Lisa Harris: The Catch

 By Kelly Bridgewater

After a harrowing attempt on a judge's life at the courthouse, Deputy US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are tasked with finding a missing woman and an endangered child in connection to the murder of the judge's wife. What seems like a fairly straightforward case becomes hopelessly tangled when the marshals discover that the woman they are searching for is in witness protection and the Amber Alert put out for the missing child has put two lives in danger.

Madison and Jonas are forced into a race to find the woman and the child before the men who want her dead discover her location. And in a final showdown that could cost her everything, Madison will come face-to-face with the person who murdered her husband.

 

My Thoughts:

The Catch by Lisa Harris develops three mysteries in one novel. With a quick run for their lives, someone accused of murder, and someone else trying to figure out a crime that took her husband, there is plenty of action firing across the pages of the story. The heroine, Madison, has been the same heroine for all three novels in this series, which I really liked. It gave Harris plenty of time to dive deep into character and find what motivates her. Also, the romance between her and Jonas had plenty of time to spark and wonder if anything was going to develop. As for the plot, as I mentioned before, there was three mysteries to untangle. Harris crafted the novel where Madison would focus on one aspect of one of the novels, then the next one would rear its ugly head and take her away from the first mystery.  The moved along quickly, but did allow some downtime for the characters as they rushed from keeping their victims lives safe. Overall, The Catch featured a satisfying conclusion to the mystery in this page, and readers will be happy to see the overall mystery that featured Madison is finally brought to life. I can't wait to see what Harris will craft next.

I received a complimentary copy of The Catch by Lisa Harris from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Most Anticipated: Spring Suspense or Romantic Suspense 2022

 By Kelly Bridgewater

These are also books that I can't wait to devour. 

Here are the covers of suspense or romantic suspense novels that I can't wait to read.

All images come from Goodreads:

The Catch by Lisa Harris

Sunrise by Susan May Warren

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

A Stranger's Game by Colleen Coble

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

What about you? Any other suspense novels I should be reading? I adore Suspense novels!!!

Lisa Harris: The Chase

 By Kelly Bridgewater

US Marshal Madison James may not be sure who shot her three months ago, but she does know one thing--it's time to get back out into the field. When her partner, Jonas Quinn, receives a message that a federal warrant just came in on a man connected to a string of bank robberies, Madison jumps at the chance to get back to work. What she and Jonas find is a bank robbery in progress that's gone wrong--and things are about to get worse.

For these bank robbers, it's never been just about the money. It's about taking risks and adrenaline rushes, and getting caught is not part of the game. When the suspects escape, Madison and Jonas must hunt them down and bring them to justice before someone else--someone close to them--gets hurt . . . or worse.

From Seattle to the San Juan Islands, bestselling author Lisa Harris takes you on a nonstop chase where feelings are complicated and failure isn't an option. 

 

My Thoughts:

The Chase by Lisa Harris is just like the title suggests. A chase. A chase to find the bank robbers. Through the city. Through hotels. Through back alleys. The plot definitely moves every second. While readers may think they know how the story ends, Harris throws another wrench in the plans and have the heroine and hero on the chase again. The plot was well-written and wonderful for fans who enjoy tons of action in their storylines. On the other hand, the romance is hinted at and even flirted with, but nothing comes out of the budding emotions currently. (There is a third book coming!) I actually enjoy this element of the novel. Too many suspense or contemporary romance, for that part, the romance occurs way too quickly. Then the rest of the story centers around the romance and the suspense takes a back seat. When I read a suspense novel, I want the suspense, not the romance. It can be there, but I do not want it to be the main story thread. On a different note, Harris' writing is excellent. Readers will feel the chase and the frustration of not catching them again and again. Overall, The Chase by Lisa Harris is a fast-paced, little romance story that is right up my alley. I believe fans of suspense will enjoy this novel. I sure did.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Lisa Harris: The Escape

 By Kelly Bridgewater

US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are thrust into a high-profile case when they are called on to transport two prisoners across the country on a private plane. But when the plane experiences engine trouble en route from the Pacific Northwest to Colorado, the pilots crash-land the aircraft deep in the heart of the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest. 

When Madison and Jonas regain consciousness, they find both pilots and one prisoner dead--and one fugitive on the run. They'll have to negotiate the rugged and remote backcountry through Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado while tracking a murderer who is desperate to disappear--and will do anything to stop them.

