Tag Archives: Rachel Dylan

Read A Romance Month — Romantic Suspense

15 Aug

Happy Tuesday! I, along with quite a few other bloggers, had trouble coming up with books for this week’s TTT topic — characters that should team up. With all that I have had going on in the past couple of weeks, my brain just couldn’t handle the challenge. 😉 So I am continuing my Read A Romance series for TTT today.

August is read a romance month (like we need a reminder), and today I am focusing on my favorite romantic suspense authors. I love a good mystery/suspense, and I love trying to figure out just whodunit with engaging characters. The books listed are the first book of the authors’ most recent series. Hope you find one to love.

For bloggers who stayed on topic, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Read A Romance Month — Top Romantic Suspense

Unknown Threat by Lynn Blackburn

Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley

End Game by Rachel Dylan

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Point of Danger by Irene Hannon

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

Lights Out by Natalie Walters

Top 10 Tuesday — Mystery/Suspense Series You Don’t Want To Miss

23 Aug

Today’s TTT topic is completed series you wish there was more of. I tweaked it a bit (of course I did) and am featuring mystery/suspense series that you just don’t want to miss. And because they are complete, there’s no wait for the next book to release. When you have completed one, on to the next! Binge-reading anyone? The list highlights book one of each series. Hope you find one, two, or more to love!

For more series bloggers love, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Mystery/Suspense Series You Don’t Want To Miss

Atlanta Justice Series by Rachel Dylan (3 books)

In the biggest case of her career, attorney Kate Sullivan is tapped as lead counsel to take on Mason Pharmaceutical because of a corporate cover-up related to its newest drug. After a whistleblower dies, Kate knows the stakes are much higher than her other lawsuits.

Former Army Ranger turned private investigator Landon James is still haunted by mistakes made while serving overseas. Trying to forget the past, he is hired by Kate to look into the whistleblower’s allegation and soon suspects that the company may be engaging in a dangerous game for profit. He also soon finds himself falling for this passionate and earnest young lawyer. 

Determined not to make the same mistakes, he’s intent on keeping Kate safe, but as the case deepens, it appears someone is willing to risk everything—even murder—to keep the case from going to trial.

The Baxter Series by Kathy Herman (5 books)

When a bizarre houseboat explosion rocks the close-knit community of Baxter, firefighters, friends, and neighbors stand powerless as the McConnells’ blazing hull sinks to the bottom of Heron Lake. Grief turns to outrage as new evidence proves there was one survivor — and points to murder, something this sheltered community has never faced in its hundred-year history. In a race with the FBI, Jed sets out to track down the sole survivor, coping meanwhile with his own painful marital struggle. Baxter’s mystery and Jed’s dilemma are ones only God can solve in this suspenseful, surprising story of redemption amidst despair in small-town America.

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Harbored Secrets by Natalie Walters (3 books)

In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name–but no one knows your secret. At least that’s what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.

Lane must work with Walton’s newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she’ll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.

Debut novelist Natalie Walters pulls you to the edge of your seat on the first page and keeps you there until the last in this riveting story that will have you believing no one is defined by their past.

The Million Dollar Mysteries by Mindy Starns Clark (5 books)

Attorney Callie Webber investigates nonprofit organizations for the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation and awards the best of them grants up to a million dollars. In each book of the series, Callie comes across a mystery she must solve using her skills as a former private investigator. A young widow, Callie finds strength in her faith in God and joy in her relationship with her employer, Tom.

In book number one of The Million Dollar Mystery series, Callie’s assignment is to go to Philadelphia and present Wendell Smythe, an old family friend of her boss, Tom, with a check for $250,000. Mr. Smythe heads a relief organization and needs immediate funds. When Callie goes to his office, check in hand, she discovers him dead on the floor. At Tom’s request, Callie moves into Smythe’s home and begins a murder investigation.

