What happens when work hits close to home for crime scene photographer Avery Tate? Still Life by Dani Pettrey gives us the answer to this when Avery’s best friend disappears.

Still Life was a very interesting read for me. I felt the storyline was a little heavier than Cold Shot, the first book in this series was. For me that wasn’t a bad thing.

I found the concept of Avery being a crime scene photographer and the only lead on her friend being a chilling photo of her dead at an art show a bit creepy, and yet a clever plot line.

I found myself engaged with the story. My only problem was trying to read it before bed. It wasn’t a book I could relax and read. My adrenalin was going!

Many times the second book in the series, like the sequel to a blockbuster hit, falls short of the expectations, but that was not the case with Still Life! I found myself drawn into this story, engaged with the characters, and wanting to keep reading.

Still Life is the second book in the Chesapeake Valor series. It can be read as a stand alone novel as Pettrey does a decent job introduces characters and their back stories to readers. Fans of Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason, and Irene Hannon will find another favorite author in Dani Pettrey as she creates a intersecting world of characters that you will learn to love with each book focusing on the story of one character. Still Life is the story of missing model, but it becomes much deeper and complex as Pettrey slowly reveals the guilty parties and their motives. My library has already ordered copies, and the holds list is growing each day as the publication date approaches.

This book was nearly impossible to put down. Still Life is the second book in the Chesapeake Valor series. I did read the first book and couldn't wait for this one to come out. That being said you can totally enjoy this book as a stand alone as well. The series follows a group of friends that all specialize in various areas relating to solving crime. I love seeing the relationships between the friends, and how they support each other. From page one I was hooked. Pettrey kept me on the edge of my seat and I had fun trying to figure out who was behind the mystery. This book follows Avery and Parker as they try to find her missing friend, and figure out what she was up to before her disappearance.

The last thing Avery wanted to do was show her face in the art scene after what happened the last time she did. But when her best friend lands the gig of a lifetime she knows she has to support her. The question is where is she? When Avery begins to think something is amiss she turns to the one man she knows she can trust. Parker is great at what he does, and Avery knows he will take her seriously. Seeing him is good, and having him by her side is amazing. If only there wasn't stuff standing in the way of them being together. Can the team solve the mystery before others get hurt? Or will they all pay the biggest price possible, their lives?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense with a little romance mixed in. The characters drew me in, and I found myself wishing I knew people like them. Nothing felt rushed, and the romance was believable and unique. I can't wait to see what Pettrey comes up with next. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own completely.

This is the first book I've read in this series by Pettrey and I was surprised to find it a bit darker than her Alaska series. That this is the second book in the series is painfully evident by references to the events in the first book. There is much thinking on the part of characters about events in the first novel in this one. I found it distracting and recommend you read Cold Shot before starting this one.

The heroine is Avery, a photographer who is black listed because of what happened in the first novel in the series. She now works for an independent crime scene investigator, Parker. They have feelings for each other but will not acknowledge them, again because of what happened in the earlier novel.

Avery feels compelled to look for a friend from childhood who has gone missing. Parker helps her. Several federal agents Avery and Parker know are brought in but some are soon distracted by another case involving people being smuggled in by boat. The narrative frequently alternates between the two investigations. The second story line added interest in that it is about human trafficking but I did feel it distracted from the main plot.

The plot of the novel relies heavily on Avery and her relationships with people from her youth. Avery has become a Christian since her rough younger days but those she knew (and knows) have not. There were many complications in the investigation because of Avery's previous relationships. It was all a bit confusing.

There is a strong Christian message in this novel. Avery struggles with her past and must remind herself she is a new creation in Christ and the old is forgiven. There is also the message of sharing the gospel with another when the opportunity presents itself and not delay.

This novel is heavy on character development and romance. There is much ruminating by the main characters. I recommend the novel to those who enjoy a novel emphasizing characters thinking as opposed to suspense, of which there is little.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

What I Liked:

-I like the characters in this series. It’s been a little while since I read the first book so it took me some time to get a handle on how all the characters relate to each other, but once I did I really enjoyed them.
-I really liked both Parker and Avery and shipped them pretty hard. I thought they were both pretty well developed and both really likable. I enjoyed getting both of their POVs and pretty much every scene they were both in. I also liked how well they worked together on a professional level.
-Though the focus of the book was on Parker and Avery, we get several other POVs. Most notable was Declan, who I believe will be the focus of the next book.
-I thought the main message of the book was really well done. Avery struggles a lot with the things she’s done in her past and throughout the book she is reminded that when she came to Christ she has been forgiven and is a new creation. As someone who lives with a lot of anxiety, I spend a great deal of time worrying about the stupid or embarrassing or wrong things I’ve done in my past (whether it was yesterday or decades ago) and I felt like this was a great reminder that God is bigger than my mistakes.
-The main mystery was really interesting. There were a lot of elements to Skylar’s disappearance that I thought Pettrey weaved together really well. While I did figure out who the murderer was, it was only shortly before it was revealed.

