The Assault - A Review

Published - Bethany House, August 2017
Series - Harbingers Book 2
Authors - Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky
Title - The Assault
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book (Goodreads):
Cycle 2 of the Harbingers series continues the story of four gifted strangers brought together to fight a growing darkness. 

In Bill Myers's "The Revealing," the team finds themselves in Rome trying to retrieve the mystical spear Hitler once owned--the very spear that pierced Christ's side. This task will take them from hidden chambers inside the Vatican to a mysterious seaside cave with powers they could never expect.

Frank Peretti's "Infestation" unleashes a microscopic evil on the world that deceives, blinds, kills, then spreads. The Harbingers team must confront a monster bent on seducing and destroying mankind.

In "Infiltration" by Angela Hunt, the team is wounded and barely holding together. Forced to split up, they realize their investigations have led them into dangerous waters.

Alton Gansky's "The Fog" unleashes a supernatural mist unlike any other. There are vicious things in the fog that kill whatever they find. One team member realizes that the ultimate sacrifice may have to be made.

My Thoughts:
This is book 2 in the series. It needs to be read in order!

Picking up immediately after the events in the first book, I was glad to see that the fast-paced style that was the first book returned with this one. I'll admit though, that it took me longer to read it than the first one, mainly because I wasn't in a reading mood. That said, once I got into the book, I found it hard to put down.

I love the way that each novella builds on the previous one. They are not separate stories that could stand on their own like so many novellas I've read do. The characters and the stories are so intertwined, that when switching from one story to the next, I sometimes didn't even notice that I'd switched.

I am really enjoying getting to know Brenda, the professor, Andi, and Tank. I love how they continue to grow and change.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

I received a copy for free from the publisher to review. I was not required to like the book, only give my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Frank Peretti, Bill Myers, suspense

Rating - 4 stars

Drawing Fire - A Review

Published - June 2015, Tyndale House Publishers
Author - Janice Cantore
Series - Cold Case Justice Book 1
Title - Drawing Fire
Format - ebook, paper
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Homicide detective Abby Hart became a detective for the sole purpose of possibly solving her parents murders. But she's good at her job. There's a serial killer stalking elderly women in Long Beach, California. Her best lead happens to be the only witness to see a suspect flee from the scene of the latest murder, PI Luke Murphy. Luke was in the area searching for a runaway he's tracking when he happened to see the suspect flee the scene of the crime. Abby soon learns that this latest victim has ties to the governor, a man Abby would like to question about her parents' murders. She also learns that Luke has been haunted by the same case for years. His uncle was also murdered at the same time as her parents. The two begin to compare notes and discover that they have more questions than answers. But someone doesn't want them reopening the case. This person will stop at nothing to ensure that the case remains closed.

I've read some of Janice Cantore's books before and I've enjoyed them. This book was a fast paced thrill ride to the finish. I honestly don't know why it took me so long to get to reading it other than lack of time.

Anyway, I really enjoyed getting to know Abby and Luke. Both of them were shaped by one incident. I thought I knew the direction that the story was heading, and I was quite wrong. So the twists and turns kept me interested until the end. I do want to know what will happen to them in the next book.

I received this book for free from Tyndale via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Irene Hannon, Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason

Rating - 4 stars

Critical Pursuit - A Review

Published - Tyndale House Publishers August, 2013
Series - Brinna Carauso Book 1
Author - Janice Cantore
Title - Critical Pursuit
Format - ebook, paper
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Kidnapped and molested as a child, Brinna Carauso is now a police officer working with a search and rescue dog to ensure that child predators and sex offenders are caught. When she shots a suspect one evening during patrol, she's thrust into a media spotlight, especially since the 20th anniversary of her kidnapping is approaching. Asked to temporarily work with homicide detective Jack O'Reilly while the media circus is managed, Brinna and Jack soon find that patrols are anything but normal. Jack's burnt out after the death of his wife. He needs a change of pace. Yet they soon realize that the man who kidnapped Brinna as a child is still out there. Soon this pair will do anything they can to make sure that he's caught. But will they catch him before he abducts another child?

This is the first book I've read by Janice Cantore and it won't be my last. I've got some of  her others on my Kindle.

I wasn't expecting to be drawn in to the story like I was. Brinna has issues. Sure. But she's also determined to see that creeps like the man who kidnapped her are caught and that's a worthwhile goal. I found the book to be a very fast read. I enjoyed the suspense in the book as well.

I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the second one in this series.

I read this book for pure pleasure for the Tyndale Summer Reading Program. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Dani Pettrey, adventure, suspense, Irene Hannon.

Rating - 4 stars

Distortion - A Review

Published - March 2014, Zondervan Books

Author - Terri Blackstock

Series - Moonlighters Series book 2

Title - Distortion

Format - paper, ebook, audio

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Juliet Cole watches her husband murdered before her eyes. As she and her sisters navigate her new reality, Juliet unearths her husband's secret life. Did she really know the man she married? As the search for answers continues, Juliet realizes that she has put her sons in danger now too. What will she do to get to the truth?

I read the first in this series last year and enjoyed it. I found this one to be much more interesting than the first. I loved Juliet's search for the truth. I also loved how she wanted to shield her sons from their father's criminal activities.

In this book, I found the characters more developed than they were in the first. I really enjoyed Holly and Juliet. I thought the action was fast paced. I literally read this book at work during lunch/breaks over the course of a week. So it probably took me about 6 hours total to read. It drew me in from the first page and kept me going til the end.

