Blind Trust (The SNAP Agency #3) by Natalie Walters from Revell Publishing

ISBN: 9780800739805
$16.99 Paperback

My thoughts: The trio series about "The SNAP Agency" (think CIA and other alphabet governmental agencies) concludes with Blind Trust in  a convoluted, multi-storyline that features the dynamic duo Lyla and Garcia. This duo was one team of several in The SNAP  Agency and their relationship - working and personal - was most elusive.

The story opens with a threatening letter to Lyla from a man she helped put in prison (a crime-stoppers ongoing fear), and then that threat opens the door to cavernous situations and challenges both personal and professional for Lyla, Garcia, and other SNAP Agency team members.

Night Fall (The Quantico Files #1) by Nancy Mehl [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts:  Tagging along with the FBI and the Behavioral Analysys specialists the reader is dragged into the deeply disturbed, sordid, unbelievable psychosis of serial killers. Not only is the reader aghast at the throught processes uncovered as this individual moves through his/her plan to bring death and destruction to the forefront, but an unbelievably twisted religious cult and their secretative behavior and is at the root.

I, personally, don't like to engage mentally with deeply disturbed people on any level - in reality or in fiction. However, Nancy Mehl has woven a series of characters whose personalities, revealing their strengths and their weaknesses, so that I was figuratively able to ride upon their shouldters through the pages of this suspenseful thriller.

There is no "preaching" but there is a strong Christian presence manifested in the character's personal beliefs. But there is also a revelation of how destructive some cultic impositions by individuals in a family can be even when the child or adult manages to "escape" the constraints of the cult.

I look forward to reading future stories in The Quantico Files, but hope they are not involved in situations quite as raw as Night Fall.

About the book: 

For any little boy or girl who hears the Train Man speak,

Who feels his rancid breath caress their pretty cheek,

Must close their eyes, pretend to sleep, and very softly pray,

Or else the evil Train Man may carry them away.

Finally free of her troubled upbringing, Alex Donovan is able to live out her childhood dream of working for the FBI. But soon after she becomes a member of the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, authorities in Missouri contact them about bodies found on freight trains--all killed in the same way.

Alex never expected to be forced to confront her past in this new job, but she immediately recognizes the graffiti messages the killer is leaving on the train cars. When the BAU sends her to gather information about the messages from her aunt in Wichita, Kansas, Alex is haunted by the struggles she thought she'd left behind forever.

In a race against time to solve the case and recover a deadly virus sample the killer intends to spread, Alex must face how far she'll go--and what she's willing to risk--to put a stop to the Train Man.

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Ends April 30 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize is provided and mailed directly to the winner by publisher or author. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

Unknown Threat (Defend and Protect #1) by Lynn H. Blackburn from Revell Publishing [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts:  Unknown Threat begins with a burst of action and continues in an action-paced read until the very end. It seems there are threats on every side and these are directed to those who normally protect those to whom the threat is directed.

Strong, smart, experienced agents in the US Secret Service are being picked off one  by one by an unknown entity and for an unknown reason. The FBI is called in to assess the situation and take charge of security, protection, and finding the culprit or culprits responsible.

It is refreshing to read an action packed story that doesn't include "adult" scenes or language. One you could hand your teen or grandmother to read. Yet, it is not boring nor does it soft peddle the issues at hand.

The author has a reputation for good, clean, suspenseful reads and Unknown Thread does NOT disappoint. This new "Defend and Protect" series hold much promise for exciting, rewarding reads.

I especially enjoyed reading the story because it was set in Raleigh, NC. I've always lived in North Carolina and Raleigh is the capital. For years, I lived a 30-mile drive from Raleigh currently have family in the area. To imagine this story on the streets of this lovely city touches the heart. And to think of strong, smart, federal agents at work in our capital brings a sense of safety even though the story draws a not-safe scenario. I wonder if the upcoming books in "Defend and Protect" will be on the streets of North Carolina cities.

I highly recommend.  

About the book: US Secret Service Special Agent Luke Powell is lucky to be alive. Three of his fellow agents have died in unusual circumstances in the past ten weeks. Luke is devastated by the loss of his friends and colleagues, and his inability to locate the killer feels like a personal failure. He's an expert at shielding others, but now the protectors are in need of protection.