What I didn’t Like:
-There was a secondary terrorist plotline that just didn’t really work for me. It worked as a connection to the missing member of the group and while it was interesting enough, all it did was set things up for future books in the series. Which is fine, but I wish it would’ve been a smaller portion of this story.
-Half of the people working Skylar’s case were doing so without any official credentials and I think things were just a little too easy for them. Parker and Avery don’t really have any right to question anybody, but they go through several leads who don’t ask for identification or warrants or anything and it’s not until towards the end of the book before anyone lawyers up. It just seemed a little odd to me that an FBI agent and a police officer could share case information with a bunch of random people.
-There was a lot of build up to Avery’s past and while I mentioned before that I thought the message of God’s forgiveness was really well done, there is a very short section where Avery shares with Parker the worst of the worst and it’s not something she did, so much as something that was done to her. She has obvious victim’s guilt and there was not nearly enough time devoted to that. For such an important, heavy topic I felt like it should have been handled with more care or just left out entirely.

Overall:
Overall, I really enjoyed Still Life. I really liked the characters and the relationship between Parker and Avery. I thought the mystery was pretty well done, as was the message of God’s forgiveness and being a new creation in Christ. I’ve been reading Pettrey’s work since her first book and I really think that she gets better with each new installment. I’m really looking forward to the rest of this series.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Still Life (Chesapeake Valor Book #2) by Dani Pettrey. Avery played a small part in Cold Shot. You may remember her as the photographer that Parker hired. There was a bit of mystery about her background. In Still Life, we get to know a lot more about her as she tries to find an friend from her childhood who did not attend a very important art showing. Her friend was one of the models.

Avery is a relatively new Christian and this case takes her back to her old lifestyle and she has to battle the shame and guilt and remember that she is a new person now. She worries about Parker finding out about her old life and thinking about her differently. Parker is having his own battle of guilt as he still loves Jenna his first love from high school who was murdered before her 18th birthday and for having feelings for Avery. She's the first person he's had feelings for since Jenna.
I was so pleased that the author highlighted the characteristics that each of them loved about the other. It wasn't just a physical reaction a feeling that someone is attractive. For example, Avery is drawn to Parker’s curiosity and interest in solving problems and ability to read people. Not only does it make the relationship feel more real, it helps the reader connect with both characters even more.

In Dani Pettrey fashion. There's amazing chemistry between the characters, a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end, and a subtle faith element that makes you think and contemplate how it would apply to your life. This is a great cast of characters. You can't help but love each one of them. I was just as intrigued by Declan and Tanner’s relationship as I was by Avery and Parker's. Giffin and Kinley also make an appearance. Kate is still trying to find Luke who disappeared seven years ago. She thinks she's found a picture of him frome a private investigator she hired.
Although we find closure for Avery's friend. There is the underlying mystery around Jenna who's killer was never found and Luke who Kate is convinced is still alive. It will be interesting if he still alive to find out where he's been for the last eight years.

Author Dani Pettrey continues the Chesapeake Valor series with Still Life. Readers really ought to read Cold Shot, the first book of the series, before delving into this story. There is a lot of back history and relationship issues that need to be understood.

The story really has a lot to it. Many emotional challenges confront the characters and they have to handle these while addressing the issues at hand. It is nice that Pettrey has several cases going on simultaneously and yet it feels easy enough to follow. A lot of things are resolved from the previous novel, but many other questions are created.

Anxious people might not appreciate having to wait for the next book to find out what happens to the lead characters, but the specific challenges of this book are resolved. The way Pettrey creates unpleasant but factual realities adds to the realism of her characters. Not everyone has a happy ending, but some do find relief from some of their struggles.

3.5 stars
This is the second book in the Chesapeake Valor series. I loved the first book, Cold Shot, and I knew I would be coming back for more in this series. Dani Pettrey is one of my favorite authors in the Christian Fiction world.

