Category Archives: Elizabeth Goddard

Critical Alliance by Elizabeth Goddard – Focus is on Action and Intrigue Over Character Development

Posted in Baker Publishing Group, Critical Alliance, Cybersecurity, Elizabeth Goddard, Intrigue, Mystery, NetGalley, Rocky Mountain Courage Series by

Critical Alliance is Elizabeth Goddard’s third book in the, Rocky Mountain Courage series.  I’ve read the first two books, Present Danger and Deadly Target, enjoyed them and was excited to read her newest novel.

The story centers on two main characters, Mackenzie Hanson and Alex Knight.  Mackenzie has been doing well in her cybersecurity career at a university in Michigan.  Yet it seems like she can’t get away from her youthful criminal past when she receives a warning about cybersecurity issues with her family’s business.  Though she’s been estranged for many years, Mackenzie feels compelled to go home and try to help with the hope of redeeming her past mistakes.  Mackenzie’s path will once again cross with Alex Knight a Special Agent with the Diplomatic Security Services.  Alex has come home to Montana to get some rest following an assignment that went wrong.  But cases seem to find him even when he’s on vacation. 

There were some elements that I liked about this book.  Cybersecurity is an interesting theme for a mystery novel.  I liked Alex and his friends in Montana that were carried over from the earlier novels.  The backdrop in Montana was a beautiful setting, the descriptions were well written so the reader could imagine what the settings were like.

Where I struggled with this book was the main character, Mackenzie.  I found her to be arrogant with delusions of grandeur to the point of irritating.  I couldn’t see why Alex was attracted to Mackenzie, much less why he would risk her career for her or go along with her schemes.  The characters were shallow and the focus was on action and intrigue.  The characters were not well developed.  I enjoy reading Christian fiction, especially when faith is included in the characters’ lives.  But this book didn’t include much regarding faith.

Not sure if I recommend Critical Alliance because the characters were not well developed.  It’s shallow and relies on action and intrigue over a richer and deeper story.  The book focused on lots of details about cyber security instead of characters.  I will read more books by Elizabeth Goddard because I’ve enjoyed her earlier novels. 

I would like to thank Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Critical Alliance by Elizabeth Goddard.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard – Too Many Twists and Turns, Not Believable

Posted in Action, Deadly Target, Elizabeth Goddard, NetGalley, Revell Publishers, Romance, Suspense by

Deadly Target is Elizabeth Goddard’s second book in the Rocky Mountain Courage series.  I looked forward to reading it because I’ve enjoyed Elizabeth’s novels in the past. 

Erin Larson is a criminal psychologist and crime podcaster.  Erin and her friend are kayaking on Puget Sound when out-of-nowhere, a large yacht is speeding towards them and tries to mow them down.  They narrowly escape by abandoning their kayaks.  After being rescued Erin, receives a phone call from her former boyfriend, Detective Nathan Campbell, in Montana.  She is filled with dread as he tells her that her mom tried to commit suicide and is in the hospital.  This is just the beginning of the action in chapter one.  The rest of the book is filled with twists and turns, attempts to kill either Erin or Nathan and their family members and others caught in the crossfire.  It stretched from Washington to Montana and Boston.

Deadly Target is action-packed and filled with many twists and turns.  Nearly everyone was suspect and couldn’t be trusted.  It took me a while to get into the story because the tension continued to build and build and build with multiple incidents.  I didn’t connect with the character Erin because I found her off-putting.  I liked Nathan but didn’t understand what he saw in Erin. 

As much as I wanted to like Deadly Target, I didn’t enjoy it.  The story had too many twists and turns and too many characters.  It was hard to follow, and stretched the imagination.  The plotline with its endless action just wasn’t believable, especially towards the end.  Added to those negatives, the main character wasn’t very likable.  That’s why I don’t recommend Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard.

I would like to thank Revell Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard – Lots of Intrigue, But Too Many Characters and Details Took Away from the Storyline

Posted in Elizabeth Goddard, Intrigue, Mystery, NetGalley, Present Danger, Rocky Mountain Courage Series, Suspense by

Since I had enjoyed Elizabeth Goddard’s earlier mysteries, I was excited to read her newest book, Present Danger the first book in the Rocky Mountain Courage series. 

Present Danger is filled with suspense, mystery, and intrigue from the get-go.  Private pilot Chance Carter is taking off with a package containing something illegal and headed to a small airstrip in Montana.  He should have listened to that nagging uneasy feeling.  But when his airplane is about to crash, he’s just trying to survive.  The next two chapters seem disjointed from the first chapter.  We are introduced to Sheriff’s Detective Jack Tanner and US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors.  They will be joining forces to investigate the questionable death of a local citizen, Jim Raymond, found in the forest.  Jack and Terra’s relationship goes way back, but they haven’t seen each other in years.  Their relationship didn’t end on a good note however they will strive to put their personal feelings aside and solve this case.

Parts of the book I found interesting, like learning about different aspects of law enforcement in remote forested areas and the illegal sale of Native American artifacts.  However, I thought the book had issues that took away from the storyline and characters.

