Lethal Target by Janice Cantore

Lethal Target by Janice Cantore ISBN-13: 9781496423740 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Released: Oct. 9, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Police Chief Tess O'Rourke thought she'd taken care of her small town's drug problem last year. But now Rogue's Hollow residents are up in arms over a contentious vote on legalizing the sale of marijuana within city limits. And when an eighteen-year-old is found dead of a possible overdose, Tess wonders if the local pot farms might be involved and begins to fear that a new, deadlier drug supply chain has cropped up.

With her relationship to Sergeant Steve Logan on shaky ground, Tess could really use a friend, and she feels drawn to Pastor Oliver Macpherson's quiet presence. But the anger she holds over her father's death prevents her from embracing his faith and finding peace. Battling storms within and without, Tess is shocked when an enemy from her past shows up in town to stir up more trouble and works to turn the town against her. When she learns that a drug boss has put a price on her head, it feels like everyone has turned against her.


My Review:
Lethal Target is a Christian suspense novel. It's the second book in a series and is a continuation of that story, though you can understand what's going on if you read it as a stand alone. I'd strongly recommend reading them in order, though, especially as the events in the previous novel are "spoiled" in this one.

Poor Tess has to deal with a lot in this novel. She's called to the scene of a teenager's death. It looks like a drug overdose, but some things aren't quite right. The teenager's father is angry at her for even considering that his son might have done drugs and for not instantly solving the crime. Someone from her past who hates her comes along to stir up the town against her, and a drug boss wants everyone dead who was involved in killing a family member (which includes Tess). Tess just wants to solve the crimes and stop the bad guys, but it seems like everyone's making this as difficult as possible.

The characters acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. I liked Tess's tenacity, sense of duty, and compassion. Pastor Oliver's willingness to reach out to anyone and show God's love helped several people find emotional and spiritual peace. Tess dealt with her anger with God over letting her father die in the line of duty when she was young. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this engaging, suspenseful story.


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.