Lone Witness had a lot of danger and a sweet romance story. I love the way Rachel Dylan writes legal thrillers; I can follow along with the story and not get lost in the legalese.

In Lone Witness, Sophie witnesses a double homicide and is the only eyewitness. The killer is the younger brother of the head of one of the biggest gangs in Atlanta. Suffice it to say, she might be in a bit of danger because of that.

I liked the romance between Sophie and Cooper. It was great how they already knew each other since they had met once at a birthday party. I liked seeing how their relationship grew in the midst of all the danger.

All in all, Lone Witness was a great read. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next one (which I'm guessing is about Mia?). If you like suspense novels, you'll probably enjoy Lone Witness.

*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/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and 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.*

An edge of your seat thriller in the world of white-collar crimes and gangs. Rachel Dylan has crafted a page-turner that must be read!

Sophie Dawson has recently been appointed to the White Collar division as a prosecutor and is intrigued at the idea of diving deeper into these crimes that affect so many. She is working on a case against a local bank employee who seemed to be cheating his clients out of money. In the middle of preparing for this case, she becomes the lone witness to a double murder with a member of a local gang leaving her far from the white-collar crimes she was working on. She needs security to stay safe, so her father hires former Atlanta police officer Cooper Knight, who is working in private security to be her protector. Sophie refuses to back down, even after her life is in danger more than once. Cooper works every angle he can think of to keep her safe while trying to avoid the growing feelings he can’t deny between the two of them.

Rachel Dylan’s background in law makes her work writing legal thrillers the perfect combination. At times, the legal jargon and courtroom scenes can slow the pace a bit but are necessary for the story and characters. Sophie may not want to admit it, but she is scared for what might happen as she pursues justice and tries to prove that she will not be walked over. There were several nice twists throughout, especially towards the end that caught me by surprise, not an easy thing to do either. I usually see the twists coming but this one did surprise me. The romance between Cooper and Sophie felt slightly forced at times but when put in a high stress situation it does make sense that feelings could escalate quickly. It is easy to think of crimes and exclude white-collar crimes because the physical damage isn’t seen, but it still affects many people and doesn’t need to be discounted for lack of visible carnage. Overall I really enjoyed Lone Witness and recommend it to fans of legal thrillers and romantic suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Lone Witness is the second novel in the Atlanta Justice Series by Rachel Dylan. If you like legal thrillers, along with romance, then I highly suggest this author. I recommend this whole series for your summer reading stack. This story can stand alone but the characters from the prior book are involved so it makes more sense when read as a series.

Sophie Dawson, is a passionate hard working Prosecutor who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time witnessing a double homicide. She becomes a prime witness and a prime target in need of protection. So her father hires, Cooper Knight, who along with his two friends, Noah and Landon, runs his own security service.

Both Sophie and Cooper have their own deep seated personal issues and their personal issues have them at odds with different future goals. However, being in constant daily contact with each other and under emotional stress and dangerous situations, the sparks begin to fly.

In the meantime, the distractions become more deadly, and even more confusing to pinpoint the cause because Sophie has more than one legal case capable of putting her in someone's cross hairs. Even more complicated, someone in her own office and in the FBI could be involved. Who do you trust?

I received this ebook from Netgalley for my honest review.

I have loved every one of Rachel Dylan’s books, and this one is no exception! “The Lone Witness” was wonderful! Rachel does such a great job of pulling you into the book and then making it feel as if you are her main character. I’m not sure how she does this, but she does!

This book had me guessing until the very end. There are three different stories going on, and at first, I was afraid it would end up being confusing. But Rachel Dylan came through, and I was able to keep up with everything. I really had a hard time putting this one down as I wanted to see how the mysteries would be solved. I loved the slight twist at the end.

I really enjoyed the main characters in this book, Sophie and Connor. They are both such likeable characters. I can’t wait to see who the third book in the series is about!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys good, clean romantic suspense books. In fact, I would recommend any of Rachel Dylan’s books!

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Lone Witness by Rachel Dylan

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes
Rachel Dylan brings her second story in the Atlanta Justice series to her readers with a plot that is filled with twists and turns that will keep you reading to the very last page.
Rachel Dylan has been a favorite suspense writer of mine for some time. She creates her books with such realism by using the proper legal terms required without overwhelming readers with too many of them. This time around she is focusing her story on a young prosecutor who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or rather, the right place at the right time, at least according to her. Sophie Dawson is headed home after a long day at the office and spontaneously decides to indulge in junk food to celebrate the closing of a case. But her easy stop at the convenience store turns into so much more when she witnesses a double homicide. Unfamiliar with the many roots of gang families of Atlanta, Sophie will positively identify the younger brother of a Atlanta gang lord and lands herself in the middle of a face-off between the gang and the ADA office of a neighboring county. Sophie has also just been handed a new case of her own in which a bank manager has been accused of siphoning funds from numerous accounts. She is hopeful as the bank is local that she will receive support from the CEO and turn up all the evidence needed to put this man in jail for a long time. Further, she would like to ensure that the rest of the bank’s customers are not adversely affected by the theft – a task that may prove hard to do as there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this banking institution. When covert and then overt attacks begin happening, Sophie is sure that the gang is behind it all, but as she uncovers more and more about her bank case, she just may find herself in deeper than she’s ever been before – and playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with people who don’t play fair. Cooper Knight is a private investigator/bodyguard that was hired by Sophie’s father to keep an eye on her after the double homicide. At first his job is to remain in the background and ensure she can go about her life as usual with no interference. But when someone begins taking more direct action, Cooper must tell Sophie why he’s there and help keep her safe. Sophie is not willing to give up either her witness testimony or her case she’s working on as she knows both are important and not just to her. However, she has too much information to sort through before her days in court so she enlists the help of Cooper and his boss, Landon, to help her figure out what is important and what is just generic bank paperwork. As they dive deeper into the bank and the accounts that have been affected, a pattern begins to emerge – one that they all realize someone would be willing to kill to keep hidden. Rachel and Cooper will be in a race to discover who is behind it all before all the major players are eliminated permanently. There was so much of this story to love I had a hard time deciding which was most important to share. With her excellent writing, Ms. Dylan crafted a complete story with just enough action and suspense to make this a book I will certainly be adding to my shelves to re-read. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse “behind the curtain” as it were, of the legal side of court cases. Most books and shows about crime focus more on the police investigation that it was nice to read a different perspective. Sophie is a character to cheer for as she pulls no punches in her fight for justice. She is more concerned with doing the right thing rather than favoring the right people but is still careful to speak with respect and humility when needed. That is a rarity in this age, sadly, as more people are concerned with getting ahead, no matter their compromises on the right way. It is my prayer that there are those in our justice system who are like minded and seek only after truth. Cooper is another character I was impressed with as he did his job without frills and the need for constant acclamation. He made it his mission in life to be the opposite of his abusive father and help people feel both safe and supported when they need it most. He will be what Sophie needs most, beyond her faith, when the world comes crashing in on her. Sophie as well, will be a source of help for Cooper when everything turns on its end. Her quiet assurance and faith in him will be the breakthrough Cooper needs to move beyond his long held beliefs of inadequacy to a life and love in which to thrive. The real and firm moments of faith throughout the story were very well done and not “preachy”. The truth was shared in a way that gave both the character and the reader a chance to contemplate what was said and decide what to do with that truth. This made the story feel whole and finished while leaving some things open for the next book to explore. I’m really looking forward to the next book the series to find out what trouble Mia will find herself in. She is an interesting character that has made several appearances in this and the previous book and has had some pretty insightful things to say. Here’s hoping that story comes out very soon!
I received this E-book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

“Lone Witness" is the second novel in Dylan's 'Atlanta Justice' series. I was very impressed with the first novel in this brand new series, and I was excited to read her second novel. Would it live up to its predecessor?

I'm please to say it most DEFINITELY lived up to the first story, and even had a bit more intensity! Rachel Dylan has cemented a spot on my 'must read' list of authors with her legal suspense tales, and I can highly recommend her books to you, my reading friend.

Suspense/mystery is my all-time favorite genre, so I have read a lot of novels filled with twists and turns. Dylan's novels feel fresh and new because she has a knack for framing the most interesting and unique legal situations and fills the story with believable characters that hit you immediately in the feels.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Lone Witness" and I'm eager for more! I received a copy of the book from the publisher with no services offered in exchange. "Lone Witness" gets four out of five stars from me!

Fans of romantic suspense authors such as Lynette Eason, Patricia Bradley, and Cara Putman will likely enjoy this series from Rachel Dylan featuring a trio of female attorneys. The author’s experience as a litigator gives authenticity to her plots, and does so without overwhelming the reader with legalese, and this particular story even manages to combine both a civil and a criminal case, with Sophie Dawson being the prosecutor in one and the sole witness in the other.

While I generally enjoyed the legal intrigue, I did find the writing relied heavily on telling rather than showing, particularly when it came to the growing relationship between Sophie and Cooper. They each make reference to their ‘intense physical chemistry’, but I didn’t feel this chemistry in their interactions. Cooper also has a backstory that has led him to conclude he can never have a wife and family, and while he inevitably reaches a different conclusion by the end of the book, I felt like I hadn’t experienced that change of heart alongside him and just had to take him at his word.

The other thing I wasn’t sold on in this story was sharing it among five different point-of-view characters. Besides Sophie and Cooper, there were both the prosecuting and defending attorneys in the criminal case and a private investigator hired by the bank involved in Sophie’s civil case. This gave the reader a wider picture of what was going on and increased the tension, but I was left a little unsure how I was supposed to feel about some of these characters. It’s difficult to say much without giving spoilers, so perhaps it is enough to simply say that I see-sawed between whether the three extra point-of-view characters were beneficial to the story or distracting.

Notwithstanding these personal preferences, there’s enough danger and intrigue to keep readers hooked into the story, and possibly even a few surprises along the way.

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.

LONE WITNESS by Rachel Dylan is a suspenseful read with twist you don't see coming. It kept me turning the pages from the very being. Sophie Dawson is a prosecutor preparing to take one of her first cases to trail in her new role in the Fulton County DA's White Collar Crime Unit when she witnesses a double homicide. When her life is put at risk Cooper Knight is hired to protect her.
Seeing behind the legal proceedings - from reviewing the evidence and preparing to take the case to trail and preparing to be a witness in a court trial-was very intriguing and insightful. Watching the relationship develop between Sophie and Cooper was also an enjoyable part of the storyline. Definitely looking forward to the next release from Ms Dylan.

Lone Witness is a Christian legal suspense novel. There were two high-stakes cases going on at the same time. Sophie was a witness to a double homicide. She had to learn to be a good witness, able to withstand an aggressive defense attorney despite her struggle with panic attacks happening when she's stressed. Since her testimony was the main evidence against the murderer, the boy's gang leader brother was willing to kill Sophie to stop the case.

At the same time, Sophie was working on a case of a bank employee who cheated clients, but her boss was pressuring her to offer a plea deal. Then she found evidence of a major crime going on that involved more people. The criminal was willing to kill to prevent Sophie from exposing the deeper crime. The suspense was high as multiple people attempted to physically hurt or kill Sophie.

Cooper was an honorable man who tried to think of others before his own desires. Since his father abused his mother, he's afraid he may do the same. He came to realize that, as a follower of Christ and with God's help, he's not destined to follow in his father's patterns of addiction and abuse. The romance was based on both physical attraction and admiration of the other's character. There was no sex. There were four uses of cr*p, but no other bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel.

Lone Witness Is an advantageous, suspenseful, adventureful, entangled, dangerous, infiltrating, guarded and God lead story. You have an attorney who witnessed a cold blooded mother - now the gang is after her to silence her before she appears as a witness. Meanwhile Cooper her body guard is protecting her - or at least trying to - because she is still trying her case in court while she has this target on her back - the ending is a shocker of a twist a twist that has twists - the turns have turns - you have to take Dramamine and love it - does she have trust in God to watch after her? Will she be OK? How about her and Cooper?

This is the first time I’ve read a suspense book by Rachel Dylan. The title sounded exciting as well as the book blurb. I couldn’t wait to dig in!
There was quite a bit of build up towards the trial (our climax), which happened within the first half of the book. A lawyer is the sole witness to a double homicide, the suspect who turns out to be well connected to a gang. Obviously there is suspense surrounding this scenario. This is the case that reflects the title of “Lone Witness” BUT after that, the title has really nothing to do with the rest of the story. While the main character Sophie is hiding away from the gang, she’s simultaneously working on another big case, with bigger fish to fry.
It sounds exciting, yet I struggled the whole way through to enjoy my reading experience. The characters felt plastic, conversations switched topics without any preamble (i.e. main characters were talking about security and then the next sentence switches to how s/he feels about the other romantically), there’s more than enough times of telling instead of showing, there’s no connection between the two simultaneous cases (which I was expecting since both seem to play a major role in our heroine’s life), too many attacks to be believable happen to Sophie (she ends up in the hospital at least twice with serious injuries), and all of the bad guys for her major second case die so there’s no case to try at the end of the book. The prosecuting lawyer (Patrick) that tries the first major case where our heroine is the lone witness has skeletons in his closet that someone is going to extort. But that’s all we’re told and the skeletons never come out so the reader is left wondering what they are, etc. and why were the skeletons even brought up if nothing was going to be done with them? And he was supposed to be a target but he was never targeted – unless I totally missed something.
I felt like there were too many things going on to be believable, and that there was a lack of depth to the characters. Loose ends were left untied (but perhaps will be cleared up with subsequent books???). I found myself saying, “really?!” often through-out the entire book.
The book had great potential with the initial idea but unfortunately for me, totally missed the mark.
I received an advanced reader copy by the publisher through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Lone Witness, the second book in the Atlanta Justice series, draws you in with its gorgeous cover and keeps your interest with its suspense-filled story. Sophie Dawson, a prosecutor in the Fulton County DA’s office, witnesses a horrible crime and happens to be the only witness. When it becomes obvious that her life is in danger, Cooper Knight is hired as her bodyguard. Is the threat from the gang involved in the crime that she witnessed or does it come from another case that Sophie was already working on? This book will have you guessing from beginning to end! Well done, Rachel Dylan!

This is the second installment in the Atlanta Justice series from Rachel Dylan.
With that being said, this book is definitely a stand alone story.
I loved this book!!
It's full of legal suspense, mystery, southern charm, engaging characters, romantic tension, and love.
As the story opens we meet Sophie Dawson, a prosecutor with the Fulton County DA's office, who has just finished a grueling Friday in court and all she wants is salty chips and chocolate. A quick stop at the convenience store to pick up a snack proves anything but quick when she witnesses a double homicide. A couple days later she informed that the suspect she identified is none other than Ricky Wade, brother of Atlanta's biggest gang leader and the prosecution depended upon her testimony to get a conviction. No pressure right??
Add to that, Sophie has just joined the White Collar Crime Unit of the District Attorney's office. While her caseload is not as heavy as being in the general trial division, but now as senior ADA she had a lot to prove and set herself a part from the crowd. She has just finished her first White Collar Crime case and had started an investigation into a Southern Investment Bank matter.
Unbeknownst to Sophie her father, Randall, hired Cooper Knight to protect his only daughter from one of Atlanta's most notorious gangs. Cooper has met Sophie previously through mutual friends and has a high amount of respect for her, but how will she respond to his new position in her life. Sophie takes Cooper's presence as well as she could knowing that her father was generally worried about her safety and if Cooper following her around eased his mind she would endure it. Cooper has a softer side and a tough exterior which makes him complex and has real issues. Sophie is a strong woman who could be doing luncheons at the country club, but chooses to work because her love of the law. Suddenly she's on the other side of the bench, a witness instead of prosecutor, and realizes how her job affects her as a witness. Suddenly Sophie and Cooper find things are more complicated than they imagined and are literally running for their lives.
For me this legal thriller was very absorbing, by that I mean I was drawn into the story from the first page and held there until the last page was turned.
This book has elements of legal drama, suspense, mystery, complex characters, and faith. It's a book I would recommend to anyone who loves legal or suspenseful stories.
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is absolutely fabulous. I did not want to put this down. I loved the romance between Sophie and Cooper. This is book 2 in the Atlanta Justice series and these stories just get better. There were many twists and turns throughout the story and I loved the intrigue.. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Rachel Dylan once again takes us right into the life of a legal prosecutor in Lone Witness. We follow Prosecutor Sophie Dawson on her first job in the White Collar division of the Fulton County D.A.'s office.

As Sophie is working to build a case against a local bank employee, she ends up being the only witness to a double homicide. Now we have two cases to navigate, which further complicate the plot, creating a suspenseful story that kept me guessing.

I found the dual cases an interesting aspect of the story as we were transported into Sophie's life as she had to do her job and watch her back at the same time. Since she was the only witness to the homicide, Sophie had to be extremely careful. Unfortunately, she became a target multiple times.

Cooper Knight is hired to protect Sophie, but the two are attracted to each other. Although they try to keep things strictly professional, we see the added struggle this causes.