But it’s a dangerous place to be, for the family has secrets they would rather not have uncovered. Callie’s only hope is that God will help her use her investigative skills to discover the murderer and escape the web of deceit that surrounds her.

A Murder in The Mountains by Heather Day Gilbert (4 books)

Child of the Appalachian mountains, Tess Spencer has experienced more than her share of heartache. The Glock-wielding, knife-carrying housewife knows how to survive whatever life throws at her. 

But when an anonymous warning note shows up in her best friend Miranda’s mailbox—a note written in a dead woman’s handwriting—Tess quickly discovers that ghosts are alive and well in Buckneck, West Virginia. Hot on a cold trail, she must use limited clues and her keen insight into human nature to unmask the killer…or the next victim might be Tess herself.

Tinged with the supernatural and overshadowed by the mountains’ lush, protective presence, this twisting psychological mystery is the first in A Murder in the Mountains series.

Private Justice by Irene Hannon (3 books)

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. 

From the very first page, readers will be hooked into this fast-paced story full of shocking secrets from fan-favorite Irene Hannon. Vanished is the exciting first book in the Private Justice series: Three justice seekers who got burned playing by the rules now have a second chance to make things right.

Southern Crimes by Lisa Harris (3 books)

When two Jane Does are killed on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, detective and behavioral specialist Avery North discovers they share something in common–a tattoo of a magnolia on their shoulders. Suspecting a serial killer, Avery joins forces with medical examiner Jackson Bryant to solve the crimes and prevent another murder. But it doesn’t take long for them to realize that there is much more to the case than meets the eye. As they venture deep into a sinister world of human trafficking, Avery and Jackson are taken to the very edge of their abilities–and their hearts.

Dangerous Passage exposes a fully-realized and frightening world where every layer peeled back reveals more challenges ahead. Romantic suspense fans will be hooked from the start by Lisa Harris’s first installment of the new Southern Crimes series.

Tides of Truth by Robert Whitlow (3 books)

The Tides of Truth novels follow one lawyer’s passionate pursuit of truth in matters of life and the law.

In the murky waters of Savannah’s shoreline, a young law student is under fire as she tries her first case at a prominent and established law firm. A complex mix of betrayal and deception quickly weaves its way through the case and her life, as she uncovers dark and confusing secrets about the man she’s defending–and the senior partners of the firm. 

How deep will the conspiracy run? Will she have to abandon her true self to fulfill a higher calling? And how far will she have to go to discover the truth behind a tragic cold case? 

Top Ten Tuesday — I Want More!

14 Jun

This week’s TTT prompt is books that need an epilogue. I tweaked this a bit, of course. I don’t need more of one story, I need more books by my favorite authors. My list consists of authors who haven’t published anything new in a while. For some it has only been a couple of years (I am impatient like that), but for others I’ve been waiting a long time. The authors write in a variety of genres, so if you haven’t yet discovered them, I promise you will find a new favorite too.

For more more lists, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Authors I Want More Books From

Cathleen Armstrong, author of the A Place to Call Home series

J. Mark Bertrand, author of the Roland March Mystery series

Candace Calvert, author of Crisis Team series

Brandilyn Collins, author of Plummet

Jessica Dotta, author of Price of Privilege series

Rachel Dylan, author of Capital Intrigue series

Tracy Groot, author of Maggie Bright

Rene Gutteridge, author of Misery Loves Company

Kathy Herman, author of Ozark Mountain Trilogy

Mark Mynheir, author of the Ray Quinn Mystery series

Top 10 Twos-day — Dynamic Duos

22 Feb

Happy Twos-day everybody! In honor of 2-22-22, TTT is featuring Dynamic Duos. While I suspect the theme runs to books with 2 main characters that you love, I have selected books with 2 word titles that pack a punch. My selections are all mystery/suspense novels, so the titles hint at all the action inside. Hope you find a book to love!