FBI Special Agent Faith Malone is driven to succeed and confident in her ability to solve every case she's assigned. She's been put in charge of the investigation into the unprecedented attacks, and with Luke's life in danger, the stakes have never been higher. But it's hard to know how to fight back when you don't know who the enemy is.

As more agents are targeted, Luke and Faith will have to work together to bring a killer to justice and prevent any more names from joining their fallen brothers and sisters on the Secret Service Wall of Honor.

GIVEAWAY

Begins March 6

Ends March 30 at 12:01 EDT

Open to Mainland USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given. Winner's prize copy if a copy of the book that I own and will be mailed to the winner by Vera who is not responsible for lost or misdirected prize. 

MIND GAMES (Kaely Quinn Profiler #1) by Nancy Mehl

ISBN: 9780764231841
Paperback $15.99
Purchase here

My thoughts:  The character Kaely Quinn is complex and psychologically frightening. Having been the daughter of a pathalogical serial killer and bearing the brunt of that association as it shapes her own life she is mentally convoluted. She is not inept socially but she is definitely a different sort of person. This ably suits her to discover the identity of serial killers as an agent of the FBI.

Being targeted by a new threat from a serial killer that includes her as the end target, she and a team of agents pursue the daunting task of discovering the mind of this monster as he, or she, goes on a spree of killing fulfilling the lines of the poem predicting his actions.

The suspense builds as several likely individuals are identified as probable murderers keeping the reader in suspense as Kaely Quinn's life is threatened.

Again, Nancy Mehl has written a highly readable suspense novel with primary characters whose faith leads them through their days and decisions.

About the book: Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.

When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.

Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else--including Kaely herself--is killed.

Read an excerpt - click here

Nancy Mehl (www.nancymehl.com) is the author of more than thirty books, including the Road to Kingdom, Finding Sanctuary, and Defenders of Justice series. She received the ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award in 2009. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their Puggle, Watson. She is part of The Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com, along with several other popular suspense authors. She is also very active on Facebook.

Purchase it now at Amazon - click here

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a copy by Bethany House Publishing to facilitate a review. Any opinions expressed will be mine alone and freely given. The winner's copy is to be provided by and mailed by the author or publisher.

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl [Giveaway]

ISBN: 9780764231841
Paperback $15.99
Purchase here

About the book: Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.

When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.

Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else--including Kaely herself--is killed.


Read an excerpt - click here

Nancy Mehl (www.nancymehl.com) is the author of more than thirty books, including the Road to Kingdom, Finding Sanctuary, and Defenders of Justice series. She received the ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award in 2009. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their Puggle, Watson. She is part of The Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com, along with several other popular suspense authors. She is also very active on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY

Begins December 1

Ends December 30 at 12:01 a.m. EST

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Purchase it now at Amazon - click here

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a copy by Bethany House Publishing to facilitate a review. Any opinions expressed will be mine alone and freely given. The winner's copy is to be provided by and mailed by the author or publisher.

Justice Betrayed A Memphis Cold Case Novel by Patricia Bradley

My thoughts:  Having read Patricia Bradley's previous Memphis Cold Case books, I was looking forward to Justice Betrayed (#3 in the series). Click titles for my reviews of previous titles: Justice Delayed and Justice Buried.

The story evolves around memory seeking and past glory loving folks and  Elvis Remembrance Events in Memphis. A cold case, also involving Elvis  impersonators holds a connection to current murderous plotting and happenings as well as to the murder of Detective Rachel's mother years ago. So essentially this book involves cold cases and the current plotting and ravings of a psycho murderer tying it all together.

The controlled romantic attraction between Detective Rachel Sloan and her "boss" Boone was well done and encouraging to read in fiction that attraction can be controlled and doesn't need to be electrifying.

I found parts of the story slow or rather unengaging for me; but on the whole, this is a good read and a good look at the entertainment scene of Memphis.

