"Un-Put-Downable" Suspense -- Deadly Intentions

Recently I decided to take part in a reading challenge for this new year. The challenge for January was to read a book by a new-to-me author who was suggested as as a "copycat" of one of my favorites. When I mentioned several of my favorite romantic suspense authors, Lisa Harris was suggested. I decided to give her a try and picked up Deadly Intentions. I now owe a debt of gratitude to the person who made that recommendation.

It took about 3 or 4 paragraphs (if that much) to pull me in to this story, and I couldn't put it down! Thankfully, I didn't have much that had to be done on the day I started reading Deadly Intentions because almost all I accomplished that day was reading this book. It was a day well spent!

The suspense level stays high during the whole story. With plenty of suspects to choose from, there is plenty of room and time for guessing. The romance is a pretty slow and gentle, growing at a very comfortable level. There is an element of scientific research at the root of the story which provides an extra level of depth.

I highly recommend Deadly Intentions to fans of great romantic suspense. It is one of the author's stand-alone novels, so there is no worry about having missed anything in a series. This was my first book by Lisa Harris, but I doubt seriously that it will be my last!

About the Book

There is no such thing as random.

Research scientist Caitlyn Lindsey is convinced that someone is taking out her team one by one. First, a friend and research partner was killed in a home invasion. Three months ago, her boss died in a suspicious car accident. Four days ago, another partner supposedly committed suicide. And now Caitlyn herself has miraculously survived a hit-and-run. Afraid for her life with nowhere to turn, she reaches out to one of the victims' husbands, Detective Josh Solomon.

Though initially skeptical about Caitlyn's theory, Josh soon realizes the attack that took his wife's life was anything but random. Now the two of them must discover the truth about who is after Caitlyn's team--and what their end game is--before it's too late.

About the Author

Lisa Harris is a USA Today bestselling author, a Christy Award winner, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel from Romantic Times for her novels Blood Covenant and Vendetta. The author of more than 40 books, including The Escape, The Traitor's Pawn, Vanishing Point, A Secret to Die For, and Deadly Intentions, as well as The Nikki Boyd Files and the Southern Crimes series, Harris and her family have spent over 17 years living as missionaries in southern Africa. She is currently stateside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.lisaharriswrites.com.

Page-Turning Suspense -- Active Defense

As in any Lynette Eason book you might pick up, in Active Defense you will find page-turning suspense and just the right level of romance. This is the third book in her Danger Never Sleeps series, and it certainly has its share of danger.

The well-developed characters carry the movement of the story, with great variety of emotions and interactions. There is enough intrigue and uncertainty to keep the “who-dun-it” level high. At least for me, there were more and more questions coming up as the story developed, with no clear-cut answers coming in too early and spoiling the conclusion.

I highly recommend Active Defense to fans of great romantic suspense. Although this book is part of a series and several characters carry forward, it can be well enjoyed as a stand-alone.

Thanks to Revell Reads for providing a copy of the book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Book

She's used to life-or-death situations.
She just didn't expect them to follow her home.

When former field surgeon Heather Fontaine returns from a party to find that someone has broken into her house--and threatened her friends--she assumes it is the stalker who has been creeping her out. She hopes to find safety and peace of mind by leaving the city and hiding out in a small town. But trouble follows her even there.

Luckily, a stalker isn't the only one observing Heather. Travis Walker has been secretly watching out for her for weeks. As owner of his own security agency, it's what he does. Together, Travis and Heather must figure out who wants her dead--and why--before it's too late.

About the Author

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of Collateral Damage and Acceptable Risk, as well as Protecting Tanner Hollow and the Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

Suspense Across the Decades -- The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus

Since I follow several authors and readers on social media, I hear about a lot of "must-read" books and "must-read" authors. Because of an already never-ending TBR (to-be-read) backlog of  books and  a constant stream of new releases by my several favorites, I just don't have the time to read every "must-read" that I see recommended.

But . . . I am so glad I caved to the pressure and decided The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright was one I must read. What did I like about the book? Pretty much everything! The characters, the circus setting, the mystery, and the dual timeline all come together into a well-crafted story. There are dark, almost spooky elements that are important parts of the story, but they just serve to keep the mystery alive. At the real heart of it all, though, are deep searches for truth, love, belonging, and healing stretching across decades of history of a small town and its circus.

If this book is a good representation of this author's writing, I hope to find the opportunity to read more of her books.

I highly recommend The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus to anyone who might enjoy a deep, complex mystery carried along by hope and faith.

About the Book

Welcome to Bonaventure Circus,
where misfits go to hide.

In 1928, the Bonaventure Circus has become a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby and is no longer content to leave the reason for that rejection unquestioned. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Decades later, an old circus train depot's future hangs in the balance--it will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its fate rests on Realtor Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright (www.jaimewrightbooks.com) is the author of six novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap'n Hook; and their littles, Peter Pan and CoCo. To learn more, visit www.jaimewrightbooks.com.