Dead End by Susan Sleeman

When Sierra Byrd learns that the man she has called her father all of her life is not her biological father she goes in search of that man. Upon arriving in the small town where her biological father lives she finds out that he has disappeared and is wanted for embezzling his clients money. When FBI agent Reed Rice cuffs Sierra and accuses her of helping her father in his schemes she becomes determined to find out the truth of Eddie's disappearance. Backed by her partners at Veritas Reed lets Sierra go, but he demands to follow her every step as she investigates what could have happened to Eddie. As events begin to unfold Reed soon sees that Sierra is indeed as good as she claims and through her backing with Veritas can get evidence analyzed much quicker than he could through his FBI channels. Neither Sierra or Reed are prepared for the connection they have towards each other. Sierra is determined to never be smothered by a man and Reed is ready to settle down with a family, is there any hope for a relationship between the two?

I definitely enjoyed DEAD END and was happy to delve back into the Truth Seekers series. I love the highly intelligent group and each speciality represented. I also love how they are all like a family and surround and protect each other when needed. I loved Reed's character. He was a man who knew what he wanted and was confident...and he wears a suit well! I liked how Sierra needed her independence and to stand on her own, and yet after she reasoned through things she would be able to accept help from Reed. I thought there were a bit too many smoldering looks between Sierra and Reed, I mean seriously, you can only stare into someone's eyes for so long! ha! Exciting, suspenseful, and fast-paced, kept me turning the pages and reading excitedly until the very end.

 

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

When one of Finn Walker's co-workers on the Coast Guard Investigative team is killed Finn is determined to find out who is behind the murder and why. Finn's boss drops another bombshell on him when he asks Finn to help protect his investigative sister Gabby Rowley who has a hit out on her. Finn and Gabby were an item months before but Gabby left Finn for her job in another city. Can the two put their feelings for each other aside to solve what is going on or will the old flame intensify once again?

From the very beginning THE KILLING TIDE captures the readers attention and keeps us turning the pages! A great beginning to this new series and an exciting roller-coaster ride throughout as we have come to expect from this author. Finn has his demons from the past that he must wrestle with throughout. I liked his integrity and the intensity of his feelings for Gabby. Gabby too had her demons to deal with and constantly pushing aside her feelings for Finn was one of them. I thought she was a bit reckless in pursuing her story, but that added to the tenseness of the danger that she was in. If you enjoy romantic suspense then add this to your TBR stack because it is well worth the read. A great start to the Coastal Guardians series and I look forward to the next book in the series which we get a little peek at in the Epilogue of THE KILLING TIDE. 

A Single Light by Tosca Lee

Wynter and Chase are in Noah's Ark, an underground shelter/community closed for 6 months when they are set to re-enter the world. Communications with Noah have ceased so the community has no idea what is happening out in the world. Hopefully the ability to make an antibiotic for the disease ravishing the United States has had time to be distributed by the time they come out from the Ark. Unfortunately what they find when they leave the Ark is not what they expected. No antibiotics and chaos reigning. Chase and Wynter must risk their lives to save the people they love the most while time seems to be running out.

Such a wild ride! It is hard to imagine our world with no electricity, no law, no food and everyone living for themselves. Each step of Wynter and Chase's journey is intense and filled with danger. It keeps the reader turning the pages quickly to find out the outcome of characters that you've been routing for throughout the story. Wynter frustrated me a few times when she acted recklessly, but it fit with the story of desperation and what a person will do to survive or keep the ones they love alive. A fantastic, fast-paced read that I highly recommend if you love a good thriller/dystopian type story.

Fatal Strike by DiAnn Mills

Several people have been murdered in Galveston, each one killed by a deadly injection of rattlesnake venom. FBI agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert are snipers who team up to investigate the crimes. They are especially on the lookout for a young man seen dumping the latest body on the church steps. He has disappeared. A gang trying to takeover the Galveston area have claimed responsibility for the deaths. Leah and Jon have an instant attraction towards each other, but neither wants to act on their feelings because they both have baggage they would rather not share with anyone. Will their fears be overcome, or will they deter them from finding the murderer?

