Shadows at Dusk (Missing in Alaska, Book Two)

 

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 2023

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: The old cargo plane vibrated as the pilot descended into the airdrop zone, the turbulence shuddering through Carrie Jams.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Another wonderfully written, action packed romantic suspense from Ms. Goddard! In this second book in the Missing in Alaska series, Carrie is a pilot in Shadow Gap, ferrying passengers around Alaska, delivering supplies to residents living in remote areas, and whatever else is needed of her. When Trevor arrives in Alaska looking for answers to his sister’s disappearance, Chief Autumn Long, the heroine of the first book, recommends Carrie as a guide. Carrie is reluctant, as she’s about to leave for a long awaited vacation, and despite being intrigued by Trevor, she refers him to another local pilot. But when Carrie’s business partner, mentor, and best friend is murdered, her whole life is turned upside down, for the second time.

I really liked and admired Carrie. Ten years ago she miraculously survived an attack on her life, and still carries the emotional and physical scars. She’s worked hard to overcome adversity, and flying brings her peace and comfort. I loved Trevor. He uprooted his own life to help his sister escape an abusive marriage, and thought she’d created a good life for herself, only to have her disappear without a trace on a vacation to Alaska, leaving only a handful of photos for Trevor to decipher.

So we have two mysteries running concurrently as it becomes clear that someone does not want Trevor investigating his sister’s disappearance, and it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill Carrie. I love an Alaskan setting. The wild land, the mountains, the seclusion, all lend themselves to the perfect backdrop for mystery, suspense, action, danger, and survival. But we also get an engaging story and great character studies of Carrie and Trevor and what drives them. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Montana Detective Trevor West is desperate to learn what happened to his sister, who went missing in Alaska over a year ago, leaving nothing but a few photographs as clues to her whereabouts. At the advice of Police Chief Autumn Long, Trevor enlists the help of an experienced bush pilot. If Carrie James can't help him find the places in the photographs, no one can. 

But Carrie has her own agenda. Grieving the death of her closest friend and the only person she could trust, Carrie will help Trevor find his sister on one condition--that he help her track down her friend's killer. 

As the two close in on the answers they crave, they'll face dangers and connections they could not have imagined. They'll have to learn to trust one another--and face the dark secrets of the past--if they are ever to discover the truth and bring a killer to justice.

Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage, Book 2)

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program for review.

First line: For a few hours every Saturday morning, Erin Larson could forget that evil existed.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: Another winner from Elizabeth Goddard! I don’t think she could write a bad book if she tried! This is the second book in her Rocky Mountain Courage series. We met Erin briefly in the first book, as she’s a close friend with that book’s heroine. However, Erin, a criminal psychologist, lives in Washington state. Like the previous book, the action starts almost immediately, while Erin and a friend are kayaking and nearly killed. And then she gets a phone call telling her that her mother is in the hospital after a suicide attempt. So off to Montana Erin goes. Nathan is a detective in Big Rapids, Montana. His part of the story starts in chapter two, when one minute he’s fishing with his father, who’s about to tell him some big secret, and the next minute his father’s been shot. From there the action never stops!

Nathan and Erin have history, and Nathan still smarts over Erin breaking up with him and moving away. There is a lot of internal monologuing – Ms. Goddard’s books, regardless of the plot and/or action involved, are wonderful character studies, and we really get to know both Erin and Nathan. We learn that Erin has a secret in her past that was instrumental in her decision to break it off with Nathan, but we don’t learn what that secret is until the last part of the book.

I feel like anything I say about this book is just repeating myself about the first book in the series, or any of the books in Ms. Goddard’s Uncommon Justice series. I love her writing, I love her descriptions of scenery, I love her characterization. There is a lot going on in this book, with both Nathan’s and Erin’s lives in danger every time they turn around. It seems like Nathan is a target because of whatever his father was investigating, and Erin gets pulled into it, and then suddenly it appears that Erin may be a target on her own, unrelated to Nathan and his father. In fact, the plot/subplots are a bit convoluted, and yet I had no trouble keeping up with the action and what was going on. Or rather, no more than Nathan and Erin had, because it was confusing at times, they were confused, and so we are confused along with them.

There’s plenty of suspense, and the last part of the book had me sitting up past my bedtime, eyes glued to the turning pages, happy with the resolution, but sorry to leave Nathan and Erin behind.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Criminal psychologist Erin Larson's dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases.

Nathan Campbell's father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin's help to solve the case. She's good at what she does. The only problem? She's his ex.

As the two dig deeper, it becomes clear that they, too, are being targeted--and that the answers to their questions are buried deep within the past Erin struggles to explain and longs to forget.

