A race to prevent another murder... Fatal Strike by Diann Mills (Review) @TyndaleHouse

Fatal Strike
By DiAnn Mills
Christian Romantic Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 400 Pages
September 3rd 2019 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Summary

In DiAnn Mills’s latest novel, Fatal Strike, there’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

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My Review

FATAL STRIKE is one of those stories that invites the reader into the investigation as the characters try to find a murderer. It's a methodical search of interviews and facts that slowly ramps up in intensity towards the climatic conclusion. Inspirational romantic suspense readers will enjoy this one.

This story starts off really well with an intense standoff scene between police and a house invasion. Two FBI agents who are snipers are called in to help in case the police can't work out a peaceful resolution. From there the story slows quite a bit. The characters begin an investigation on another case and only get pieces of the puzzle for most of the book. There is a feeling of constant tension and danger, but there is also a light romance that begins to creep up between the two main characters.

The dialogue was really choppy in the story, which I'm pretty sure is this author's writing style. Lots of short sentences and fast talking between her characters. The romance was sweet, but I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the characters because it just happens. The author writes those scenes like she does the rest. Short and factual. I didn't get any lead-up to the kisses or any pauses for the emotions besides a few mentions. Of course the romance is not the point of the story, so that's okay. The suspense aspect was steady and also interesting. Some things did't work for me and some things felt implausible (including FBI procedures), but otherwise the plot worked for me. There were also a few things that were tied up too perfectly. Stories tend to feel more genuine when there are a few loose ends or the characters still have some things to work through.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed reading this. It was exciting and intriguing enough to hold my interest and I liked the characters. I'm definitely willing to grab future titles from this author.

Content: Violence, but applicable to the story.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the tour host/NetGalley, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

About the Author

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne du Maurier, Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and Carol Award contests. Firewall, the first book in her Houston: FBI series, was listed by Library Journal as one of the best Christian fiction books of 2014.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is codirector of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.




You can check out an interview with the author hereWill you be reading this one?

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