Deadlock by DiAnn Mills

Deadlock by DiAnn Mills ISBN-13: 9781414389950 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: Oct. 1, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Two murders have rocked the city of Houston. Are they the work of a serial killer, or is a copycat trying to get away with murder?

That is the question facing Special Agent Bethany Sanchez, who is eager for her new assignment in violent crimes but anxious about meeting her new partner. Special Agent Thatcher Graves once arrested her brother, and he has a reputation for being a maverick. Plus, their investigative styles couldn’t be more opposite: he operates on instinct, while she goes by the book.

When hot leads soon fizzle out, their differences threaten to leave them deadlocked. But an attempt on their lives turns up the heat and brings them closer together, and a third victim might yield the clue that will help them zero in on a killer. This could be the case of their careers . . . if they can survive long enough to solve it.


My Review:
Deadlock is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the third in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil events in the previous books.

The main characters were likable and determined. They had to learn how to work together, which was difficult because they had very different approaches to solving crimes. By the end of the case, they were starting to know each other and be friends and partners. The story didn't really strike me as a romance, but more a lead up to romance. Personally, I prefer this type of story over "love-hate at first sight."

As for the mystery, I expected experienced agents to be more cynical, but they generally assumed the best about a person until proven otherwise. The author maintained a delicate balance between making little forward progress while having them constantly following up leads. Still, there were a few times I wondered why someone didn't follow up on the "minor" leads sooner since we're told many people are working on the case. The suspense mainly came from harassment and physical danger to the main characters.

Bethany and Thatcher were Christians. They tried to live out their beliefs, and Bethany dealt with feeling anger when God didn't do things the way she wanted Him to. This was worked into the natural flow of the story and addressed issues that all Christians face at some point. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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