BOOK REVIEW - "UNDERCOVER COLORADO CONSPIRACY" BY JODIE BAILEY

Who is bilking money from would-be adoptive parents? Military agents Thalia and Phillip Campbell are posing as a married couple to uncover who's doing the dastardly deed, but has their cover been blown ... on day one? And is the danger from someone they just met, or from one of the agent's past?

Am I the only one who finds the cover of "Undercover Colorado Conspiracy" by Jodie Bailey exciting? The covers for these Love Inspired Suspense novels sometimes focus on the characters (human or animal) posing in front of a picture of the setting, while others - like the above - are a "shot" of the action in the book. In this case, this is showing you what's happening on page one. Ready to strap yourself in for an exciting story?

This is the 16th book I've read by Jodie Bailey, and they are consistently filled with plenty of plot twists and characters that you care about. Add to that a strong Christian story-line for those who aren't bothered by that.

I highly recommend this book.
 

LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT (2024)

Some of my writing friends have a 5-star policy in reviewing fellow authors - if it's not worthy of a 5-star review, they don't review it. The purpose? To encourage authors and recognize the work it takes to make a publishable book. While I feel as a reviewer that I have at least as much (and probably more) responsibility to be honest enough in the reviewing to warn readers of things that will take away from their enjoyment, I give most novels 5 stars because they have done a good job writing the book, even if it's not one of my favorites. 

But this is not a review of the series, meant to strengthen the interest in a books. This is a critique. So this has spoilers. And I'll point out my opinion even if it is negative. And I'll go ahead and state - my favorite series is the Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit and my least is the Mountain Country K-9 Unit. No, I don't think it's a bad series - I gave all the books a deserved 5 star - but there were several small things that made it less enjoyable.

However, let me start like I usually do, and give you an overview of the three main storylines, though in this case, two are intertwines immediately. The focus is on the Rocky Mountain Killer (aka RMK), who killed three young men of a seven person group a decade earlier, two more just before the story starts, number 6 in the middle of the series, and "saving the best for last." The group (or most of the group) had mistreated and humiliated a young lady ten years ago, so someone is taking revenge. In fact, the Mountain Country K-9 Unit was created specifically for the purpose to bring RMK to justice.

The second theme is the suggestion Ashley Hanson, the  rookie of the K-9 unit, to train a therapy dog for the small town where the killings were centered, and the designee was named "Cowgirl." Well, by the time the first book ends, RMK dognapped Cowgirl and got her a collar with "Killer" on it, showing up on occasion to taunt the good guys. During that 6 month course, Cowgirl gets pregnant and has pups, which RMK puts in a place where the K-9 Unit will find them, so they don't get in his way.

The third continuing storyline involves the tech guru Isla Jimenez, who wants to foster care and adopt this young boy. But someone calls the adoption agency and gives false accusations of Isla being on drugs and putting the adoption on hold. Then, that person locks up Isla's bank account. If that's not enough, Isla's house is set on fire. And is that the end of it?

Here are the books in the series:

1. "Baby Protection Mission" by Laura Scott.
2. "Her Duty Bound Defender" by Sharee Stover.
   
3. "Chasing Justice" by Valerie Hansen.
4. "Crime Scene Secrets" by Maggie K. Black.
5. "Montana Abduction Rescue" by Jodie Bailey.
6. "Trail of Threats" by Jessica Patch.
7. "Tracing a Killer" by Sharon Dunn.
8. "Search and Detect" by Terri Reed.
9. "Christmas K-9 Guardians" by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee.

Allow me to say there are things I applaud the writers of this series for. Of course, each story has thrilling plot twists, great romance, and interesting characters. For example, Jessica Patch repeatedly introduces me to characters I absolutely love, and Rocco and Sadie in "Trail of Threats" are prime examples. Also, most series introduces you to the main stories in book 1, and on rare occasions book 2, but only give reviews and updates until at book 7-8 (maybe as far back as book 6), while the authors focus on their individual stories. Not so here. The RMK is suspected to be involved in several crimes that he isn't. And unless if you count finding the puppies in book 7 a wrap up of that storyline (I don't, because Cowgirl is still in RMK's clutches), none of the story-lines are resolved until finale book 8, where unit chief Chase Ralston has to deal with RMK's plan to kill his final victim, the person troubling tech guru Isla Jimenez, and a person who's trying to kill a mother of a young girl.

For those who love youngsters as well as K-9s in this story, this will be your series. Six of the eight novels and one of the two Christmas novellas have a minor involved (two feature teen-agers, and one is approaching the 9th month of her pregnancy at the story's start).

As mentioned, this is not a bad series, but I do have a list of things that took away from the story in my opinion. They may not be negatives to all readers. So here goes.

• What is the difference between Mountain Country and Rocky Mountain? Both are separate series with no overlaps, but it is the same geography, with one story in New Mexico but mostly staying north. By the way, the two series ends with the respective K-9 units becoming permanent, though via different roads (Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit earned it in spite of sabotage by overcoming the various battles; permanence was not a goal of the Mountain Country K-9 Unit, but they received it by being successful in their main purpose.)
• While this series has three good covers ("Crime Scene Secrets," "Montana Abduction Rescue," "Search and Detect," the infant on the cover of "Baby Protection Mission" doesn't look realistic to me. By the way, neutral rather than negative, Laura Scott starting this series with the threat of kidnapping is not the first series she kicked things off with that plot - she did the same with Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit's "Shielding the Baby", the immediately previous series - nor the last - she's launching the next series, Dakota K-9 Unit, with "Chasing a Kidnapper. How long a streak will this be?
• Some of the individual stories had twists that I didn't care for. I never care for stalker stories, where the victim has to play along to keep alive, as in the climax of "Trail of Threats" (otherwise one of my favorites). Then in "Search and Detect," Chief Chase Ralston three or four times made a good case on why he felt one of the two main suspects was the killer. Surprise, surprise, he guessed wrong. Sorry, but I thought that could have been done better.
• The top reason I was disappointed in Mountain Country K-9 Unit was what I sensed as a greater than normal dose of sadness mixed in with the happy endings. The rookie ended her story on desk duty after shooting the villain (who survived that shooting). One male lead started the story handcuffed being transported to where he'd face trial, and he was temporarily in custody at the end until they officially recognized his innocence. The cousin of another female lead's cousin found out the woman he loved and was going to marry was a serial killer and a thief. And one of the other heroines learned that her brother was the RMK and hade to deal with that. 