For more dynamic duos, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Two Word Titles

Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason

Dead Silence by Robin Caroll

Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard

Lethal Intent by Cara Putman

Lights Out by Natalie Walters

Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

Never Miss by Melissa Koslin

Perilous Treasure by Dan Walsh

Power Play by Rachel Dylan

Top 10 Tuesday — Dark and Deadly

26 Oct

This week’s TTT is a Halloween Freebie. I was inspired by Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower. 😉 Last week she featured books with Light and Dawn in the titles. As a twist, I thought books featuring Dark and Deadly would be perfect for this week’s theme. All are CF suspense novels, perfect for those who don’t like horror or too much gore, but do like a bit of romance. Hope you find one that’s perfect for this week’s reading.

Top Dark and Deadly Books 😉

Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon

Dark Deception by Nancy Mehl

Silence in The Dark by Patricia Bradley

Deadly Commitment by Kathy Harris

Deadly Deceit by Natalie Walters

Deadly Encounter by DiAnn Mills

Deadly Intentions by Lisa Harris

Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey

Deadly Proof by Rachel Dylan

Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard

Top Ten Tuesday — From 2nd to 1st

10 Aug

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about giving secondary characters some love. I decided to feature book series in which secondary characters — friends and/or family — from the first book are the main characters in subsequent books. This is a common practice in series, so it wasn’t hard to find some favorites. I’ve included a a variety of genres, so you should be able to find plenty of books to love.

For more Top Ten Tuesday fun, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Series Featuring Secondary Characters

Blue Justice series by Lynette Eason

Bradford Sisters Romance series by Becky Wade

Capital Intrigue series by Rachel Dylan

Chicory Inn series by Deborah Raney

Hidden Justice series by Cara Putman

Orphan Train series by Jody Hedlund

A Patchwork Family series by Karen Witemeyer

Saturday Night Supper Club series by Carla Laureano

Three Sisters Island series by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Triple Threat Club series by Lis Wiehl

Top 10 Tuesday — Page-Turners

20 Jul

Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is books read in one sitting. It’s funny that now that I am retired and have no children at home it takes me longer to read a book than it used to. Maybe in my *ahem* younger and busier years I knew that my available reading time was limited. Who knows? While I no longer read books in one sitting, I do read some faster than others. These are usually in my favorite genre — mystery/suspense — and just naturally keep me turning the pages. My list today includes recent reads as well as those from years ago that I really did read in one sitting, many of which are part of a series (more good reads!). I hope you find one that will keep you turning those pages too. 🙂

For more page-turning books, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 10 Page-Turners

Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

Collision of Lies by Tom Threadgill

A Cry from The Dust by Carrie Stuart Parks

Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris

Deadly Proof by Rachel Dylan

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

Never Miss by Melissa Koslin

Proof by Jordyn Redwood

Storm Gathering by Rene Gutteridge

Vanished by Irene Hannon

Book Review: Power Play

3 Jun

Wow! What a great ending to the Capital Intrigue series. With Power Play, Rachel Dylan hits it out of the park with non-stop action, sparks aplenty, and a twisting, keep-you-guessing plot. The only downside? The series is finished. Haven’t read this romantic suspense series yet? Now you can get all three books for some wonderful book bingeing!

When State Department attorney Vivian Steele witnesses two ambassadors collapse as if poisoned at a diplomatic dinner in Washington, DC, she is recruited to be a member of a joint FBI task force assigned to investigate. But she soon finds her by-the-book ways clashing with a special agent in the Diplomatic Security Service, Jacob Cruz. A former Navy SEAL and in charge of the event’s security, Jacob takes the attack personally and is driven to act quickly, even ahead of the rules and regulations. 

As Viv starts to work her diplomatic sources, her past as a State Department lawyer comes back to haunt her, and secrets held tightly by the government thrust her into a web of danger. Afraid, Viv turns to the one man bent on protecting others. But can she accept Jacob’s reckless ways as exactly what she needs to stay alive and to discover the truth behind the attacks?

Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for over a decade including being a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids — two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers. You can find Rachel athttp://www.racheldylan.com.

