When a massive earthquake levels the region, secrets and unknown dangers are exposed…
The ground in still-icy Yosemite National Park isn’t stable, and K-9 handler Von Sharpe fears the worst. But his worries are pushed aside when he sees an SUV viciously forced off the road…with his ex-fiancée at the wheel. It’s only when Stella Rivers steps out of the vehicle that the very ground under their feet cracks and breaks with the onslaught of a terrifying earthquake. When her meeting with a mysterious client is ambushed, Stella witnesses the man being gunned down by a sniper and becomes a target herself. With the threat of aftershocks triggering landslides and floods, the new mom has no choice but to run to save her baby girl—even if it means teaming up with the man who has no idea he fathered her child. Trapped in a dangerously unstable wilderness with a killer closing in, Von and Stella are running out of time to get to safety. And every fissure reveals a new secret that will shake them to their foundation…
Dana Mentink is a USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author. She’s written more than forty mystery and suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense, Harvest House, and Poisoned Pen Press. She is honored to have received two ACFW Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion Award, and a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Please visit her on the web at http://www.danamentink.com to sign up for her newsletter, or find her on Twitter, Facebook and Bookbub.
My Impressions
“Stella Rivers scoured the dense shrubbery like she’d been doing for the past hour as if the branches might somehow reach out and snatch her van off the mountain road. Ridiculous, but the isolation raked her nerves.”
Yikes!! Dana Mentink knows how to build tension in the first sentence, and in Trapped in Yosemite, that tension only gets more and more taut until the last sentence!
Stella Rivers is an arborist with something to prove and a nine-month-old daughter to support on her own. She becomes a human target while going to an appointment near Yosemite. As Stella flees, her vehicle is destroyed, and she is rescued by her former fiancé, Von Sharpe. Von is ex-military and grudgingly leads tours in Yosemite at his brother’s wilderness survival camp.
Stella is keeping a huge secret from Von and has put up a wall around her heart. She vows to stay away from Von and to never make him as important in her life as he once was. “She wouldn’t and couldn’t make him her everything, the source of her happiness and fulfillment.”
Von doesn’t understand how to deal with a young child, but his precious Malinois is like a child to him. Burned once by Stella, Von finds himself protecting her from incredible natural and human disasters. Von doesn’t believe God gives second chances, and he’s not about to give himself or Stella any grace.
I loved the eventual solution to Stella’s mysterious stalker. I didn’t see it coming until just before the reveal.
If you love high-octane romantic suspense with mystery or secret baby trope, you will enjoy Dana Mentink’s Trapped in Yosemite.
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. I also purchased my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Why hadn’t he told her the truth? Truth and facts were what kept people alive.”
“If you aren’t tied together by God, the world will tear you apart in short order.”
“‘You weren’t put on this planet to be happy.” ‘Tate’s equanimity only infuriated Von further. ‘Yeah? Then why am I here, oh, wise sage?’ ‘To learn how to love.’”
“‘I try very hard not to dwell in what ifs.’ That would turn into a spiral of intrusive thoughts that would hold her hostage. “
“Love couldn’t be enough without the bedrock of faith.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An exciting, clean, and faith-filled high-octane novel with both a dog and a baby!
When Sergeant Daria Gordon saves US Marine Jake Fisher and his baby niece from an attacker, she instantly puts a target on her own back. Someone murdered Jake’s sister, and now they want Jake and Daria dead. To survive, Jake and Daria must discover this ruthless killer’s identity. But can they uncover the truth and keep the baby safe . . . before the killer finds them?
Award-winning author Loretta Eidsonloves writing inspirational romantic suspense. Her first novel, Pursued in the Wilderness, published by Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, won the 2023 Romance Novel of the Year award in AWSA’s (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) Golden Scroll Awards and was a finalist in the 2023 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Director’s Choice Award in General Fiction.
She believes in the power of prayer and enjoys challenging her characters to trust God in all things. Loretta is an AWSA Certified Coach for aspiring writers, and she lives in North Mississippi, close to her family.
More from Loretta
One of the fun parts I enjoyed writing in The Marine’s Deadly Reunion is the interaction between US Marine, Jake Fisher, and his eighteen-month-old niece, Emma. He knows nothing about caring for a baby. He thinks if he isn’t hungry, Emma isn’t either. During one scene, he glances at her in the rearview mirror. She had tossed everything out of her diaper bag and found her juice cup. He grins, thinking this little human is self-sufficient and they’ll get along just fine.
My Impressions
“Something isn’t right. ‘Daria, I just received word from my confidential informant that this case isn’t over…And they’re after the rest of the evidence.’”