I have to say that this book gave me the willies. It was creepy and the whole plot was a little (or a whole lot) twisted and dark. This book felt a bit different than other books Pettrey has written and I can't say that I loved this book as much as previous books I've read, but it definitely had my attention.

I do love how we have the same main characters in every book. They all work together and separately so we have a chance to know them all bit by bit. There were two different story lines happening here (actually, there were three but one is really in the background) so I'm anticipating the one that didn't reach a resolution will continue on as the main focus in the next book.

This book has a lot of characters but I never felt like I was lost or couldn't keep track of who was who. It took me a quick minute to remember the previous book and how all these characters were interwoven, but once it started coming back, it was easy to relax into the story. Well, as relaxing as a creepy, twisted story can be.

I read through this book quickly (but not at night!). I suspected everyone at some point or another of something and I didn't see that ending coming at all. Crazy! I will be coming back for the next book, I just hope the creepy, dark, twisted stuff is taken down a notch.

Content: Violence, some graphic and disturbing scenes, murder. Innuendo, some references to drug use, sexual activity with no details. No swearing or profanity. Some light Christian elements- characters praying for help.

Thoughts:

STILL LIFE Chesapeake Valor Book #2 by Dani Pettrey stages photography, mystery, and suspense in such a way that keeps you guessing, all the while bringing characters closer to love!

Avery Tate knows hardship, love, photography, and crime scene investigation, but her past and future collide with heartbreaking results. Avery is out of crime scene investigation but gut-wrenching circumstances bring her back onto the scene when a friend goes missing.

Skylar Pierce is turning her life around and scoring big in the process. Sky lands a modeling gig inside the same industry that shuns Avery, but she'll muddle through to support her friend even when Avery is facing some unsavory people. However, she is the only one at the show who cares about Sky. The photographer cares about his ego, and Avery's background comes to haunt her in a worrisome way. The FBI and the police won’t take this case seriously. She's the only one willing to find out more about a grisly photograph that one artist wants to be trashed while the gallery owner tries to keep his own reputation stain free among the industry elite.

There really is only one person she can call to process a scene that nobody cares about, but it comes with a cost.

Parker Mitchell knows crime scenes, and he used to have Avery Tate working by his side. However, she left. He knows it is for the best, and he knows he's far from a person ready for something more. His heart does not believe it, and his courage to talk with her is waning until she calls him.

The pain in her eyes, the hurt on her face, and the case that no one believes in brings Parker near-at-hand and maybe even just a bit closer to understanding himself before this case takes another direction.

He could lose Avery for good!

***This opinion is my own.***

Preview:

Inside STILL LIFE Chesapeake Valor Book #2 by Dani Pettrey, Avery Tate's photography controversy is already behind her—in fact, she's making another entrance into this field only to help a friend, but her friend is gone!

The grotesque exhibit is enough to steal Avery's breath away, but she stays anyway. Problems begin once her friend who models don't show and her photo becomes the center of attention when the artist denies this shot as his own. From stolen art to new creations and to the missing and the found this romantic suspense tale brings two people back together to solve the crime.

However, the past lay out before them putting emotions on display and time is moving fast. When someone gains a target everything changes and danger comes near!

Let me first say that I enjoy the Dani Pettrey's writing. I am a huge fan of the Alaskan Courage series. Each book had its own well researched plot with great characters, a vibrant setting, and just the right blend of suspense and romance. So far, this series follows in the same vein.

I was very excited when I found out about the Chesapeak valor series and loved Cold Shot, the first book in the series. Still Life was just as good. It has a great plot with a lot of twists, excellent characters who are learning to forgive themselves and move forward after the loss they have experienced in the past. Parker and Avery's story was wonderful and I can not wait for book three to be released.

Avery Tate is forced to come face to face with the past that ostracized her, as a crime scene photographer, when her best friend, Skylar, goes missing the only clue is a photograph of Skylar, dead.

Avery calls in crime scene investigator Parker Mitchell when she discovers that Skylar's trailer has been ransacked. Avery has admired Parker for a long time, but he's still in love with his first love who was murdered.

Will they get to the bottom of this chilling case?

Avery finds herself again drawn to Parker, as he helps her to face her past and find the forgiveness that she is denying. Avery is a resilient, self-made woman, who stays true to her friends. Parker also struggles to move on from the past, the love that haunts him. As the murderer closes in on Avery, the stakes rise as his obsession grows.