This high-octane game of cat-and-mouse from bestselling and award-winning author Lisa Harris will have your heart pumping as you try to catch a fugitive with nothing to lose. 

 

My Thoughts:

                The Escape by Lisa Harris starts out reminding me of Con-Air, a plane full of criminals and something goes wrong. While Harris' story does not go as realistic and vivid as Con-Air the movie does, it still captures my attention as I am chasing through the woods of Idaho to Colorado to chase after an escaped criminal. There is a hint of romance, but it definitely is not the most important element of the story, which I truly enjoyed by the way. The suspense is what drives the stories. Every time the hero and heroine get close to capturing the criminal, he throws a loop in their carefully laid out plans and runs for the hills.  Some of the movements by the police officers were predictable. I believe fans of suspense novels will have seen them coming. They have been done before. Even with this, I still enjoyed the story. The heroine's name is mentioned in the next one, so I can't wait to see what other trouble that Harris allows these characters to dive into.

I received a complimentary copy of The Escape by Lisa Harris by Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Lisa Harris: The Traitor's Pawn

By Kelly Bridgewater

When FBI agent Jack Shannon arrives in Corpus Christi, Texas, he is focused on one thing: find the man who has been selling encrypted government secrets to the Chinese through online birding chat rooms. But when a senator is shot during a hunting trip and the woman he was with is abducted, Jack agrees to join the search--especially when he discovers that the kidnapping victim is Aubrey Grayson, a woman he was once in love with.

As the search continues, it becomes clear the senator may not have been the intended victim--and Aubrey may be connected to the other case Jack is supposed to be working on. Can Jack untangle the knots before it's too late? And when he learns the truth, will it be too painful to get past?

Join the hunt for the truth--and a traitor--in this tension-laden story of secrets, betrayal, and second chances. 

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Lisa Harris started her latest novel, The Traitor's Pawn with her guns blazing. Right from the start, she jumps right in and starts the action. Just the way I like a romantic suspense to be. The two main characters have a love interest that they never mentioned to each other. They were best friends who wanted more, but never said anything. I totally understand that. But it bothered me that Harris allowed both of them to hide their feelings for the majority of the novel even though there were tons of underlying emotions. I felt like the hero, Jack should have said something sooner. Maybe just a little hint to make Aubrey scratch her head and wonder why she didn't see it or why she didn't admit to him or even herself. The ending is different. One I haven't seen done at all in any novel, which I really liked, but it still felt like the easy way out. I wanted more. Overall, The Traitor's Pawn wasn't a bad novel. Definitely carried enough suspense and romance to satisfy any reader. Recommended for fans of DiAnn Mills and Colleen Coble.

I received a complimentary copy of The Traitor's Pawn by Lisa Harris, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Lisa Harris: Deadly Intentions

By Kelly Bridgewater

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 victim's husbands, Detective Josh Solomon.

Though initially skeptical about Caitlyn's theory, Josh soon realizes that 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.

In this nail-biting thriller, award-winning author Lisa Harris will have you believing that there's no such thing as random.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Deadly Intentions by Lisa Harris is a breath-catching run as the main characters, Josh and Caitlyn, work together to solve the mystery of three related deaths. The writing is top-notch. Harris definitely knows how to show and tell a story with just enough sensory details to keep the reader glued to the pages. The plot was a never-ending chase away from the police and the people who wanted to kill them. I really did have a wonderful time getting lost in the story and couldn't wait to see what happened. The climatic ending bothered me. It was done off the pages, and it happened pretty quickly. The entire story lead up to the dramatic moment, but Harris didn't deliver what she promised. As for the romance between Josh and Caitlyn, I didn't buy it either. It felt forced to allow the romantic part of the romantic suspense to keep its reality, but I didn't like it either. Overall, Deadly Intentions delivered a big promise of something huge happening at the end of the novel, but Harris didn't deliver what I was reading for. Fans of romantic suspense like Irene Hannon, Lynette Eason, and DiAnn Mills might disagree with me and love this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Deadly Intentions by Lisa Harris from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

From Amazon

Bestselling author LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom and Vendetta, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has sold over half a million books. She and her family have spent over fourteen years working as missionaries in Africa where she runs a small non-profit organization that works alongside their church-planting ministry. The ECHO Project promotes Education, Compassion, Health, and Opportunity and is a way to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves...the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." (Proverbs 31:8)

When she's not working she loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, photography, and heading into the African bush on safari. For more information about her books and life in Africa visit her website at www.lisaharriswrites.com  (Taken from Amazon.)