Can old friends from another lifetime reconnect in their new lives to help solve a murder and to keep a town safe? Loretta Edison brings us this question, along with a myriad of others, in The Marine’s Deadly Reunion. Police Sgt. Daria Gordon attempts to break up a parking lot scuffle, only to find her middle school best friend. Long since moved away, and now a former Marine Sergeant, Jake Fisher is furious that she intervenes in his protection of his 18-month-old niece, whose parents he believes were murdered. Can Daria and Jake get past their own ideas of “doing their job” their way and make room for help from each other? Both Jake and Daria have to relearn trust in God and their fellow man.
Did I say fellow man? Maybe bad word choice. Nobody is trustworthy, except hopefully our protagonists, until the end of the story. Now I know why I wear a neck pillow when I read. Eidson will whip you back and forth so fast, as you think you know the antagonist, then pull that rug out from underneath you and set you on another direction. ( Full-speed, of course!) Then, extreme action, apparent quiet, but no, that wasn’t the answer to safety for Jake, Daria, and little Emma, either! Back off to the races you go! I don’t think I’ve ever seen an author who made me think “peace and safety” so many times, and then added so many twists!
As the stakes heighten, Daria and Jake both individually realize their need to return to faith and prayer. I appreciated that their prayers were included. As Daria reminds Jake, “God hears all prayers, including yours and mine. Prayers don’t have to be perfect.”
The novel is brightened by the season, as well as baby Emma. I also loved the short respites of time Daria and Jake share with Robert and Gina. Those are precious.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also purchased my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Magnificent! I would advise a neck pillow when reading, to avoid whiplash!! ☺️
A heart-pounding tale of danger and devotion, the riveting second installment of the Wright Heroes of Maine series by a USA Today bestselling author.
CIA agent Michael Wright’s world crumbles when his girlfriend, Leila, is snatched off the street and later seen in the grasp of a terrorist he’s been tracking, Michael blames himself. Keeping his identity secret from her clearly didn’t protect her. Now he must defy the Agency and fly to Iraq to rescue her.
Leila Amato escaped Iraq a decade earlier, only returning in her worst nightmares. But those nightmares have come true when she finds herself captive and all alone, or so she thinks until she sees her identical twin sister.
Michael tracks Leila to a desert compound, but his rescue mission goes awry when he discovers her sister needs to escape as well. His detailed strategy can only ensure one woman’s safety. Now they’re on the run, trying to get out of the country before their enemies track them down.
But Leila’s kidnapping is only one small part of a larger plot—one that endangers thousands of lives—and now he can’t trust anyone. Not even the woman who’s stolen his heart. A woman who’s been keeping secrets of her own…
A high-stakes international chase full of romantic suspense, spies, and a ticking time bomb that will keep you reading all night long.
Robin Patchenis a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Nutfield Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. After college, working in marketing and public relations, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while she homeschooled her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
More from Robin
I spent a week this year serving refugee women on the Greek island of Lesvos. Along with helping to distribute food and clothing, I gave hand massages. It seems like such a little thing, but it was powerful.
Many didn’t speak English, and I found it difficult to connect even with those who did. What do I have in common with women escaping war or oppression?
But I could perch on a tiny stool at their feet and rub lotion on their hands. I didn’t know their stories, but God did. So while they chatted with friends in languages I couldn’t understand, I prayed silently. As I did, God stirred in me a deep love for each one.
Imagine the courage it must take to leave everything you know—your home, your community, in some cases, even your family—to seek freedom. Imagine how desperate or afraid or, frankly, hopeful a person must be to attempt it.
The heroine in Rescuing You did just that. An Iraqi who came to Christ as a teenager, Leila feared her family would discover her secret and felt she had no choice but to run away. Resettled in Germany, away from her mother, father, and twin sister, she built a life for herself and fell in love.
And then someone snatched her back to Iraq.
Rescuing You is about a man determined to save the woman he loves. It’s about a woman willing to risk everything for the freedom to…
…Love the man she chooses
…Live a life of purpose, and mostly…
…Worship the One True God
It’s easy to take our freedom for granted—and to forget that true and lasting freedom isn’t political or social but spiritual. Christians are free in Christ no matter what their society looks like.
But what an incredible blessing to live in a free country.
Rescuing You barely scratches the surface of the refugee crisis. It’s mostly about a man and a woman and whole bunch of terrifying villains. Even so, I pray it’ll stir in you a deep love for refugees seeking freedom worldwide. Pray for them and for the nations they’ve escaped. Our world needs Jesus.
My Impressions
“She was keeping secrets, but he was too. And he wasn’t ready to reveal his.”
Honestly, I fell in love with one of Robin Patchen’s books about another Wright brother, so I knew I had to read the stories of the other brothers as they are launched in this series, The Wright Brothers of Maine. Rescuing You is the second book of the series, and features the story of Michael and Leila. Michael, an undercover CIA agent in Germany, is horrified to find his girlfriend has been kidnapped by Vortex, the terrorist he is trailing.
