Catching Heat Book Review

Cold Case Justice Series

Book Three

SUMMARY:  Twenty-seven years after the deaths of Detective Abby Hart's parents, she's desperate to find the proof that will put the mastermind - the governor's wife - behind bars.  When she joins a newly formed task fore and teams u with PI Luke Murphy, Abby is sent to San Luis Obispo to work the cold case of a murdered college student.  Realizing their investigation will bring them near the town where California's first lady, Alyssa Rollins, grew up, Abby decided to do a little digging of her own into the Triple Seven fire.

     Luke is eager to help Abby close the books on a case they both have personal stakes in.  But as she uncovers long-held secrets, Abby stumbles into an explosive situation, and Luke fears that her obsession may prove deadly.

SUMMARY:  Catching Heat picks up where the second book, Burning Proof, leaves off.  There are two cold cases Abby's team is working on plus the side case of her parents' murder.  Between all the different suspects, locations, and details of each case, sometimes I got lost as to what belongs to which case.  Throw in all the details from the two previous books that are repeated referred to in regards to previous cases and the Triple Seven murders, sometimes it was hard to keep track of everything. That said, this book kept my attention along the whole roller coaster ride until the very end.  The ending was a surprise and fit the story line perfectly. 

     Abby's obsession with solving her parents' murder mirrored one of her cold cases.  I like how in solving the case, she finally realizes the problem she is having letting go and does what she can to stop.  The twists and turns of all three cases will keep you on your toes. You may even need a cheat sheet to keep track of everything. 

     All in all, this is a great book and the perfect ending to the series.  I really enjoyed this book and series and look forward to reading more by Janice Cantore.

This book was provided by Tyndale House for review without any compensation.

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her twenty-two year of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.  She has penned eight novels: the Pacific Coast Justice series, Visible Threat, Critical Pursuit, Drawing Fire, and Burning Proof.  Catching Heat is the third book in the Cold Case Justice series.

Burning Proof Book Review

Cold Case Justice Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  After months of investigating the brutal homicide of a young girl, Detective Abby Hart finally has the evidence she needs.  But when the arrest goes terribly wrong, Abby beings to doubt her future as a police officer.  As she wrestles with conflicting emotions, old questions about the fire that took her parents' lives come back to haunt her.

     "There is proof."  PI Luke Murphy can't stop thinking about what Abby's former partner, Asa Foster, mumbled just before he died.  When Luke uncovers a clue to the murder of Abby's parents and his own uncle, he's reluctant to tell Abby, despite his growing feelings for the beautiful detective.

     A decade-old abduction case brings Luke and Abby together, but will his secret tear them apart?

 

REVIEW:  Author Janice Cantore knows how to grab her reader's attention, keep it until the end, and leave them wanting more.  The whole time I was reading, I kept trying to guess what would happen ahead, who the culprits would be, how everything tied together and what the resolution would be.  

     The story of the ten-year-old abduction cold case is an excellent addition to Abby's parents' murder.  I like how even though they were completely separate crimes, the circumstances surrounding the closure of the abduction incident tied perfectly into the other case.  I also love how the author has her characters realize their dependence on God.  Abby has been through her share of troubles and has tried to keep God at the center of her life.  After an arrest goes horribly wrong, she realizes her foundation has slipped and she needs to refocus her life on God and not the world around her.

     You will need to read the first book in this series, Drawing Fire, before this one as Burning Proof does draw heavily from it. 

     If you like suspense novels, check out Jancie Cantore's novels and this book.  I'm looking forward to reading the next one in this series.

This book was provided by Tyndale House for review without compensation.

 

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her twenty-two years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.  She is the author of the Pacific Coast Justice series, Visible Threat, Critical Pursuit and the Cold Case Justice series.Visit her website at www.janicecantore.com and connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JaniceCantore.

Drawing Fire Book Review

Cold Case Justice

Book One

SUMMARY:  With a possible serial killer stalking elderly women in Long Beach, California, homicide detective Abby Hart's best lead is Luke Murphy, an irritating private investigator who saw a suspect flee the scene of the latest homicide.  But as she works with the handsome PI to unravel the serial killer case, she must also confront the spark between them.  When Abby discovers that the most recent victim is related to the governor, she's anxious to talk to him about a cold case that's personal to her, one Luke is interested in as well.