Lisa Harris: A Secret to Die For

By Kelly Bridgewater

Psychologist Grace Callahan has no idea that she has a secret--one worth killing for. But when she finds out one of her clients has been murdered, she quickly realizes that the computer security specialist wasn't simply suffering from paranoia.

Detective Nate Quinn has just been cleared for active duty after a bombing killed eighteen people, including his partner, and left him dealing with PTSD. His first case back on the job involves the murder of Stephen Shaw, and his only lead turns out to be an old friend, Grace Callahan--and her life is in grave danger. Someone believes Shaw gave his psychologist information before he died. Information they are willing to kill for.

With her signature pulse-pounding suspense, Lisa Harris takes readers deep into the heart of fear in this race against the clock.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Lisa Harris writes romantic suspense, and I have read a couple of them. I really enjoyed her Nikki Boyd's series. With plenty of action, I had a hard time putting the first three down. With romantic suspense, the story can go three ways: fifty percent romance and fifty percent suspense, mostly suspense and little romance, or mostly romance with little suspense. I prefer my romantic suspense to be the first two. If it is the last one, then I'm really not that interested. As for Harris' A Secret to Die For, the novel falls in the fifty percent romance and fifty percent suspense.

The writing is clear and concise. Harris does a great job at writing in each individual character's perspective. I didn't have a hard time understanding the character's point of view. The emotions of each character fall directly in line with the characters and how Harris's portrays them. The setting was described well, allowing me to visualize the characters as they moved around in the story.

The plot is more of a thriller than a suspense. Grace and Nathan are chasing a electric terrorist as they try to take out our electrical grid. The suspense moves constantly. I had a hard time putting the story down. I finished the novel in around four hours. It moves quickly from one incident to another without really allowing much breathing room from Grace and Nathan. Just the one I like a suspense novel to be.

Grace and Nathan are strong characters. I really like how Grace steps up and is determined to save herself and help Nathan find all the clues to find who is trying to hurt her. That makes her a strong heroine in my book. No woman should stand around and wait for a man to save her. Nathan, on the other hand, worked really hard to solve the clues, but sometimes it feels like Grace was taking over even though Nathan was the trained officer.

Overall, A Secret to Die For by Lisa Harris is a fast-paced thriller with a non-stop chase populated with a number of fascinating characters. Fans of Colleen Coble, Brandilyn Collins, and Irene Hannon will enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of A Secret to Die For by Lisa Harris from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

About the Author:

From Amazon

Bestselling author LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom and Vendetta, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has over thirty novels and novella collections in print. She and her family have spent over fourteen years working as missionaries in Africa where she runs a small non-profit organization that works alongside their church-planting ministry. The ECHO Project promotes Education, Compassion, Health, and Opportunity and is a way to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves...the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." (Proverbs 31:8) (Taken from Amazon.)

Lisa Harris: Vanishing Point

By Kelly Bridgewater

During Garrett Addison's first week on the job as a criminal investigator for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, his team is called out to a murder scene of a young girl. She's the third victim in a string of disappearances with one thing in common--a Polaroid photo of each victim left behind at the crime scene.

The FBI is pulled into the case to help, and Garrett finds himself working with Special Agent Jordan Lambert, the woman he once loved. When yet another girl dies--number six--Garrett blames himself and believes he doesn't have what it takes to be an agent. What he'll discover is that, while he may be done with the killer, the killer is not done with him--or Jordan.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Vanishing Point by Lisa Harris is the exciting conclusion to the Nikki Boyd files. It is the fourth book in the series. With my suspense, I like a lot of chases and dead bodies piling up. Luckily, Harris included a story with a serial killer, which happens to be one of my favorite style of suspense and thriller stories. Serial Killers make the story more interesting and more pressing for the cops because they have to hunt faster or there will be more victims. With Vanishing Point, Harris definitely delivered a page turner.

The writing is clear and concise. I had no problem visualizing the setting and placing myself inside the characters and watching them interact with the numerous crime scenes. Harris also included a lot of background information from the police officer's perspective to show the work they have to do to finish the hunt.