I want to close a little more upbeat, though. There were several stories I enjoyed. As mentioned above, Rocco and Sadie were one of my highlights in Jessica Patch's "Trail of Threats," (book 6) and while Rocco wasn't as fun when he appeared in following stories, Jodie Bailey did a good job of showing the promise of Rocco being entertaining in "Montana Abduction Rescue" (book 5). The RMK was also an entertaining villain, a cold-blooded killer who took good care of the dogs he stole.

I hope you noticed with the warnings of spoilers and my disappointment that you read this series, and that you liked it better. As for me, this weekend I'll be starting the third-in-a-row-baby-abduction-Laura-Scott-K9-Series-Kickoff, book one of the Dakota K-9 Unit series. (And hoping sometime they'll have an Arizona series.)

 

LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - PACIFIC NORTHWEST K-9 UNIT (2023)

For your information. Regular readers may notice that typically my font style changes from column to column, but it hasn't been in this series. That's because while I'm writing reviews on K-9 series, I'm using the font Blogspot calls "Underdog." 

Another confession. I wasn't thrilled to see a series on the Pacific Northwest. True, it's more due to the politics of the urban parts of that region, not the wilderness that this series focuses on. Did the writers win me over? I'll get to that later.

This series starts out with a bang... actually, two. The co-owner of a hotel chain and her new boy-friend were shot and killed in the open. The co-owner is the sister of the hero of book one, a widowed father with an infant son. The new boy-friend is the former boyfriend of Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit Crime Tech Mara Gilmore, who's seen running away from the crime scene. Is she guilty? Or is she being framed. Of course, you have to read the whole series to get the answer to that question.

Two other questions. First, who stole three bloodhound puppies that were going to be trained to be K-9s? Second, which of the four candidates vying for two openings on the Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit is sabotaging the work of their three competitors?

Remember that there WILL be spoilers, as in the rest of these critiques. Here are the books in this series:

1. "Shielding the Baby" by Laura Scott.
2. "Scent of Truth" by Valerie Hansen.
3. "Explosive Trail" by Terri Reed.
4. "Olympic Mountain Pursuit" by Jodie Bailey.
5. "Threat Detection" by Sharon Dunn.
6. "Cold Case Revenge" by Jessica Patch.
7. "Undercover Operation" by Maggie K. Black.
8. "Snowbound Escape" by Dana Mentink.
9. "K-9 National Park Defenders" by Katy Lee and Sharee Stover.

Ready for a pair of items different? First, this is the first time I've read the Christmas novella duet. Second, I point out my two favorites. Why two? Well, I look at my year-end lists of favorite novels, and include those which made the list, which was two each in the previous four series. In this series, though, five out of the nine qualified! So my favorites were "Shielding the Baby," "Scent of Truth," "Olympic Mountain Pursuit," "Threat Detection," and "K-9 National Park Defenders." Out of these, "Scent of Truth" would be the top dog (sorry, couldn't resist), where the heroine is fighting a foe that looks just like her.

The main story in this series has similarities to the one from Alaska K-9 Unit a couple of years earlier. Both have a damsel in distress on the run, with the villain and his sinsiter henchman becoming apparent in the mid section of the series, and with a shining knight on his white ... uh, K-9 to rescue her in book 8. Yes, there are definite differences, but I caught some common ground.

My suspicion with the four candidates was that it was none of the four doing the sabotage, and all four would be accepted. Well, in book 7, it was revealed which of the four was trying to sabotage the others, and was dismissed. I still held to the thought that the others would all be accepted and an extra spot would be corrected, and I was right.

As far as the cute bloodhound puppies, which you see on the cover of book 7? Uh, would bloodhound puppies be that small when it took six months to find them? One Amazon reviewer mentioned they lost it when the heroine picked up all three puppies and ran. 

In spite of an easy mystery and some ignorance on how quickly puppies grow, this was definitely my favorite series out of those I've read (there were other series before True Blue K-9 Unit). And the novella duet gave me the closure I thought it was meant to do.

LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - ROCKY MOUNTAIN K-9 UNIT (2022)

I keep hoping for an Arizona series, but this is getting close.

Note - this critique will give spoilers of the series.

The main story involves a car crash with one fatality, one person in a coma and with amnesia when she recovers, and one missing baby. Other stories include a serial killer striking at various state parks who targets blondes (such as K-9 officer Harlow Zane in book 6) and Sergeant Tyson Wilkes working to  convince his highers up to make the K-9 unit permanent, in spite of several sabotage attempts.

This series includes:

1. "Detection Detail" by Terri Reed.
2. "Ready to Protect" by Valerie Hansen.
3. "Hiding in Montana" by Laura Scott.
4. "Undercover Assignment" by Dana Mentink.
5. "Defending From Danger" by Jodie Bailey.
6. "Tracking a Killer" by Elizabeth Goddard.
7. "Explosive Revenge" by Maggie K. Black.
8. "Rescue Mission" by Lynette Eason.
9. "Christmas K-9 Unit Heroes" by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee.

Once again, I didn't read the Christmas novella duet.

In the previous series, the broad stories are resolved in books 7 and 8, but this one completes one of the stories in book 6. My favorites are "Undercover Assignment" and "Explosive Revenge." The former one is based in New Mexico (the territory for this K-9 Unit is from New Mexico to Montana); not quite Arizona, but close enough for me to feel homesick.

