WHATS NEW IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Wondering what's HOT in inspirational fiction? Kristine Delano has a brand new suspense, The Lies We Trade, recently released from Tyndale House. Here's a little bit about the story:

Meredith Hansel's prestigious Wall Street career is soaring---until her personal life implodes. A crumbling marriage, troubled daughter, and disturbing vandalism shake her world. Then Betsey, her trusted colleague, goes rogue, sending a cryptic thumb drive threatening to reveal a devastating secret. What are Betsey's true motives? And was she sending a threat . . . or a warning?

You can buy The Lies We Trade HERE from Tyndale House.

Have a great week of reading, lovers of inspirational suspense and mystery! ~ Mary Ellis, Suspense Sisters

SUSPENSE SISTERS: MARCH GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: March Giveaway

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

We have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!

On Tuesday, Suspense Sister Mary Ellis will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.

Wednesday, we’ll hear from author Sharon Dunn who will talk about growing up in a rural state. She’s also giving away a copy of MONTANA RANCH CRIME RING.

Exposing a smuggling operation could uncover dangerous secrets.

As veterinarian Erika Gunderson races to save her horses from a burning barn, she is assaulted—and left for dead inside. Newly hired ranch hand Daniel Fowler comes to the rescue just in time. Little does Erika know that Daniel is an undercover ATF agent, investigating gunrunners operating in the isolated Montana wilderness—and considers her a potential suspect. When they unearth a body on the ranch and Erika’s father mysteriously vanishes, hidden family secrets begin to emerge. With more than just their lives on the line, they’ll need to risk everything to take down the smugglers and expose the truth.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

ORDER IT HERE 

Friday. Suspense Sister Mary Alford tells us about her March 31st release, UNSOLVED AMISH ABDUCTION. Leave a comment for a chance to win an eBook copy.

The mystery of her sister’s disappearance could reveal some deadly answers…

An anonymous letter containing her missing sister’s bracelet lures Anna Hartzler back to her Amish hometown—and into a trap set by the kidnapper she escaped years ago. She’s rescued from another abduction by Jaxson Thomas, her former neighbor turned police officer. Now Anna must depend on Jaxson to protect her and her little girl, who he doesn’t know is his child. But as the threats grow, can he keep them safe long enough to identify and catch the culprit—before this enemy sets his sights on their daughter?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

PREORDER IT HERE 

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

WE LOVE BOOKS

God Loves Bristly Characters

Kristen here. Watch Your Back turns one year old this month! Perfect timing, it is now available on audiobook, narrated by the fabulous Sandra Huston. Whether you prefer paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, or audiobook, my Crossroads Suspense series has you covered.

Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Kelly Jo Wilson on The Christian Romance podcast about Watch Your Back, and the word bristly came to mind when she asked me to describe my heroine, Avery. (Enjoy our full conversation here.)

I just couldn’t think of a better word than bristly to describe Avery. She’s a self-made private investigator with a lot of hardened edges. As a child, she was abandoned by both her parents and eventually aged out of the foster care system. Is it any wonder she has a hard time building relationships and struggles to believe that a heavenly Father could be worth trusting?

This is a spoiler-free blog post, so I won’t reveal how her story unfolds, but I want to pause for a second and reflect: What are the “bristly” parts to our own stories? I think we all have them, in one way or another. Perhaps you felt overlooked when someone received the promotion you deserved, and you had to fight against pride. Perhaps there are difficult parts of your family’s story, or perhaps God hasn’t given you the family you prayed for, and you've struggled with bitterness. 

The truth is, we all have bristly sides to our stories, because we live in a world broken by sin. The real question is: Are we willing to let God refine our rough or wounded edges? 

But Kristen, you don’t know about my bristles.

You’re right. I don’t. But God does, and He is in the business of redeeming even the most bristly people. Consider Saul in the New Testament. The man’s sole aim in life was to persecute Christians—men and women. Then one day, God revealed Himself to Saul on the Damascus road and replaced Saul’s bristly heart with a soft heart, dedicated to relentlessly telling others about Jesus. (See Acts 9). God literally replaced Saul's "heart of stone" with a "heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

You see, radical transformations aren’t just the plotlines of fiction. God can and does redeem the most bristly, broken, real-life stories and turn them into beautiful testimonies of His grace.

Turns out, God loves bristly characters. He just wants us to surrender our lives to Him and watch Him redeem what feels hopeless. 

Today, I’m giving away one audiobook copy of Take My Hand, book one in my Crossroads Suspense series. You’ll meet Avery in that story, and I hope you’ll get your copy of Watch Your Back, where her story takes center stage.