Leila is a native Arab who left Islam to turn to Jesus. Her captors would not treat her well for defecting from the faith, their perception of a Middle Eastern woman’s role, or her first escape into Germany. Michael chomps at the bit when histeam leader, Brock, asks him to remove himself from the situation and let the team handle it.
Explosions, daring escapes, and shoot-outs up the suspense ante. Ruthless, strategic terrorists and a sick twin complicate matters. As does the fact that Michael does not stand down as told, nor does Leila like to be given commands without knowing ‘why.’
Secrets. This novel is all about secrets and trust. Both Michael and Leila hold dangerous secrets, and both need to learn to trust God and other people if they are to survive. There were a few times each I wanted to sit Michael and Leila down and “straighten them out, but good!”
Rescuing You is a novel that will also have you thinking about what some immigrants are willing to endure to reach our shores. By the end of the book, you’ll be looking to tie up a few loose ends and read more of the Wright brothers’ stories, starting with Bryan’s adventures in Finding You.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“But in his arrogance—and his fear—he’d gone it alone. As he so often did. And because of that, he’d lost…everything.”
“Hope seemed lost, but God was a God of hope, wasn’t He?”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Magnificent!! Ready for the other brothers’ stories!
When bones are found at an unmarked grave site—and then shots are fired—forensic anthropologist Jordyn Miller knows someone wants old secrets to remain buried. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth about these suspicious deaths, including accepting the protection of her ex-boyfriend, Constable Colt Peters, and his K-9. But with targets on their backs, can Jordyn stay alive long enough to bring a serial killer to justice?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Crisis Rescue Team
Book 1: Fatal Forensic Investigation Book 2: Explosive Christmas Showdown Book 3: Mountain Abduction Rescue Book 4: Buried Grave Secrets Book 5: Yukon Wilderness Evidence
About the Author:
Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at http://www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.
My Impressions
“…forgive yourself first…It’s time to put the darkness behind us. Until light shines again, we’ll never move on…”
I would never want to live in this book, Buried Grave Secrets, by Darlene L. Turner. Yet, I sure enjoyed visiting Charock Harbour, Maine, from the safety of my armchair. Dr. Jordyn Miller is a part-time forensic anthropologist who is struggling to succeed without using her political father’s name. She would rather not have the protection he provides, either, especially when it comes in the form of Constable Colt Peters, whom she dated previously, and his K-9 co-worker.
Danger abounds. Lynx are at large. An unknown shooter takes aim. Bones threaten to reveal a past reality no one wants. Weather makes for even more suspense. Then there is the danger to two hearts, feeling betrayed and lonely.
I take notes when I read a book. This time, I was also jotting down names and alibis, or lack thereof. Besides the constant terror on the page and families in turmoil, could I flush out the killer before he or she was revealed? Ms. Turner led me on a frightening chase that involved so many twists and turns! I was very satisfied with the complexity of novel and crime. Buried Grave Secrets has risen to be one of my fave LIS books!
I challenge you to take your turn reading this book, as if your deduction skills will save the main characters or not! Be assured- The Bonedigger is watching!!
I received a copy of the book from the author. I also bought a copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Your job puts your family in jeopardy.”
”God, where are You? I have to see Your light. The rattling continued. The room remained still. A verse from her childhood emerged… I am the light of the world.“
“You’ve had so many bumps and potholes in your life, love. But God has been right beside you all the time, shining His light. You’ve just snuffed it out. Don’t be so scared of the dark, because sometimes the best things come from within our darkest places.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My fave Darlene Turner novel so far. Maybe also my fave LIS novel. A bit of a psychological thriller.
After months tracking a colleague falsely accused of a double homicide, officer Tanner Ford and his K-9 partner finally locate crime tech Mara Gilmore—but the real murderer is closing in. Now they must run into a frozen wilderness to survive. Evading the killer is the only way for Mara to clear her name. But will the harsh winter conditions cover their tracks…or bury them forever?
Dana Mentink is a USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and the recipient of a Holt Medallion. She’s written over fifty titles in the suspense, lighthearted romance and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Poisoned Pen Press. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)
More from Dana
What a challenge to write the eighth book in this fabulous Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit series! Writing a continuity (linked books with an overarching mystery) with seven other authors requires us to work closely together which is a rare blessing in this solitary business. There were so many good conversations, emails and texts that went into the construction of this series. Since wilderness escape novels are my favorite, it was great fun to write Tanner, Mara and Boxer Britta’s dramatic survival story. I hope you enjoy the book and the entire series as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you!
My Impressions
“She was exhausted from running, her body battered by cold and hunger, weakened by seven months of living as a fugitive. Not just a fugitive from the law, but on the run from the two predators stalking her since the moment she’d witnessed a double murder back in April.”
