Suspense Sisters: November Giveaway

BOOK REVIEW: On the Edge of Trust by Suspense Sister Patricia Bradley

Great mystery in this excellent book, and a GREAT romance! 

Patricia Bradley has hit another homerun with her 18th publication. This one returns to Logan Point, the setting for her first series, and this place holds both a comfortable homeyness and intense danger. 

It also has some delightful folks who speak with a relaxed drawl and an encouraging tone. 

Ah, and then there is the tension... Well that begins with an attack at the very beginning of the book, at the scene of a situation that brings new meaning to the word stressful. Between that event, and the appearance of a young man at the scene of a murder, this story's twisted wheels begin turning. 

Our main character, Tori Mitchell, deals with the popularity of a true crime podcast that seems to collect enemies, the pain of tragically losing a loved one, the trap of addition, and the emotions that are entangled with all of these situations. She also deals with memories of a summer crush and the return of that man, shocking her with feelings she'd forgotten. 

And then there's the shooter. Oh, and the fire. Yeah, the threats and intensity of the suspense keeps rocking with so many suspects and so many possible motives for the attacks Tori experiences. 

Scott Sinclair, the source of her long-ago crush, as a temporarily off-duty FBI undercover agent, wavers between thoughts that he is the target of the shooter and concern for a woman who had touched his heart a decade before. He wasn't about to take Tori's safety for granted, though. The two of them are thrust together as he struggles to keep her safe while she tries to figure out who is trying to kill her. 

Is it someone involved with the murder blamed on her nephew? 

Is it one of the physical abusers of the women she'd helped to escape?

Does it have something to do with past murders solved or maybe it's something else?

This mystery checks all the boxes! Here's a little more about it. 

Sometimes the closer you get to justice, the deadlier it becomes

When decorated FBI undercover agent Scott Sinclair suffers a gunshot wound in his right arm, the injury threatens his future career in the field. He is determined to regain his former job by training himself to use his left hand, and failure is not an option--especially when he's unofficially pulled into an investigation.

Tori Mitchell is a passionate crime reporter and podcaster who has dedicated her life to seeking justice. Her relentless pursuit of the truth has freed a wrongfully convicted man from prison, making Tori an enemy of the true killer. When her nephew is accused of a different murder, nothing can stop her from getting involved and clearing his name.

Soon after Tori and Scott reconnect on the case, shots are fired, leaving them to wonder which of them has been targeted. As the investigation intensifies, so do the threats and the sparks between them, but Tori's doubtful if she can extend grace and trust to Scott. They'll have to combine their skills and rely on their growing relationship to outsmart the killer.

--

So what is your favorite type of suspense? Do you lean toward thrillers, romantic suspense with a little bit of a slower pace, or do you prefer the tension with a strong side dish of mystery? 

Leave your answer (and your EMAIL address) in the comments. You might just win an e-copy of the first book in the Logan Point series - SHADOWS OF THE PAST. 

And let me know if you've read AT THE EDGE OF TRUST. I'd love to know your thoughts about it! 

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE?

 Wondering what's HOT in Inspirational Suspense this week? PROWL by USA Today Bestselling Author Colleen Coble!!

When a worker at the Sanctuary is discovered dead in the tiger enclosure, authorities assume the big cat killed her. But when the autopsy shows she was killed by a lethal dose of anesthetic delivered by a tranquilizer gun, suspicion falls on Blake Lawson, co-owner of the Sanctuary. Blake has his hands full trying to clear his name as well as get the Sanctuary finances back in the black. When a soil test turns up traces of rare earth, he's even more puzzled. Is someone trying to run them out of business to get to whatever is under the ground?

Meanwhile, wildlife veterinarian Paradise Alden is determined to find the brother she only recently learned even existed. When the results of the DNA test she ran mysteriously disappear from her portal before she can read them, she realizes someone must not want her to know the truth. A break-in at her new apartment is alarming, but she tries to pass it off as someone trying to scare her away. She refuses to turn tail and run when she is desperate for answers.

For Blake, the only solid ground is his relationship with Paradise, and he longs to propose--but how can they even think about starting a life together with so many forces working against them?

