Lethal Standoff

Author: Diann Mills
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Pages: 352
Release Date: September 3, 2024
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Justice can be elusive. Family secrets can be deadly. The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking in a volatile criminal case filled with unanswered questions. And Carrington Reed is running short on time to piece together clues that will solve the puzzle.

Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed is called to the scene when reports come in that fifteen hostages are being held by the Kendrix brothers in an abandoned house in south Texas. When she arrives on site, Carrington quickly learns that the brothers are armed and refuse to release their victims, a group of undocumented immigrants, until the local police identify their father’s murderer.

Working closely with Levi Ehrlich, a handsome investigative reporter who has covered some of Carrington’s negotiations in the past, she finds herself being undeniably drawn to him. Carrington digs deeper into the death of the Kendrixes’ father and begins to notice that some details surrounding his death aren’t adding up.

As Carrington investigates the brothers’ claims and tries to piece together their motive for taking innocent people captive, it soon becomes clear that they are trying to hide something and that revenge for their father’s death may not be what they’re really bargaining for after all. To protect the hostages and ensure the brothers don’t carry out the rest of their sinister plot, Carrington must get to the bottom of one family’s secret and the truth they’re trying so hard to hide before time runs out.

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Reviewer: Tammy Lunsford

There are so many things I could say about this fascinating story. Truth is a big part of this story.  “.... truth and love go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. Because Jesus is both truth and love.” This quote came from a wizened woman who shared her faith with the main character.

Truth is elusive in the Kendrix family. Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed is gifted in the art of negotiations. She is called to the scene of a hostage situation where 15 people are being held hostage by two brothers from the Kendrix family who want justice for their father.

Levi Ehrlich is an investigative reporter. Carrington ordinarily avoids the press, but she finds herself trusting and needing Levi’s assistance. He has a conscience for truth in reporting and someone who truly cares more about people than getting a scoop, which is how he ends up behind the police lines at this hostage negotiation. Things do not go as well as Carrington hoped. She and Levi realize there is much more to this story than appears. It is much more complex than what is seen on the surface. So they continue to work together to solve this puzzle and end up with more questions than answers.

This plotline could have been pulled from the pages of the news today, which makes it even more emotional and realistic. It was an incredible story with so many facets and interesting characters. I loved how the author built her characters up slowly by sharing their background and their pasts. This made them more real. The mystery was dynamite and shocking, as more clues were revealed. Do not start this one at night because you will not be able to put it down until you have finished it completely. It is truly addictive.

Thank you Tyndale House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Reviewer: Anna Bottoms

Lethal Standoff may be the best thriller I’ve read this year. The twists and turns made me dizzy with anticipation. What might I find around the next corner?

The main characters were perfectly written for me, and interesting on many levels. I was fully invested in their lives, both in their investigation and their growing attraction to one another.

I haven’t read a book with a Messianic Jew and didn’t realize the struggles they face in Jewish culture. The combination of tradition and love for Jesus in the service was an eye-opening, beautiful experience, and Levi is one of my recently read favorites.

Carrington is a fully developed character with many layers. She is empathetic, smart, determined, and yet also a bit broken. I loved seeing her layers peeled back as her relationship with Levi and with God grew throughout the story.

This book is one I will read again, even though the suspect pool was large and I now know who the culprit was. It’s just that good. I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy courtesy of Tyndale House through NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews. This is my honest opinion of the book.

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