     As she learns more about the restaurant fire that took her parents' lives years ago, Abby discovers why Luke is so invested in finding the ones responsible.  With everyone else telling her to walk away from this case, Abby and Luke search for evidence buried beneath years of deceit . . . and soon realize that someone will do anything to make sure this case remains cold.

REVIEW:  Janice Cantore's latest novel is wonderful.  She really knows how to grab the reader's attention at the beginning of her books and hold it to the end.  I found myself wanting to continue reading when I didn't need to, trying to figure out what would happen next. 
     Abby works hard at her job, but finds that solving the mystery surrounding her parents' death is slowing taking over.  Luke, who is also interested in getting answers, works hard to find missing children and teens.  Working together causes friction in their personal and professional lives, but they get answers to some of their questions.

     I can't wait for the next book to come out and see how the rest of the story goes.

This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for review without compensation.

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her twenty-two years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.  She has penned six novels: the Pacific Coast Justice series, Visible Threat, Critical Pursuit, and Drawing Fire, the first book in the Cold Case justice series.

Abducted Book Review

Pacific Coast Justice Series

Book 2

SUMMARY:  After solving the mayor's murder and exposing corruption among the top brass in Las Playas, Carly Edwards is happy to be back on patrol with her partner, Joe, putting bad buys behind bars.  For once, everything in life seems to be going right.

     But then everything starts going wrong.  Slow to recover from an injury, her ex-husband, Nick, begins pulling away just as they were starting to get close again.  Meanwhile, when Joe's wife lands in the hospital with a mysterious illness, their baby is kidnapped.  As Carly chases down every lead in a desperate search to find the baby, her newfound faith is pushed to its limits.

REVIEW:  Carly is a strong woman whose Christian faith is new when she is confronted by problem after problem.  She doesn't let her circumstances get her down and tries to do the right thing, even when it is not popular. Andrea, Carly's best friend and roommate, does not agree with her belief in God but starts to become more open to the idea after some rough circumstances occur in her own life. I really like how the kidnapping incident ends and where Carly and Nick's relationship ends up.  This book is a great follow-up to Accused, this first book in the Pacific Coast Justice series. I really enjoyed getting to follow these characters through this recent publication and can't wait to read more.  The third and last book of this series, Avenged, is due out in April 2013 and I can't wait to see what happens next and how the series will end.  If it is anything like the other two, it will be a great read.

This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for review without compensation.

 

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.   Abucted is the second in the three-book Pacific Coast Justice series.

Accused Book Review

Pacific Coast Justice Series

Book #1

SUMMARY: An officer-involved shooting six months earlier takes Detective Carly Edwards off the street and sends her to a boring desk job in juvenile.  When a troubled youth is arrested for the murder of the mayor, Carly is summoned to the crime scene.  Homicide thinks it's a quick, open-and-shut case, and Carly hopes this will be her ticket back to patrol.
     Though her professional life seems to be on track, Carly still has unresolved issues in her personal life.  Nick, her ex-husband and fellow police officer, is determined to show Carly that he's a changed man, but she isn't convinced he won't betray her again.
      As the murder investigation progresses, Carly suspects a cover-up and strikes out on her own, uncertain whom she can trust.  But she soon realizes the case may put her directly in the killers' crosshairs. 

REVIEW:  If you are looking for a good suspense novel where you don't know which ones are the good guys and which are the bad, this is the book for you.  As Carly, the main character, tries to do the right thing when a juvenile is wrongly accused of murder, roadblocks are constantly being thrown in her way.  To add to her frustration, the teen wrongly accused had been helped by her mom to rehabilitate him from past indisgressions and claims to be a Christian (something she strongly objects to after the death of her father some years earlier).  Plus, her ex-husband, who has now become a Christian, is hoping for a second chance.  Intrigue, good cops supposedly turned bad, and murder surround Carly while she works to find the mayor's killer before he comes after her.  This is a great book!  The second book in this series, Abducted, is due out in the summer of 2012.  Can't wait to read it to see what happens to these characters.

This book was provided by Tyndale Publishers for review without compensation.

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.  Accused is the first in a three-book Pacific Coast Justice series.  For more information on this series and her other books, visit her website at www.janicecantore.com or connect with her on Facebook.