Colleen Coble's Prowl combines gripping suspense with closed-door romance and includes intriguing mysteries from both the past and present, sabotage and danger, second-chance romance, found family, and themes of overcoming pain and how the past doesn't have to define you.

Also in this series: Ambush (book 1, available now) and Conspiracy (book 3, available July 2026).

PROWL is Book #2 in the Sanctuary series. You can pick up your e-copy of this second-chance romantic suspense  at THIS LINK! 

I hope you LOVE it! ~ Marji Laine

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

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

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

Wednesday, we’ll hear from Marji again when she reviews fellow Suspense Sister Patricia Bradley’s book, ON THE EDGE OF TRUST. She’ll also give away an eBook copy of the first book in this exciting series, SHADOWS OF THE PAST. Just leave a comment for your chance to win!

ON THE EDGE OF TRUST by Patricia Bradley

Sometimes the closer you get to justice, the deadlier it becomes

When decorated FBI undercover agent Scott Sinclair suffers a gunshot wound in his right arm, the injury threatens his future career in the field. He is determined to regain his former job by training himself to use his left hand, and failure is not an option--especially when he's unofficially pulled into an investigation.

Tori Mitchell is a passionate crime reporter and podcaster who has dedicated her life to seeking justice. Her relentless pursuit of the truth has freed a wrongfully convicted man from prison, making Tori an enemy of the true killer. When her nephew is accused of a different murder, nothing can stop her from getting involved and clearing his name.

Soon after Tori and Scott reconnect on the case, shots are fired, leaving them to wonder which of them has been targeted. As the investigation intensifies, so do the threats and the sparks between them, but Tori's doubtful if she can extend grace and trust to Scott. They'll have to combine their skills and rely on their growing relationship to outsmart the killer.

ORDER IT HERE 

Friday, we’ll hear from author Roxanne Rustand. Here’s a peek at her latest release, DANGEROUS DECEMBER.

A PAINFUL SECRET. A SECOND CHANCE. AND A HOPE FOR A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, IF THEY CAN JUST HEAL FROM THEIR PAST...

After a painful divorce, small-town bookstore owner, Beth Carrigan, has rebuilt a quiet life in northern Wisconsin. The last thing she expects is her ex-husband Devlin—a decorated Marine—coming back with life-changing news: his late mother’s will binds them together for six months with a shocking ultimatum.

To secure the future they each desperately need—Beth’s beloved bookstore and Dev’s full inheritance—they must work side by side for six months to manage his mother’s stately home, now a temporary refuge for down-on-their-luck residents. It's a daunting mission that requires compassion, cooperation...and working together despite their painful divorce.

But someone doesn’t want them to succeed.

A string of "accidents" becomes increasingly dangerous. Sabotage, secrets, and a long-held grudge threaten not just their second chance at love but the lives of others.

This Christmas, healing a broken heart will be the least of her worries.

ORDER IT HERE 

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

WE LOVE BOOKS

Bookish Gift Ideas!

 Melissa here! As we are entering the holiday season (yay!), I’m thinking of what to get my family. If you have any book lovers on your list, here are some great ideas. Or…send this list to someone as a hint for shopping for you…

 (All links lead to either Amazon or Etsy.)

Who doesn’t need a bookmark collection?

Monogrammed antique style bookmark

It says for kids, but aren’t we all kids at heart?

Squashed animal bookmarks

Pretty!

pressed leaf filigree bookmarks

 

Nothing else to say. Leave me alone. 😊

Just one more chapter pillow.

Just cool.

Personalized book locket

 

It’s not snarky. You should feel special you were important enough.

I closed my book to be here t-shirt

Truth.

I rescue books t-shirt

This is just neat.

Bookstore ornament (2D)

Yes, you can make your favorite book into an ornament!

Customizable book ornament

I’ve never seen this gadget before. Would be so useful while reading in bed—my hand always cramps!

Personalized book page holder

Comfy.

book scarf

A bookmark my cats (probably) won’t play with. Probably.

Personalized corner bookmark

Which one is your favorite? Or do you have another bookish idea that we book nerds would love?? Please share!