While I enjoyed the series, there was one story I had a hard time getting into, a first for the K-9 series, that being "Hiding in Montana." Also, there were two different stories in this series where the heroine enters the book struggling to keep her business afloat, with her main business antagonist is a suspect for the trouble-making, and exits the book selling her business to that main antagonist (who was not part of the troublemaking after all) to take another job and be close to the hero. I may be one of the few, but that made me feel sad in both cases. 

That said, this series is full of great suspense and romantic tension. 

 

LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - ALASKA K-9 UNIT (2021)

Alaska K-9 Unit is the first series I read all eight of the main books (not counting the novella duet at the end). It also moved from the city where the two previous years (and maybe further back) were based into the wilderness, where it basically was since.

The big story was the runaway bride. A young lady (who it later was revealed was expecting), her best friend, and her fiance and his friend went hiking with a guide. The guide was killed, the bride's best friend was pushed off a cliff, and the bride went missing, and the men claimed the bride was responsible for the actual and attempted deaths. But were they telling the truth? Since this is a critique, and I had announced they will contain spoilers,  yes, it turns out that the groom-to-be was upset that the bride emptied her bank account that he wanted to empty. Other series wide stories include K-9 team assistant Katie Kapowski's family reindeer ranch being sabotaged by her not-very-nice uncle and Tech guru Eli Partridge trying to locate his isolationist family members.

The series includes: 

1. "Alaskan Rescue" by Terri Reed.
2. "Wilderness Defender" by Maggie K. Black.
3. "Undercover Mission" by Sharon Dunn.
4. "Tracking Stolen Secrets" by Laura Scott.
5. "Deadly Cargo" by Jodie Bailey.
6. "Arctic Witness" by Heather Woodhaven.
7. "Yukon Justice" by Dana Mentink.
   
8. "Blizzard Showdown" by Shirlee McCoy.
   
9. "K-9 Christmas Protectors" by Maggie K. Black and Lenora Worth.

As you might expect, each series closes with reintroducing you to the main characters of the series. Some are handled better than others. This one, though, seemed staged. Each couple entered for a Thanksgiving dinner in order with their K-9s, and they didn't mention that the heroine of the first book was to be the maid of honor for the heroine of the eighth (and hostess for the dinner). If this is the weak point of this series, then we've got a good series.

This series does a good job of looking at various aspects of Alaska, such as dog-sled racing, summer cruises, northern lights, reindeer ranches, and, of course, lots of winter snow. Additionally, while they do have typical breeds in the series like German Shepherds, Border Collies, and Belgian Malinois, this one includes other breeds suited for northern environments like Huskies, Wolfhounds, Norweigen Elkhounds, Akitas, Newfoundlands, and St. Bernards.

My favorites were "Wilderness Defender" (I absolutely loved the interaction between the large K-9 and a little kitten) and "Deadly Cargo" (the first K-9 story I know of that one of my favorite authors, Jodie Bailey, wrote). I will admit, though, that most villains don't stand out. Lance, the treacherous bridegroom mentioned above, is a notable exception.

This was a very enjoyable series.

BOOK REVIEW - "HIDDEN IN THE CANYON" BY JODIE BAILEY

 The protestors aren't happy about Angie Garcia's living on what's considered public Grand Canyon property, but is that anger carrying over to vandalism, physical threats and murder? Or is the perpetrator responsible for several missing ladies a suspected serial killer? And why did her brother send his friend, Special Agent "Linc" Tucker, to help, aware of the tension between them?

"Hidden in the Canyon" by Jodie Bailey is a sequel to "Witness in Peril," which focuses on Angie Garcia's brother Jacob. The author's note gives the impression that was supposed to be a stand alone, but Bailey was intrigued by the history between Angie and Linc, so this is the result. 

Spending a large part of the first quarter century of my life in Arizona - not far from Coconino County, which is also the  home of the Grand Canyon - the setting grabs me. But I enjoyed Linc's appearance in "Witness in Peril," and was very pleased by this story. Bailey did a great job with the relationships between the characters, as well as having a story with plenty of twists and turns, not to mention a lot of action and suspense.

At the point of writing this in early July, I'd say at the moment this is my favorite novel I've read thus far in '25. 

BOOK REVIEW - "MONTANA ABDUCTION RESCUE" (MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT BOOK 5) BY JODIE BAILEY

Why are two people believed to be dead trying to kill Ian Carpenter? What's the cause of teenagers disappearing from the small Montana town? Can U.S. Marshall Meadow Ames and her Visla K-9 partner escape two (or more) professional killers, a tunnel full of spiders, and working with a witness she was supposed to protect?

"Montana Abduction Rescue," book 5 of Love Inspired Suspense's Mountain Country K-9 Unit is, in my opinion, the best book of the series to this point (there are three more full novels and a pair of novellas to go that I haven't read yet). The author, Jodie Bailey, did a great job of navigating us down a plot full of twists and turns and giving us two main characters that are easy to care about and great supporting characters like Grace the Visla K-9 and fellow officer Rocco (who is a scene stealer, and when the spotlight's on him ... oops, I'm getting close to giving you a spoiler!

When dealing with a multipart novel series, the question is if you need to read the books in order or if you can jump around and not feel lost in the story or have the previous stories spoiled by details of the previous stories. Typically, I would say that these collections usually are enjoyable even if you don't read in order, but this series is an exception - I think it's best to read this series as it's written.

This is the 14th Jodie Bailey novel I've read, and she's definitely one of my favorite authors. Thus, I recommend this novel for your reading.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "BLOWN COVER" BY JODIE BAILEY

 

What is Makenzie Fuller's former partner - AWOL for a year - doing at her undercover assignment? Does Ian Andrew really have no memory of the past four years? And is their threat the associates of the now-deceased criminal Fuller's assigned to, or somebody they would never suspect?

