Double Take

Author: Lynette Eason
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Series: Lake City Heroes #1
Pages: 320
​Release Date: January 9, 2024
Publisher: Revell

She survived a murder plot and her attacker is dead--isn't he?

Detective James Cross has been honorably discharged from the Army's Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained when an IED blew up near him. Now with the Lake City Police Department, he's rooming with his good buddy and partner, Cole, while he figures out his family dynamics.

Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder perpetrated by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the weapon and shoot him. When he appears to have survived and is back to finish the job he started, Lainie insists it's not possible. But someone keeps trying to kill her, and she keeps seeing his face.

Together, Lainie and James must work together to find out who exactly is after her and why he wants her dead. And failure is not an option.

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Reviewer: Elizabeth Eckmeyer

All I can say is wow! I read this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. It was the first time I had read anything from this author, and it won't be the last.

Lainie Jason is recovering from a traumatic encounter with her fiance. James Holton, an ex-Army detective, is back after not seeing each other for years.

Lainie starts to see a person from her past, and the past starts to repeat itself. This story is full of twists and turns that will have you holding on until the end.

It is a very intense story. From the beginning to the end. There is certainly a lot to unpack. I will be looking forward to her next book in this series. 

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Elisha Varela

This is a Christian romance novel filled with nerve-wracking suspense. Both characters have been through trauma.

This was a different suspense novel than I am used to. Don’t get me wrong. It was for the better. It kept me on my toes, totally guessing. Just when I thought the suspense was over, Lynette Eason surprised me with another scene full of suspense.

Let us just talk about James’ character for a second. His protectiveness was so swoon-worthy! And then his condition... ah! Such a good male character! And he was Laine’s childhood crush.

Laine and James are both believers, which makes this book even more enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, romance, and faith-filled book. It is also the first book in the series, so there is no need to read a book before. You can just dive right into this stellar book.

I received this book from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions are my own. I was not required to give a favorable review. 

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Reviewer: Kristina Hall

A great start to the Lake City Heroes series!

Lynette Eason is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors. She knows how to deliver an intriguing story, and Double Take was no exception.

Lainie and James were both sympathetic characters who grew a lot over the course of the story. Their traumatic backstories added to the plot, and their romance was sweet.

The plot had plenty of action, suspenseful moments, and twists to keep my attention. Speaking of the plot, it was pretty thrilling. I don't think I've read a book like this one before.

I appreciated that Lynette Eason kept both the romance and language clean, and I enjoyed that the characters trusted God.

Overall, I found Double Take to be an exciting read that I'd recommend to those who enjoy Christian fiction and romantic suspense. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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Reviewer: Tammy Lunsford

I cannot turn my mind off after reading this book. Thoughts are ricocheting in my brain. I have had an internal argument with myself repeatedly for the past 24 hours—yes, he is alive. No, he is not alive. Someone is posing as him, and then I would start over again. This book had a brilliant plotline that kept me guessing right up until the very end.

Detective James Cross and PA Lanie Jackson are thrown together in this tense mystery. Lanie survived an attack from her ex-boyfriend. She ended up shooting him in self-defense. He died, or so she thought. Now it seems he is back for revenge, but Lanie knows he died, or did he? If he is alive, she wants to know how. If he is not alive, she wants to know who wants her dead.
 
Both characters make a dynamic duo as they are on the run for their very lives as someone wants Lanie to die. This vengeful person knows things he should not know about Lanie, which makes the case even more eerie. James and Lanie both have battle scars from their past, which they are fighting daily as well. Their faith is stretched as they try to find their bearings and find some sense of normalcy in their lives, all while fighting to stay alive.

This was an enthralling blend of action, intrigue, suspense, and romance inside a strange mystery that had me scratching my head and arguing with myself. If you like mind games and puzzles, you will love this one. I lived inside this book for 2 days as I worked my way through it, only stopping to work and sleep. This is a fantastic new start to what I believe will be another great series.

Thank you to Revell Books for providing a copy of this book through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion. 

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Reviewer: Mindy Houng

Lynette Eason knows how to craft romantic suspense. The story starts out with a bang and keeps up the intensity and fast pace until the very end.

James and Lainie are super cute together, and I quite enjoyed the big brother of best friend trope. Both James and Lainie have dealt with major trauma in the past, and this commonality brings them together, among many other things. I liked the villain's voice that pops up in the storyline, which added a different dimension to the plot.

The thread of true forgiveness and unconditional love weaves throughout the interactions James and Lainie have with their respective families.

The adrenaline-filled race to find the dangerous stalker had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Though both James and Lainie were fun, their relationship and attraction felt a bit superficial. I did love the secondary characters and am totally invested in finding out what happens between Cole and Kenzie in the next book.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

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Reviewer: Conny Withay

"It isn’t him. It isn’t. Maybe not, but someone who looked like her dead fiancé had just run her off the road,” Lainie convinces herself in Lynette Eason’s novel, Double Take.

The first book in the Lake City Heroes series, this three-hundred-and-twenty-page paperback targets those who enjoy crime suspense with Christian undertones and light romance. Containing slang words such as dang and heck, the topics of PTSD, physical abuse, torture, and murder may not be appropriate for immature readers. The book ends with acknowledgments, a teaser of the next book in the series, the author’s biography, and advertisements for other Revell books.

In this series set in the fictitious town of Lake City, North Carolina, it has been eighteen months since Lainie shot and killed her fiancé in self-defense. As a physician assistant, she tries arduously to move on from the past and grow from the tragic experience. When she is convinced she repeatedly sees her deceased ex-boyfriend, she agrees to work with her long-time friend, Detective James Cross, who has to tamper down his own demons of the past. With her life repeatedly in danger, the two must put aside their possible feelings for each other until they can find out who wants to kill her.

This romantic suspense is engaging and interesting, showing how past mistakes can haunt a person when it comes to a bad relationship. I liked the interactions between the characters that will be explored in future books in the series. I appreciate that both protagonists had faith in God and trusted in Him. The romance builds slowly, with those involved being careful and cautious.

Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may not like the prayers to God or calling on His name for strength. Others may not care for a story about revenge and greed. Some may feel the cat-and-mouse game between the killer and Lainie gets confusing at times.

Although the story contains trusting in the Lord, it missed the opportunity to give the eternal plan of salvation. I wish all pronouns for God were capitalized for reverence.

If you are looking for the beginning of a romantic suspense series that involves a woman questioning if someone from her past is dead or alive, this one will take you there.

Thanks to Revell and Interviews & Reviews for this complimentary book. I am under no obligation to give a positive review.

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