Snowbound Escape is a very fast-paced Christian romantic suspense novel about 24-year-old Mara Gilmore, a Pacific Northwest Canine Officer, who has been on the lam for seven months. Seven months of being totally alone, relying only on herself for survival, trying to stay one step ahead of the murderer who wants her dead for what she has witnessed.
Her teammate, Tanner Ford, who has come with his trained boxer K9, Britta, to rescue her, is hampered by the continual blizzard-like conditions and the wiliness and cunning of Eli, the killer. So many harrowing attempts on their lives. Will the weather finish them off before Eli does?
While Mara has severe trust issues, partly stemming from her upbringing, Tanner’s heart is frozen by more than the blizzard outside. Can the two work together under great duress without someone losing more than their life?
I liked how Mentink shows that God is working in Mara’s heart to become more open to those around her, and in Tanner’s as well. He is also working in a third heart very important to those two, to heal and restore.
Mentink has a humorous side, and some of that ekes out (just a little) in various places. One spot was deadly serious, and yet, oh, so funny, just in the way Mentink describes it. I should have been shaking, but I was rolling with laughter instead. I would need that bit of humor to carry me through all the dangers Mara and Tanner would face.
God, of course, is the most important help one can have when the chips are down. Mara and Tanner take turns edifying each other as needed. But next to God, bring in the dogs! Britta is a beautiful boxer who has already befriended Mara, has excellent tracking skills, and intelligence and loyalty like none other. She is a scene stealer, for sure! Be sure and grab your copy of this book to read in front of a warm fire with a hot drink and a canine or feline friend!
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, plus I bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“God has the final word. Wait on the Lord and He will give you courage and healing.”
“We’re commanded to love one another and when you don’t allow people to do that, you rob them of a blessing.”
“Sharing was messy and painful, like picking a wound that hadn’t fully scabbed over.”
“God would give him enough, moment by moment, perhaps, but it would be sufficient.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magnificent
I can always count on a Mentink romantic suspense to be action-packed and engaging.
The search for a criminal…becomes a fight for survival.
The moment detective Cassidy Bowman links a chain of suspicious deaths to a serial killer, she becomes the deadly assassin’s number one target. But a blow to the head robs her of her memory and she can’t put the pieces of the case back together alone. Can she convince detective Kyle Howard to help her catch the culprit by proving her theory…before the killer succeeds in taking Cassidy’s life?
Award-winning, bestselling authorSami Abrams grew up hating to read. It wasn’t until her 30’s that she found authors that captured her attention. Now, most evenings, you can find her engrossed in a Romantic Suspense. In her opinion, a crime and a little romance is the recipe for a great story.
She lives in Northern California, but she will always be a Kansas girl at heart. She has a love of sports, family, and travel. However, a cabin at Lake Tahoe writing her next story is definitely at the top of her list.
More from Sami
While coming up with the idea for Kyle and Cassidy’s story, Killer Christmas Evidence, I loved the idea of a serial killer that no one knew about. Someone who killed in different places and in different ways to avoid detection. Kim Rossmo’s theory on Geographic Profiling was intriguing, and I wanted to implement that concept. But, as I started to write, I realized the idea was too big for a Love Inspired Suspense length book, so I had to adjust the story a bit to fit the situation. The basics are there, just not the details I had hoped for.
However, when I sat down to write and I got to know Kyle and Cassidy a little better, I realized the story wasn’t about the stealth serial killer, but about learning to let go of guilt and learning to forgive. How many times in our lives due to being hurt or the pain of loss do we assume we know the truth? Yet, if we listened—really listened—we discover not everything is what is appears to be. And the truth is not painful, but healing.
My Impressions
“‘How is he finding us? Or should I say me?’ She felt like a cat with nine lives. Only, she’d used eight of them.”
A serial killer that Detective Cassidy Bowman is attempting to track has her in his sights… clearly… now if she can just convince the whole Valley Springs police force, including one former friend, Kyle Howard. Not just of the killer’s existence, but that he is responsible for many closed cases that have been considered “accidents.”
Unfortunately, the person assigned to keep Cassidy safe and work closely with her, believes the worst of her abilities as a detective. After the disastrous raid that killed his fiancé, Kyle holds Cassidy responsible. Forgiveness is not part of his plan.
Cassidy has perfection issues. She learned long ago from her military father that only perfection is acceptable. Anything less makes her unworthy. Yet, she failed her best friend, who was also Kyle’s fiancé.
Two people with such excessively heavy baggage forced to work together? Wow! If their enemy doesn’t get them, their own attitudes will ignite and explode like the dangers surrounding them. Where does God fit in the middle of this chaos and confusion? Come along with Sami A. Abrams in Killer Christmas Evidence to find out!
