DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE #2

Kate O'Brien's quiet life in small-town Shelter Cove, Arkansas is shaken when her past suddenly comes roaring back to life. Four years ago, she and her twin sister were attacked by an elusive serial killer. Only Kate survived, and she's been in witness protection ever since.

When new evidence arises to suggest the convicted man wasn't the murderer, she's subpoenaed to testify in the new trial. Afraid to go back into that world, Kate only agrees if Tony DeLuca, the deputy Marshal who protected her during the original trial, escorts her to St. Louis. 

Tony readily takes on the assignment; Kate's beauty and inner strength made more of an impression on him than he expected. But when Kate's safety is threatened, Tony must race against the clock to keep her alive and put this ugly case to rest before anyone else gets killed.

Published June 6th 2017 

by Bethany House Publishers

Available for Purchase:

AMAZON  BARNES & NOBLE  CHRISTIANBOOK 

BAKER BOOK HOUSE

Meet the Author:

Nancy Mehl (www.nancymehl.com) is the author of twenty-seven 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. 

My Thoughts:

If you like suspense then this is definitely a book for you.  

This is the second installment in the Defenders of Justice series, but could easily be read as a stand alone.  This a fast-paced story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.  This story is set in the back woods of Arkansas in the small town of Shelter Cove where Kate O'Brien has been living for the past 4 years in witness protection.  4 years ago she and her twin sister were brutally attacked and left for dead in their apartment.  Katie survived the attack and testified against her attacker then went into witness protection.  Tony DeLuca works for the US Marshals and heads to Shelter Cove to transport Katie back to St. Louis. Tony has a history with Katie since he protected her during the trial.  He doesn't want to see her relive the attack again, but knows that it's a necessity if they want to put Alan Gerard back in prison.Both character are strong and complex.  I immediately liked both.  Katie is dealing with a crisis of faith and has not dealt with her attack or her sister's death. I love how the author takes an approach on the subject of faith. She makes the entire topic more understandable.  She makes the character feel so real through their raw emotions.  I don't want to give anything away but with Tony's arrival in Shelter Cove the plot takes unexpected twists and turns that has both characters literally running for their lives.  This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who loves suspense.  

**I received this book from the publisher as part of their book bloggers program.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Coming Soon.....

In May 2018 the third book in this series is set to be released.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Casey Sloane has worked at the St. Louis marshals office for two years and is given a routine assignment to help transport a reporter to D.C. to testify before a grand jury. Valerie, the reporter, was writing a story about an up-and-coming environmentalist who suddenly disappeared and, she later discovered, whose backers purportedly have ties to a terrorist.

When the seemingly ordinary assignment suddenly takes a shocking turn, Casey is forced to put aside her own feelings about the unexpected reappearance of a man from her past as she and two other marshals take Valerie on the run. And as it becomes dangerously clear Valerie's testimony has even bigger implications than they knew, they'll do whatever it takes to make it out alive.

Defenders of Justice

Mercy Brennan followed in her father's footsteps in a law enforcement career, but she has no interest in any other connection to him. A U.S. Marshal in St. Louis, Missouri, she's assigned to a joint task force with the St. Louis PD that puts her back into contact with her father and in the sights of St. Louis's most powerful gang.
When the gang has reason to believe Mercy has possession of some highly sensitive and incriminating information, her boss assigns Mark St. Laurent--a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Mercy's ex-boyfriend--to get her out of town until they can guarantee her safety.
Initially unaware of the danger she's in and uncomfortable working with Mark, Mercy's frustration escalates when she discovers the extent her boss and Mark have been keeping her in the dark. It isn't until a freak ice storm hits, stranding them at a remote location and out of contact with the district office, that the full severity of their situation becomes clear. As the storm worsens, the forces of nature combine with a deadly enemy closing in to put their lives at imminent risk. Can they survive long enough for help to arrive--if help is even coming at all?

Published November 1st 2016

 by Bethany House Publishers  

Available for Purchase:

Amazon  Barnes & Noble  ChristianBook 

Baker Retail  Books-A-Million

Meet the Author:

  Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. First published in 2001, she has now authored nine books, including an omnibus mystery collection, Cozy in Kansas, which contains three of her previously published Ivy Towers mysteries. Book three in the series, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Mystery Book of the Year award. Nancys main writing interests lie in mystery although her new Harmony Series leans more toward the romantic suspense genre. Nancy runs a HUD program for the city of Wichita and is president of a volunteer organization, Wichita Homebound Outreach. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Kansas Authors Club. 

Connect Online:

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My Thoughts:

I have not read many of Nancy Mehl's books, but each one that I have read has taken me on an adventure that I loved.  This book is no different.  I love suspense novels and this is book has spine tingling suspense that I couldn't put down.  

