Book Description:
Thirty years after a federal agent and two suspects disappeared in the wilderness, the case is cold, and they’ve never been found. Now their suspected killer is about to go free. But is the truth really what it seems?
In Dry Oaks, California, Chief of Police Hanna Keyes has long believed her father, Joe, is a murderer, justly imprisoned. When she’s told he’s dying and is being given compassionate release from prison, she wants nothing to do with him. But taking him in might be Hanna’s one shot at cracking the cold case, so she reluctantly agrees to oversee his care.
Joe’s arrival in Dry Oaks seems to set off a chain reaction of crimes. Then an infamous true-crime podcaster comes sniffing for information, and Hanna’s first love, Jared, shows up just when she least needs the distraction. As Hanna tries to convince Joe to reveal what he knows about the missing persons, evidence in the cold case surfaces at a suspiciously rapid pace . . . suggesting there’s more to the murders than people thought.
With Joe’s strength failing, Hanna and her colleagues look for answers, not only about the past but also about recent criminal dealings in Dry Oaks. As the puzzle pieces start to fit together, it becomes clear that there’s a sinister plot at work, far more wide-reaching than anyone suspected, and that someone is desperate to silence the truth at any cost.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Every Deadly Suspicion, a romantic suspense novel set in a small Northern California town.
Hanna is the police chief in Dry Oaks, and she survived a rough childhood. She has no contact with her father, Joe, who’s incarcerated and serving two life sentences for murder. Hanna’s mother passed a few years ago, and they had a tough time living with Joe’s reputation in a town that wouldn’t let them forget the past. A notorious true crimes podcaster and author delights in causing trouble for Hanna in her role as police chief. He lives in Dry Oaks and self-published a book featuring Joe’s crimes.
The story opens with a prologue from 1990. Joe was a cooker of illicit substances and there were other people in town who were involved in the shady dealings. Joe was excited about the prospect of becoming a dad. He wanted to stop cooking and make an honest living to support his family.
The past and present collide when a prominent member of the Dry Oaks community is murdered and their case becomes cold. It sets off a chain of events that blows up when Joe has the option of compassionate hospice release in Hanna’s home.
Hanna is determined to discover what really happened in 1990 before she was born. Danger looms as she uncovers clues and law enforcement gets closer to exposing the truth.
The police procedural drama is fascinating and dangerous. There are multiple viewpoints in the story and we learn more from Hanna’s friends and her law enforcement colleagues about the mysteries surrounding the cold cases. Long held secrets unravel.
The romance in the story is subtle and takes place in the background. When the story opens, Hanna is dating a detective she met through work. Her childhood sweetheart is back in town and he’s working for the fire department.
Dry Oaks was originally a gold mining town, and the town is like a character in the story. The complex relationships between the ensemble cast of characters play a crucial role in how the action and suspense unfold and the mysteries are solved. The faith elements in the story include redemption and forgiveness themes.
I recommend Every Deadly Suspicion to romantic suspense readers who like small-town police procedural dramas with complex cold case mysteries and relevant faith threads in the story.
Many thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Check out my Fan Girling with Narelle podcast/YouTube episode on the book at the link below.