I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson/Zondervan's Booklook Blogger program for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of suspense, Lynette Eason, Dee Henderson, Irene Hannon, Dani Pettrey

Rating - 5 stars - This may very well be my second favorite book by Terri Blackstock.

Misery Loves Company - A Review

Juliet Belleno has rarely left her home since her police officer husband was murdered in the line of duty a couple years ago. She spends most of her time on her blog and Facebook page. When she runs into her favorite author at the grocery store, she's thrilled to be able to talk to him. And that's the last thing that she remembers until she wakes up in a strange room. Why is she here? The bigger question is where is she? And why does the man who is holding her insist that she has something to learn? Sergent Chris Downey is determined to find her. After all he promised his best friend and her late husband he'd look after Jules. But as the clues to her whereabouts lead to seemingly dead end after dead end, Chris uncovers some information about Jason's death that has him more determined to find Jules. But the clock is ticking. For all involved.

It's been a while  since I read a book written by Rene Gutteridge. I'd forgotten how suspenseful her books are. This one literally kept me guessing throughout. I wasn't sure how Jules's kidnapping would connect with Chris's investigation and I sure didn't see the way that they connect coming! Juliet had to learn some painful lessons including how to fully trust God. I won't giveaway the reasons she was kidnapped or who kidnapped her, but trust me  when I say this is a book worth reading!

I received this the Kindle edition of this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of suspense, mysteries, thrillers, Colleen Coble, Steven James, DiAnn Mills

I also read this as part of the Tyndale Summer Reading Program.

Rating - 4.5 stars. Which I'll round up to 5 stars.

Full Disclosure - A Review

Midwest Homicide Investigator, Ann Silver, showed up in Chicago to attend a Cubs baseball game. She just needed to make one stop first. When FBI agent Paul Falcon meets the woman who has a tip for him regarding a long-time serial killer case he'd been investigating, he wasn't expecting the tip to turn out to be the best lead he'd had on the case. Paul's and Ann's  paths cross continuously as he works all new leads on his case. When she drops another case of a lifetime into his lap, he knows he'll stop at nothing to figure out the details of that case as well as the details of who Ann is. He's starting to get under skin as well. When all the secrets come to light, will Paul and Ann find a way to move to a future together?

Dee Henderson is back and with a book that brings a cast of new characters as well as some very familiar faces in it. I didn't expect the twists regarding some of the familiar faces, but the explanation makes sense. And then there's Ann. I couldn't help but love her. I'd figured out that the two case Paul was working on would tie together in someway, but was not expecting it to be the way that it did. I also figured that Ann had more secrets than what she was on the surface and Paul actually took the time to ferret them out while still giving her space. The last 20-40 pages, I literally couldn't put it down. To the point of my ignoring my very hungry kitty until after I'd finished reading the book. I don't know if this is a stand alone novel or the start of a new series. It could go either way, but I was thrilled to be able to read it. While it doesn't hold the same appeal as the O'Malley series, I will say that this is a page-turner and well worth the long wait.

I was provided an Advance Reader's Copy of the book from the publisher and the Full Disclosure Facebook page for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This book releases on October 2, 2012.

Rating - 5 stars

Stangler Figs - A Review

A dead pregnant woman. A murdered priest. That's the story reporter Ramona Jackson is asked to investigate. What she doesn't realize is that the story is bigger than she even thought and she is drawn into a web of intrigue. Forced into hiding, she soon finds herself in way over her head and decides to seek answers. Her quest for the truth leads her and two friends on an international chase that not only turns up answers regarding the murdered priest but also brings the mysteries of Ramona's past and her ancestry to light. Will she become the next victim or will she find the answers she seeks?

I only knew of this novel due to the fact that I know the author's daughter. And as a favor to my friend, I read the book. I didn't have any preconceived expectations about this book or what to expect. It's based in part on a novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. What I wasn't expecting was to be sent on an adventure that crossed continents.Sure some of the theological ideas I took an exception to, but I had the same reaction with Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. A couple of spots, the violence was pretty graphic, but having read things with far more detail in the past, I really just skimmed through those sections. I'll admit that a couple of times I did fall asleep while reading it. But I kept hanging onto my seat as I read because the twists and turns weren't what I expected. Overall, it was a very entertaining book.

I paid for the Kindle edition of the book. The author did not ask me to review the book. And her daughter wanted me to give my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of the DaVinci Code, suspense fans, adventure lovers

Rating - 4 stars

The following is not part of my review on Amazon or Goodreads


This is not a book I would classify as Christian fiction. There are mentions of God and religion plays a big part of the story, but as far as what is actually classified as Christian fiction, this is not. For my readers who only read Christian fiction, this would not be a book I would recommend to you. But if you are a reader who reads pretty much anything, like me, then this just may be a fun book for you to try.

Not This Time - A Review

Beth Dawson's best friend's, Sara, husband has been kidnapped. There's been a gas attack at a local wedding. Sara's been acting odd. The authorities find links between the kidnapping and the gas attack and a terrorist organization. Beth doesn't know who to trust. Because appearances aren't what they seem. Can Beth and the authorities find the answers and stop events from getting Beth or Sara killed?


The third book in Vicki Hinze's Crossroads Crisis Center Series, starts off with a bang. Literally. A fast paced thrill of a ride that kept me guessing the entire book. I didn't put the pieces together until the last few pages. While this is the third in a series, readers don't have to have read the other two to understand this. Fans of mystery and suspense will enjoy this book.

Rating - 4 stars

I received this book for free from Waterbrook/Multnomah's Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to like the book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.