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“You let God be God. Only He has the power of life and death. You must trust Him. You may not get the answers you want, and the outcomes might hurt, but He’ll be there to comfort you.”
“Sometimes it’s harder to forgive ourselves even after we’ve asked for forgiveness from others. Maybe you should ask God to help you forgive yourself.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magnificent! Lots of action, reaction, and finally, release ( to God).
Urgent intel warns of terrorist cells planning coordinated attacks throughout Europe. Special Agent Jacob Coulter of Brussels Interpol is assigned to find the terrorist financiers supporting these groups and shut down their funding operations.
An opera singer’s life and career hang in the balance.
The Queen of the Night’s vocal pyrotechnics have launched many a soprano’s international career. But Riley Williams, Jacob’s fiancée, is terrified of heights, and her Antwerp Opera debut as the evil queen requires her to sing from a hydraulic lift forty feet above the orchestra pit. When newspapers cite Riley’s recent unmasking of an international terrorist plot and the lift malfunctions, Jacob suspects terrorist sabotage.
He encourages Riley to accept her BFF’s invitation to stay the Savoy Hotel in London where she’ll be out of danger. Or so he thinks …
A series of murders connected to a notorious terrorist financier known as the Priest leads Jacob across Europe. When the victims’ deaths point to London, his Interpol partner convinces him London is a haven for terrorist financiers.
But the clock is ticking, and what Jacob uncovers is more devastating than anything he could have imagined.
Sara L. Jameson won Scrivenings Press’s grand prize publishing contract in 2020. They released her debut romantic suspense novel, Cruise to Death, in June 2021. Death in High Places, (Book 2 in the Troubled Waters series), releases February 28, 2023, to be followed by Vengeance in Vienna, December 17, 2023.
Sara is the pseudonym of a multi-published former university professor who writes non-fiction under her real name. She also writes WWII historical novels. When not writing, she enjoys reading, swimming, cooking, and dog-sitting.
More from Sara
God never wastes our life experiences. I never suspected my love of travel and years as a professional classical singer in Europe would lead to a romantic-suspense series. Schlepping a suitcase of opera and art-song scores on cross-country trains kept me trimmer than a gym. A few encounters with they-shall-remain-unnamed international security agencies created fodder for the Troubled Waters series. And a lead character who’s far gutsier than I.
My personal experiences often generate story events. Sigh. Even some of the embarrassing moments soprano Riley Williams endures in Cruise to Death and Death in High Places. Sadly, the blue-eyed hunk, Special Agent Jacob Coulter of Brussels Interpol, is pure fiction. Whenever possible, I visit or have lived in my novels’ locales.
Cruise to Death launches Riley’s attempts as a musical theater singer, a romance she never saw coming, and tracking terrorists. In 2019, I revisited each stop of the riverboat cruise that inspired the book.
Trips to London and stays with a friend in Sussex inspired the unsettling events in Death in High
Places, which released February 28, 2023. I’m indebted to my friend for help verifying details in key scenes. When I travel, I don’t necessarily expect a day sightseeing to morph into a life-and-death moment in a book someday. Well, not until now. Naturally, Antwerp and Burie’s Chocolatier, my favorite Belgian chocolate shop, had to feature in this story too.
I’m excited to announce Vengeance in Vienna releases December 19, 2023. The book draws on my years in Austria and a disturbing criminal element now active there, which I was made aware of in 2019.
And ideas are already flowing for book 4!
My Impressions
“Why did everyone want him to put Riles in more danger? All they cared about was the outcome. Not whom they used.”
What a hard book for me to read this week! Riley Williams, the main female protagonist of Sara Jameson’s Death in High Places, has a very scary incident involving heights and frenzied movement causing dizziness. Physical dizziness is no fun!
Neither is emotional dizziness, and it seems Riley, desperate for an opera house role, and her fiancé, Jacob Coulter, are tossed back and forth quickly as they (and Jacob’s Interpol team) attempt to determine who the terrorist financier is. How many people will die before they have answers? Before they forfeit their own lives?
I liked that Jameson shows the struggle it can be for someone in a service or protection job to make quality time for family. Would the story have been different if Jacob especially didn’t wrestle with this dilemma?
I liked the bits of humor Jameson intersperses within the romantic suspense element. “‘Try to stay calm. Help is on the way.’ Calm? She was a loose-cannon American, not a well-brought-up Brit. Next thing she knew, the woman would suggest she pour a cuppa.”
I loved the way Riley cares for her friend, Frénie. Unfortunately, Frénie doesn’t like Riley’s form of caring and the friendship flags. Which leads me to muse… just how tenacious should we be about somebody else’s choices, once we’ve shared our thoughts? Is there a time to butt out of others’ affairs?
