By Dani Pettrey
Alaskan Courage, #4
Bethany House, 2014
Summary
Jake knew something was wrong.
But he never guessed how wrong.
A relaxing day of rock climbing takes a disturbing turn when Kayden McKenna's route brings her face-to-face with a dead climber. Is it a terrible accident or something darker? When the case is handed to overburdened sheriff Landon Grainger, he turns to Jake Westin for help. With Jake's past now revealed, he's ready to use his talent for investigation again--but he could never prepare for where the mystery will take him.
Kayden's climbing expertise soon leads her and Jake to the realization that the death was no accident. And worse, it seems the killer is onto them. When strange things begin happening in Yancey, Jake is terrified that once again his world may put someone he loves in danger. But the truth is far worse than he could ever imagine.
My thoughts
Dani Pettrey, you had me from the first page!
Silenced is a well-written story with suspense, romance, rich characterization, and a wonderful sense of place amidst the rugged beauty of Alaska. This is a hard-to-put-down book and I enjoyed it very much.
Silenced is book #4 in the Alaskan Courage series, stories of romance and adventure set on the Alaskan peninsula and revolving around the McKenna family siblings. I was a little hesitant to read this book when I hadn't read the previous three, but I jotted down character names and parings, and was thus able to quickly feel at home with this family. But I will say that I am eager to read Submerged, Shattered, and Stranded.
One huge draw for me is the McKenna family themselves - a tight-knit family with a love for the outdoors, active in various extreme sports and rescue units. Silenced focuses on Kayden McKenna - co-owner of Last Frontier Adventures, rescue volunteer, pilot, and free climber. Kayden fears vulnerability and is especially terrified of getting sick with rheumatoid arthritis like her mom. The chemistry between Kayden and Jake is palpable, sure to please romance fans.
The mystery plot is another strength of this story. I'm a fan of police procedurals, where the focus is on plodding detective work, questioning of witnesses and suspects, etc. - and Dani does this extremely well. There's adventure and suspense as well, skillfully blended into the natural elements of the Alaskan landscape, but it was the investigation into the climber's death that I enjoyed most.
One of my favorite characters was former "bad boy" Reef McKenna. I loved the closeness between Reef and his sister, Piper, and the personal conversation where she pointed out that "it's not church that makes the difference - it's Christ." Dani did a lot to set the stage for her next book, and I look forward to seeing Reef's continued growth, both personal and spiritual.
It's easy for circumstances to cause us to live in fear, rather than surrendering control and trusting God to lead. Jake helps Kayden to realize that living in fear isn't the answer, and he speaks words that we all need to be reminded of - that God "most often doesn't change the circumstances, He changes us."
Silenced is a highly entertaining read and I am eager to read the complete series. Highly recommended.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for an interview with Dani plus a giveaway!
Silenced can be purchased at Amazon, CBD, DeeperShopping, and B&N.
Dani
Pettrey
Dani Pettrey is a wife, home-schooling mom, and the acclaimed author of the romantic suspense series Alaskan Courage, which includes her bestselling novels Submerged, Shattered, Stranded, and her latest release, Silenced. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves–the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her characters’ faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland, where they enjoy time with their daughters, son-in-law, and super adorable grandson.
Meet Dani online at danipettrey.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Thank you to Amanda Dykes for providing an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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I loved Silenced as well! The whole series is fabulous. I think my favorite is Piper's story in Shattered. Looking forward to her next book!
ReplyDeleteI was definitely drawn to Piper! I love a good murder mystery, just not the scary stuff found in a lot of suspense novels. But I thought Silenced was really good and I loved the Alaskan setting. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Heidi.
DeleteHeidi, Piper's story was my favorite as well! Silenced was good. Looking forward to Reef's story now!
DeleteCarole,
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for you to read the others in the series! You will LOVE them!!! There's a treasure-hunt element and a powerful redemption storyline in Submerged that's fantastic. In Shattered, there's heli-skiing and Landon Grainger *melt* *sigh*, and in Stranded, there's the full story behind Gage's baby feet tattoo, and hijinks on the high seas with a cruise ship :)
Thanks for your fantastic review, and for being such an awesome supporter. We appreciate you.
Cheering you on,
Kelli
Kelli, you and Amanda are a great team! I already had Submerged on my Kindle, just haven't had time to read it yet. Wish I had the other two, because I'm eager to get to know the other McKennas and their spouses - and the storylines sound so appealing! Thanks for all your encouragement and support to those of us who blog!
DeleteCarole, I adored reading your thoughts! First of all, I so agree with this: there is "a wonderful sense of place amidst the rugged beauty of Alaska." As a bit of an Alaska aficionado, I love the setting and learning more about this rugged place. Secondly, I love the line you pulled from the conversation between Reef and Piper. It's so neat to see understanding of that depth begin to grow in Reef. I'm looking forward to reading his story next! Thanks for sharing your wonderful thoughts, Carole! ~Amanda
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I've always been drawn to the beauty of Alaska, so it was this setting that first caught my attention. And now I'm in love with the McKennas! Like I told Kelli, I already had the first book on my Kindle. Don't know if or when I'll be able to get the other two, but I'm eager to read the whole series. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to help publicize Dani's work!
DeleteVery anxious to get Silenced. Love the Alaskan Courage series and all the well described scenery in each. Makes you feel like you are there with your characters! . Loved the interview with Dani and she is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteCarole,
ReplyDeleteThanks SO much for the amazingly thoughtful review. Appreciate you!
Glad you got to read and review this Carole. I love this series. Thanks for the review and the interview. Carol
ReplyDelete