About the Book
Author: Dana Mentink
Genre:Inspy Suspense
Release date: November 29, 2022
From USA TODAY bestselling author Dana Mentink…
A violent attack
Isn’t the homecoming she expected.
When an ATV tries to run her down in Death Valley, animal rescuer Nora Duke knows it’s a sign she never should have returned. Now she’s stuck on Seth Castillo’s ranch until Christmas with a pregnant donkey—and a criminal desperate to silence her. Facing her past is as terrifying as uncovering a killer’s twisted plan. But can Seth convince her to stay…if they live through the holidays?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Desert Justice
Book 1: Framed in Death Valley
Book 2: Missing in the Desert
Book 3: Death Valley Double Cross
Book 4: Death Valley Hideout
Book 5: Christmas Crime Cover-Up
Book 6: Targeted in the Desert
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
While this is part of a series and characters in this novel have appeared in previous ones, it reads well on its own. The plot provides a good deal of suspense as someone is out to kill Nora. There is a good deal of relationship tension as Nora returns to the area of her family from whom she has been alienated for years. It is good to see forgiveness and relationship restoration as part of the plot. There is also the possibility of romance with suitable tension and obstacles along the way. I did think the romance, in the end, went way too fast.
The setting continues to be the desert of Death Valley. I liked the idea of capturing wild burros and placing them in a rescue location. That was an interesting side to the main plot.
The characters are done well. The identity of the villain was not a surprise as we are set up for it. There is a twist at the end we were also set up for but it just did not seen reasonable to me.
This is a readable and entertaining mystery with some elements of faith and a quick romance.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
You can read my reviews of the earlier books in the series: Framed in Death Valley, Missing in the Desert, Death Valley Double Cross, and Death Valley Hideout.
About the Author
More from Dana
Well here we go! Book five in the Desert Justice series features Nora (Chief Jude’s estranged sister), a wild donkey who needs rescuing, and a crime from the past that intrudes into the present. Twisty, right? I was inspired to write this story after visiting Death Valley and learning about the feral donkeys which inhabit the region. They’re cute, visitors love them, but the burros can encounter health problems and cause environmental damage if they aren’t settled into a safe area. It’s amazing to me that wild donkeys are adept at detecting underground water sources. They dig “wells” which can benefit many thirsty animals. Fascinating, right? Hope you’ll enjoy meeting Bubbles the donkey and the helpful humans who rescue her in this novel. God bless and thanks for reading!
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 3
deb’s Book Review, December 3
Through the Fire Blogs, December 3
Texas Book-aholic, December 4
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, December 4
Betti Mace, December 5
Genesis 5020, December 5
Bizwings Blog, December 6
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 6
Bigreadersite, December 7
Inklings and notions, December 7
Daysong Reflections, December 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 8
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 9
Empowermoms, December 9
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 10
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 10
Pause for Tales, December 10
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 11
For Him and My Family, December 11
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 12
Holly’s Book Corner, December 12
Blogging With Carol, December 13
Vicky Sluiter, December 13
For the Love of Literature, December 14
Lily’s Book Reviews, December 14
Cover Lover Book Review, December 15
Simple Harvest Reads, December 15 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Blossoms and Blessings, December 16
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, December 16
Labor Not in Vain, December 16
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
9 comments:
Congratulations on your release of Christmas Crime Cover-Up, Dana, your book sounds like a thrilling holiday read for me to enjoy! Good luck with your book and the tour! Thanks for sharing it with me!
Thanks, Avid Reader, for sharing your review!
Have a magical holiday season!
The story sounds very intriguing.
Sounds like a good read.
Marion
Good holiday read.
Thanks for the contest.
I appreciate you sharing your review, it sounds like a good book
This sounds like a very good read.
Thank you for sharing your review of Christmas Crime Cover-Up, it is nice to see a holiday-themed story in this series and I am looking forward to reading it
I can't wait to read this--it sounds like a great suspense story! Thanks so much for sharing.
Bubbles is way too cute a name for a burro! Lol
I love the burro aspect of the story. I didn't realize there were feral ones currently living in the desert. Thanks so much for the review. Looks like an intriguing book!
Post a Comment