Book Description:
One case almost destroyed her career. Now the past seems to have caught up with her. And as a high-stakes game of truth and lies unfolds, someone’s out for retribution at any cost.
As a detective in the Long Beach Police Department’s violent crimes division, Lainie Jensen is no stranger to hard-to-crack cases and unusual disappearances, but then her sister Evie vanishes on a trip to Hawaii. After traveling there to look for her, Lainie quickly realizes her brother-in-law Stan is telling law enforcement a story that doesn’t appear to add up.
FBI special agent Ben Isaacs has spent six months collecting evidence to take down a money laundering operation. While his fellow agent Efren Gomez goes undercover to infiltrate the ring, Ben investigates those connected to it, including Stan Moffitt, who Ben believes could help lead to the criminal kingpin. Then Stan’s wife goes missing just days after Ben contacted her seeking information, and he knows there’s more to this case, especially when he loses contact with Efren and law enforcement comes up short in their search for him.
When Ben’s and Lainie’s investigations converge, Lainie’s not eager to work alongside Ben given their complicated history, but she’s willing to do so if it means figuring out what Stan knows and locating Evie. Soon, Lainie can’t deny Ben’s dedication to finding the truth or her growing admiration for him. And the more the two examine the evidence, the more they suspect Evie’s disappearance is tied to a highly publicized criminal case from Lainie’s past . . . and someone is playing a perilous game aimed at personal revenge.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Edge of Truth, a romantic suspense novel set in Los Angeles. Lainie is a career focused police detective who is shocked when she discovers her sister is missing. Ben is a FBI agent who crosses paths with Lainie at work when a case at Long Beach Police Department is connected to a FBI investigation. Ben’s partner is undercover and has missed his check in.
Lainie and Ben’s meet cute is tense due to their conflict over their connected cases. The attraction is there, but it’s the wrong place and the wrong timing. A lovely low key friends-to-more romance develops during the story.
Lainie has history with a local crime boss that’s complicating their cases. Unknown danger is lurking and Lainie’s family gets caught up in it. She’s blindsided by a betrayal that has massive implications for her close family.
Ben has his own problems to deal with as he investigates why his FBI agent partner is missing. Lainie and Ben must work together to solve the intriguing mysteries. I loved how the suspense plot kept me guessing. I was worried about the characters and appreciated seeing their faith journeys on the page. Themes including trust, forgiveness, and justice are explored.
The story is more weighted toward suspense than romance and would appeal to suspense readers who aren’t big romance fans. I recommend Edge of Truth to romantic suspense readers who like friends-to-more romances with law enforcement characters, forced proximity, a cold case, missing people, family drama, and strong faith elements in the story.
Many thanks to Tyndale for the advanced reader copy.