My Impressions:

When I want romantic suspense, I go to Rachel Dylan. Her Capital Intrigue series has been one of the best in the genre. With the release of Power Play, the series comes to an end. I loved the book — engaging characters that are real and relatable, a twisting plot with lots of suspects, wonderful supporting characters, and non-stop action that kept the characters (and the reader 😉 ) on their toes. The book features not one, but two murders, and the task force made up of members from a variety of agencies are tasked with finding out the connections and whodunit. I have really enjoyed that aspect in this series. In this case we have State Department, FBI, and CIA personnel working the case. It was interesting to see how each went about their investigations. Main characters Vivian and Jacob don’t like each other at first, but the sparks begin to fly as they are assigned to work the case together. The romance in this book is a good counterpoint to all the nefarious goings on. The action increases with the danger, and I could not stop turning the pages. I devoured this book in record time. As always, Dylan interjects a faith element that is natural, not preachy. The ending to the book left me wanting more — more from secondary characters and more great books from Dylan. Not sure I will get my wish on the first, but from experience, I know that my second wish will be granted.

If you haven’t read the first two books in the Capital Intrigue series, let me encourage you to get all three. I guarantee once you have read the first, you won’t want to wait to on the second and third. Look at it this way, you are in for a great book-binge time! 😉

Recommended.

Audience: adults

(Thanks to Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Happy Release Day! — Power Play

1 Jun

Happy release day to Rachel Dylan. The final book in her Capital Intrigue series is available today! I finished Power Play last night — I loved it! If you haven’t read this series yet, why not get all three. Perfect for binge reading!

When State Department attorney Vivian Steele witnesses two ambassadors collapse as if poisoned at a diplomatic dinner in Washington, DC, she is recruited to be a member of a joint FBI task force assigned to investigate. But she soon finds her by-the-book ways clashing with a special agent in the Diplomatic Security Service, Jacob Cruz. A former Navy SEAL and in charge of the event’s security, Jacob takes the attack personally and is driven to act quickly, even ahead of the rules and regulations. 

As Viv starts to work her diplomatic sources, her past as a State Department lawyer comes back to haunt her, and secrets held tightly by the government thrust her into a web of danger. Afraid, Viv turns to the one man bent on protecting others. But can she accept Jacob’s reckless ways as exactly what she needs to stay alive and to discover the truth behind the attacks?

Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for over a decade including being a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids — two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers. You can find Rachel athttp://www.racheldylan.com.

Other books in the series:

First Line Friday — Power Play

28 May

Happy Friday! With a long weekend in front of me, I’m looking forward to a lot of good reading. First up on my list is Power Play by Rachel Dylan. I have been eagerly awaiting the final book of her Capital Intrigue series and snagged an early copy. But you don’t have to wait too long to get your hands on your own copy. Release day is June 1. Haven’t read the first two books? What are you waiting for? Get all 3 to jumpstart your summer reading. 🙂

Here’s the first line:

It’s going to be a long night.

When State Department attorney Vivian Steele witnesses two ambassadors collapse as if poisoned at a diplomatic dinner in Washington, DC, she is recruited to be a member of a joint FBI task force assigned to investigate. But she soon finds her by-the-book ways clashing with a special agent in the Diplomatic Security Service, Jacob Cruz. A former Navy SEAL and in charge of the event’s security, Jacob takes the attack personally and is driven to act quickly, even ahead of the rules and regulations. 

As Viv starts to work her diplomatic sources, her past as a State Department lawyer comes back to haunt her, and secrets held tightly by the government thrust her into a web of danger. Afraid, Viv turns to the one man bent on protecting others. But can she accept Jacob’s reckless ways as exactly what she needs to stay alive and to discover the truth behind the attacks?

Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for over a decade including being a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids — two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers. You can find Rachel at http://www.racheldylan.com.

For more First Line Friday fun, head over to Hoarding Books.