The plot was different than I was expecting. The first three books in the series are told from Nikki Boyd's perspective, hence the name The Nikki Boyd Files, but this book takes place from Garrett Addison and Jordan Lambert's point of view, which I totally didn't expect. Not that it ruin the story. It was still a high tension novel from start to finish, but Nikki is a secondary character, not the first character, so it kind of threw me off. I expected the concluding chapter to be in Nikki's voice. I wanted her story as she finally solved what happened to her sister. I felt cheated since Nikki didn't get to share her point of view in the most important part of the story for her. Also, the bad person feels a lot like the bad person in the final episode of BBC Sherlock. They had the same personalities and the same issues. The capture of this person felt a little too easy for me with all the work Harris built into the character's ability to allude the police for over ten years, then they are caught with barely any struggle. Felt cheated.

There is romance, but it is between Garrett and Jordan. This story takes place in 2004, 2005, 2006, and present day. Garrett and Jordan have a past before this story even takes place. Then the sparks fly and disappear. Then fly and come to a conclusion with the story.

Overall, Vanishing Point by Lisa Harris is an awesome chase to find the serial killer that I really enjoy. The characters were not who I was expecting, so I was thrown for  a loop. The serial killer's capture didn't really feel right to me. I thought it would have been more climactic. In general, I did enjoy the hunt for the serial killer, and it was a novel that I finished in less than a day, but I'm just picker, I believe, than most when it comes to my suspense elements.

I received a complimentary copy of Vanishing Point by Lisa Harris from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lisa Harris: Pursued

By Kelly Bridgewater

Nikki Boyd's flight into Nashville was routine--up until the crash landing at the airport. When the dust settles, Nikki discovers that the woman who had been seated next to her on the plane is missing--and no one will admit she was ever there. Erika Hamilton had been flying to Nashville with an air marshal as a key witness in an upcoming grand jury trial. When she flees from the crash, is she running from trouble or straight into it? Before Nikki can even see her family, she and her team are pulled into a missing persons case where the motives are as unclear as the suspects.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lisa Harris has planted danger around every turn in this can't-put-it-down thrill ride that will leave readers stunned.

From Amazon

My Review:

I love mysteries and suspense that keep me hopping and begging me not to put the book down. With Lisa Harris's The Nikki Boyd Files, I have felt like that completely. With this series, I have returned to Nikki Boyd and her best friend, Tyler, and watched her interact with the mysteries that come across her lap.

The writing is clear and concise. I can completely see the setting. I could feel the airplane turbulence in the first couple of chapters and held my breath as they crashed to the earth. Harris does a good job at bringing Nikki to life in the third installment of this series. While the novel features the same heroine, Harris has stayed true to who Nikki is. She didn't do anything that seemed out of character for me. Tyler, the returning hero, is a military man who is the type of man everyone would want in their life. He supports Nikki completely even when she makes dumb mistakes and keeps putting herself in the path of danger. But there were moments that he appeared to be kind of fake. Instead of stopping the woman he loves from chasing the bad guys, he shrugs his shoulders and moves on with his life.

The top reason I enjoy suspense and thrillers is the fast pace of the novel while wondering who is the bad guy. With Pursued, Harris kept the action moving. Every time a chapter was about to end, Harris would throw Nikki into another harrowing situation where she had to run for her life or be caught in the cross hairs. I had a really hard time putting the book down. I stayed up way to late finishing the book, which I love.  But I had a hard time believing that a number of bad things could happen to one person in a forty-eight hour period.

As for the romance between Nikki and Tyler, Harris finally allowed them to come to terms with their happily ever after. It may have taken three books, but I'm glad to see them realize their ultimate relationship together.

The plotline is has been done a number of ties, but I still enjoyed following the story even though the ending was pretty predictable. Similarly, the spiritual elements were not preachy. Nikki did pray for help from God when she was in a difficult situation. I highly recommend Pursued to fans of Lynette Eason, Christy Barritt, Patricia Bradley, and the fans of the first two books in Nikki Boyd's series.

In conclusion, Lisa Harris' conclusion to the Nikki Boyd files is a non-stop story, begging for me to continue reading to see what happens to Nikki and Tyler as she races to the solve a missing person case. I really enjoyed the action and how slow the romance took to come to a reality.

I received a complimentary copy of Lisa Harris' Pursued from Revell Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars