and interviews, but now it seems a disgruntled listener is resorting to more than angry words to express their displeasure. When a suspicious package arrives on her doorstep, Eve turns to law enforcement for help.
Police detective Brent Lange can’t find any evidence to link the string of unsettling incidents that follows, but he’s convinced they’re connected. As the harassment grows more menacing, it becomes clear someone wants Eve’s voice silenced–permanently.
But unless he can track down her foe, fast, the gutsy woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes–and who is swiftly winning his heart–may not survive.
My thoughts
I have been a fan of Irene Hannon’s suspense novels for a long time. They follow a consistent pattern of strong characters solving complex cases. While I loved the suspense in this book, with misdirects, lots of perspectives from different characters to confuse the reader as to who was behind everything and a massive surprise when the bad guys were revealed, the book has a political undercurrent that comes through the characters’ actions and statements, as well as the positioning of other characters and events, which detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
Eve Reilly hosts a radio talk show where she shares and defends her controversial, conservative beliefs. But when a bomb is left on her doorstep, it seems someone wants her to stop talking. With the help of Police Detective Brent Lange, Eve decides she won’t back down as the police try to discover who is behind the threats, even as more threats emerge and grow increasingly menacing.
The romance between Eve and Brent evolves in Hannon’s usual style, with instant attraction and a growing connection between the characters as they work the case. Eve and Brent also have the opportunity to talk about their past relationships.
Aftershocks – Marisa Reichardt – Amulet Books – Published 29 September 2020
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Synopsis
When a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hits California, Ruby is trapped in a laundromat with Charlie, a boy she had her first conversation with only moments before. She can’t see anything beyond the rubble that she’s trapped beneath, but she’s sure someone will come save them soon. As the hours and days tick by, Ruby and Charlie struggle to stay hopeful—and stay alive. Ruby has only Charlie’s voice and her memories to find the hope to keep holding on. Will the two make it out alive? And if they do, what will they have lost to the earthquake?
My thoughts
How long could you survive? Faced with life and death, could you do what it takes to make it through a major natural disaster? And if you do survive, how do you know what to do next? Aftershock is an original and insightful novel about survival, friendship, doing the right thing, facing your mistakes and learning to continue to live after surviving it all, all set against the heart-stopping suspense of an earthquake.
We often hear about natural disasters on the news. The number count of who survived and who didn’t. But what about the stories of those who live through such an event? I don’t often see disaster novels come across my radar and I’m so glad I found this one. It a great mix of realistic fiction and action. Every moment is both tense and yet also introspective. It’s a story about connections. It’s a story about mistakes and learning to live with them. It’s also a story about doing the right thing in really hard situations. Aftershock touches on some interesting and important themes alongside the main story of surviving an earthquake.
Ruby has blown off water polo practice after learning her mother is dating her coach. She knows how her friends will react, especially volatile Mila. Her plan is to convince the cute guy waiting at the laundromat to buy her alcohol. What better way to drown her sorrows than getting drunk? That plan goes awry when a massive earthquake brings the building down around them. Trapped and alone, Ruby and the guy – Charlie, she learns – struggle to survive. But as they wait hours for a rescue that might never come, they find themselves sharing their secrets, regrets and a desire to do things differently once they escape.
Airborne – DiAnn Mills – Tyndale House Publishers – Published 8 September 2020
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Synopsis
Heather Lawrence’s long-awaited vacation to Salzburg wasn’t supposed to go like this. Mere hours into the transatlantic flight, the Houston FBI agent is awakened when passengers begin exhibiting horrific symptoms of an unknown infection. As the virus quickly spreads and dozens of passengers fall ill, Heather fears she’s witnessing an epidemic similar to ones her estranged husband studies for a living–but this airborne contagion may have been deliberately released.
While Heather remains quarantined with other survivors, she works with her FBI colleagues to identify the person behind this attack. The prime suspect? Dr. Chad Lawrence, an expert in his field . . . and Heather’s husband. The Lawrences’ marriage has been on the rocks since Chad announced his career took precedence over his wife and future family and moved out.
As more victims fall prey days after the initial outbreak, time’s running out to hunt down the killer, one who may be closer to the victims than anyone ever expected.
My thoughts
I’m sure when DiAnn Mills was writing Airborne she had no idea that it would be released in the midst of a global pandemic, where a deadly virus was spreading throughout the world. It certainly made for some timely reading. Fortunately for the characters, they had a chance to stop the spread of their deadly virus and limit the contagion to just an airplane. Unfortunately, for the characters, their virus results in horrific symptoms and death. Airborne is a tense and thrilling read, with lots of suspects to doubt and a complicated investigation.
When FBI Agent Heather Lawrence takes her planed holiday to Salzberg, Germany, it’s not the romantic trip she imagined. Instead of being with her husband, they’ve separated and he has filed for divorce. When a terrible virus breaks out on the plane, their journey is halted as the authorities decide how to handle the situation. As the bodies start to pile up and the conditions onboard worsen, it begins to look like a deliberate act. Number one suspect is Dr Chad Lawrence, Heather’s husband and an expert in viruses, but does he have motive to want Heather dead?
The Crushing Depths – Dani Pettrey – Coastal Guardians #2 Bethany House Publishers – Published 30 June 2020
♥♥♥♥/♥
Synopsis
When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker, Coast Guard Investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are flown to the scene thirty-eight miles from shore. Tensions aboard the rig are high, and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the “plague on the environment” from continuing its work. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating on board about an ancient curse lurking in the depths below.
Mounting evidence shows the death might not have been an accident. Was the man killed by one of the activists or, more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only numerous suspects, but also their own haunted pasts and their attraction to each other.
Just as the case seems about to break open, worse news arrives: a tropical storm has turned their way. Now they’re cut off from any rescue–right where the killer wants them.
My thoughts
The Crushing Depths is the second book in the Coastal Guardian series. This series follows a team of Coast Guard Investigators as they seek justice. Action, tension, mystery and romance create a compelling story.
A death on an oil rig seems like an unfortunate accident, but Coast Guard are called to investigate the details of what happened. Investigators Rissi and Mason are flown to the rig, but their helicopter crashes on its way. Both investigators are fortunate to survive and even more determined to find out what is going on. Their investigation leads them to consider the rising tension between the rig crew and a group of environmental protestors and rumours of a curse that has the men on edge.
Book two in this Coastal Guardians series follows Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers. Rissi and Mason were childhood friends. They both resided in a children’s home, following the breakdown of their own families. They both suffered horrific trauma and abuse in that children’s home. They were each the other’s support system. They were separated and only found each other recently. Working together gives them a chance to reconnect, but it is quickly clear to both of them that their past ties them together and their feelings run far deeper than friendship. Alongside their deepening feelings, both Mason and Rissi must face the hurts of their past. Flashbacks give the reader some insight into the trauma they faced. It gives a solid background to their romance and justifies why their feelings deepen so quickly.
