I have read and enjoyed Irene Hannon’s books in the Steeple Hill line for several years but they were all fairly typical romantic fiction. Then along came her Heroes of Quantico series and took her writing to a new level. Each new volume got just a little bit better. Her new offering, Fatal Judgment, first book in the Guardians of Justice series, meets or exceeds the standards set by the previous series.
With a suspenseful plot that could be taken from current news events, superb character interaction, a touch of humor, surprises around every corner, and of course romance, Fatal Judgment kept me turning the pages until the very end. Spiritual content was subtle but particularly evident in the character of Liz Michaels.
For those who enjoy their romance mixed with a little crime and suspense, Fatal Judgment might just be the book for you.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Available January 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Fatal Judgment is the first novel in the new romantic suspense series “Guardians of Justice” by acclaimed author Irene Hannon, who has been recognized with accolades including RITA and Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice awards.
Author Dee Henderson has praised Hannon’s latest book, saying, “Fatal Judgment is Irene Hannon’s storytelling at its best. I enjoyed every minute.”
In Fatal Judgment, U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he’d rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward the coldhearted workaholic haven’t warmed in the five years since she drove her husband–and Jake’s best friend–to despair . . . and possible suicide.
As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, he’s forced to revise his opinion of her. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life–and his heart–are in danger.
Full of suspense and romance, Fatal Judgment is a thrilling story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Irene Hannon is the author of more than 25 novels, including the CBA bestsellers Against All Odds, An Eye for an Eye, and In Harm’s Way. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier award, and the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. She lives in Missouri.
Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family–they survived!!
This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they’ll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series began in July 2010 from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.
This is the second book in the series.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Step into the boots of a former Marine in this heart-pounding adventure in life and love. Colton “Cowboy” Neeley is a Marine trying to find his footing as he battles flashbacks now that he’s back home. Piper Blum is a woman in hiding—from life and the assassins bent on destroying her family. When their hearts collide, more than their lives are at stake. Will Colton find a way to forgive Piper’s lies? Can Piper find a way to rescue her father, trapped in Israel? Is there any way their love, founded on her lies, can survive?
If you would like to read an excerpt of Digitalis, go HERE.
Learn more about Ronie and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
If you like intense, action and suspense filled books that feature members of elite special ops forces and the women strong enough to love them, then Digitalis is probably one book you don’t want to miss.The second book in the Discarded Heroes series, Digitalis features former marine Colton Neeley aka “Cowboy” and Piper Blum, a sales clerk Colton just can’t resist. Afraid Piper will reject him if she learns of his true occupation and his unpredictable and devastating flashbacks, Colton is unaware that Piper has some heavy duty secrets of her own. When their worlds collide, the intensity of the story escalates.
Truthfully, I never thought I’d become a fan of military themed novels but Ronie Kendig has changed my mind. Her books teem with the type of action and suspense that keep me turning the pages, unwilling to stop reading until I know how things are resolved. Although fiction, the threats and crises in each story could easily be seen in current news. Digitalis is very well written with realistic characters and a perfectly paced plot. Dialogue and character relationships seem genuine. A strong message of faith is woven into the story in a natural and unobtrusive manner.
To reveal much more would spoil the story. Take my word for it, this is one book and series you don’t want to miss. I can’t wait for the next volume myself.
C. S. Lakin is a novelist and professional copyeditor and writing coach. She is currently working on her eleventh novel, a contemporary family saga drawn from the biblical story of Jacob. Someone to Blame(Zondervan), an intense relational drama and winner of the 2009 First Novel contest, released in October 2010, and she is also the author of the allegorical adult fantasy series The Gates of Heaven, featuring The Wolf of Tebron and the upcoming release The Map Across Time (March 2011). She is currently completing her tenth novel and developing a dog memoir of epic proportion.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the wake of heartrending family tragedies, Matt and Irene Moore move with their fourteen-year-old daughter, Casey, to a small town. Their goal is to get far away from the daily reminders that leave each of them raw and guilt-ridden. Their hope is to find redemption, repair, and renewal. Instead, the threads that hold them together unravel even more.
Breakers, a small community perched on the rocky coast of the Pacific Northwest, is draped with cold isolation that seems to mirror the hearts. As they settle into their new life, old grief settles with them. Matt is always on edge and easily angered, Irene is sad and pensive, and Casey is confused and defiant. They’ve once more set the stage for calamity. Into this mix comes Billy Thurber, a young drifter with his own conflicts, whose life unexpectedly entangles with the Moores’.
His arrival in Breakers parallels a rash of hateful and senseless crimes, and soon the whole town — eager for someone to blame — goes after Thurber with murderous intent. Out of this dangerous chaos, however, the Moores find unexpected grace and healing in a most unlikely way.
I didn’t get very far into Someone To Blame before I wanted to close it and not reopen it – not because it was badly written or uninteresting but because I could tell it might become emotionally painful. But being the dedicated reviewer that I am (or try to be), I persisted and found it to be a story that was both captivating and challenging.
