🎄🎁💣💥📅 “Explosive Christmas Showdown” (Crisis Rescue Team #2) (2022) 📅💥💣🎁🎄– Book Review
MY REVIEW
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense (October 25, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1335587357
ISBN-13: 978-1335587350
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“A bomber brings terror to Christmas
as the presents go tick…tick…boom.
With criminal investigative analyst Olive Wells at the center of a bomber’s dangerous game, she’ll do anything to catch the culprit—even work with her ex-fiancé and his K-9 detector dog. But with the Christmas rampage drawing ever closer, Zac Turner’s convinced the attacks are personal. Can they piece together their ties to the bomber…before another gift explodes?”
Thank you in advance to the author, Darlene L. Turner, for providing a complimentary review copy through her review team. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
I’ve been a fan of the author since her first book, Border Breach, which has an interesting story and beginning to it. That was her BORDER PATROL series.
This is the second book in the CRISIS RESCUE TEAM series, and features Scarlet’s sister Olive. Olive or rather Olly, was introduced in Fatal Forensic Investigation and helped her sister with a profile of the Coastline Strangler.
While this is connected to, Fatal Forensic Investigation, this can act as a standalone read since Scarlet is mentioned, but doesn’t appear. Though, I do prefer to read connected book all together and I think other readers might want to do so as well.
This time, Olive is dealing with the Jingle Bell Bomber. And, his targets definitely don’t have a rhyme or reason – at least in the beginning.
Aiding her is of course her ex-fiancé Zac Turner. A relationship that didn’t end on the best of terms. Zac is also paired with bomb detecting dog, Ziva. (If you’ve seen NCIS, you know the origin of the name).
In addition to Olive, Zac, and Ziva; the team and or major characters consists of:
🚓 Lauren (part of Olive’s team)
🚓 Fraser (part of Olive’s team
🚓 Brett
🚓 Pike (one of the bomb disposal officers)
🚓 Skye (watches over Grace for Lauren)
And, there is also Lauren’s foster daughter – Grace – in the middle of the bomber’s game.
Some trigger and content issues might be a character with Alzheimer’s, a miscarriage, as well as a bombing at a school (no deaths). Readers sensitive to the issues will want to be cautious when reading it.
Like she normally does, Turner starts off with the action. In this case – Olive, at work, looking for a bomb.
But, that’s not the only danger she faces – Zac. He broke up with her without telling her why. He’s also got Ziva with him, and since an attack – Olive has a fear of dogs. She also has an aversion to the Christmas holiday.
And, Zac has a good reason for not telling Olive why he broke up with her – or rather he thinks it is – he isn’t who he claims to be. Or rather, he and his mother are using new names to avoid his mobster father.
Olive herself has a secret and doesn’t want to think about it.
But, Olive and Zac have little time to reflect on their past – or even a future.
One thing is clear – the bomber knows them. They’re on his naughty list as well as his other victims. Though, the two can’t seem to understand why. Motives are usually political, personal, and revenge. Though, Olive is still trying to piece it together. She settles on personal, though not knowing the suspect, makes it difficult.
The bomber is nearly in sync with them and seems to have eyes … EVERYWHERE. No place is safe for too long. And, that concerns Olive because of Grace. A little girl she is fostering and wants to adopt.
Grace immediately takes to Ziva, and the dog also helps Olive with her fears.
The team is having a hard time trying to predict the bomber’s next move since the victims are not connected, nor do they fit a pattern. It isn’t until the team is at Grace’s school that the truth starts coming together.
They know the bomber doesn’t kill kids or dogs.
One thing is certain – the bomber is someone they know and he has access to their video and computer equipment. (I already had my suspect, and was right – for a change).
The team soon learns the motivation and connection, though stopping the bomber won’t be easy – especially when they don’t know who really is next; and trust me – the bomber doesn’t give them much time to spare.
As usual; Turner gives readers another intense, action-packed, unpredictable, and fast-paced “you have to read this until the very end” book; with a second-chance romance. She also has a side story arc with Zac’s father that is an edge-of-the-seat moment in the book.
The reconciliation between Olive and Zac is heartwarming, endearing, and one that won’t come that quickly in the book. It’s literally within the last 25 pages.
I honestly couldn’t put this down. It is not unusual for a book with short chapters and descriptive writing to keep me reading. And, like normal, it took a few days to recover from to write a review that reflects how excellent this book is.
I loved the aspect of the hero having a criminal father. I’ve seen this play out on TV. In the series Hunter (1984-2003) – the main character, Rick Hunter, was a cop who happened to have a mobster for a father. Or, as his family puts it, he’s a mobster’s son who happens to be a cop. Hunter had limited contact with his father and family because he was dedicated to his job.
In the 1996-2000 series, Profiler, the character of John Grant (Atlanta PD; later FBI) was raised mostly by his mother (Noreen), having had his last name changed to her last name. His father was a mobster – Patrick O’Doyle. John Grant completely avoided his father.
This is not a common character background in books, so I truly enjoyed it.
Turner is definitely one of my “must-read” suspense authors, and I’ll be on the lookout for the next book in the series – as well as any future books by her.
Those who are fans of the author likely won’t need much convincing to pick this up and settle in for a great read. Fans of Elizabeth Goddard and Lynette Eason might just enjoy Turner’s books as well.
As part of the Love Inspired book line, there will be references to the Christian faith. Some books are stronger in their presentation. These attributes are more character driven and not story-driven. However, readers won’t feel like they’re being preached at.
RATING:
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html;update https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)
Previous book in the series:
Series: Crisis Rescue Team (Book #1)
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense (June 28, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1335555110
ISBN-13: 978-1335555113
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“Remembering a serial killer’s face…
could be deadly
While interviewing the Coastline Strangler’s only surviving victim, forensic artist Scarlet Wells is attacked and left with amnesia. Now she’s his next mark and has no choice but to work with constable Jace Allen to unlock the criminal’s true identity trapped in her mind. Will they be able to recover the hidden memory and hunt down the killer before he strikes again?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.
You can follow her on the following social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darlenelturnerauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenel.turner/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/darlenelturner/
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thanks, Marie!
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