Parker is a man of integrity and attention to detail that makes him brilliant at his job. He struggles to honor the memory of his first love, but he doesn't want to lose Avery either.

Declan is back again as well, investigating a ship of illegal immigrants, while trying to keep Tanner out of trouble. Tanner is a woman who drives him crazy with her kind heart and compassionate spirit that often overrides her concern for her own safety.

Full of twists and turns, this is one suspenseful thriller of a read, though a bit more graphic in violence and morbid in subject than I typically read. I love how they work together to solve the case to find closure and to bring justice to Skylar's killer. I can't wait ti read the next book in the series and read more about Tanner and Declan!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Here is the Dani Pettrey I've been waiting for. She got lost somewhere, but she's back! I finished this book quickly (and not only because I couldn't sleep) and it made me curious enough to go back and start over with the first in this series. Which is saying something because while I don't remember much of the first book in the series, I do remember that I didn't love it that much.

To be clear, this is not a stand-alone novel. I read the first, and I was actually lost for some of the book because I couldn't remember who was who and what the overall problem of the series was. It vaguely came back to me, but if you haven't read the first one yet you will probably be extremely lost with this one.

There is a lot going on in this novel, and I'll admit that sometimes I wish the author would pick a couple and stick with them instead of weaving everyone's stories into each book as more than an aside. But it wasn't as distracting this time around.

The writing is solid and the suspense is pretty good. The endings to the suspense are not anti-climactic, because I enjoyed them, but they aren't typical either. Avery and Parker are people that I could get behind and cheer on, but I will admit that I'm excited for Declan's story.

Avery has moved on from working for Parker, she knew she could not stay knowing she could never ever be part of Parker's life without being with him. When her best friend goes missing and it seems no one will listen she reaches out to Parker she knows he will help, or at least she hopes he will.
Parker know one thing is for certain he has to get Avery back in his life, but he wonders if he is being fair to Jenna's honor. Can he find love again? When she reaches out to help find her friend he knows he needs his friends help to find whats going on. Will they be able to get to the bottom to all of this or will more end up missing or dead?
My favorite crime fighting team is BACK!!!! This story is very different from the first book in the first book you have one murder and a few possible killers and a reason why, it this book you have two cases that the team is working together to figure out. One of the stories is a little dark and a little twisted (this being the main story). The second one seems a little cut in dry but it also seems like they are missing something in both cases. Seriously could not get enough of this book, it was on the edge of your seat and I needed to know what happened. I also felt at one point I thought I knew what was going to happen and nope the author through a wrench into it and oh wow. The storyline was so amazingly written and so remarkable I can not wait to read more. You really can not go wrong with series. If you have never read anything by Dani Pettrey she is easily compared to Dee Henderson or Terri Blackstock.

I’m going to start out by saying, I thoroughly enjoyed Still Life. It had just enough romance to keep the crime, and creepiness at bay. Yes I said creepiness. The storyline in Still Life is set in the artistic world, pulling in aspects of art shows, photography and all elements in between. It is interesting, compelling, fast paced and a thrilling read. The characters seem more like friends than characters on a page.

What. An. Excellent. Read!!
As much as I loved Cold Shot, Still Life was 10x better. Intrigue was prevalent from the opening line until the very last. My mind is still reeling from a portion near the end.

There is so much I want to say but I don't want go give anything away, so forgive me for speaking in generalities.

First, I loved how Ms. Pettrey used multiple povs (point-of-view) to give us a glimpse of the group dynamics. In case you haven't read the first book (which you totally should), the group is made of Griffin, Declan, Parker, and the missing Luke...and of course, the ladies. And even though this book features Parker and Avery, it was more than their love story.

Ms. Pettrey set the stage for Declan and Tanner's story (coming October 2017 in Blind Spot).  We also get to see Griffin and Finley from Cold Shot. And Ms. Pettrey gives us more insight into Kate's story, which I'm assuming will be it's own book as well--I hope. Each pov showcased the character's personality and added an awesome dynamic to the story. My reading eyes are itching to read Blind Spot. 

Then there was the suspense and man, was it gripping. My mind was completely engaged with the investigation into Avery's friend's death. Add in a case for Declan, Kate's obsession with Luke, and you have a page turner. Each piece of information heightened the suspense and hooked me further. I LOVED the suspense thread in this story.