Watching Riley consume chocolate at every opportunity almost had me gaining weight. Finally, Riley has an epiphany. “With every crisis, she’d made Jacob and chocolate her crutch. Instead of running open-armed to her heavenly Father. She pressed her fingers between her eyes, but the tears welled anyway. Dear God, please forgive me. I’ve made everything except You my God. No more. The next crisis, I’m turning to You first.”
If you enjoy mystery, suspense, romance, and relationships, you might enjoy Death in High Places.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Dealing with her was like crossing Niagara Falls blindfolded on a tightrope.”
“Tiny fingers clutched Jacob’s pinky and sucked every inch of his heart into its grasp.”
“Scary what greed and bitterness could do to a person.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Magnificent! Some very pertinent topics well-handled.
A car accident that might not be an accident at all. A murderer bent on revenge. And a woman desperate to keep her family together.
She’s already lost her soul mate. She’ll do anything to protect her children.
For the sake of her kids, Camilla Wright managed to survive after her husband’s murder. When she’s awakened in the night with the news that her teenage son and nephew have been in a horrific car accident, she rushes to the hospital in a haze of shock and panic.
The boys were supposed to be skiing in the mountains east of Salt Lake City. What were they doing so far west? More alarming, the wreck might not have been an accident at all.
While Jeremy fights for his life, Camilla is running out of time to discover who lured her son and her nephew into the desert. With each new clue, the terrifying truth becomes clearer.
Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Nutfield Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. After college, working in marketing and public relations, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while she homeschooled her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.
More from Robin
It was Monday, July 16, 2018, at about nine-thirty at night.
I was home with my husband and daughter, watching TV, when my sister called. Since my son was visiting her family in Utah, I rushed to pick up.
“Robin,” my sister said. “The boys have been in a terrible accident. They’re being life-flighted to Salt Lake City. They’re both alive. That’s all I know.”
My knees hit the floor. Then I was lying prone on my kitchen tile. Ninety-nine percent of me was thinking, Oh, God. Please, please…
Nine-tenths of one percent was thinking, Why am I on the floor?
And I’ll be honest. About one-tenth of a percent was thinking, When was the last time I mopped?
Such are the inner workings of a human mind in the midst of tragedy.
The next twelve hours were chaos. We needed to get from our Oklahoma home to Salt Lake as soon as possible. We found a flight that left at eight a.m. and booked it.
And then we waited.
While the minutes ticked past in slow motion, we got occasional updates on the boys’ condition. Joshua, my nephew, had a head injury and trauma to his gut.
Jacob, my son, had severe lung damage. Severe enough that, as soon as he arrived at the ER, they intubated him.
Both boys were transferred to the ICU and pronounced stable.
When my husband and I arrived the following morning, we saw Jacob. A tube down his throat. Tape across his face. Scrapes and cuts and bruises all over his upper body. One arm in a plaster cast from his biceps to his fingertips. Unconscious.
And then the hard part began.
The boys’ accident was such a unique and life-altering event in our lives. Watching a cherished child battle for his life, not knowing if he’ll win or lose, is like nothing you can imagine.
Or maybe you can. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar. People are in car accidents every single day. And motorcycle accidents. And other accidents.
And there are illness and addictions and mental health struggles. The list goes on and on.
If you’ve dealt with any of those, then your trauma was probably very different from ours. And yet, you and I could probably find a lot in common. The fear. The surreal moments. The pendulum swinging between hope and helplessness.
The constant litany of prayers.
We were fortunate. Our son and our nephew both survived and recovered. When we were on the other side, I knew I’d write about the experience someday.
And so…I did.
A Mountain Too Steep tells the story of two boys in a car accident in the middle of the Utah desert. The physical trauma the boys experienced is almost exactly what our boys endured.
The rest of the story is purely fictional, thank God. I like a little danger in my life—safe danger. Let’s leave the vengeful gang members in the realm of fiction, shall we?
I cried throughout the writing. And the editing. And the rereading. Even though five years have passed, the memories are still fresh.
Tears aside, I love this story. It’s about a woman whose husband was murdered, a widow who’s endured her own nightmare and who’ll do anything, anything, to protect her children.
I think you’re going to like it.
My Impressions
didn’t want goat feet. She didn’t want to scale mountains. She wanted a lush valley with tall grass and a pretty, meandering stream where she and her children would be safe. Was that too much to ask?”
What a soul-challenging book! A Mountain Too Steep by Robin Patchen is classified as Christian Women’s contemporary fiction with a side of mystery. Hmmm… How about romantic suspense, even though a marriage is involved?! From the opening paragraph, you know you’d better buckle your seat belt and hang on for dear life- because you’re in for the ride of your life!
