Justice Betrayed

Justice Betrayed Author: Patricia Bradley

Series: Memphis Cold Case #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 5, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

With Elvis impersonators, unsolved murders, and an unstable murderer, Justice Betrayed is bound to leave readers all shook up!

Detective Rachel Sloan thinks she is ready for whatever comes her way until an Elvis impersonator comes asking for her help. Vic Vegas knew her before her mother died and wants Rachel to help look into a cold case that might even be related to what happened to her mother. When Vic’s house is broken into and trouble follows the case, Rachel starts to think there might be more to this case than she or anyone else originally thought. As things heat up in the case, so does the tension between Rachel and her Lieutenant, Boone Callahan. They had a small spark between them once but were not able to pursue the relationship being in the same unit at the department. Trying to solve the case will take them working together and putting aside any differences they might have in order to stop a potential serial killer from claiming any more victims.

Patricia Bradley has found a knock-out formula for romantic suspense with the Memphis cold case series. The characters are real and easy to relate to and the story itself is one that readers will enjoy to the end. I found Rachel a great lead, she was sure of herself but not cocky. She went after what she wanted even if others around her didn’t agree with her decisions and she followed her heart and stayed true to that. I didn’t want to like Boone at first but it didn’t take long at all for him to grow on me and find myself not only routing for him but also the relationship between the him and Rachel. It was a fun mystery with the cold cases and the relationship between that and the murder of Rachel’s mother. I’m sure there is an entire circuit of people devoted to that and cases within as well so I enjoyed seeing how Bradley brought the story to life. This is one of those books that fans of not only Patricia Bradley but fans of romantic suspense in general will enjoy and want to continue the series to see what happens with the characters and what other cold cases they can try and solve.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A Rebel Heart

A Rebel heart Author: Beth White

Series: Daughtry House #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 5, 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

It is obvious through every page that Beth White has done her research and turned A Rebel Heart into a must read for lovers of historical fiction.

It’s been five years since the War Between the States ended and Selah Daughtry has worked day in and out to keep herself and her family safe, and fed. Their land is about to go under in debt and giving it up is the last thing she wants to do. When it seems like all hope is lost Levi Riggins, a former union cavalryman comes and starts to investigate some inconsistences and possible sabotage to the Daughtry family land. Selah doesn’t know if she can trust him when he tells her he can help save her land if she agrees to turn the family home into a hotel. Trusting Levi is the only option she has, what she didn’t expect was her heart to fall for him during this difficult time when love is the last thing she is looking for.

A Rebel Heart is the perfect book for lovers of historical fiction. With the setting in Mississippi and the family struggling to keep their land and each other together, the tension mounts quickly as the fight to keep what is theirs together. The connection between Levi and Selah is immediate and you know the tension between them is going to build to a romance they won’t be able to turn away from. I enjoyed the way Levi worked to keep his mission a secret and still do the work he was there to do. It was hard for him to keep his distance when he obviously wanted to be with Selah. The book kept a good pace throughout and I enjoyed the way it played out at the end leaving room for more to come but wrapping things up nicely.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Lone Witness

Lone Witness Author: Rachel Dylan

Series: Atlanta Justice #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: May 1, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An edge of your seat thriller in the world of white-collar crimes and gangs. Rachel Dylan has crafted a page-turner that must be read!

Sophie Dawson has recently been appointed to the White Collar division as a prosecutor and is intrigued at the idea of diving deeper into these crimes that affect so many. She is working on a case against a local bank employee who seemed to be cheating his clients out of money. In the middle of preparing for this case, she becomes the lone witness to a double murder with a member of a local gang leaving her far from the white-collar crimes she was working on. She needs security to stay safe, so her father hires former Atlanta police officer Cooper Knight, who is working in private security to be her protector. Sophie refuses to back down, even after her life is in danger more than once. Cooper works every angle he can think of to keep her safe while trying to avoid the growing feelings he can’t deny between the two of them.