"Blown Cover" is an excellently crafted, thrilling suspense novel by Jodie Bailey. The author keeps releasing books that I consider the best one I've read by her, and this is an example.

You may notice the cover has a car going off a cliff. Thus, I don't think mentioning that a car going off a cliff - with one of our heroes inside - would be spoiling the novel, nor that it occurs at the beginning. There is no drop-off in the suspense. The story of Makenzie and Ian is also well written.

I considered this the best novel I read in 2024. Thus, I'm sure you won't be surprised for me to highly recommend this book.

FAVORITE FICTION - 2024

Courtesy of Enclave Publishing

My annual favorite lists start today with fiction, followed by songs with non-fiction the day after that. I'll call today's list a top ten, though I'm combining two books from the same series as one of the ten. 

I'll wait to next year to recalculate the novelists I read the most of, but I've read 3 novels by one author, which puts them in a tie with James Blish in 6th place at 13. 

Once again, I'll put them in alphabetic order by name. I don't want the author who's in tenth place disappointed they didn't end up higher, but I figured the real reason is that it puts all on the list on a level plane for potential readers. So here goes:

1. "BLOWN COVER" by Jodie Bailey. A non-K-9 book from Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense. I've lost track on how many books are in this series she's written. This is one of two stories where the male character has amnesia for most of the book. 

2. "COLD THREAT"/"COLD VENGEANCE" (Ryland & St. Clair, books 2 and 3) by Nancy Mehl. These are the second and third of the Ryland & St. Clair trilogy. This series is one that I thought got better as it got further along. 

3. "ICE LAKE" (A Katy Russell Mystery, Book 1) by Jackie Zack. Cozy mysteries are my comfort food, and this one fit the need. Looking forward to the rest of the series. 

4. "K-9 NATIONAL PARK DEFENDERS" (Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit, Book 9) by Katie Lee and Sharee Stover. This is a two novella conclusion of the Pacific Northwest K-9 unit. Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense has an annual multi-author K-9 series, with the main continuing stories resolved in book 8, but includes a two novella Christmas wrap up. This is the first of the concluding novellas I've read, and it won't be the last. By the way, this is the fifth of those series I've read, and is definitely my favorite.

5. "OLYMPIC MOUNTAIN PURSUIT" (Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit, Book 4) by Jodie Bailey. Yep, the second Jodie Bailey book I've mentioned, as well as the second Pacific Northwest K-9 story. 

6. "RHATALOO" (a Takamo Universe Novel) by Kerry Nietz. This is a prequel to his Muto Chronicles ("Rhats," "Rhats Too," and "Rhats Free" are all out). This story has the man-sized rats landing on a primitive earth in the days of Napolean. 

7. "SECRET SABOTAGE" by Terri Reed. Like "Blown Cover," this is a Love Inspired Suspense story where the male lead has amnesia through most of the book. I'll let something slip here: those were my two favorites of the year. 

8. "SCENT OF TRUTH" (Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit, Book 2) by Valerie Hansen. In this book, the heroine is trying to solve killings and bad behavior from someone who looks just like her.

9. "THREAT DETECTION" (Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit, Book 5) by Sharon Dunn. You might look at the list, and realize I have 4 books from this series on my list, just less than half. Well, I actually have the first book on last year's list, meaning over half the books have the "honor" of being one of my favorites!

10. "WITNESS IN PERIL" by Jodie Bailey. The third Jodie Bailey book on the list. It takes place at the Grand Canyon, helping me feel homesick. 

Have you read any of these books? Any that you want to add to your list to read?

Tomorrow, I'll be looking at my favorite songs.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "WITNESS IN PERIL" BY JODIE BAILEY

 Why are a Federal Marshall and a Swift River policeman trying to kill estate lawyer Ivy Bridges, and how did they know about her four year old daughter Wren? Is Special Agent Jacob Garcia able to protect them from a notorious killer and her gang? Does the fact that Ivy was a college girl-friend and Wren the daughter he didn't know he have affect this mission?

Love Inspired Suspense's "Witness in Peril" has a lot going for it. First, it's written by Jodie Bailey who has become one of my favorite novelists. Second, its Grand Canyon setting makes me homesick for the state where I grew up in. 

As I would expect from Bailey, there are characters you care about and exciting plot twists. Likewise, this story has Christian themes which are organic to the story but not at all preachy.

This is a stand-alone story, though there is a reference to her novella "Missing in the Wilderness," part of Love Inspired Suspense's collection "Canyon Standoff."

Is there a Jodie Bailey novel I would not highly recommend? Thus far, not at all, including this one.

BOOK REVIEW - "OLYMPIC MOUNTAIN PURSUIT" (PACIFIC NORTHWEST K-9 UNIT BOOK 4) BY JODIE BAILEY

When her identity is blown after 4 years in the Witness Protection Program, will single mother Everly Lopez and her daughter Amelia have to undergo the trauma of starting a new life with new names, etc.? Or will the drug matriarch who murdered Everly's husband before her eyes permanently end that "inconvenience"? Can former U.S. Marshall and Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit officer Jackson Dean, assisted by his Dobie partner Rex,  protect them from seemingly innumerable assassins, or will he fail like he did for another witness he was supposed to protect? Is Jackson able to focus on his role of law enforcement, or will his feelings for Everly which kindled 4 years earlier become ... oh, you know the answer to that question?

This is the 11th novel of Jodie Bailey that I've read, several of which deal with the Witness Protection Program. As usual, she has an exciting plot that will keep you on the edge of your seats with protagonists you care about and adversaries that give you the willies, mixed with a definite but not preachy faith element.

"Olympic Mountain Pursuit" is the fourth of the nine part, multi-author Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit series. Like most of these series, there are continuing Love Inspired Suspense sagas that started in the first book - in this case, concerning a member of the team in hiding, suspected in a double-murder, the search for three stolen bloodhound puppies, and which of four candidates can fill the two vacant spots of the team - so on one hand, it makes sense to start with book one and read them in order. On the other hand, as usual, the books are written that should you read them out of order, you are able to follow the long stories I mentioned and enjoy the main story of each book.