And for the romance...Ah, l'amour (had to say it.) I love a good romance. Y'all it's the reason I'll read any Christian subgenre that has it. Ms. Pettrey did not disappoint. Parker made an excellent hero. Tall, dark, handsome, and Irish. What more can I say? Oh yeah...when he gets his ah-ha moment of love, I couldn't quit cheesing. After that, his actions only made me love Parker and Avery's love story all the more.

One reason I love Dani Pettrey’s books is that she doesn’t leave readers wondering what’s going on with the supporting characters. While each book if primarily focused on the relationship between one hero and heroine, readers get points of view from a few others—both from previous books in her series’ or we get glimpses into the characters who will have a starring role in upcoming books.

“Still Life” is no exception to this. We met most of the gang in “Cold Shot” (while each book is stand alone, I highly recommend reading the Chesapeake Valor series in order to get a better understanding of the friendships, history, and relationships of everyone). A group of friends who work in different areas of law enforcement, each doing their part to put the bad guys away.

Readers met Parker Mitchell, a criminal investigator, and his crime scene photographer, Avery Tate. Jump forward several month and Avery is living with her decision to leave Parker’s employ. But when her best friend misses an important appearance and she can’t be found, Avery turns to the people she trusts most to find answers—Parker and friends.

As the group delves into an investigation with more twists and turns than a roller coaster, they’re determined to find Avery’s friend. With more possible suspects thrown at them as they go along and definitely more than one crime committed, untangling the truth is a task that will take all of their resources. Add to that another threat that pulls Declan away (hopefully we’ll read more about this in the third book in the series—due out in October), and this one is a page-turner that makes it hard to step away from until the final page.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Second in the Chesapeake Valor series this book features Parker and Avery who we met in the last book. Parker and Avery started having feelings in the last book but did not follow through because Parker still was not over his first love who was murdered several years prior. Also, Avery has things in her past that she doesn't know whether or not Parker could handle.

The story starts off with a mystery. Avery's friend Skylar is missing and they suspect she may already be dead. You don't know until the end of the book the fate of Skylar. Is she alive or dead? Skylar was a friend of Avery's before Avery became a Christian. Skylar does not have the best reputation and she has hung out with some unsavory people. I loved how Parker stood by Avery giving her support in finding out what happened to her friend. There are many suspects who could have been responsible for the missing girl. Let me tell you I was surprised. I didn't see that coming.

There is also another plot involving Muslins. This plot confused me being thrown into the story. It would have been less confusing had this plot had it's own book or have been more clearly defined. There were too many characters in that storyline that I could not keep straight. I supposed it will be resolved in another book and we will find out the connection? I'm looking forward to the next book which is supposed to come out in the Fall.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a digital copy of this book to review. This book is due to be released on January 31, 2016.

When Avery Tate attends an art exhibition to support her friend, Skylar, she is disturbed to see Skylar photographed as if she were dead. Then when Skylar doesn’t show up and the photographer insists that photo is a counterfeit of his work, Avery is immediately concerned and calls in Parker, a crime scene investigator, to help.

I enjoyed Parker and Avery’s relationship. They both have things to overcome. This case takes them into Avery’s past…revealing things she wish had never been known. Parker reminds Avery that she is a new creature in Christ. While she may have regrets about her past, they don’t define her any longer and have made her who she is with her unique insights and skills. It was interesting to see how some of her past experiences played into her investigation.

The mystery is multi-layered. There are many different things to investigate and follow up on. Which ones are connected to Skylar’s disappearance? While it is clear early on that some people are involved in some way, it doesn’t detract from the mystery. It makes it all the more creepy and ominous.

I appreciate the way the “team” works together to solve this case. Their care and support for each other is wonderful. I look forward to reading more about them in the next book.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Chesapeake Valor Series:

Book 1: Cold Shot

Book 2: Still Life

Still Life

by
Dani Pettrey

A Review

The second book in series started by the author last year, Still Life focuses on the lives of a team of private forensic scientists as they seek to solve the murder of a new and upcoming artist and his new model. Things are complicated by a variety of relationships within the team.

The book holds the readers interest as takes him or her from art galleries to abandoned mental hospitals. Baltimore and environs provide an interesting setting for this fast moving story. Relationships may be disruptive to some readers - though I did not find them to be to obnoxious.

I have enjoyed other series by this author, with many of the same characteristics. This series grows on the reader as he or she becomes familiar with the characters. This second book can be read as a stand alone novel; however, having read the previous book in the series just about a year ago, I felt a bit lost as I started this book. It might have helped to have a short synopsis of that first book as a prelude to this newer book.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.