About the book: It's Elvis Week in Memphis, and homicide Detective Rachel Sloan isn't sure her day could get any stranger when aging Elvis impersonator Vic Vegas asks to see her. But when he produces a photo of her murdered mother with four Elvis impersonators--one of whom had also been murdered soon after the photo was taken--she's forced to reevaluate. Is there some connection between the two unsolved cases? And could the recent break-in at Vic's home be tied to his obsession with finding his friend's killer?

When yet another person in the photo is murdered, Rachel suddenly has her hands full investigating three cases. Lieutenant Boone Callahan offers his help, but their checkered romantic past threatens to get in the way. Can they solve the cases before the murderer makes Rachel victim number four?

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy fromm Revell Reads reviewer's program to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.

Blind Betrayal (Dependers of Justice #3) by Nancy Mehl [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts:  As usual, Nancy Mehl has written a story that has this reader on edge as the plot unravels layer by layer exposing a convoluted set of events that takes the Marshals on a treacherous journey with a journalist who was researching an expose that has brought her to the point of extreme peril.

The cast of characters are real, believable, totally fleshed out, and have this reader rooting for one or the other. I really liked Casey (the lady lead) and E.J. (the male lead). They have a history that blends good and bad memories yet it looks like the vibes between them foretell a definite romantc future for the two of them.

 Blind Betrayal has a full quoto of mean guys and good ones. The story seems to explode with the unthinkable becoming a very present reality.

This is another really good suspense story in the Defenders of Justice series by Nancy Mehl. I can hardly wait to see what Nancy Mehl is working on next.

About the book: U.S. Marshal Casey Quinn is tasked with escorting a reporter to testify before a grand jury regarding a missing environmentalist. At first, the assignment seems routine. But when it becomes dangerously clear that there's more to the story than anyone knows, Casey and two other marshals--one a man from her past--will have to do whatever it takes to survive.

GIVEAWAY

Begins May 5

Ends May 29 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I was provided a compimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given. Winner's copy is provided by the author and it will be mailed by author directly to the winner.

If I Live By Terri Blackstock, New York Times Bestselling Author Published by Zondervan

My thoughts:  An exciting, tense ending to a series that is written in a style that is both engaging and easy to read. While not on a level with the stridently ugly and vicious crime novels that flood the market, this series, and especially book #3 If I Live, is packed with tension, chases, capture, emotion, joy, grief, pain, and love.

Readers will sense the need to continue flipping page after page until they reach the end of this exciting finale.

As private investigator, Dylan, continues to aid Casey as she flees one scene after another because she is being pursued for crimes for which she is not responsible and as Casey faces challenge after challenge they both see God at work in their lives. Leading. Protecting. Comforting. Strengthening.

The revelation of criminal activity and those involved is surprising and reeks of the horror when the public faces criminal entities that work in the background and are not openly identifiable.

A good read and you will root for Casey and Dylan throughout.

About the book: THE HUNT IS ALMOST OVER.

Casey Cox is still on the run after being indicted for murder. The hunt that began with her bloody footprints escalates, and she’s running out of places to hide. Her face is all over the news, and her disguises are no longer enough. It’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes her.

Dylan Roberts, the investigator who once hunted her, is now her only hope. Terrifying attempts on Dylan’s life could force Casey out of hiding. The clock is ticking on both their lives, but exposing the real killers is more complicated than they knew. Amassing the evidence to convict their enemies draws Dylan and Casey together, but their relationship has consequences. Will one life have to be sacrificed to protect the other?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy from BookLook blogger review program on behalf of the publisher to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.

Pursued by Lisa Harris (Nikki Boyd Files #3)

My thoughts:  It is always a roller coaster ride when I read a Lisa Harris novel. She packs so much adventure and suspense into the pages and the characters are so likeable - unless, of course, they are the villains.

The Nikki Boyd series has this TBI agent pursuing the bad folks and this pursuit is colored by her own personal family history where she lost a younger sister to a terrible crime. She has deep concern and compassion to those affected by similar crimes and viciously and determinedly pursues the culprits. In Pursued the characters on the run are a mother and her young daughter who are trying to escape the clutches of the girl's father and his vast criminal involvement.