Simply leave a comment on this post, along with your email address, to be entered into the giveaway. 

BOOK REVIEW: DARK DESIGN by Suspense Sister Nancy Mehl

Marji Laine here. 

What a way to start a suspense! It requires the reader to put on the skin of a crazed serial killer and read his twisted thoughts. This story starts out creepy-squared! 

This is an intensive psychological thriller with layers of developments. The characters are, as with the first book in this series, very real with their own needs for growth, weaknesses, and areas of expertise. They wrestle with their own shattering issues, with glimpses of hope that they can overcome their difficult pasts. 

Technically, this is an “Erin Delaney” mystery, but her friend Kaely Quinn-Hunter, shoulders some of the story’s perspective. Kaely’s husband Noah and Erin’s friend Adrian fill out the main character cast. Each has a strong personality, needs, goals, and obstacles, making the perspectives unique and deep.

And the mystery is disastrously twisted, affecting characters in two different locals at the same time. How does a shooting in a tiny town in the Smokey Mountains connect with a missing woman in a suburb of Washington DC? See if you can figure that one out before the experts do! 

And while you’re at it, take a peek on into the life of a best-selling author. Nancy Mehl paints an extraordinary story with DARK DESIGN. Here’s a little more about the book: 

As she began to lose consciousness, she realized that she'd just made a very serious mistake. 

She tried to call out for help, but she couldn't see anyone on the shore.

There was no one to save her.

When Erin Delaney learns that a serial killer has mimicked the murder portrayed in her bestselling novel, she joins her friend Kaely Quinn-Hunter, a former FBI profiler, in Virginia. Their reunion, only a few months after fending off an eerie killer in the woods of Tennessee, is bittersweet, as Kaely has been tasked by the FBI to recruit Erin's help to identify a suspect. The FBI's team is stumped by the murderer who re-creates killings from the books of multiple authors, with only ominous notes left behind. As Erin is drawn further into the web of fear and chaos, Kaely begins to fear for Erin's safety.

On top of tracking down a murderer, Erin must shoulder the weight of a haunted past and claims that she stole the plot of her novel from one of her sources. As she struggles on multiple fronts, the enemy looms closer than ever--and Erin's life hangs in the balance.

"Readers will be riveted by this non-stop, twisty thriller."--Elizabeth Goddard on Shattered Sanctuary

Bestselling author Nancy Mehl threads a plot of police investigations and shadowy evidence with heart-drumming suspense in this clean, high-stakes read that will thrill fans of Lynette Eason and Elizabeth Goddard.

Get your copy HERE! 

What’s at the top of your To-Be-Read pile right now? I have a the short mystery BOUND BY TROUBLE and the following books of that series by Christy Barritt. I’d love to know what you’re reading next! And one of you who share might win a copy of GRIME BEAT, the first of my top-selling series. Don’t forget to leave your email address! 

WHAT'S NEW IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Wondering what's HOT in inspirational suspense and mystery? Lynette Eason and Dani Pettrey have brand novellas in the anthology, Whiteout, Two Romantic Suspense Novellas, just released from Bethany House. Here's a little bit about the story: 

In Buried in Shadows, bridesmaid Cassandra arrives at the stunning Silver Pines ski village for her best friend Izzy's four-day wedding, filled with fun, romance, and snowy excursions. But Cassie is hiding a secret: A year ago she was forced to leave the love of her life---Joel, the bride's brother---at the altar to stop a stalker who wanted Joel dead. When Cassie, Joel, and the rest of the wedding party board a helicopter for their first snowboarding adventure, Cassie finds herself sitting next to the man she still loves . . . as her stalker waits with binoculars in the shadows, vowing to keep them apart forever. Then an avalanche strikes, trapping everyone in an abandoned lodge, with the stalker still at large.

But Cassie isn't the only one with Snowbound Secrets at Silver Pines. Dr. Maya Sullivan tries to keep her PTSD nightmares quiet while she assists avalanche victims at the ski village. When she runs into Gideon, her high school crush and fellow military colleague, romance intertwines with danger. They discover a dark figure lurking in the back of her cabin, but he escapes into the snowy woods. Maya quickly realizes someone is targeting her---and her perilous situation has become a matter of life or death.

You can buy Whiteout: Two Romantic Suspense Novellas HERE from Christianbook.com.

Have a great week of reading, lovers of inspirational suspense and mystery! ~ Mary Ellis, Suspense Sisters