I enjoyed Leah and Jon's characters. I found their profession as snipers interesting and wish that a bit more of that story would have come out on the pages. FATAL STRIKE had some exciting moments and some tense moments throughout and kept my attention. I did get a little lost trying to keep up with all of the names being thrown around, but I blame that on myself and not the writer. I have to admit I figured out who the bad guy was before the reveal, but that didn't deter from the excitement of the wrap up. As with all of the books I have read by this author there was an element of faith throughout the story with both characters searching for answers and wrestling with heart issues. I enjoy a good FBI story and this fit the bill very well.

**I received my copy from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. through NetGalley, all opinions are my own**

State of Lies by Siri Mitchell

When Georgia's husband Sean dies in an accident she and their young son Sam are devastated. Never did she think that there was anything unsettling about Sean's death. But when strange things start happening and she starts hearing noises in her home Georgia becomes nervous. Then when she finds out that Sean had lied to her the last night he was alive Georgia starts to investigate. It isn't long before Georgia realizes that her husband may not have been who she thought he was, and also that she may not be able to trust any of her friends around her. But Georgia is a truth-seeker and she refuses to be intimidated by danger as she searches to find out who wanted her husband dead and why.

Well this was a different turn for me with this author! I have read her historical novels before, but never a contemporary piece. I loved it! This fit perfectly into my favorite genre of romantic suspense reads. Heavier on the suspense, but still a bit of romance. I loved the characters, and the intrigue of the setting was exciting and kept the book moving at a fast pace. Politics, social-climbing, murder, intrigue and cover-ups all wrapped up into one exciting must-read page-turner! I highly recommend!

Vow of Justice by Lynette Eason

FBI agent Allison Radcliffe has vowed to find the man who killed her family and left her for dead. She is undercover working to find evidence against the man who ordered the murders. When a bomb almost kills her she goes along with her boss's request to let it appear that she is dead. The man who is her partner, FBI special agent Linc St. John, is told she didn't survive the explosion. How can he go on without his partner and the woman he has come to love? When Linc finds out that it was just a ploy to draw out the killer, he feels betrayed once again by a woman he had come to care for. Everywhere they turn it seems the killer knows their every step. How is he finding them and will they manage to catch him before one of them ends up dead for real?

This is book 4 in the Blue Justice series and I have to say it is by far my favorite! I love Linc and Allie! They had a few hurdles in their relationship. Linc had a bad relationship before Allie and Allie has her past to contend with. I love what a strong character Allie is! That woman can take pain and can kick butt! I also liked her honesty with herself about her spiritual walk. Being a believer, but struggling with feeling that God wasn't hearing her. The book was exciting in that there was a lot of danger and things kept happening. There were a couple of twists that kept things exciting as well. It was fun to catch up with the St. John family and I look forward to reading about Derek St. John in the next Blue Justice book!

Cape Refuge by Terri Blackstock

Blair and Morgan's parents Thelma and Wayne own a Bed & Breakfast on Cape Refuge. The town council is trying to close it down because they say that the clientele that the B&B draws is undesirable for Cape Refuge. But while their daughters, Blair and Morgan are at a town meeting to fight the city council Thelma and Wayne are murdered. Morgan's husband is the prime suspect and Cade, the Chief of Police, arrests him. Morgan knows that her husband would never have killed her parents even though Jonathan and Morgan's parents had a huge public argument earlier in the day. Thelma and Wayne have always welcomed those that need healing whether they have a past criminal record or just need a place to regroup and heal. Blair has now sworn that she will find who killed her parents and she will not allow the City Council to close the B&B if it is the last thing she ever does.

Terri Blackstock's stories are always an emotional roller coaster for me. They are filled with suspense and drama. Blair has a lot of anger pent up. She has placed a hard shell around her emotions because of scars on her face that she obtained when she was a child. She doesn't allow people to get close to her and she has forsaken her parents belief in a God who saves and loves people. She frustrated me! The secondary story of a runaway that comes to Cape Refuge was good and heart-wrenching as well. I loved how her story and Blair and Morgan's blended together to make a very exciting and tense conclusion. I thought Cade's character was pretty good and I feel bad for him trying to get close to prickly Blair, but he seems to be a patient man even though people try to make him out to be a bungling buffoon in the pocket of City Council. I'll definitely be moving on to the next book and hope to see some development in Cade and Blair's relationship. An exciting read and definitely what I have come to expect from this author.