The race is on for the truth in this gripping and complex tale of suspense, intrigue, and murder from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard.

Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage, Book 1)

 

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, April 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: Chance Carter should have known this last delivery wouldn’t go down without a hitch.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: Elizabeth Goddard has quickly become a favorite author for me, after having read her Uncommon Justice series, and I’ve since acquired several books from her back list. So I was thrilled to get this first book in her new Rocky Mountain Courage series, set in the same area of Wyoming as the Uncommon Justice series. In fact, in one scene a couple of characters from that series make a brief and welcome appearance.

The plot hits the ground running as the story opens with a small plane losing power and the pilot desperately trying to safely land, only to crash, leaving him injured and fearful of what will happen if he’s unable to complete delivery of a package. From there we’re off and running. We’re then introduced first to Grayback County Sheriff’s Detective Jack Tanner, and then US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors (along with other characters sporting long awkward titles!).

I’ve never been to Wyoming, but Ms. Goddard’s descriptions of the landscape make me wish I could travel there some day. Terra has vast knowledge of the mountains, which makes her an asset in Jack’s investigation of the murder of a local insurance salesman whose body is found at the bottom of a cliff.

As much as I loved the book, I will admit that the plot seemed a little more convoluted than the author’s other books, as I sometimes had to reflect back on previous happenings to understand what was going on, or felt a little confused. But that may have been an issue with my own concentration, especially since work has kept me so busy lately that I often could only read two or three chapters at a time (with sixty-five chapters most of them are fairly short). But that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. Along with the evocative descriptions, Ms. Goddard does a wonderful job with characterization. I love a good character study, and prefer character driven stories over plot driven, but Ms. Goddard’s books fall into both camps.

PRESENT DANGER is a well written and suspense filled story with a second chance romance. I can’t wait for the next book!

Goodreads synopsis: Former FBI Special Agent Jack Tanner is working as a detective in Montana when he comes across a body in the national forest during a search and rescue mission. He's committed to finding the killer, even if it means working alongside his old flame, US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors.

When Terra discovers that the murder victim had ties to a powerful and dangerous trafficker of archaeological artifacts, the investigation takes a deadly turn--one that hits too close to home. As Terra fears she lacks the courage to face what comes next, Jack is more determined than ever to protect her. But he's failed her before. And if he fails this time, it will cost them far more than just their hearts.

Join bestselling and award-winning author Elizabeth Goddard as she plunges you into a web of deceit made of hidden crimes, open threats, and long-buried family secrets in this gripping first book of an explosive new series.

Point of Danger

 

IRENE HANNON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2020.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: The package was ticking.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: That first sentence plunges us right into the plot, as Eve Reilly calls 911, and police officers and the bomb unit descend on her cul de sac. Eve is a radio host, a very controversial radio host, so detective Brent Lange begins looking into her listening audience for suspects. Which means he and Eve are thrown into each other's company, and sparks fly. I'm not a fan of insta love, I want to watch characters get to know each other, and I l loved how the attraction between Eve and Brent grew as their romance slowly played out. Revell is a Christian publisher, so it was tame, and sweet, and endearing and very satisfying. I'm also a fan of character driven stories, and the author did a wonderful job with both Eve's and Brent's characterization, as well as the supporting characters. I loved the interactions between Eve and her two sisters, and the suspects were all sufficiently creepy in their own ways. 

The mystery was well crafted, with some red herrings thrown in. I kept thinking I had an idea of who the culprit was, but in the end I was completely unprepared for the twist that led to the true culprit. Looking back, I realize that despite the fast pacing there was not necessarily a lot of action, and yet there was always something going on. I'd previously only read a couple of Ms. Hannon's books, both of which were Love Inspired romances, and both of which were enjoyable but (to me) fairly standard for the genre. With POINT OF DANGER, I'm much more interested now in reading more from her. This book is tag lined “A Triple Threat Novel”, so I hope another one will be coming soon.

Goodreads synopsis: Radio talk show host Eve Reilly is used to backlash from her pot-stirring on-air commentary and interviews, but now it seems a disgruntled listener is resorting to more than angry words to express their displeasure. When a suspicious package arrives on her doorstep, Eve turns to law enforcement for help.

Police detective Brent Lange can't find any evidence to link the string of unsettling incidents that follows, but he's convinced they're connected. As the harassment grows more menacing, it becomes clear someone wants Eve's voice silenced--permanently. 

But unless he can track down her foe, fast, the gutsy woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes--and who is swiftly winning his heart--may not survive. 

Bestselling author and three-time RITA Award winner Irene Hannon is back with a heart-stopping new series that will have you turning pages well into the night.