The first book of a brand new romantic suspense series by Elizabeth Goddard, When The Silence Breaks, releases tomorrow! I had the good fortune to receive an ARC, so I dug in as soon as I could. This novel checks all the boxes for fans of the genre. Find out more below.
A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers–and danger closing in.
When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather’s deathbed confession connected to her brother’s murder, she’s determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand.
After his father’s death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can’t stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.
Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.
This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.
Elizabeth Goddard is the PW, ECPA, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of over sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska and Rocky Mountain Courage series. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. She is a Christy Award, Carol Award and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.
My Impressions:
When The Silence Breaks is the first book in Elizabeth Goddard’s new Mercy Ridge romantic suspense series. This book has it all for fans of the genre — fast-paced suspense, dangers from all sides, twists/turns/surprises you don’t see coming, and a sweet romance with a swoon-worthy hero. I loved it!
The action starts right away as the main characters are caught up in a mudslide in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. I have never been to that area of the country, but it was if I was feeling the ground shake and the devastating power of nature along with the main characters. And nature never gave up as the book progressed! A former agent of an unnamed federal agency hires an ex-Navy Seal turned hiking guide to help her uncover a decades old mystery. While the threats from nature are real (which is a great plot device in itself), they are tracked by unknown determined and deadly human assailants. I loved the history behind the mystery, while feeling the tension of the quest with all its risks. The main characters have an immediate attraction that translates into learning to trust each other — something they both needed desperately. As always, the author interjects a faith message that compliments, rather than overwhelms the narrative.
When The Silence Breaks kept me furiously turning the pages even as I wished the story could go on. But luckily, there is more to come in the small mountain town of Mercy Ridge.
Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Tags: Elizabeth Goddard, romantic suspense fiction
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