The chase involves one terrible incident after another with Nikki barely escaping serious injury or death. Her climbing skills are again called into play as she rappels down a mountain to check on an automobile accident victim.

This book is easy reading that is suspenseful and action packed. The Christian element is there in the moral compass of the characters and their mention of praying. No preaching or lengthy Biblical passages. A good, clean read.

About the book: Nikki Boyd's flight into Nashville was routine--until the crash landing at the airport.

When the dust settles, Nikki discovers that the woman who had been seated next to her on the plane is missing--and no one will admit she was ever there. When she learns that Erika Hamilton had been flying to Nashville with an air marshal as a key witness in an upcoming grand jury trial, Nikki wonders if her disappearance from the crash site means she's running from trouble--or straight into it. Before Nikki can even see her family, she and her team are pulled into a missing persons case where the motives are as unclear as the suspects.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lisa Harris has planted danger around every turn in this can't-put-it-down thrill ride that will leave you stunned.

Read an Excerpt of "Pursued" - PDF File

The Nikki Boyd series by Lisa Harris. All 3 books reviewed here on Chat With Vera!.
Check reviews out!

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and are freely given.

Jordyn Redwood begins new series with "Fractured Memory" [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts: I read and reviewed Jordyn Redwood's previous three books and thoroughly enjoyed them. Her first release from Love Inspired Suspense publishing is not a disappointment. An individual is thrust into the violence of the world of murder and intrigue and is the victim of the Hangman who has notoriously hung several victims.

Fractured Memory is a fast paced suspense with danger lurking and attempts to stamp out Julia's life at nearly every turn. Julia and Eli, her US Marshal protector, are thrown into a variety of situations where her safety is compromised and her life endangered.

I found Jordyn's medical expertise peeking through in circumstances throughout the book. Julia's profession as an ER nurse is an echo of the author's own experience in the pediatric ER. It is evident that both the protagonist and the author both share a love of the medical profession.

There is a touch of sweet romance blossoming between Julia and Eli but it is not an overpowering factor in the story. Redwood handles this very well and discretely.

I enjoyed Fractured Memory and look forward to more reads from Jordyn Redwood.

About the book: United States marshal Eli Cayne saved Julia Galloway's life once…and he's prepared to do it again. But his task would be easier if she could remember him—or the murderer who almost put her in an early grave and seems to be hunting her once more. To protect Julia from the latest threat against her life, Eli has to consider the possibility that he put an innocent man in jail. Julia has no memories of the serial killer called The Hangman, though, and no reason to trust Eli. But with the killer getting closer, she must work with Eli to confront her past—and the feelings growing between them.

GIVEAWAY

Begins July 31 

Ends August 15 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

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Read Jordyn Redwood's "Living In The Valley" experience here on Chat With Vera - click here

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the author to facilitate this review of my own opinions. I was not compensated.

"Living in the Valley" author Jordyn Redwood shares the valley a writer experiences

Do you ever find it funny when the entertainment media says such and such artist is on their comeback tour after (insert any length of time for a hiatus here) and most artists have had several different comebacks? I always wonder if there is a certain amount of time where a break must be explained. Maybe the artist wasn’t really on a planned break.
Maybe they were stuck in the valley.

My last book, Peril, was published in September of 2013. My latest book, Fractured Memory, just released this July. That’s nearly three years between books—certainly not ideal for building a readership. Every time I think of that gap between books, I cringe and shake my head. I feel like I’ve let my readers down and didn’t do anything to further my writing career.

ISBN13: 9780373677665

If only I had been sipping hot tea locked away in a cozy mountain cabin for all those years. Sadly, I wasn’t. I was still working on furthering my writing career. I just wasn’t getting any traction.

Readers may be unaware of the tumultuous waters that have been the Christian publishing industry over this time frame. I think I “got in” right before the torrent winds struck the industry. Fiction lines closed down. Publishers merged and others simply closed their doors. The e-book craze pushed book prices down so revenue was less. Well known authors were getting dropped from their contracts.

After the Bloodline Trilogy released, I wrote another book proposal that wasn’t picked up. I loved the series idea so much that I decided I would release it as an indie series, but my mistake was not immediately putting together another book proposal with a new and better idea.

