Still Life by Dani Pettrey

Still Life by Dani Pettrey ISBN-13: 9780764212956 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: Jan. 31, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
Blacklisted in the photography business over a controversial shot, Avery Tate answered an ad for a crime scene photographer. She expected to be laughed at, but crime scene analyst Parker Mitchell hired her outright--and changed her life. But six months ago, when her feelings for Parker became too strong, she left his employ to sort out her heart.

Now, for the first time, Avery is facing the world that rejected her to attend the gallery opening of a photography exhibit and support her best friend, who modeled for the show. But the only image of her friend is a chilling photo of her posing as if dead--and the photographer insists he didn't take the shot. Worse, her friend can't be found. She immediately calls Parker for help. As Avery, Parker, and his friends in law enforcement dig into the mystery, they find themselves face-to-face with a relentless and deadly threat.


My Review:
Still Life is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second book in a series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but there are two ongoing cases that continue to be investigated throughout the series and much of the background for these cases was in the first novel. This book had two cases, and one was related to an ongoing case.

The characters were complex and dealt with realistic struggles. Avery struggled with her unsavory past, especially as she was the one who got her best friend started in a life of crime. Parker struggled with the idea that loving another woman would dishonor the memory of his first love (who was murdered years ago).

The suspense came from not knowing if Avery's friend was still alive, then from danger to Avery. One of their suspects was a sick-minded fellow who photographed women in a way that made them look as if they're dead. Though not gory, I'll have a hard time getting his creepy work out of my mind.

The characters prayed to God to help them with the case and to help let go of guilt over the past. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.