The Survivor

Is it her next best seller....or her last words?

Sometimes for a writer, the most difficult task if often coming up with the idea for your next book. Kariss Walker now has to chose which one of her true life tales she will breath life into. When she receives an email from Dr. Amy Garrett who wishes to bring her own tale to light, Kariss is more than intrigued. When she agrees to meet with Amy, she finds that Amy was brutally attacked as a child and the criminal was never caught. She wants Kariss to use her story in her next book in the hopes it may help other women see themselves through the eyes of her fictional character. She doesn't want her name mentioned in the book for obvious reasons and doesn't want any monetary compensation for her efforts either. Kariss believes that there may be more behind her story that just what she is willing to tell. Unfortunately she can't use her reliable source in the Houston police department Tigo Harris, due to a split in their relationship. Now all she can do it hope that she will find the true to the story without putting her own life in danger.

Special Agent Tigo Harris is trying hard to stay focused on his work, but he can't seem to keep Kariss off of his mind. He pours himself further into his work trying to solve a car bombing that has taken the life of the wife and daughter of Jonathan Yeat, a man with a ministry that puts ex-cons to work. As of lately he has had to lay off many of those employees and a few have made personal threats. Tigo believes this is an open and shut case with the killer simply being a distraught employee whose taking it out on a wealthy man and his family. But is this case really as simple as it seems or is there a connection with the latest book Kariss is working on?

In the latest suspense novel, The Survivor by DiAnn Mills, once again the opportunity to work together in unexpected ways to help solve a cold case brings Kariss and Tigo together. While each of them are dealing with their own issues even though they try to keep their relationship in the past, those old feelings are resurfacing once again. Kariss is trying to keep her faith strong in light of wishing things were different between her and Tigo. They both use their work to keep their minds focused some place else, but ultimately it will take act of God to bring them back together.

I received The Survivor by DiAnn Mills compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Zondervan Publishing for my honest review. This is the second book in the Crime Scene Houston Series, the first being the Chase which I had previously reviewed. While the characters remained the same, I felt it lacked the chemistry and spark that the first novel had. Each chapter toggles back and forth between the two until they finally merge later in the book. I am sure that after watching the Hunger Games this year, I am not the only reader to confuse the names of Kariss with Katniss either. The suspense is engaging and for those of you that love solving crimes, this will be one you will enjoy. You can read this as a stand alone as DiAnn gives the reader a bit of inside information in this one to help you understand the motivation of the main characters. There is also a discussion guide included at the end that is wonderful for book clubs. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Survivor, DiAnn Mills, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Survivor by DiAnn Mills

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To read more reviews on The Survivor from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance tour, please click here.

The Survivor

Mattie's body has healed from the cancer that nearly took her life...but can she find the man who can mend her lonely heart?

Mattie has faced more in her twenty-three years than she ever imagined possible. Having successfully battled cancer, she's ready to reenter the world with hope for her future. But while she was in and out of hospitals, other Amish girls her age were courting and finding the men they would marry. The only man who's ever made her heart beat faster is Graham Weaver, her best friend, who has always been there to comfort her, in good times and bad. Is it finally time for their friendship to become something more?

But cruel gossip is spreading, claiming that Graham's the father of the baby Jenna Yoder's carrying. Will Mattie's dreams of a happily-ever-after be crushed before they've left the ground? (back cover excerpt).

My Review:

Once more we find ourselves back together again with Mattie and Graham, the childhood best friends that have weathered more storms together than most will ever experience in our lifetime. Now once more, they put their friendship on hold even while Mattie's cancer is in remission, the rumor of Graham being the father of the baby, Jenna Yoder is carrying. Even though he denies it, Mattie can't help but wonder what motives Jenna would have for lying about Graham if it isn't true.

Meanwhile John Weaver has made a decision to pursue Mary who he has met through his encounters with her and her son, Abel at the Kaffi Haus. The only thing standing in the way is where Mary and Abel's feelings for him are, and whether he is prepared to return back to his Amish ways or remain an English man.

I received the final book in the Families of Honor Series by Shelley Shepard Gray, The Survivor, whose name is well-known for her stories of Amish families, compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. Shelley has written about the families in the series so well, its like a welcome breath of fresh air when you open the first page and begin reading. All of a sudden the reader is magically transported back to Jacob's Crossing and the lives of the characters we have come to know and love are back again, just waiting for us to follow them again.

This series is such an amazing one and I have connected with Mattie so much, not just dealing with cancer, but the strength she shows in helping her friends and family deal with their own personal crisis. Mattie could have played the victim, but in my eyes, she is the hero. Right there every step of the way has been Graham her best friend, who you have been rooting for from day one to see Mattie as more than a friend, but the man who loves her and sees who she really is on the inside.

I award this book, The Survivor a perfect 5 out of 5 stars and having read every single book in this series, I am sad to see it end but know that somewhere out there, the families I come to love as part of my own will always be a part of my life. For those of you looking to begin the journey in the Families of Honor series, start with The Caregiver, then The Protector and ending with The Survivor. Thank you Shelley for writing this series so well!

For more information about this book, the series, the author and where to begin your journey today, click on the links below:

The Survivor by Shelley Shepard Gray