The story is told from several points of view but is never confusing and helps the reader understand each character a bit better. The plot was set up perfectly with all evidence pointing toward one likely instigator. As the tale progressed, the evidence just seemed to get stronger. I will admit that I was surprised by the outcome and subsequent revelations.
Ms. Lakin definitely achieved her goal of getting across the message about how quickly we jump to conclusions and assign blame when things go wrong. There are many points to ponder throughout this book and excellent opportunities to examine ourselves. I am glad I decided to read the entire book and happily recommend it.
Although not a fan of vampire novels, I have enjoyed previous books by Tracey Bateman and hoped her depiction would not be just another Christian clone of ‘Twilight’. I was not disappointed. In Tandem, the vampires were not glorified or romanticized but were depicted as tormented beings. The story moved at a fast pace with several plot twists and surprises including the revelation of the true villain.
Told through several points of view, it was at times difficult to follow and I had to backtrack at times to be sure what was going on. Although there is some Christian content, it is minimal. There is very little blood and gore and no sexual content so Tandem is a safe read for teens.
Tandem is not really my preferred type book but I appreciate the way Bateman handled the vampire aspect of the story. Taken as a whole, the book is a well written suspense with excellent characterizations.
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group Blogging for Books program.
ABOUT THE BOOK: As obsession and loss become dark partners, how far must the people of Abbey Hills go to survive?
Six months ago, brutal murders shook the small Ozark town—murders that stopped after a house fire reportedly claimed the killer’s life. Lauryn McBride’s family auction house has taken responsibility for the estate sale of one of the victims—the enigmatic Markus Chisom. Submerging herself in Chisom’s beautiful but strange world, Lauryn welcomes the reprieve from watching Alzheimer’s steal her father from her, piece by piece. She soon realizes that centuries-old secrets tie Abbey Hills to the Chisom estate and a mysterious evil will do anything to make sure those secrets stay hidden. Even the man who grew up loving her may not be able to protect Lauryn from the danger.
When Amede Dastillon receives an unexpected package from Abbey Hills, she hopes it might be the key in tracking down her beloved sister, long estranged from her family. Visiting Abbey Hills seems the logical next step in her search, but Amede is unusually affected by the town, and when mutilated carcasses begin turning up again in the small community, the local law enforcement isn’t sure if they are confronting a familiar evil or a new terror.
Two women brought together by questions that seem to have no answers. Can they overcome the loss and darkness threatening to devour them—or will their own demons condemn them to an emotional wasteland?
TRACEY BATEMAN is an award-winning author of more than thirty books including Thirsty. Tracey has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers since it began and served as its president for nearly two years. She lives in Missouri with her husband and four children.
The Topkapi Secret is a well written and obviously thoroughly researched novel that delves into the secrets of the Koran that devout Muslims do not want to be made public. The narrative hops from one location to the next and from one character to another for nearly the first half of the book, which made it a bit difficult for me to get into. Once it settled into the story of Angela and Mohammed, it was a bit easier to follow. The book is filled with a wealth of facts about the Koran, Muslim lifestyle and history, and the Mideast – primarily Jordan, Palestine, and Istanbul.
Expecting a fast moving, suspenseful novel, I was soon overwhelmed by all the details which totally overshadowed everything else. I was never able to relate to any of the characters and the suspenseful scenes were brief and unsatisfying. Frankly, it took me several days to read as I had difficulty staying awake. I am usually able to read a book in less than a day. I am sure that most of my problems with The Topkapi Secret were due to my own personal preferences. Others with different tastes will probably find it riveting.
This book was provided for review by Rebeca Seitz with Glass Road Public Relations.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
American professor Angela Hall’s world is falling apart. Left with two things: her money and her job, she sets out to research women’s issues in The Middle East. Until she crosses paths with Mohammed Atareek…
Mohammed is a man on a mission. Raised in the Muslim faith, he has learned something no Muslim is supposed to know: the Koran of today is not the original. Could it be true? Mohammed will risk his life to find out.
When Angela’s and Mohammed’s worlds collide, sparks fly–both from their hearts and the tempers of the terrorists following them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terry Kelhawk is an award-wining speaker, writer, and teacher with significant personal and professional experience with Islam and the Middle East.
In Terry’s words, “I love peoples and cultures. We have so much to learn from each other, and this makes the world a richer place. Yet when I come across a misunderstanding or deception which adversely impacts a culture or people group, for the sake of those people I believe it should be exposed.”
Terry Kelhawk holds a doctorate degree, but believes people should keep on learning through life. Her areas of interest are culture, religion, and women’s rights – especially of Middle East. She blogs on huffingtonpost.com, foxnews.com, and politicalmavens.com, and likes travel, reading, and asking questions.
Terry believes we should, as Honey Jean of Atlanta in The Topkapi Secret would say, “Make the world a better place, or y’all just taking up space!”
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Fatal Judgment is the first novel in the new romantic suspense series “Guardians of Justice” by acclaimed author Irene Hannon, who has been recognized with accolades including RITA and Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice awards.
Irene Hannon is the author of more than 25 novels, including the CBA bestsellers Against All Odds, An Eye for an Eye, and In Harm’s Way. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier award, and the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. She lives in Missouri.