Rachel Dylan’s background in law makes her work writing legal thrillers the perfect combination. At times, the legal jargon and courtroom scenes can slow the pace a bit but are necessary for the story and characters. Sophie may not want to admit it, but she is scared for what might happen as she pursues justice and tries to prove that she will not be walked over. There were several nice twists throughout, especially towards the end that caught me by surprise, not an easy thing to do either. I usually see the twists coming but this one did surprise me. The romance between Cooper and Sophie felt slightly forced at times but when put in a high stress situation it does make sense that feelings could escalate quickly. It is easy to think of crimes and exclude white-collar crimes because the physical damage isn’t seen, but it still affects many people and doesn’t need to be discounted for lack of visible carnage. Overall I really enjoyed Lone Witness and recommend it to fans of legal thrillers and romantic suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A Bundle of Colorful Yarns

A bundle of colorful yarns Author: Louis Winslow

Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing

Release Date: March 21, 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Eclectic is about the only word that you can describe this collection of short stories!

This book has several short stories that are enjoyable, different, and sometimes outright weird. These range from a story about a group of people hiking to an area in Mexico, a story about a vampire and wolfman, an abduction story, as well as story about the lottery. Some of the stories are pretty straightforward, just a glimpse into a day of the life of the main character. Other stories are really odd and we will just leave it at that for each reader to interpret for themselves.

Overall it was a very enjoyable collection because the stories were so different. Some of the stories had overlapping characters, which developed some of the characters a little bit more. The stories range from three or four pages up to twenty pages. If you are a fan of reading short stories that are a mixture of characters and themes, this book is for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Cutting Edge

Cutting Edge Author: Ward Larsen

Publisher: Forge Books

Release Date: January 23, 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A new type of super soldier that is hard to wrap your mind around!

Trey DeBolt is a young rescue swimmer with the coast guard stationed in Kodiak, Alaska. While out on a rescue, severe weather causes his team’s helicopter to crash. Everyone is killed, including Trey, or so it says on paper. Sometime later, Trey wakes up in a cottage in Maine with a personal nurse. She fills him in on some of the details of what has happened, but will provide very little information. She oversees Trey’s physical recovery and explains about the brain surgery that was required to save his life. One night while Trey is outside, a team of combat men show up and murder the nurse. As they try to find him, Trey dives in the freezing north Atlantic water and manages to swim away before they can kill him too. Now Trey has no money, no phone, no place to go, and no idea what is going on. However, he is starting to discover that he has new abilities. He can ask questions of his mind and discover details about people and places that he shouldn’t know. It’s almost as if his mind has full access to the internet. Is this why those men wanted to kill him?

Shannon Lund is a civilian officer with the coast guard investigative service (CGIS). While looking into the accidental climbing death of a coast guard member, things start to resurface for the case of Trey DeBolt. A private Lear jet took DeBolt to a hospital instead of an air ambulance. Further investigating tells her that it didn’t go to Anchorage as they were told, but changed the flight plan to Minneapolis and then dropped below 18,000 feet to go visual flight so they wouldn’t be tracked. Then she receives a call from a detective in Maine that Trey’s fingerprints have been found out a doorknob to a cottage by the coast that was destroyed in an explosion. Lund’s decision to further investigate could be the end of her career.

This was a new idea of a technological thriller. I enjoyed the way that Larsen played it out with Trey by slowly building up his abilities and scaring him half to death. It made it feel much more realistic than just suddenly having the full abilities at once. There was definitely some cat and mouse games going one with some of the characters, which made the story keep going strong in several places. The main characters were well developed, but sill flawed enough to keep it real. The plot was exciting and changed once or twice to keep me on my toes. And the twist was a surprise, but shouldn’t have been unexpected.

If you are looking for a new type of thriller, give this book a try . Then grab the Assassin series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Blind Betrayal

Blind Betrayal Author: Nancy Mehl

Series: Defenders of Justice #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: April 17, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Nancy Mehl’s newest installment to the Defenders of Justice series gives readers their favorite characters in the most heart stopping adventure yet.

In what starts out as a routine day escorting a reporter to Washington to testify before a grand jury quickly turns into the most dangerous assignment U. S. Marshal Casey Sloane has had yet. The witness was reporting on an up and coming environmentalist with potential ties to terrorism. As she and her partner are getting ready to transport their witness, their office is bombed leaving them unsure of who they can trust and where to go to stay safe. They flee with their witness and together, with an old flame from her past Casey, is tasked with doing all she can to keep everyone alive and safe.