I highly recommend this book, this series, and any book by Jodie 
Bailey.

BOOK REVIEW - DEFENDING FROM DANGER (ROCKY MOUNTAIN K-9 UNIT BOOK 5) BY JODIE BAILEY

 

 I got hooked on Love Inspired Suspense by two novels back in 2019: Undercover Protector by Elizabeth Goddard, which was set in an animal rescue center (focusing on tigers) and Dead Run by Jodie Bailey. Well, the 5th installment of Love Inspired Suspense's Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit is Defending From Danger, which is set in an animal rescue center (focusing on wolf/dog hybrids) by Jodie Bailey. Kind of sounds like full circle doesn't it? (By the way, the next book in the series is written by Elizabeth Goodard!)

Those who read my reviews know I'm a Jodie Bailey fan. This story is no exception. The reveal of the villain surprised me. It, as usual for Jodie Bailey, has great characters and an exciting story. 

As usual, I recommend this story.

BOOK REVIEW - CAPTURED AT CHRISTMAS BY JODIE BAILEY

 What's wrong with Captain Marshall Slater inviting his unit to his home for Christmas dinner? Besides the fact that Captain Rachel Blake suspects one of his soldiers is stealing national secrets and is threatening him and his five year old daughter?

Jodie Bailey's Captured at Christmas is a thrilling romantic suspense with three dimensional characters you care about and a story full of plot twists and other surprises. 

I highly recommend reading this book at approximately Christmas time - "approximately" meaning from six months prior to Christmas to six months following.

 

LOOKING BACK AT '22 - FAVORITE NOVELS (PART 3 OF 6)

Thanks to Nancy Mehl for sharing this.

 

I always wonder which is the attraction that the drums are rolling for me to announce: my fiction list, or my non-fiction list? If you want to tell me your favorite, please let me know! But in ignorance, I'll assume you're more excited about which non-fiction books influenced me this year, and start with fiction.

Last September, I did a blog giving the list of fiction authors I've read the most by. If there's any movement that might be of interest, I'll update it. And there has this year!

RANK    AUTHOR           #OF BOOKS    PREV. RANK

    1         Agatha Christie               23                    1

    2        Donna Fletcher Crow    19                    2 (Tie)

    3        Nancy Mehl                     17                    2 (Tie)

    4        Allistair MacLean            15                    2 (Tie) 

    5        Randy Singer                     14                    5

    6        James Blish                         13                    6

    7        Kerry Nietz                        11                     8

    8        Ian Fleming                        10                    7

    9        Jodie Bailey                          9                    16 (Tie)

   10        Stephen King                       8                     9

The top 6 didn't really change excepting the tie for second no longer being a tie. But Kerry Nietz has moved ahead of Ian Fleming. Also, Jodie Bailey has joined the list, jumping from a tie for 16th to 9th place. Impressive, but not quite as much as it sounds - when I made my list last year, I had read five books by her, and I read a 6th one last year and 3 this year. The reason she jumped as high was because of a 5 way tie for 11th at 6 books each.

I consider having read 5 novels by an author a milestone. Sharon Dunn made that mark, and Jessica Patch flew past it, moving from me having read three up to seven, putting her in a tie for 11th with Jill Williamson (10th place last year, with 7 read).

Other stats - I read 26 novels by 17 authors: 15 were women, and 6 were by authors I had not previously read.

One other point. I've read three stories that are top notch stories. I gave the authors five star reviews. Yet I did not enjoy them for various reasons - One was too melancholy, one was too creepy, and one was a little too weird. Yet I'm continuing in the series of one, am seriously considering the same in the second, and while giving up on the third series, I'm still reading a lot by the author.

Going to this list - I'll be listing my 12 favorites, and as usual, it's in alphabetic order by title. If I have read more than one in a series during a year, I might combine all from that series or count them as separate, depending on several factors, such as if I like one noticeably more or less than the others, or if it's a series with different authors. 

1. Bitter Truth (A Green Dory Mystery Book 3) by Janet Sketchley. I had been looking forward to this book, and it was worth the wait. This mystery kept you guessing, leading to the surprising (and bitter) truth.
   
2. Captured at Chrstmas Jodie Bailey. Perfect story for me to have read at Christmas time (never mind it was released in '21 and it's the last full novel I read in '22). Did I ever tell you Jodie Bailey is one of my favorite authors? If you read this book, you won't blame me.
   
3. Cold Case Takedown (Cold Case Investigators Part 1) by Jessica Patch. Great blend of mystery and suspense in uncovering this cold case involving high school football and how football can almost become a religion. Jessica does a great job of having characters stand out, and heroine Georgia Maxwell is one of my favorite Love Inspired Suspense leads.
   
4.  Dead Fall (Quantico Files Book 2) by Nancy Mehl. As usual, this was a top-notch thriller, but it definitely is my favorite of her series. Partly due to Kaley Quinn of Mehl's previous series being part of the cast, partly due to one of the best villians I've read. Note - if you haven't read this, I'd advise reading the three books of Kaley Quinn Profiler and the first book of this series first.
5. Deadly Cargo (Alaska K-9 Unit, Vol. 5) by Jodie Bailey. This was the 7th book I've read by Jodie Bailey, and the first that was part of a K-9 series. I definitely enjoyed the romance between bush pilot Jessica Jefferson and State Trooper Will Stryker. This book also had a good mystery going as to who is causing all the trouble.
6. Exposing a Killer by Laurie Alice Eakes. When I read the plot for this story, I had an image of what to expect, dealing with rival detectives. This novel did not meet the image, but it was just as enjoyable. This is a Love Inspired Suspense, by the way.
   
