"TRAPPED" BY IRENE HANNON

"Trapped" by Irene Hannon

(Private Justice #2)

Synopsis:

When librarian Laura Griffith's sixteen-year-old sister disappears on a frigid February day, leaving only a brief note behind, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to track down the runaway teen. That includes recruiting ATF agent turned PI James "Dev" Devlin to help. But the deeper he digs, the more he begins to suspect that something sinister is at work in the girl's disappearance. And the closer he gets to uncovering the truth, the clearer it becomes that the situation isn't just dangerous--it's deadly.

My Review:

This is quite a chilling story with just the right amount of creepiness and complete terror, alongside a heartfelt budding romance. Hannon is rather talented in creating thrilling stories with well-developed, intriguing characters.

I read "Vanished" and "Trapped" (books 1 & 2 in the "Private Justice" series) back to back and these two books share numerous similarities, including many of the same character introductions, relationship details, and very similar plots and settings. For this reason, I recommend putting a bit of time between each book, to avoid the feeling of repetitiveness. The books in this series were written as stand-alone novels that have some connections to one another, but can each be read on their own.

"Trapped" is well written and very well-paced, with suspense building more and more as the story progresses and details are gradually revealed about its villain. I found this book to be highly enjoyable and difficult to put down.

Irene Hannon is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

My ⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Notes: This is an older review (2017) that I'll be updating when I read this book again. You can find my Goodreads review of "Trapped" here.

Credits: The book cover and synopsis seen in this post are courtesy of Amazon.com. Also, if any of you would like to learn more about Irene Hannon and her books, check out her website, IreneHannon.com.

"VANISHED" BY IRENE HANNON

"Vanished" by Irene Hannon

(Private Justice #1)

Synopsis:

Reporter Moira Harrisons is lost. In the dark. In a thunderstorm. When a confusing detour places her on a rural, wooded road, she's startled by the sudden appearance of a lone figure caught in the beam of her headlights. Though Moira jams on her brakes, the car careens across the wet pavement--and the solid thump against the side of the vehicle tells her she hit the person before she crashes into a tree on the far side of the road.

A dazed Moira is relieved when a man opens her door, tells her he saw everything, and promises to call 911. Then everything fades to black. When she comes to an hour later, she is alone. No man. No 911. No injured person lying on the side of the road. But she can't forget the look of terror she saw on the person's face in the instant before her headlights swung away. The person she hit had been in trouble. She's sure of it. But she can't get anyone to believe her story--except a handsome former police detective, now a private eye, who agrees to take on the case.

My Review:

This book has all of the things I now look for in a good suspense novel... A mentally and emotionally captivating plot driven by dangerous circumstances that keep you on the edge of your seat, with compelling characters, and subtle elements of faith and romance, without any profanity, graphic violence, or sexual content.

One of my favorite quotes from this book is: "After that, I started laying my problems and needs before God and asking for grace and guidance and whatever other virtues he thought I needed..."

"Vanished" captured both my mind and my heart. I found this book to be thrilling, uplifting, and truly entertaining. This is the first book I've read by Irene Hannon, and I very much look forward to reading more of her suspense work!

My ⭐ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Notes: This is an older review (2017) that I'll be updating when I read this book again. You can find my Goodreads review of "Vanished" here.

Credits: The book cover and synopsis seen in this post are courtesy of Amazon.com. Also, if any of you would like to learn more about Irene Hannon and her books, check out her website, IreneHannon.com.

"AGAINST THE TIDE" BY ELIZABETH CAMDEN

"Against the Tide" by Elizabeth Camden

Synopsis:

After a childhood rampant with uncertainty, Lydia Pallas has carved out a perfect life for herself. She spends her days within sight of the bustling Boston Harbor, where her skill with languages has landed her an enviable position as a translator for the U.S. Navy.

Lydia's talents bring her to the attention of Alexander Banebridge, a mysterious man in need of a translator. Driven by a campaign to end the opium trade, Bane is coolly analytical and relentless in his quest. He cannot afford to fall for Lydia and must fight the bittersweet love growing between them.

When Bane's enemies gain the upper hand, he is forced to turn to Lydia for help. Determined to prove her worth, Lydia soon discovers that carrying out Bane's mission will test her wits and her courage to the very limits.

My Review:

As a beautiful work of historical Christian fiction, I consider Elizabeth Camden’s “Against the Tide” to be a great read for all—not just for Christian readers. This book is very well written with fascinating characters and an excellent blend of mystery, suspense, adventure, romance, and redemption.

The development of each character in this book is very well paced. Camden keeps you guessing as the history and motives of each character are slowly unveiled with brilliant timing. Most of the characters have visible flaws, which I really appreciate because this makes them much more realistic, more human.

Bane in particular is such a complex, mysterious, and intriguing character! The Bane you see in the beginning, middle, and end of this story, are all very different. This character is constantly evolving throughout this book and my opinion of him changed drastically from beginning to end, which I love. I believe he has more depth than any other character in this book.

There is also a character that is so inherently evil that reading about him/her made my skin crawl, however this character has an outward appearance to most of a well-educated and highly intelligent individual with a kind disposition, which makes this person even more creepy—a definite wolf in sheep’s clothing. I won’t spoil who this character is, but I will say that this person adds a lot of shock and suspense to this story!

The plot of “Against the Tide” is centered around an opium (a narcotic drug) addiction problem in the U.S. that had led to extreme crime and severe suffering in the late-1800s, and from what I could tell this book is historically accurate. The author really did her research. I found this story especially interesting because the U.S. is facing a very similar problem today with opium addictions.

Outside of some necessary terrors that keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat, this book is clean with no cursing or sexual situations in it, which I really admire the author for. I'm also impressed with how the author blended faith into this story without being overbearing or "preachy," making this book appealing to both believers and nonbelievers.

I finished this book not wanting it to end, and I will undoubtedly be reading it again multiple times in the future.

“Against the Tide” is a very enjoyable and exciting read that I highly recommend.

My ⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Notes: This book has one of my favorite book covers! You can find my Goodreads review of "Against the Tide" with my book highlights here. 

Credits: The book cover and synopsis seen in this post are courtesy of Amazon.com, and if any of you would like to learn more about Elizabeth Camden and her books, check out her website, ElizabethCamden.com.