As the final book in the Defenders of Justice series, Nancy Mehl has crafted a story that wraps up the series successfully and with as much, if not more, tension than all of the previous books. Each book is unique in its own way and can be read together or individually with equal enjoyment. I enjoyed the way this story was crafted showing how technology can be harmful and helpful at times. With the use of social media, Casey and her team found their way out of a tough spot that otherwise might not have given the team the help they needed. I liked Casey. She was tough but not over the top or even stubborn. Being a leading lady and in law enforcement, authors have to show these characters are able to keep up with their male counterparts and are not to be messed with but are still human and not exempt from harm or other problems. It would have been easy for Mehl to put the romance element at the forefront, but she kept the suspense tight throughout keeping me glued to the page until the very end. I enjoyed the secondary characters more than I thought I would at times, they helped carry the story along when it could have started to drag. Overall I enjoyed this book and recommend to fans of Mehl and those that enjoy romantic suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Send Down the Rain

Send Down the Rain Author: Charles Martin

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: May 8, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A great new story by one of my favorite authors!

Allie has had a rough life. What started as a promising childhood with loving parents owning a popular local restaurant was dashed when her father become addicted to gambling. Once her father went into debt, he started drinking, which led to physically abusing her mother. Her childhood sweetheart was lost to Vietnam. Her first husband was lost to drugs and trying to put him through rehab cost her the restaurant. Now her second husband has just been tragically killed in a crash with his semi not far from home. Even though their marriage was far from perfect, being left alone again might be all that Allie can take of life.

Joseph’s life isn’t perfect either. His father left him, his brother and mother when they were young. So they threw themselves into other things. Joseph became good at physical activities such as karate. His brother was good with people so he worked as a grocery sacker. Joseph ends up shipped to Vietnam where he serves four tours, but each tour takes its toll. He becomes a trained killer and is tasked to do things that never leave his dreams at night. He can never shake all the bad that he is done in life no matter how much good he does. This is why he has isolated himself in a cabin, but fate has ways of bringing people back together when they least expect it.

As usual, Martin brings an incredible story that life that is entertaining and heart wrenching all at the same time. Allie and Jo-Jo were meant to be together, but circumstances in life kept them apart. And they were not perfect by any means. That is one of the things I love most about the characters that Martin develops. Each character is extremely flawed and from the outside you would probably want to avoid them if you ever met them. But as you get to know them, their edges soften and you begin to understand them. In fact, you actually want to be friends with them. The unlikely cast of characters includes a drug addict, alcoholics, physical abuse, Vietnam war vet, and illegal immigrants.

This book is packed full of family issues, romance, PTSD, and even action with a Mexican drug cartel. But through all of the circumstances, wounds heal and they are able to become somewhat of a family. The theme of the story is forgiveness and it takes the entire story for Joseph to finally accept that. He has tried to atone for what the has done in the past through good deeds, but it is never enough.

There is so much that goes on in this book that the only way to understand it is to just read it. I highly recommend this book for readers that just want to enjoy a great story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The 49th Mystic

49th mystic Author: Ted Dekker

Series: Beyond the Circle #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 15, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Fans of Dekker can rejoice as he brings us back into the circle and the world we grew to love with Thomas Hunter. A book well worth the wait and meant to be enjoyed by all that call themselves part of The Circle.

Many years ago, a gateway to another world was opened with Thomas Hunter. His death was supposed to sever that gateway for good. For years, no one crossed over until Rachelle Matthews from Eden, Utah crossed that gateway. Rachelle has always been blind, but when she attempts a procedure to restore her sight she begins waking up in another reality and finds herself wondering which reality is real and which is a dream. In the new reality, she wakes up with her sight and abilities beyond her wildest dreams. There is an ancient prophecy that says she must find and recover five ancient seals that will have serious effects on both worlds. Her success will mean peace for all or keep both worlds locked in darkness forever.

Anyone that has read Ted Dekker knows that his writing is like no other. He isn’t afraid to dive deeper than most with his stories and take you on an adventure you will never forget. Fans of Dekker will without a doubt be familiar with his circle series and eager to pick up The 49^th Mystic to see where the story continues. I will say that if you haven’t read any of The Circle series, this book might be a little hard to understand at times. Readers can still enjoy the story but the backstory from the previous books will be beneficial. With all that being said, it is a wonderful story that I, along with others I’m sure, have waited years for. Even though this is a continuation of the circle series, in a way it is its own story, something that makes it perfect for new readers of Dekker.

