Monday, January 2, 2017

True Courage / Kidnapped


GIVEAWAY

HENDERSON, DEE
TRUE COURAGE / KIDNAPPED

A killer returns.

FBI Agent Luke Falcon has a dead woman on his hands, a fresh victim from his old adversary, Frank Hardin. This time, Frank won't walk away. But even that case will have to wait when Luke's extended family disappears over Labor Day weekend. Is there a harmless explanation? Or could they have been victims of a sordid crime?

A fragile love falters.

Fifth-grade teacher Caroline Lane cares deeply for Luke, but she's not certain she can handle the pressure of dating someone in his line of work. When foul play strikes his family, she gets a far closer of those pressures than she ever wanted. She's grateful that God brought Luke into her life. But will they share anything more than tragedy by the time the storm passes?

A kidnapping goes awry.

Luke has never worked a case involving family. It's tempting to let his hardened exterior weaken, given the circumstances. But he has to be strong if he's going to bring them all home. When the ransom delivery doesn't go down as planned and the bodies start piling up, so does Luke's frustration. He fears that innocent people may not survive this crisis...and neither will he relationship with Caroline.

My Review:

*First published as True Courage in 2004 and then reissued in 2009 as Kidnapped. The only copy in print at this time is Kidnapped so that is the edition the winner will receive.

This is vintage Henderson. A tense page-turner that still offers sweet breathing spaces of tender romance. Honestly, I absolutely adore the way this author develops a romance in her earlier works. So unhurried but with real intent. Luke and Caroline live in different worlds -- you really can't get farther apart than a school teacher and an FBI agent. She spends her days nurturing the children in her charge while he spends way too many hours wrestling with the dark depravity of the dregs of society. The innocent and the cynic. And yet they work...when they can get their schedules to mesh.

And then their world turns upside down and the suspense takes off with so many twists and turns that it's impossible to catch your breath. And Henderson is so clever in her delivery -- some things we know ahead of the characters, others we're left to struggle right along side them. There's a real sense of urgency -- emotionally delivered from various points of view. Made my heart race as I sped my way to the end -- which brought sublime reader satisfaction!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of True Courage / Kidnapped please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday January 8 2017. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

36 comments:

  1. I love Dee Henderson's books! Thank you for the chance.

    psalm103and138 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too. I have a goal to read all her earlier books again this year so look for more of her books on retro Saturdays. :-) Good luck, Caryl.

      Delete
  2. Sounds like something I might like, Kav. Count me in! :)

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh you definitely would, Cheryl! Good luck!

      Delete
  3. Love her books; have read them all but Traces of Guilt....getting it soon!
    Thanks, Kav, for your review!
    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought I had read them all too but then I discovered that this one was off my radar. Now I can say that I've read them all...but I still want to reread both the O'Malleys and the Men of Valor (think that's the series title) books.

      Delete
  4. I read this book under both titles. Love her writing. Like you Kav, I may slip a few rereads in this year. The next new one out is the second in the Evie Blackwell Cold Case series, Threads of Suspicion, May 2nd. So looking forward to it.
    Some don't care for her newer writing, saying it doesn't have her earlier romantic edge, but I like her stuff just for how she unfolds each case.
    Blessings for a happy new year to all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you, Tracey. It's different but still enthralling. And I love the way she develops relationships -- the dialogue. I feel like I know the characters so well.

      Did the story change much between editions? The back cover blurb is very different. I read the first version -- True Courage.

      Delete
    2. It's the exact same story, I think they just reissued it as a stand-alone. That works too, but it was a great 4th book in the Uncommon Heroes series. Now I want to read it again!

      Delete
  5. I have never read Dee Henderson's work before and I love suspense so I plan to borrow a book from the library next time I visit. Thanks for your introduction, Kav.
    Dblaser(at)windstream(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, you should. She's an awesome suspense writer. Good luck, Diane.

      Delete
  6. I had no idea that books could be reissued under a different title. Is it the same in both books? I like the cover of Kidnapped better.
    Dianna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't been able to compare, but I think so. I know this one was book four of a series about heroes and heroines in the armed forces and this one seemed just tacked on -- didn't fit the theme of the others so maybe that's why they released it as a standalone book under a new title? Good luck, Dianna.

      Delete
    2. Oh -- and i just read Tracey's comment above and it is the same story -- they just drastically changed the description on the back cover for Kidnapped. I like this one from True Courage better.

      Delete
  7. Dee's books are really amazing. Thank you, Kav! mauback55 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love Dee's books. Thank you for the chance.
    leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've only read one book and one novella from Dee Henderson but she definitely has a fan here!
    mindyhoungATmsnDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ohh...get your hands on the O'Malley series, Mindy! Good luck.

      Delete
  10. I'm a Dee Henderson fan and would love to read this one! Thanks for the giveaway, Kav. Happy new year!

    texaggs2000 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm looking forward to reading this one! Thanks for your review and giveaway. d[dot]brookmyer[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm fairly certain I've read every book Dee put out but I can't remember if I have read this one. It's been a very long time however so I'm not 100% sure! I know my library has this series, so I think I'll skip entering this one.

    Like Tracy's comment, it may be time for a re-read :-) I do love Dee's writing as she was the first suspense author I discovered :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too, Trixi. She was the first suspense author in Christian Fiction that I ever read. And I plan on rereading these early ones this year. Woot! And this book came from my library. Gotta love a well-stocked library!

      Delete
  13. I am a big fan of Dee's books,
    sonflower277 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sounds like suspense at its best!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love her books. cheetahthecat1986(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'd love to win
    marcus802001(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks like a Great Book Thanks for the giveaways and The Chance to Win> iamabho (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete