Well written thriller that had me guessing until the end!

After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.

Ryan finds satisfaction in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.

This book was a new author for me. All I can say is that I will be on the lookout for more of her books. There was edge of your seat suspense. It kept me guessing right up to the end.

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

The ongoing investigation is suspenseful enough but not really thrilling, as it's impossible for the reader to figure out who is the culprit. The much better aspect of this novel is the sweet love story. The thoughts about faith seem natural, not forced, and add to the overall experience.

Fans of romantic suspense authors such as Lynette Eason, Dani Pettrey, and Irene Hannon are likely to add another author to their list once they read this offering from Lynn Blackburn. I was a little surprised that diving featured so little in a book that kicks off a series titled Dive Team Investigations, but the story moved along at a good pace, and there was plenty of suspense, with Leigh escaping several attempts on her life as the story progressed.

I loved the ensemble cast the author has put together for this series, particularly the rapport between Ryan and fellow investigator Gabe Chavez, and as someone who enjoys watching investigators nut out a case, there were several aspects of the story I enjoyed. However, I felt it might have been a bit of a stretch to draw the connection between the recovered body and Leigh’s stalker as soon as they did, and I wasn’t wholly convinced of the reason behind Leigh being targeted. There were also some unanswered questions as to why the murders took place in the manner they did.

Those who enjoy an uncomplicated romance with their suspense will enjoy Leigh and Ryan’s relationship. I thought it overcapitalized a little on the protective hero motif, and even more so on the overprotective brother at the end, but I’m sure it will have plenty of readers swooning nonetheless.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Very exciting suspenseful book! Read in one weekend! Loved it

"Beneath the Surface" is book #1 in a brand-new series, Dive Team Investigations, from Lynn H. Blackburn. Leigh needs a change in her life following an incident that placed her in danger and she has decided to return home. Home is safe, or so she believes. However, she soon discovers it is not and she seeks the help from her old friend from high school, Ryan, who is an investigator. Ryan enjoys his career, especially the time he volunteers with the dive team for the local Sheriff's department. As Ryan spends time with Leigh and investigating her situation, he finds a connection with her during one of his dives that leaves him unsettled and fearing for the worst for Leigh.
This is such a good book! Lynn has done a great job with setting the scene and introducing the characters, that I hope to read more about them in the upcoming books in this series! I could not read this book fast enough, as there are so many twists and turns and questions! The characters' interactions were great to read as well and I felt like I was a part of the story as it was all so lifelike! I am looking forward to book #2!

In Beneath the Surface, nurse Leigh Weston moves to the small-town of Carrington, North Carolina, hoping to leave behind her recent troubles. Leigh’s big brother Kyle asks high school friend and dive team investigator Ryan Parker to keep an eye on Leigh while he is overseas, telling Ryan about her recent problems with a stalker. When someone tampers with Leigh’s brakes, she turns to Ryan for help. Has Leigh’s stalker followed her from Durham?

Meanwhile, Ryan finds a dismembered body in nearby Lake Porter. When clues reveal a possible serial killer with a connection to Leigh, Ryan works to find the murderer before another victim is discovered. Will he catch the killer before Leigh becomes one of victims?

Not reviewed, as the title was archived less than 24 hours after I was approved to review it, and I was traveling with no wifi.

This is the first book in a new series and the first book I have read by this author and I loved it. I look forward to many more romantic suspense books by this author. I really enjoyed the banter between Leigh and Ryan. This book wouldn’t let me put it down. This had many twists and turns. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I was in like Flynn in the first chapter of this book. There were so many hooks that all just worked together. Leigh draws you into her heart from the very beginning. Having recently moved back to her childhood home after the passing of both her parents she leaves behind the memory of a stalker and changes her career specialty. She finds herself in contact with her older brother’s best friend, who she may or may not still carry the embers of her teenage crush, and a body found in the lake behind her home. By chapter two, her brakes are cut and the hunt is on. More bodies pile up and more people around Leigh, as well as herself, are hurt. The bigger issue is whether they are all tied together. And if so why?

This book was overall very fast paced but not breakneck. I might have stayed up entirely too late because I needed to know the answers. I needed to know if the crimes were related and why and how and and and. . . I needed to know. I needed to know if Ryan ever got over his fear of disappointing his best friend by being in love (since high school!) with the off-limits baby sister. There were a few things I found a little unbelievable such as the spare no expense to protect Leigh and the everyone hold team meetings at a victims house while including the victim. I’m not law enforcement but somehow I feel like that’s taking a stretch for the sake of the story. There was some lull in the middle but never too much to make me lose interest.

I’ve never read Lynn H. Blackburn before but I’m on board for just about anything she can put out. Enticing story lines with believable characters made this book for me. Leigh felt a little juvenile at times for me with wanting things her way but then if I stop to think how I’d react in her same situation I’d be dead already. So there’s that. Well, to be fair a lot of the team felt juvenile a time or two. Ryan with his concern over how his bestie would react. His bestie, Leigh’s brother, and his over-protectiveness of his grown 30 year old sister. That didn’t detract for me though. And a bonus for keeping me guessing throughout the ENTIRE BOOK for the bad guy. I had some inklings here and there and even the actual person was on my radar for a bit but I didn’t solve the case until they solved the case. Always a win for me.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Beneaht the Surface was my first book by Lynn H. Blackburn, and it definitely won't be my last! Blackburn intersects the worlds of a dive team and an hospital in a high suspense thriller. Fans of Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Irene Hannon have found another author to add to their must read list. It was be great to explore the stories of other members of the dive team in subsequent books.

Beneath the Surface

by Lynn H. Blackburn

Revell

Christian

Pub Date 06 Mar 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Beneath the Surface through Revell and Netgalley:

Oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change after a terrifying experience with an obsessed patient. When she moves home to Carrington, North Carolina and took a job in the Emergency department of the local hospital she thinks she’s safe until someone messes with her brakes and she begins to fear her past is catching up with her. She soon finds the need to reach out to her high-school friend turned homicide investigator Ryan Parker for help.

Ryan finds his career satisfying but his true passion is being able to use his skills as an underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff’s office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation shows of a possible serial killer. A serial killer with a horrific connection to Leigh Weston and perhaps deadly consequences for them all.

Beneath the Surface is the kind of book you won’t want to put down.

Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

Awesome story! Great suspense. The mystery was very interesting. I liked the writing style.

Lynn H. Blackburn is a new author for me. But with the fast-paced twists and turns I found in Beneath The Surface, she has moved to the top of my must-read list for romantic suspense. The great characters, an interesting plot foundation, and a keep-you-guessing story line make this book a recommended read.

The novel starts out strong with a dive team based in a town in North Carolina. The team made up of people across law enforcement finds a body in a routine training exercise. The investigation is hindered by the circumstances and condition of the body, but this team is professional and determined to get their man or woman. Swept up in the investigation is nurse practitioner Leigh Weston. As the danger increases to Leigh, so does the attraction between her and childhood friend Ryan Parker. They need to get the case solved fast — so they can get back to normal life and pursue a relationship!

Blackburn builds an ensemble cast in this first book in the Dive Team Investigations series. While the story revolves around the investigation of the body found in the lake and the romance between Leigh and Ryan, the other members of the team are integral parts of the action and great supporting characters that will get their own stories in coming books. Leigh and Ryan are relatable characters with doubts and struggles common to all. Their belief in God is strengthened as they face the dangers and a case that creates more questions than answers. And the case is a tricky one — the threats come fast and furious! A real puzzler, it combines the day to day grind of police work with the addition of high tech help. Because of Leigh’s work in the ER, Beneath The Surface also has a medical drama vibe that adds to the action and suspense.

My book club is reading Beneath The Surface later this year. I cannot wait to introduce my group to a this book that promises more great reading to come!

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

Beneath The Surface is such a scary, laughable, mysterious, romantic story all rolled into one - isn't that fantastic? I just love it. You are pulled into the intrigue right away with the danger - then - you are lulled into a false sense of security when WHAM - you get hit in the gut with more murder and intrigue to gall the major characters and that is just what they are - characters and a half - and they are fascinating and exciting and you just won't know who it is or why until the end and I really mean that you really won't know who it is - oh how much fun you shall have - oh how much fun.........

I was hooked right from the beginning. What begins with a discovery of a dead body leads to much more when Leigh’s life is threatened multiple times. Homicide investigator Ryan Parker sets out to protect his best friend’s sister and figure out who is behind the attacks on her. He doesn’t realize how this interaction is going to change his future. Ryan and Leigh have been friends for years through his relationship with her brother, but neither knows that they both have more than friendship feelings towards one another. Will they take a chance to see where these feelings take them? Will Ryan be able to protect Leigh and solve his murder case?

The mystery and suspense kept me captivated. Ryan is investigating one murder case, a fellow cop is investigating another case and then there are the attacks on Leigh. So much going on and keeping the cops busy searching for answers and providing protection but very few leads in any of the cases making their work frustratingly slow for them. Just like the investigators I was trying to figure out if the cases were connected or not. I liked that Ms. Blackburn had me guessing and that I was unable to figure out who the villain was before it was revealed.