Camilla Wright and her two children have suffered the loss of her husband and their father four years ago after he testified in a gang-related killing. Then, Jeremy, the 17-yr-old son and his cousin, are in a life-threatening car accident in the desert. When they were supposed to be in the mountains. Rev up for non-stop emotions, plus plenty of action!
I loved the realism. Many times Camilla realizes that this horrible new reality she’s been catapulted into, is too much for her. She’d like to curl up and give up, but then realizes that is not the choice she will make. She will continue the hard, tortuous journey, step by step, with God strengthening her as she goes. “Lord, help me go from strength to strength until I reach the end of this battle.”
Indeed, she finds hope in the fact that one day she will look out and see that she has crested the mountain. She knows where her power has to come from. “Scriptures she’d memorized over the years came back to her. She recited them silently, hanging onto God’s Word, the only solid thing in her life.”
I really couldn’t envision as I read how this terrifying mystery-light romance would end. Kudos for the way Patchen ties it together.
I also loved the way we learn about Daniel, the absent husband. Bit by bit we read his letters penned to his wife just before his death.
I also loved that though the viewpoint originally seems to place the failure of the marriage squarely on Daniel, slowly
Camilla surmises she contributed greatly to her marriage’s decline.
The ultimate underlying theme is doing the right thing, then trusting God with the results. So hard! We don’t always get the results we want.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Anybody who tells you sin isn’t fun is lying. It is. At least at first.”
“In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength.”
“You, Miss Camilla, are a strong woman, not because you wield your own strength but because you know the One who strengthens you.”
“I was valued at work. I made a difference there. You didn’t need me. You managed our home with ease.”
“Jesus had carried her sins to the cross. She was meant to leave them there.”
“Justice matters. When we choose selfishness over justice, we’re lost as a community, as a society. Ultimately, I know my God is a God of justice. To deny justice is to deny Him.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Magnificent! I just pre-ordered the next two Wright brothers novels, The Wright Heroes of Maine, books 1& 2, ( If they’re this powerful, I can’t afford to miss them!!)
A serial arsonist is out for revenge in the Canadian Rocky Mountains—and kidnaps park warden Hazel Hoyt’s son and his camping troop. Now Hazel must team up with the man who broke her heart, firefighter Mitchell Booth, to find the missing boys as wildfires blaze around them. But someone has no intention of letting the pair get off the mountain alive…
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Crisis Rescue Team
Book 1: Fatal Forensic Investigation Book 2: Explosive Christmas Showdown Book 3: Mountain Abduction Rescue Book 4: Buried Grave Secrets
My Impressions
“ ‘God’s got this.’ Did He? It didn’t feel that way.”
Another great rescue story by Darlene L Turner! Why read Mountain Abduction Rescue?
First, The cover. This cover with a purple background, a pit, and a mountain lion at the mouth… Yikes!! Your heart will be beating in double time before you even start this romantic suspense book!
Secondly, Author Darlene Turner is known as “Turn a Page Turner” because of her constant, electrifying action. Terrified and helpless describes the feelings I had much of the time reading Mountain Abduction Rescue! A firebug is setting fires all over Micmore National Park, killing trees, wildlife, and people. But his sights are set on one particular, hapless family.
Thirdly, Familiar characters. With Micmore National Park (Alberta, CA) Warden Hazel Hoyt and
Wildfire Unit leader Mitchell “Boomer” Booth, we have characters we have previously met, whose carefully reconstructed lives are now unraveling. While Hazel chafes under the extreme gruffness of her father-boss, Mitchell deals with the loss of family relationships and a hostile boss.
Fourthly, Familiar situation. While there may not be serial firebugs and arsonists in the northern Rocky Mountains, few Canadians or Americans are untouched by the wildfires. I find that this story actually brings hope that the courageous firefighters battling the real-life blazes will be successful!
My heart was in my mouth as I waited to see if Hazel and Mitchell would be able to rescue her 8 yr-old-boy, Jackson, and his friends. Also, so much past to overcome both in family relationships and in romantic ties. Will there be a romance for Hazel and Mitchell? Will they survive to consider it? I saw part of the ending coming, but part took me by complete surprise.
While Frank, Hazel’s father, takes pride in training her and Jackson about survival, it isn’t his stern words that help her when she is desperate. It is the soft admonition of her mother: “Whenever your strength is gone, look to your Father. The One who holds you in the palm of His hands. He’ll provide endurance. Trust Him. Trust in yourself.”
I also loved that though Mitchell seems unable to turn to God, God uses him and his late mother’s faith nuggets to build up Hazel. “When you don’t know what to say, be silent. Just be present. Listen and pray for guidance.” Indeed, God’s Word does not return void!
I received a copy of the book from the author. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“In order to move forward in life, you need to look back at your troubles and deal with them. It’s then you will find peace.”