From the first page I was immediately drawn into the story which takes place in Missouri. This story centers around US Marshal Mercy Brennan.  Mercy is shot during an undercover sting and saved by the one person she trusts, her childhood friend Tally who is currently with the St Louis PD.  When her estranged father is murdered she suddenly becomes a target and her superiors want her out of the city.  Under the guise of investigating a man in witness protection she and fellow US Marshal Mark St. Lourent  along with Tally head out to a small town about 130 miles away.  Unfortunately someone is set on them not making the drive and with the weather conditions they may not.  

Mercy is a complex character, but one I grew to really love.  She has trust issues do to her father's abandonment and doesn't let anyone close, expect for Tally.  She and Mark have a history and not one she wants to revisit.  Mark has always loved Mercy and he will protect her even if that means putting his own life in danger.  

This is a spine tingling, suspense that is filled with many twists and turns.  The characters are engaging.  The setting is detailed and perceptive.  This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves  suspense.  

I received this book from the publisher as part of their book bloggers program.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.   

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Dark Deception, which is set to be released in May 2017.

 

Kate O'Brien has been leading a quiet life in small-town Shelter Cove, Arkansas, for the past four years when her past suddenly comes roaring back to life. Four years ago, she and her twin sister were attacked by an elusive serial

killer. Only Kate survived, and it was her drawing of the attacker--along with some last-minute evidence--that convicted the suspect.

She's been in witness protection ever since, but new evidence suggests the convicted man isn't the murderer and she's been subpoenaed to testify in the new trial. Nervous about the risk, she'll only agree if the same marshal who protected her during the original trial escorts her to St. Louis.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Tony DeLuca accepts the assignment to bring Kate to the trial, remembering how her strength impressed him. While in Shelter Cove, however, he gets a call from his chief, advising them to stay in Shelter Cove until a new development in the case can be straightened out. But when Kate's safety is threatened, Tony must race against the clock to keep her alive and put this ugly case to rest before anyone else gets killed.

 

Finding Sanctuary 3

Sophie Wittenbauer left her strict Mennonite hometown under a cloud of shame and regret. After a rough childhood, her teenage poor choices harmed others, leaving her with no choice but to change her life. Her entry-level writing job at a newspaper puts her in the right place at the right time to overhear office gossip about a prisoner who has information on a decades-old unsolved crime. While the other reporters write off the tip as the ravings of an angry criminal, Sophie can't ignore it because she knows the name of this prisoner from her old life.

Upon learning from the man that one of the other suspects is hiding out in the Missouri town of Sanctuary, she takes on a false identity to investigate and meets the young pastor of a local church--the very man she'd loved as a troubled teenager. As she gets closer to finding the suspect, will the truth of her own past come out before she discovers the identity of the criminal--or the very person she's seeking puts a fatal stop to her investigation?

 

Published November 3rd 2015

 by Bethany House Publishers

4 Stars

Nancy Mehl brings us the third installment in her Finding Sanctuary series, Rising Darkness.  This is the first book I've read by this author and even though it's part of a series I feel that's it's a stand alone.  I had no problems following the characters or needing any further background to enjoy this book.  I will definitely be looking for the first two books in this series.  

This is a story of small town intrigue, suspense interwoven with romantic tension. I was drawn to Sophie in the first few pages as she battled against memories of her past in order to solidify her future. She grew up in the small town of Kingdom, a Mennonite community, but left under a dark cloud and vows to never return.  The past few years living in St. Louis Sophie has grown in a lot of ways and is striving to be a better person.  Working at the newspaper writing obituaries is just a stepping stone to become a full time reporter.  A memory surfaced from her past of a decades-old unsolved crime and she thinks if the crime is investigated she could write an article that would help in her career advancement.  After much research and taking vacation time she heads to Sanctuary to investigate a lead.  Sanctuary appears to be a peaceful town, but for Sophie it's anything but as she comes face to face with her past shame and regret.  
This book is a mystery and suspense interlaced with a mild romance.  The characters are detailed and perceptive. The message that I received from this story was that you can't keep holding on to the past.  There comes a time when you must let go and turn it over to God and trust that he will lead you where you need to be.   There's good pace and flow that keep the reader's attention.  I would recommend this book to anyone.  
* I received this book from the publisher   through their book review blogger program.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Nancy Mehl lives in Festus, Missouri with her husband Norman and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored over twenty-one books and is currently at work on her newest series for Bethany House Publishing. 

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”
Nancy is represented by agent Steve Laube –http://stevelaube.com/

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