7. Rhats! and Rhats Too! (The Muto Chronicles vol. 1 and 2) by Kerry Nietz. Are you familiar with the Takomo Universe stories? I'm not really familiar with it, and the first book I read in this universe (by a different author) failed to grab me. But these stories (involving mutos, which resemble human sized rats) are very enjoyable. I especially enjoy the development of the friendship between the narrator, a muto named Frohlic, and Abs, a fellow muto he meets on a space scavenging trip.
   
8. To Dust You Shall Return (Lord Danvers Investigates, Book 3) by Donna Fletcher Crow. This series looks at true crimes from the Victorian era, with some comic relief by the Dowager Duchess. The crime story definitely was a top-notch mystery. I'm looking forward to catching up with this series next year.
   
9. Under Surveilance by Jodie Bailey. This book has characters from previous stories by Bailey, but there is no need to read them in order. Bailey has earned a place among my favorite authors (did you notice this is the third Bailey book on this list?). Great plot, great characters, and a very strong faith story, which is the norm for Bailey.
   
10. Wilderness Defender (Alaska K-9 Unit, Vol. 2) by Maggie K. Black. I've mentioned favorite heroes and heroines, but who is my favorite dog of the year? Hands down, Stormie the Irish wolf hound, who can take on a threatening thug or cuddle up with a calico kitten. Add to that a story about poachers trying to capture blue bear cubs, and definitely an exciting story.
11. Wolf Soldier (Lightraider Academy Vol. 1) by James R. Hannibal. This book is based on a role playing game designed to be a discipleship tool. Definitely an exciting fantasy story.
    
12. Yuletide Cold Case Cover-up (Cold Case Investigators, part 3) by Jessica Patch. This is an exciting conclusion to the series, and one that also includes one of my favorite heroines, Poppy Holliday. Excellent mystery as she tries to discover, with her partner Rhett Wallace's help, who killed her sister.

Well, tomorrow, I'll be looking at non-fiction!

 

BOOK REVIEW - UNDER SURVEILANCE BY JODIE BAILEY

 Who broke into Macey Price's house and attempted to kidnap her? Why did they tear the house apart looking for something - including Macy's deceased roommate - but leave her room alone? And should she trust her neighbor, Trey Blackburn, or is he hiding something that could hurt her?

Jodie Bailey is one of my favorite novelists, and this book confirms it. If you want cover to cover suspense, you have it in this novel. If you're into mystery and trying to figure out the clues, you'll find it in the pages of this story. If you desire three dimensional characters you can care about, then you'll enjoy this tale.

One question I have is if this is a stand-alone or if it's the fourth part of a quadrology (or what ever you call a four part series). About halfway into this novel, you'll be introduced to characters from Jodie's previous story "Fatal Identity", but you don't need to read that excellent book to appreciate this excellent book.

I highly recommend this novel. It's one of the best stories I've read this year. Plus, it has one of the best covers!

INTERVIEW WITH NOVELIST JESSICA PATCH

Courtesy of Emily Shuff Photography, LLC

What two things do YA baseball novelist John R. Cooper, suspense author Allistair MacLean, and Queen of Crime Agatha Christie have in common?

1. They are on my list of favorite authors.
2. They passed away before I had a chance to interview them.

My other favorite authors weren't so lucky. Or is a better way to put it that I've been blessed to interview my writing heroes, and as a result I've had many enjoyable interviews either on this interview or ones with Hoosier Ink (blog page for ACFW Indiana Chapter) and Sleuths and Suspects.

 I can give you a list, and if you ask nicely I will, but I'd like to get to the point you've probably figured out: Today I'm sharing an interview with one of those writing heroines: Jessica Patch. I discovered her when I started reading Love Inspired Suspense (along with Jodie Bailey, who's also on the list). You may remember my drawing of my 20 favorite characters? In that collection was Wilder Flynn, the hero of the first Jessica Patch novel I read, Deadly Obsession. I've read all three of her Cold Case Investigators this year, and have a few more on my list. 

JR: Welcome to Friends of the Prophets blog! I'll start with the basics: How did you come to Christ, and when did you get interested in writing?

JP: I was raised in a Christian home and gave my life to Jesus at age 10. I’ve always loved writing but pursued it professionally in 2008.

JR: Would you like to tell us about your new release Her Darkest Secret? What inspired the story? Or is this a dark secret?

JP: This book follows a fictional FBI team, the Strange Crimes Unit as they track down a Memphis serial killer who is staging his victims in nursery rhyme poses. I think my grandma inspired it with her many nursery rhymes she used to tell me as a child. I just tweaked them a little. 😀

JR: I'll admit - the cover of Cold Case Killer Profile makes this California/Arizona boy homesick. Anything you'd like to say about that novel and the Quantico Profilers? How does Her Darkest Secret differ genre-wise from the Love Inspired Suspense stories you've written?

JP: I love writing about the FBI heroes who profile. It’s fun series with older characters. Her Darkest Secret is a psychological thriller and Love Inspired Suspense are well…suspenses. Less gritty and complex as a trade length book.

JR: Are you more of a plotter or a blank pager? Related - when you start a series, how much do you know about the later stories?

JP: I have to be plotter since my Publisher requires full synopses for each book!  I know enough to write a back cover blurb which isn’t a lot. 😀

JR: I've noticed a section on your web-site about speaking, as well as a recent pod-cast on setting with Lisa Harris. What are your favorite parts about writing? And what advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

JP: I speak often at women’s conferences and events. I really can’t pick a favorite part since I love it all. Be disciplined and write daily! 

JR: Thank you very much for your time. How can we keep up with what you're writing next? And what does the coming year look like writing and otherwise?

JP: You can sign up on my webpage for my Patched In Newsletter which you receive monthly. The coming year is busy busy with writing new books and releasing them!