Written with characters that are tough but also relatable, The 49^th Mystic has everything readers will want. There is a depth to the characters along with the storyline that will pull readers in and keep them until the very last page. I decided to take my time reading and really engross myself in the story, Dekker’s writing requires close attention so that the reader can see different connections throughout the book. Each chapter and each page contains minute details that drive the story forward and are not to be missed. Each character is vital and every word the characters say and action they take will lead to where the story is going to take you here and in volume two. It is almost cruel to make us wait even the few short months for the next one, but wait we will. Be ready to Dive Deep once more. I recommend this book highly to fans of Dekker’s previous novels and even to newcomers of his work with an open mind to enjoy a new story unlike any they have ever encountered.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Spirit of the Trail

SOTT Author: Carrie Morgridge

Publisher: MFF Publishing

Release Date: May 3, 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer; Jessica Higgins

Just when you think you are about to start an epic journey, you realize “epic” means different things to different people.

Spirit of the Trail follows John and Carrie Morgridge’s adventure along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride (GDMBR). The book kicks off with the idea that leads to a decision to do this grueling 2,700 mile ride from Canada into New Mexico. From there Carrie narrates their crazy decision with preparation, training, and traveling up to Canada. Once there, they realize that this is the last chance to turn back, but they press on. She then chronicles each day of the bike ride. She reflects on the hardships, successes, and natural beauty around them as they ride. She shows how this ride is changing her life and makes her more adventurous. She then challenges each reader to pick an adventure and just do it.

This was a fun and inspirational read. I love getting to read about real life adventures the make me want to run out the door and get started. We are an active family and it sounds like this might be something we would possible do one day. I like that they decided to do the trail on their own terms rather than with a tour group. I feel like you would get more out of it that way. If you are looking for inspiration this year, get started on this book right away.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Storm Front

Storm front Author: Susan May Warren

Series: Montana Rescue # 5

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 1, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A wild crazy ride with as many twists and turns as the twisters the characters are chasing.

Ty Remington has had a hard time forgiving himself for the helicopter crash that busted his knee and nearly killed the man he looks up to most, Chet King. Ty still works with PEAK rescue team, but can’t bring himself to get back in the helicopter and fly again. Brette Arnold disappeared from Ty’s life after only a few short days, but he can’t stop thinking about her. He felt they had an instant connection and still doesn’t understand what happened. When Brette found out she had cancer, she didn’t want to be dependent on Ty or anyone else so she ran to deal with it all on her own. Now, eighteen months later, she is finally healing but when she once again runs into Ty and she is afraid she won’t be strong enough to leave this time. Ty never knew of her diagnosis and when he sees her again he immediately knows something has been wrong and wishes he could have been there for her. As severe storms begin to ravish the area, Ty and Brette work together to help those around them and maybe help each other in the process.

The Montana Rescue series by Susan May Warren is fast becoming one of my favorite romantic suspense series. The characters are never boring and the situations they find themselves in, while maybe not realistic for everyone, are believable for where they are and what they do. These characters are tough, adventurous and really care for each other. We were introduced to Ty and Brette early in the series but haven’t seen Brette in a while and it was nice to see their story continue to unfold. I really enjoyed how Warren tackled the issue of cancer and how it affects so many, not just the person with the disease. It is a horrible illness that affects far too many and we got to see how difficult it can be to carry that burden alone and what happens when someone is there to help. God provides people to help carry us through the storms we may face in life, regardless of what the storm is, mental, physical nature, it doesn’t matter. The secondary story in Storm Front with Ben and Kacy continued from the first starting the series off. It is sad to think there is only one more book in this series. I don’t know that I am ready to see the stories of these characters wrap up. Readers need to be ready because Storm Front ends with a heck of a cliff-hanger making it oh so difficult to wait for the last in the series and find out what happened to these character. I highly recommend this book to fans of Warren’s writing and those that enjoy an action packed romantic suspense novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.