Present Danger very convoluted and packed with details that did not contribute to the story.  There were too many characters, it was hard to keep track of all of them.  While Jack and Terra had a history, there didn’t seem to be much romance between them.  I kind of liked Jack, but his insecurities that he had carried with him all these years (not based on his own failings or history) got kind of old.  It seemed like an unnecessary element and focus of the story.  I can’t recall if Jack ever told Terra why years before he left town without saying goodbye.  He didn’t come clean and explain what he had overheard her grandfather say.  It bothers me when things in the storyline don’t make sense, like when a character does something illogical that puts themself in danger.  Also, there came a point when Terra should have been removed from the case but she wasn’t.  One of the biggest surprises at the end came out of nowhere and didn’t seem believable.

Elizabeth Goddard describes scenery really well so that the reader can imagine what the place looks like or the characters are experiencing.  She’s done her research and knows jobs and locations well.  But I don’t recommend this book because of the negatives in the story: too many characters; too many unnecessary details that distract instead of moving the story forward; and not making the characters compelling enough to care about them.

While this book has been published by a Christian publisher there wasn’t much concerning the Christian faith in the book. 

I would like to thank Revell Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Don’t Keep Silent by Elizabeth Goddard – Beautiful Setting, Filled with Intrigue and Suspense

Posted in Book Review, Elizabeth Goddard, Intrigue, Mystery, Revell Publishing, Suspense, Uncommon Justice by

Don’t Keep Silent by Elizabeth Goddard is the third book in her Uncommon Justice series.  I had read the second book, Always Look Twice, and was excited to read her new book.

When Rae Burke’s brother Alan asks her to search for his missing wife Zoey she agrees and uses her tenacious and keen investigative skills to try and find her sister-in-law and friend.  As she heads up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming she hopes to enlist help from former DEA agent Liam McKade, but since they part ways last time she’s not confident that he will be willing to join forces and help find Zoey.

Don’t Keep Silent grabbed my attention from the get-go.  It was filled with lots of suspense and twists and turns.  There were some likable characters, but my favorite was Liam.  He seemed like a faithful friend, brave and willing to put himself on the line to protect Rae, try and find Zoey and expose the bad guys and bring them to justice.

Author, Elizabeth Goddard did a good job of describing the scenic area of Jackson Hole, Wyoming during the wintertime.  Made me want to go there on vacation.  The reader is left guessing as to whether some of the characters are good guys or bad guys, and there were some surprises.  The faith aspect of the novel was minimal and confined to mostly one-sentence prayers for protection or help.  I wish the characters’ faith had been more developed, especially with Liam.  I think the book would have been richer if the author had done that.

What I struggled with is the main character, Rae.  Something that really bugs me is when characters do things that don’t make a lot of sense or aren’t logical.  Rae seemed to do that repeatedly, she was emotionally driven and had a high estimation of her own abilities.  Why Liam stuck by her I don’t know.  Rae seemed to have no issue with putting her life on the line, not only hers but Liam’s too.  Not just once but on multiple occasions.  That got old and I found Rae less likable.

I won’t give away the ending, but the ending and reason why Zoey was kidnapped kind of stretched the imagination.  Towards the end, the story kind of dragged and was very convoluted.

There were things I liked about the book, the character Liam, the setting, and the suspense and intrigue, but there were some things I wasn’t too keen on.  I would recommend Don’t Keep Silent if you are a fan of Elizabeth Goddard or you like suspense, mystery, and intrigue.

I would like to thank Revell Publishing for the opportunity to read Don’t Keep Silent by Elizabeth Goddard.  I was provided a complimentary copy of the book but was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

 

Always Look Twice – by author Elizabeth Goddard – Filled with Mystery, Intrigue and Action

Posted in Action, Always Look Twice, Book Review, Elizabeth Goddard, Intrigue, Mystery, NetGalley, Revell Publishing, Uncommon Justice by

As someone who loves to read mysteries, I really liked reading Elizabeth Goddard’s newest book Always Look Twice the second book in her Uncommon Justice series.  There was so much to like about this book, starting with the characters.  But what first drew me in to Always Looks Twice was the opening scene.

Crime scene photographer, Harper Reynolds, has taken a much need break because of the toll that her work has taken on her.  She and her sister Emily have been traveling to National Parks and are finishing up their travels in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they lived as children.  Harper has been photographing the beauty found in nature only to have that beauty marred by witnessing a murder through her camera lens.  In her quest to escape she lost her camera, a memory card, her phone and was injured.  So, when Harper reports the crime she witnessed, there’s no corroborating evidence to be found.  Will the Sheriff believe Harper?  Will law enforcement diligently investigate the crime she witnessed?  What will happen when she is reunited with her childhood friend Heath McKade?

I really liked the main characters in this book.  They are interesting, kind and caring and people and because of that I was invested in their story.  Harper and Emily carried emotional scars from trauma in their childhood and they dealt with its lingering effects quite differently.  I especially like the friendship between Harper and Heath.  They were friends in a pivotal time in their lives and now they are reunited.

One of the things I liked best about Elizabeth Goddard’s writing is her ability to write a scene so the reader can imagine it in their head.  She does it without being too wordy.  Reading the story was almost like watching a movie.  I appreciated that the story was clean, there was no profanity or sexual immorality.  There was some mention of the character’s faith.  I would like to have seen even more the faith aspect of the character’s lives.

If you like mystery, intrigue, and action I would encourage you to read Elizabeth Goddard’s new book Always Look Twice.  This one kept me guessing until the end.  This is the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I would like to thank Revell Publishing for the opportunity to read Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard.  I was provided a complimentary copy of the eBook through NetGalley.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

#AlwaysLookTwice #UncommonJustice