Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley Book Review

About the Book:

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim chief deputy for Russell County, Tennessee, than a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promise he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late?

You can read an excerpt here.

My Review:

This Christian romantic suspense begins a new series by Bradley. I like the female heroine. She is thrust into a new situation and pretty much rises to the occasion. Bradley's writing style is to emphasize the romance and include much character thought as romance is pondered and actions rethought.

I did not appreciate all of the information about the dark web, including getting the proper program to access it. I did not think that was appropriate and wish that information had been handled a different way. I was a little disappointed in some aspects of the character development. An example is when Nathan and Alexis are in her office and a gun is fired. Nathan yells, “Get down!” Alexis says, “What?” She is a trained policewoman and should have dropped and asked questions later.

I also do not like suspense because of errors. An example is Nathan bringing Alexis home and noticing upon entry that the alarm is not set. He checks her bedroom but not the entire house. Of course suspense ensues. That was a stupid act on his part which he later admits. I like it better when the villain outsmarts the police, not when the police do stupid things to let the villain get an upper hand.

Speaking of the villain, it is no surprise as Bradley rather over characterizes the individual. While there are other possibilities for the villain, I thought the identification was pretty clear early on.

I do like Christian romantic suspense and do feel this is a good novel in the end. The plot and character errors were noticeable but not overwhelming so I will be looking for the next in the series.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Patricia Bradley is the author of Counter Attack, as well as the Natchez Trace Park Rangers, Memphis Cold Case, and Logan Point series. Bradley is the winner of an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, a Selah Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award; she was a Carol Award finalist; and three of her books were included in anthologies that debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. Cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., Bradley is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. She makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.PTBradley.com.

Revell, 378 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(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.)