Suspense to Chill You This Summer

If you love suspense books that inspire, you’ll love these two summer releases.

I receive free electronic advanced reader copies of these books through an arrangement between the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion on NetGalley’s website. I only review books on my blog that I really love.

Closer Than She Knows

By Kelly Irvin, Thomas Nelson, June 2020, 352 pages.

Teagan O’Rourke loves murder mysteries, her job as a court reporter, her dog Tigger, her family, and God. Her quiet life implodes when a police officer riding in a car with her gets shot by a sniper. 

Before the day ends, her neighbor gets murdered and a killer has left Teagan a note, promising more victims. Her family—mostly police officers or retired police officers—close ranks around her, but Teagan worries they’ll turn into victims, too. 

Her best friend, Max Kennedy, will do anything to keep Teagan safe, even though her family doesn’t approve of him. He’d like to move beyond friendship, but he can’t figure out why Teagan puts up a barrier. Maybe she doesn’t trust him because of his past. He’s ready to lay down his life for her. And he may have to.

As Teagan and her father race to uncover the identity of the killer, she starts to realize she has another love to add to her list. One she might lose to the killer…or to her decision to not have children.

Why You’ll Love This Book

If you love inspirational suspense, you’ll love this book. Irvin, author of Over the Line and Tell Her No Lies, continues her fast-paced suspense offerings with ordinary, flawed characters who navigate life-threatening situations by clinging to the Rock. 

Fans of Cara Putman, Carrie Stuart Parks, Colleen Coble, and Dee Henderson will this book. I found it hard to put down. 

Don't miss #CloserThanSheKnows, a new suspense book by @Kelly_S_Irvin that I couldn't put down! @netgalley #ThomasNelson #amreading #bookreview Click To Tweet

Relative Silence

By Carrie Stuart Parks, Thomas Nelson, July 2020, 336 pages.

Fifteen years after the fateful day that Sandpiper Boone lost her three-year-old daughter, a gunman fires shots into the crowded patio of her favorite restaurant. Once again, her life veers off in a trajectory she never imagined. This time, she wants to know what happened, and why. For too long she’s lived under the murky blanket of regret and remorse. Maybe the truth as she knows it had nothing to do with reality.

Tucker Landry, the man who saved her from the sniper, could turn out to be the one person who can help Piper investigate the past. He, too, knows the cold waters of regret. Piper’s invitation to stay at the family estate on Curlew Island as he recovers from his injuries seems like the perfect opportunity to get to know her better. 

But something seems terribly wrong on the island—missing people, dead bodies, and deadly family secrets. Piper and Tucker work to uncover the past and find a demented killer as a hurricane approaches Curlew Island. 

Why I Love This Book

Carrie Stuart Parks has mastered the art of suspense. You’ll wonder about the killer’s identity from the first page to the last chapter—and find yourself surprised at the who and why. I love how her flawed heroine and hero work through their hang-ups and come to new understandings about God’s grace in their lives. Parks never preaches, but her message remains clear—we have a grace-filled God who pursues us. 

If you love Colleen Coble, Lynette Eason, Dee Henderson, or Cara Putman, you’ll love Relative Silence.

Carrie Stuart Parks knocks it out of the ballpark with #RelativeSilence! Don't miss this inspirational #suspense book. #netgalley #ThomasNelson #amreading Click To Tweet