INTERVIEW WITH NOVELIST JODIE BAILEY

 

I've had the honor of interviewing several great novelists, including some of my favorites. On that list of favorites is Jodie Bailey. I was hooked on Dead Run, the first novel I read by her. Since then, I've had the honor of reading Compromised Identity, Mistaken Twin, Crossfire, Canyon Standoff ( with Valerie Hansen: a pair of novellas set at the Grand Canyon, not far from where I grew up), Fatal Identity (my favorite so far), and Deadly Cargo.

JR: Welcome to my blog, Jodie. It might be a cliche question in an author interview, but how did you get interested in writing?

JB: I can’t remember not writing. In elementary school, I used my grandmother’s typewriter so much that she bought me my own and, when she passed away, we found a drawer full of stories I’d typed on it. It’s something that’s always been in me and that I’ve always loved, though I never considered doing it as a career until I was 34. I was in a Bible study thinking, “Wow, how cool would it be to write about God as a job?” And it felt like he went, “Duh, girl. Why do you think you love writing so much? It’s about time you figured this out.”😀

JR: One thing I love about your novels is the how you work your faith thread organically into your stories. How did you come to faith in Christ, and how do you work your faith into your novels so effectively?

JB: First, how do I work my faith in? I don’t. I firmly believe that whatever is in you finds its way out. It comes through as an organic part of the story and the characters’ lives. I was blessed to grow up with a mother who didn’t only see God in certain places. She taught me that God is everywhere, all the time. I was young when I accepted Christ and He has always been a part of my life, but it has been very much like climbing a ladder. He is constantly growing me and changing me. I’ve had moments of doubt and of sliding, but He has always been so faithful to remind me that He loves me, and that will never change.

JR: In a couple of your books, you mention that your characters told you things about themselves. Could you tell us about interviewing characters for your stories?

JB: I sit and stare. A lot. I love music, so I think about what songs they might like. I picked up a method from Susan May Warren a couple of years ago, one that my friend Heidi told me about. I start with their darkest past moment, the worse moment of their lives. I look at how they overcame that and how they can keep growing from it. The story builds from there. It’s sometimes at our lowest that we see Jesus the most clearly, so that also helps with their faith journey. But sometimes, no matter how much I think I know them, they tell me something while I’m typing that I never saw coming. That’s when it gets fun.

JR: The most recent book I've read of yours was Deadly Cargo, part 5 of 8 in the Alaska K-9 Unity series, written by other authors, including a couple I've previously interviewed, Terri Reed and Laura Scott. First, what adjustments did you make in working with the other authors for this series. Second, out of curiosity, how much interaction and community is there with other authors, especially among those regularly featured by Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense?

JB: That was so much fun! And also some hard work! There were ten of us, I believe, ultimately writing that series. We had a giant email loop and were constantly asking questions and adding tidbits to each other’s stories. (The scene with the harmonica is one example…) Those comments and conversations added a lot of richness to our characters, I think. As for community, many of us know each other online, mostly through Facebook and email, where we talk and encourage and pray for one another. It’s a great group to be a part of.

JR: Besides faith, a lot of your stories have heroes who are in the military. Did you have background with the military? How does that help you deal with spiritual warfare?

JB: I grew up near a military base with ZERO connection. I just swore I’d never marry a soldier, not after knowing how much they owed and how the job can be. Uhm, don’t tell God what you won’t do. I married a soldier. :-) And I’m so blessed that I did. He’s incredible. We moved a lot. I learned to live without him when he was deployed or away training, and it made his returns special every time, because it reminded me how blessed I am to have him. 

As for spiritual warfare, it definitely puts a “face” to it, so to speak. Unless people are somehow connected to the military, they really have no idea what it actually looks like. We think of spiritual warfare as a full frontal assault every moment, sometimes, but it can often be an insidious sneak attack. A gradual wearing down. Sometimes our enemy is out front, guns blazing, thick of battle. Other times he’s close, pulling strings or lobbing smaller assaults that might go largely unnoticed. We need to recognize it and to have a plan off attack ready.

JR: Thank you for your time. What other novels do you have coming out? Any other news, and how can we keep up with your stories?

JB: There is always another novel coming out! Witness in Peril just released, which was a fun story that takes place in and around the Grand Canyon. In August, I have another K-9 continuity in the Rocky Mountain K-9 series, Defending from Danger. After that is Blown Cover, about an undercover agent who comes face to face with the ex-partner who betrayed her. I’m also working on two more books as we speak. There are always words going on the page! Updates are on my website, jodiebailey.com. Thanks for inviting me to chat! This has been fun!

BOOK REVIEW - DEADLY CARGO BY JODIE BAILEY

 

 Why did Alaska State Trooper Will Stryker get a bogus tip that bush pilot Jessica Jefferson was smuggling drugs? And why is someone trying to kill her? Is it due to Stryker and his K-9 partner Scout's investigation? Or was it due to why Jessica is in the Witness Protection Program?

Deadly Cargo is part 5 of the Alaska K-9 Unit series. One other reviewer (at least) said it was the best so far in the series, and I won't argue. I'm also not surprised, because I'm a fan of the author, Jodie Bailey. I've read six other books by her, though this is the first K-9 book I've read of hers.

Will and Jessica are compelling characters I really learned to care about. If you want a romantic suspense, this is great in both categories. However, if you look at the adorable border collie on the cover and want to read a lot about Scout, you'll be disappointed. The only other weak spot is some poor editing, though this isn't the first in the series with that weakness (which surprises me from a publisher like Harlequin).

As is typical for Love Inspired Suspense stories, this does have a faith angle to it. That angle is one reason I enjoy these books, and Bailey, as usual, does a great job keeping it from being preachy but rather consistent to the story.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series, and I'm looking forward to both the next Alaska K-9 tale as well as the next novel by Jodie Bailey.