“I’m no expert on God, but I remember my mom saying once that sometimes we may not understand His silence, but He will answer. In His timing.” “But what if I don’t like the answer?” “Then He will give you the strength to endure the storm.”
“I’ve learned throughout the storms in life that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. He’s right there with us in the thunder. We just need to look to the horizon.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Magnificent! I was very, very nervous by the time I finished this book! I didn’t have to imagine the Canadian wildfire smoke, either! ( We could see and smell the real thing!)
To stay alive, she must escape a killer’s clutches. . .
When her brother goes missing, Leora Mast will do anything to find him…even if it means putting her life in danger. Upon arriving in Montana, she finds an ally in Fletcher Shetler, but almost as soon as they meet, they’re running for their lives. With Fletcher’s help, Leora must unravel the truth about her brother’s disappearance…before the man who wants them dead tracks them down.
Mary Alfordgrew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her two brothers and her sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seemed to come naturally to her.
As a preteen, Mary discovered Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.
She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first inspirational romantic suspense and was hooked.
Today, Mary lives in Texas with her husband and loves to create characters who face dangerous situations with faith on their side.
Mary is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social media platforms listed at maryalford.net.
More from Mary
Before the Story Begins
Every good Christian romantic suspense has a beginning where the hero and heroine are introduced to each other and to the danger they’ll be facing, followed by an ending where everything (usually) is tied up nicely.
In Christian (and Amish) romantic suspense, there must equal amounts of danger, romance, and faith.
As a reader, one of my favorite parts of the book is when the hero and heroine have backstories that draw me in and have me pulling for them to overcome their pasts as well as the villain chasing them.
In AMISH WILDERNESS SURVIVAL, the heroine, Leora Mast has a heartbreaking backstory. As a teenager, Leora’s and her twin brother Tanner’s parents were killed in a fire that was later ruled arson. They relocated to Colorado to be closer to their aunt and uncle and grandparents. Soon after, Leora’s brother left the Amish faith and joined the marines.
As an adult, Leora has gone through 2 separate rounds of breast cancer. She’s just finished the final round of chemo when her brother goes missing and Leora travels to West Kootenai, Montana to find Tanner’s marine lieutenant hoping to get answers about her brother’s disappearance.
Instead of finding her brother or Ethan Connors, she runs into Fletcher Shetler and the danger unfolds quickly from there.
Fletcher Shetler’s family has seen their share of heartaches as well. They have lived in West Kootenai for several generations. Fletcher’s grandfather started the furniture making business and the family mill their own timber for the pieces they create. Fletcher has a big heart and has been taking care of his mother since his father passed away.
Fletcher can’t imagine living anywhere else but his West Kootenai community and being part of a close family. But that loyalty cost him the love of his future bride when she chose to leave the community and break his heart.
Both Leora and Fletcher must put aside their pasts to try and find out what happened to her brother and Ethan before it’s too late.
From facing down armed kidnappers, to almost being swallowed alive by a sinkhole, to being forced to hideout in a cave in order to avoid being captured, Leora and Fletcher face one trial after the other, and yet they persevere thanks to each other, Ethan’s K-9 German Shepherd dog, Molly, and their faith in God that is unshakable.
My Impressions
“…Gott had brought them together for a reason.”
In Amish Wilderness Survival, Mary Alford brings us back to the Amish community of West Kootenai, Montana. I fear this may be a crime-riddled area instead of the peaceful Amish community I once believed it to be, given the number of romantic suspense plots that take place with its members.
Alford’s middle name just might be “non-stop suspense.” It is incredible how many situations she can put her characters (Leora Mast and Fletcher Shetler, in this case) through in one reading experience. You will be sorry if it takes you more than one sitting to finish this book, as the adrenaline rush is high. Why are the men after Leora? Why are they after her brother, Tanner? What secrets could he possibly be hiding? Can Fletcher and Leora find her brother and Ethan before those chasing them? Perhaps the biggest question of all, is God present in the difficult times, and can His leading be trusted for one’s life?
I was captivated by the suspense aspect and the involvement of a SAR dog. I sure didn’t want Molly to get hurt.
Logically, my head agreed that the forced togetherness and trauma Fletcher and Leora experienced could result in a romance, but I had a hard time connecting with the story on this level. I believe this issue to belong solely to me, although I did feel like we were told, more than shown, the romance.
Please, get your own copy of Amish Wilderness Survival and see how your heart rate soars!
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“It isn’t your fault, Leora—none of it. You are not responsible for what bad men choose to do.”
“Family was what bound the Amish together… Now, at times, it felt as if death was the one thing to hold her and Tanner together.”
“Sometimes animals are better than humans in these situations. At least they won’t betray you.”
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 