Beneath the Surface

Author: Lynn H. Blackburn
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.

Ryan finds satisfaction in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.

Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new voice in romantic suspense. Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go until the final heart-pounding page.​​

---

Reviewer: Connie Brown

I was intrigued from the beginning!

There were many plot twists that kept me guessing until the end. Who? And Why?

The characters were fun and well developed.

The romantic suspense woven throughout progressed as expected. Leigh and Ryan’s banter was at times a bit much but enjoyable overall. 

I loved the quote from Leigh “ Her Mom had experienced such peace as she died....saw it as more of a transition than an ending.” Leigh’s searching and questioning of Gods plan for her life and reflection on her adoptive parents strong faith engaged me. 

I would highly recommend this novel and look forward to reading more from this author.

​Book provided courtesy Baker Publishing.

---

---

Reviewer: Jill Jones

SPOILER ALERT: (One paragraph of my review contains a spoiler. It will be marked).

The first book in Lynn Blackburn’s Dive Team Investigations series, “Beneath the Surface” takes place mainly on land, so if you are looking for an underwater adventure, you will be disappointed. Even the scene that takes place beneath the waters of Lake Porter is very short.

What was meant to be a training exercise of the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team became a murder investigation and a threat to the life of a local nurse practitioner. Leigh Weston had recently returned to Carrington after a stalking experience that left her fearful and paranoid. However, a serial killer connected to her is not enough to raise her paranoia level to follow the advice of the police detectives assigned to her case.

As smart as the author tries to characterize Weston, she comes across as lacking in common sense. The detective (who is her love interest) also seems to lack some of the insight most detectives should innately bring to the table when applying for the job. But, then again, if either of them had been as careful as they should have been, the story would never have moved along.

[SPOILER] And if you think you are going to remotely discover who did it from the clues presented, you will be disappointed because if the author ever mentions the guilty party, it is so very brief that I do not remember the encounter. In fact, the party doesn’t make an appearance until the end is near. In my opinion, this is a dirty trick and, quite frankly, there is another character I thought would have been a better choice. [end of spoiler]

So, even though I thought the plot had promise and the book kept me in suspense, I was let down by the ending and disappointed in the main characters. Judging from the many five star reviews, I wonder if I might have missed something. Even so, I just couldn’t like the main characters although I did enjoy the interaction Gage brought to the group.

Book provided courtesy Baker Publishing.

---

---

Reviewer: Mindy Moung

​This is the first book by Lynn Blackburn I have read and it was awesome! I love romantic suspense and this book had me gripping the edge of my seat until the very end. If you enjoy contemporary romantic suspense (and love books by authors like Dani Pettrey, Irene Hannon, Colleen Coble, and Terri Blackstock like I do), you will love this book!

The story is well-written and intense, the plot twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, the action is fast-paced and adrenaline-filled, the characters are so lovable, and the characters’ faith journey is relatable, believable and heart-wrenching. 

The dialogue amongst the characters is funny, heart-warming, and down-to-earth. The main characters of Ryan and Leigh are fantastic. Ryan is a homicide investigator who is loyal, faithful, steadfast, protective, loving, and intelligent. Leigh is an ED nurse practitioner - a loving, tender-hearted, intelligent, but independent woman - who is being hunted by an unknown suspect. She’s already been through an ordeal, being stalked by a patient, and she moves back home to restart her life. Several seemingly unrelated homicides and threats to Leigh’s life bring the two together. The secondary characters, that include Ryan’s friends and colleagues, who are introduced in this book are also wonderful and I can’t wait to read more about them as the sequels of this series is released. 

Book provided courtesy Baker Publishing.

---

---

Reviewer: Rebecca Maney

The text read, "Leigh in car wreck. Brakes failed. She's at the hospital". 

Nurse practitioner Leigh Weston was driving home along a familiar route following her night shift in the local emergency room, when ordinary turned life-threatening. Earlier in the day, a decapitated body had been found at the bottom of the lake in front of her home; her property borrowed as a command center, while members of various law enforcement agencies sorted out the grisly details of their discovery. Surely she hadn't fallen asleep at the wheel?

Homicide investigator Ryan Parker has known Leigh Weston nearly all her life, her brother being one of his best friends. Right now he just wishes that their reunion could have been under more pleasant circumstances, he knew she was back in town because her brother had asked him to "keep an eye on her"; a recent stalking incident by a crazed patient had been horrifying, to say the least. Now she has been exposed to what investigators are suspecting may be the work of a serial killer. Has the location of her home put Leigh in danger once again?

"Beneath the Surface", the title derived from the dive team of which Ryan Parker and his associates are members, is a clever use of words, for this suspense packed novel is layered nicely with suspects and evidence that delve deeper, but don't divulge secrets . . . until the very end!

Book provided courtesy Baker Publishing.

---