Dylan did a nice job balancing the different elements of this story. From the relationship/not relationship to the events Sophie had to deal with, this story kept me engaged and hoping for the best for Sophie. I also liked the dual cases. While I was afraid this would make it hard to follow the story, I felt Dylan did a nice job keeping them separate while weaving them together at the same time.

Out of the two books in this series this is my favorite so far. Ms. Dylan really showed more of the inner workings of being a lawyer, and the court process. I got a bird's eye view of Sophie more in this book.
The inspirational thread is not overwhelming but is definitely there. Both Sophie and Cooper are struggling with faith. Ms. Dylan shows the struggle and does not shy away from it.

My Bottom Line:

From beginning to end this book is suspenseful, intriguing, with twists and turns that kept me guessing literally up to the last page. I loved seeing the inner workings of life as a prosecutor and the day to day life of trial inside and outside of the courtroom.
I highly recommend this book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I look forward to reading books by Rachel Dylan. She writes thrilling courtroom dramas that engage from the first page. She has created fascinating characters that I rooted for and a cast of people who kept me guessing as to where their loyalties lay. I love the theme of God's love and forgiveness that were woven into the story. Since this book is set in Atlanta, my advice is to grab a pitcher of sweet tea and settle in on the veranda for a great read!

I was given this book by the publisher for review purposes. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Rachel Dylan’s Atlanta Justice series just keeps getting better and better with each successive book. I really liked Deadly Proof, but Lone Witness checked all my boxes when it comes to romantic suspense. The action was fast-paced and kept the characters and me on our toes, and the romance was sizzling sweet! If you haven’t tried this series, you need to!

Sophie Dawson is a character to love. This unassuming young woman is dogged in her role as prosecutor. No matter what her cases and life throw at her, she keeps her balance with God’s help. Panic attacks may try to sideline this character, but she relies on her faith, family, and friends to power through. Cooper is a great hero. He takes his role as protector seriously. Sparks fly from the first interaction between these two, but I loved how Dylan kept their relationship from developing too quickly. There are obstacles on both sides for the characters which the author carefully works through. The suspense element was full of twists and turns, and I liked that I never knew just who was behind the threats. For those who love legal suspense, two cases are involved — a double homicide and embezzlement. There’s something for everyone! The faith message is front and center in Lone Witness, but it never comes off preachy. It is a natural part of the characters’ everyday lives. And while both main characters are people of faith, life is still full of challenges and struggles — real life stuff here.

Lone Witness is a standalone book, but I recommend you get both books in the series. They are just so good! Now I just have to wait patiently for book 3!

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

Lone Witness by Rachel Dylan is the second book in the Atlanta Justice series by Rachel Dylan. It can be read as a stand alone novel. Prosecutor Sophie Dawson was grabbing a late night snack after a long day of work at a gas station when she witnessed a robbery. It turns out the prime suspect is the brother of a notorious gang leader, and her life is in danger. Private security Cooper Knight is tasked with protecting her until trial. Dylan presents a suspenseful cases that slowly unfolds within the pages while watching a relationship develop between Sophie and Cooper. I actually prefer the first book, but this is a solid series.

Fast-Paced Suspense with Likable Characters

As someone who loves a good mystery, I’m always on the lookout for a good suspense novel and I found just what I was looking for in Rachel Dylan’s newest book Lone Witness, the second book it the Atlanta Justice series.

Lone Witness tells the story of Sophie Dawson, a prosecutor in the city of Atlanta. After presenting closing arguments against a crooked CEO, she wanted to get started on her newest case in the white-collar crimes unit. Though the crimes may be different from the general trial division, what drove Sophie didn’t change. She wanted to seek justice for those who had been victimized. After putting in a long day at work, Sophie wanted to run in to the Quick-Stop for a snack on her way home. That one little decision would impact her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Instead of being the prosecutor, she would be the lone eye witness against a gang member who brutally murdered two people.

What I liked about Lone Witness, was not only the courtroom drama, suspense and mystery, but also the characters. They had interesting careers and were decent, likable people that I came to care about. Rachel challenges the reader not to automatically categorize a character (defense attorney) as good or bad or assume you know their motives. This book has some surprising twists and turns and it was interesting trying to figure out who done it. I appreciated that the character’s Christian faith was woven into the story.

Not only did I find a good book to read in Lone Witness, but I found an author, Rachel Dylan, whose work I liked and is new to me. I look forward to going back and reading her earlier work and future novels.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read Lone Witness in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.