At the time, I was pretty confident I’d have to establish myself as an indie writer—a whole other learning curve I’d have to get over. If I’m honest—I also hit a psychological roadblock and wondered if I’d ever break through and have another traditionally published book.

I was in the valley. Lost. Struggling. Unsure what direction to go. I contemplated my nursing career and whether or not I needed to take steps there to further my education and forgo writing altogether.
But while I was stuck, I was also more open to things I wouldn’t normally have considered. Desperation tends to do that to a person. While my eyes sought heaven and my mind plotted alternatives to a writing career, God began to toss manna my way.

An editor from Guideposts reached out to me and asked me to audition for a cozy mystery series. Never did I imagine I would even try that genre. I’m a thriller author at heart.

But, what else was I doing? What could it hurt?

The series didn’t move forward based on reader feedback, but it did prove I could write something out of the thriller genre that an editor liked.

Have I also mentioned I don’t consider myself a romance author? In the valley, God began to whisper about perhaps trying that as well. He literally kept me up at night thinking about the Love Inspired Blurb to Book contest and I entered because—what else was I doing?

And I won a contract—the day after I was turned down for a nursing promotion. Since then I’ve had a book proposal accepted for another two books with Love Inspired.

Through those years, I wanted to co-write books with another author. My agent now has me paired up with someone and is hopeful the proposal will be accepted. My indie book is done and now in the editing stage.

I won’t deny that the valley is hard. It feels oppressive at times not knowing what God’s Will is and what steps you should take.

But, the valley is also quiet. Quiet enough that God’s voice and gentle nudgings might actually break through the noise of your life to give you the direction you’ve been waiting and hoping for.
If you’re stuck in the valley, a low point, and you don’t know what to do and I could offer one suggestion it would be this . . .

Just be still . . . listen . . . pray . . . and know that God has not abandoned you.

Bio: Short bio: Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two medical thrillers, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal. Proof was shortlisted for the 2012 ForeWord Review’s BOTY Award, 2013 INSPY Award and the 2013 Carol Award. Poison shortlisted for the 2014 INSPY Award and the 2014 Selah Award. In addition to her novels, she blogs regularly at Redwood’s Medical Edge and the WordServe Water Cooler. You can connect with Jordyn via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, her website and via e-mail at jredwood1@gmail.com.

If I Run by Terri Blackstock [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts: The story is told from the viewpoint of the male and female protagonists. Casey is the young woman fugitive who is running for her life. Dylan is the young man who has been engaged by the parents of the slain man to find Casey who is suspected of killing their son.

As each speaks and we learn what is happening from their points of view. We  see an intelligent, strong young woman who has instincts for survival and the financial means to do so because she has a small inheritance from her deceased father. The death of this deceased father who was a cop is pretty much the key to the entire If I Run situation.

Dylan and, yes, Casey both are are dealing with the terrors of PTSD in their lives. His from serving in the military and her's from her father's death.

The side-plot in this story involves Casey discovering a crime of long-standing and sacrificing her own safety and fugitive status to rescue a victim of this crime. Exciting! Terrifying! Spellbinding!

As the reader flips page after page of this engaging read, he or she will find himself questioning "Would I run?" "Would I save the victim?" "Would I.......?"

About the book: Get ready for the newest thrill ride from New York Times bestselling author Terri Blackstock: If I Run!

Casey knows the truth.
But it won't set her free.

Casey Cox's DNA is all over the crime scene. There's no use talking to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she's arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn't matter anymore.

But what is the truth? That's the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren't adding up. Casey Cox doesn't fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan's skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn't guilty, why did she run?

Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan's damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.

Read the first chapter on Goodreads!

GIVEAWAY 

Begins January 27
ENDS February 15  @ 12:01 a.m. ET. 
 Open to USA addresses only.

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Author: Terri Blackstock has sold more than six million books worldwide and is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as the Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, Restoration, and Moonlighters series.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Litfuse Publicity Group on behalf of Zondervan Publishing and the author to facilitate this review. I was not compensated for the review and opinions are my own.