AND OF COURSE, these books are always great gift ideas!

Descended (romantic suspense, borderline speculative)

Ancient bloodlines, secret societies, an attempt on her life, and a familiar yet enigmatic stranger…

The LostLibrary (romantic suspense)

Cali Lebeau and her employer, billionaire recluse Asher Cross, discover a terrorist organization is searching for the legendary Golden Library of Moscow in order to use it for nefarious purposes. It was stolen from them by Calie's ancestor, and she holds a clue to its location. In order to free herself and Asher, Calie must race against the terrorists, find the library, and share it with the world.

DangerousBeauty (romantic suspense)

Meric Toledan keeps his dark past and his secrets to himself. But when he meets Liliana Vela, a victim of human trafficking, he finds himself ready to protect her at all costs--including asking for her hand in marriage.

NeverMiss (romantic suspense)

A female sniper saves a man’s life and, with him, falls into a search for the true source of the Ebola virus before it’s used to cripple America, all while discovering the truth about each other and their pasts.

A DreamWithin A Dream (suspense, final book in the Coffey & Hill series)

Dream is a mild-mannered forger who may or may not also be a brutal murderer. Can he help solve one of the most infamous art heists in history? 

Gratitude as Worship

November has been a month full of gratitude Facebook posts for the last decade. I've not participated in the daily thanksgiving posts, because I know myself well enough to understand that would lose steam around day 3. Not because I don't have things to be thankful for, but because I don't have the follow-through for a 30 day commitment like that. Believe me, that's not something I'm proud of; just being transparent. 

And in the name of transparency, I thought I'd give you a peek into what I've learned about gratitude in 2025. 

Since the upheaval that was 2020, life has taken on a weirdness that wasn't present before. Social media has taken the place of real, human interaction. The forced social distancing has made me comfortable staying home and avoiding people. Wins seem further apart and losses abound. Every year, I think this will be the year things go back to normal. In January, I felt sure that 2025 would be my year. The year a publisher would want to get my books into readers' hands, the year I'd figure out how to solve some things I've been struggling with. Sadly, the reality is that 2025 has been a year packed with rejection from publishers and things just not working out the way I planned them. 

Hopes have been let down harshly. Dreams have fallen apart. Prayers have seemingly been unanswered if not unheard altogether. 

I can't be the only person coming into the Thanksgiving season feeling a like I'm lacking the bandwidth to be grateful. 2025 was hard, and I'm not going to sugarcoat it. But there is One Shining Light that beamed bright in the heavy darkness of this year. His name is Jesus. 

I guess that's what 2025 has taught me. That even though the road is rough, even though different circumstances this year have played out in ways I never would have chosen, even though evidence of the brokenness of the world has appeared bigger this year than others, I haven't had to face the darkness in solitude. I'm not alone. No tear I've shed has gone unnoticed. (Ps. 56:8 "You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?") No prayer I've prayed has hit the ceiling and fallen dead to the floor. (Ps. 116:1 "I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.") Not only does He hear my prayers, but the Holy Spirit prays for me when I don't have the ability to form words. (Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.")

As I look back on this year, littered with wreckage of this broken world, I see hope amid the loss. Light shining through grief. I feel a peace that comforts in direct opposition to the pain and hurt and difficulty. Because through every hurdle, God's arms wrap tighter around me. His love floods my soul on the hardest days. He brings restoration to my brokenness. 

Somehow this year, my gratitude feels more like an offering to God. A choice to focus on all that He is instead of my circumstances. A decision to look for Him in the hardships rather than letting the darkness swallow me whole. For some reason the decision to be grateful makes the gratitude feel more profound. More like worship. 

I don't know what 2026 will bring. Maybe I don't want to know. Still, even though I have no wish for another year like 2025 I can be sure of one thing. And that is that God is already in 2026. He sees me, He hears me, and He cares. No matter how the year unfolds, I won't be taking a single step alone, and I will have so much to be grateful for, because the Light of Jesus shines the brightest in the dark patches life sometimes throws my way. 

What are you grateful for? Share with me below for a chance to win an ebook copy of The Purple Nightgown!