FAVORITE FICTION OF 2021

 

Courtesy of Enclave Publishing

In yesterday's blog, I mentioned that this was a strange year, and it is reflected in my novel reading. I'll be listing my ten favorites in alphabetic order (as usual). What's not usual is that I'm limiting it to ten, and not moving it up to twelve or fifteen. Sometimes, I keep it down by reading two or more in a series and counting them together. Not this year.

I usually keep track of three things in my novel reading - comparing male authors to female (the latter usually dominating), the number of new-to-me authors compared to ones I've previously read, and the division of genres. The first division is 20 female authors (24 books) to 3 male authors (3 books) - a few less men than normal. For the first time, previously read novelists overwhelmed the new ones - 19 to 4 (normally they have a narrow lead). 

Genres? Normally, it is balanced between mystery, suspense, and speculative (sci-fi, fantasy, horror). This year, out of 28 books, one was speculative, four were mysteries, and three were none-of-the-above. With the other 20 falling in the realm of suspense, 18 of those were Harlequin's Love-Inspired Suspense.

So here's my list, in alphabetic order:

1. Arctic Christmas Ambush by Sherri Shackleford. A young lady in the Witness Protection program has just witnessed another murder - related? Or not? That's in the mind of her and her Alaska State Trooper ex-boyfriend as they're stranded in a lodge by storm and avalanche with the killer (and a batch of sled dogs with an adorable runt of a puppy).
2. The Dog That Whispered by Jim Kraus. What do you do when you feel you need to adopt a Labrador Retriever but you're in a nursing home that won't let her keep him? Why, of course, you call up your middle aged bachelor son and have him take care of the dog. By the way, the dog told the lady he agreed with that set up. And naturally the son knows it's impossible for the dog to communicate with humans, even though the dog seems to be whispering things to him.
3. Explosive Situation by Terri Reed. Henry Roarke is being investigated for excessive youth of force by Internal Affairs officer Olivia Vance, when he is notified about a bomb threat, right where his teenage (and orphaned) sister is. On the plus side, he has an adorable bomb-sniffing Beagle partner. But how does he catch the bomber while being investigated and taking care of his sister who thinks he's overbearing? This part four of the eight part series "True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn; it's a collection of novels which have their own story but also have a trio of threads overarching the series; each book is written by a different author.
   
4. Fatal Identity by Jodie Bailey. This is the sixth book I've read by Bailey (though I'll be honest and admit that one is a combination of two novellas, with Valerie Hansen writing the other). In this story, Alex "Rich" Richardson prevents the abduction of friend Dana Santiago. But why does her boss question if she's working with an infamous drug cartel? And why are her would-be kidnappers calling her "Danna", a name that she's called only in her nightmares? NOTE: This is the third of a series. I read the first a couple of years ago (Mistaken Twin, which was in my 2019 favorites list) and missed part 2 (Hidden Twin), but you can enjoy this without reading the other two.
   
5. Fugitive Trail by Elizabeth Goddard. How can you not love Samson the mastiff in this exciting story? Deputy Sierra Young and Samson go up to see if there's survivors in a helicopter crash. It turns out that the occupants were escaped killers, who have a vendetta against Sierra. One dies in the crash, but the other is at large. Technically, this is the third of the three part series "K-9 Mountain Guardians." This "trilogy," written by different authors, have different settings (except they're all in mountains) and no characters in common. 
   
6. The Keeper of the Stone: Of Saints and Chieftains by Donna Fletcher Crow. Most of what I read by Crow (who is currently #2 on my most read novelist behind only Agatha Christie, though that won't last long) are mysteries. This book is definitely historical. It starts looking at a trio of contemporary 20 somethings and an older storyteller, but the bulk of the book is on St. Columba in the 500's, establishing a monastery in Scotland. First in her ten volume Celtic Cross series, with part 1 (volumes 1-4) taking place in Scotland and part 2 in Ireland.
   
7. Mountain Survival by Christy Barritt. Derek Peterson is seeking help on the mountain for his injured brother when he meets ranger Autumn Mercer and her Australian Shpeherd partner Sherlock. But when they return to the site, they found blood, no brother, and someone shooting at them. If that's not enough, they have storms, floods, and wildcats to deal with. This is part of another series-in-name-only.
   
8. Night Fall by Nancy Mehl. Part one of the Quantico files. Behavioral Analyst (aka profiler) Alex Donavan is called in to a series of murders by a serial killer calling himself "The Train" man, and spraying quotes from a cult group her aunt belonged to. Can Alex and the rest of her team stop "The Train Man" from unleashing a virus that would make COVID seem like the common cold? NOTES - first novel I've read to mention COVID. Also, the book I mentioned that I'm reading is part 2 of this series, which will put Nancy Mehl in a tie for second with Donna Crow.
9. Scene of the Crime by Sharon Dunn. Forensic specialist Darcy Fields is scheduled to testify in a murder case. So of course someone's trying to discredit her and kill her, and the stalker is ready to take out her protector Jackson Davison and his trust K-9 partner Smokey. Very exciting story. Like Explosive Situation, above, this is part of the eight part series "True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn; it's a collection of novels which have their own story but also have a trio of threads overarching the series; each book is written by a different author. Scene of the Crime is part six.
   
10. Through Chaos by Joshua A. Johnston. The thrilling conclusion to the epic trilogy "The Sarco Chronicles". Yes, the term "epic" is often overused, but have you ever heard me use it before? This series fits the description, looking at a federation of five planets ...well, until recently. The threat is Dar, who has faced some defeats but holds that while their bodies are free for the moment, their souls belong to him.  NOTE: Another item on my list, like this was the end of a trilogy. While you don't need to read that other one (Fatal Identity) in order, you. Need. To. Read. This. Trilogy. In. Order.

I had thought of asking if you could figure out which of these are Love Inspired Suspense stories (which six of the ten are), but I have a hunch it's fairly easy. 

Do you have any favorite novels you've read this year? Any of you read any on my list? What do you think of them?