I am drawn to romance stories that are between people who have known each other for quite a while, so the romance in this story was right up my alley. Both characters were hesitant about acting on their feelings, not knowing how the other felt. I loved the way it developed slowly, but the bold moments have me cheering for them.

I loved this group of characters; each one was unique and had their own personality. Ryan tried to protect Leigh without suffocating her. The teasing that Gabe gave Ryan made me look forward to scenes that included Gabe. The fact that Leigh did not let the threats keep her down made me love her. One of my favourite scenes that made me love Ryan even more was the confrontation between him and Leigh’s brother, Kirk.

The group worked really well together, each bringing different strengths and being open to hearing out other perspectives. I look forward to spending more time with these characters and can’t wait for book two to be released.

This is the first book that I've read by this author and it's a great romantic suspense. The romance overshadowed the suspense at times and I was disappointed with how little of a part the killer had in the story. But, the book is a great clean read. There is also a good bit of faith content for those who look for that in a book.

But believing God truly loved her, truly had her best interest at heart even when it didn't look like it? She didn't know if she could muster that kind of faith.

The best she could do was whisper a humble "Help me."

Somehow she knew that would be enough for now. That he heard her. That he wasn't waiting for her with a long list of grievances. That he was running toward her, longing to hold her close if she'd let him.


The characters are what I really loved about this book. I really bonded with them even though Leigh seemed a bit juvenile to me. I liked that Leigh and Ryan had a history so that their attraction didn't feel like insta-love. There was a solid background to draw on for their mutual attraction. And I honestly loved them. I love the entire team.

This is the first book that I've read by this author and I was impressed. While the romance got in the way of suspense at times...there were still some really intense moments. I chose to read this book at bedtime and kind of scared myself. I was a bit thirsty but too freaked out to go get myself some water. Either I'm a big scaredy cat or this book had some really great suspense.

Overall, I liked this book and I will definitely pick up the rest of the series. In fact, I'll probably check out her other books as well.

This book was provided to me by Revell Reads. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.

I love discovering new authors and now I have found another one to follow. This was a very good adrenaline laced suspense novel, much like an episode of Criminal Minds. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Beneath the Surface is the first book in a series about a police dive team. The story is short, and the book can be quickly read over the course of a couple of days. The story centers around Leigh Weston who is the target of a killer, but no one is sure why. She solicits the help of long-time friend and dive team detective Ryan Parker. The 352-page suspense-filled story propels the reader to dive into (pun intended) the book and not come up for air until s/he finds out who is after Leigh and why.

I enjoy a good mystery, and this book did not disappoint. I wasn't able to discern who the killer was until the end, which made it even more enjoyable for me. The reason for my rating is I felt the love story within the mystery was a little contrived. I don't know if it was really needed to make a complete story. Additionally, some of the plot felt a bit unbelievable to me. All of the detectives and police officers got along really well without much conflict or tension. Similarly, the sheriff of the police department approved the detectives spending the night and holding tactical meetings at Leigh's (the victim) home.

In addition to the mystery and romance, the book has Christian and motivational overtones. I enjoyed some of the passages that had a greater message, like this one:

"Life is hard, Parker. Everyone has tough stuff. There's no perfect relationship or perfect job or perfect house that will somehow make your life easy. What throws us for a loop is when life is hard in ways we weren't prepared for. Divorce. Illness. Disability. Money problems. Rebellious kids. Reporters who blow undercover ops. Friends who don't have the good sense to see they are messing up something really good that has fallen in their lap and they'd better fix it before it's too late."

I received a near-final advance review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review on my website. As such, there were some minor typos that I am sure will be addressed at the time of mass publication.

Recommendation: Beneath the Surface has a little bit of something for everyone - suspense, mystery, drama, romance tied up with a little Christian inspiration. I would recommend this book to someone looking to escape reality over an extended weekend.

Until next time ... Read on!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the mystery was well done and the characters very likeable. All the romance in the book was not my cup of tea, and some of it made me cringe with the corny-ness of it, but it wasn't so overwhelming. Leigh was a great main character. I thought she was strong, and she wasn't so stubborn about making bad decisions like so many lead female characters are. I liked that she was independent, but yet wanted someone else in her life to depend on.

Ryan Parker was also a great main character. I liked the way he cared for Leigh, the way their relationship developed, and the good friend he was to those around him. His growth throughout the book was interesting, and he was a great addition to the story. I thought the plot moved along well with good pacing. The murderer was a little confusing, as I don't remember them being mentioned earlier in the book, and the reason for the murders was a little 'eh', but I really enjoyed the book. And I would read more in this series! (I liked the preview into the next book as well.)