The Cost of Betrayal contains three stories, and is a collaboration between Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason. Each novella follows the theme of betrayal, and is packed with plenty of intrigue and action.

Summary: Dee Henderson’s Betrayed follows the story of Janelle Roberts-a young woman falsely accused of killing her ex-boyfriend. Jailed for six years of a twenty-year sentence, she has no idea that help is about to come from a very unlikely source.
Retired detective Ann Falcon’s investigative juices are piqued when she buys a collection of small items from an auction and uncovers some unusual pieces. Could she have inadvertently discovered a murder weapon? If so, can she and her FBI husband Paul solve a murder mystery? And what will this all mean for Janelle?
Thoughts: I loved this book. Every detail was thought out so thoroughly, the plot was fascinating, and I enjoyed the new characters of Janelle and Greg so much, I am hoping Dee will write more books including them. Ann and Paul appear in previous books, and although it is not necessary to have read those books, understanding the backstory of those characters does make for a richer read of this book.

Summary: In Dani Pettrey’s Deadly Isle, Tennyson Kent is being betrayed in the most impossible way. With danger around every corner, she has no choice but to rely on Callen Frost-the man who has betrayed her trust the most. Why is someone out to destroy everything she loves, and will she be able to forgive Callen’s past mistakes?
Thoughts: This story is completely action-packed. From the very beginning, major events are happening, and they don’t stop until the very end. If you are looking for some fast-paced action-this is definitely the story for you!

Summary: In Lynette Eason’s Code of Ethics, surgeon Ruthie St. John is used to saving lives, but when she unexpectedly saves Detective Isaac Martinez from being murdered in the hospital, she finds herself in a race against time to prove just who is betraying the local police department. Who can Ruthie and Isaac trust as they search for the truth?
Thoughts: This was a fun book to read. I really enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and all of the twists and turns. Characters in this book have appeared in the Blue Justice series, and I enjoyed this one so much, I have the first book of the series on my stack to read next!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend reading it-especially if you are a fan of any of these authors, or just enjoy lots of action with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

Dee Henderson starts things off with Betrayed. I really like that this novella includes two characters from prior books. That really moves things along. So when Ann Falcon finds a knife in a box at an auction and decides there’s been a murder, I believe it. Ann’s ability to identify and solve cases is already established. l find it fascinating that she can tell her husband before bed, “I found a murder,” and Paul can say “Okay” and go to sleep, waiting for morning to hear about it.
This novella is more mystery than suspense. It doesn’t have the same feel of danger that the O’Malley series had. It’s more like Henderson’s recent books where the action largely is in the past but with a meticulous attention to detail. It’s a fascinating read but just not edge-of-your-seat intense. I was hoping for a different ending but realize it was closer to what would probably happen.
In Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey, the action grabbed me immediately and didn’t let go until the end. Teni Kent has had about the worst day imaginable yet she is determined to find out what happened to her beloved cousin. Thankfully an old friend is there to help her.
I appreciated the correlation between the storm going on around them and the internal storm in Teni’s heart and mind. Both point us to the one who can calm any storm.
Lynette Eason’s Code of Ethics falls into her Blue Justice series about the St. John family. Again, it was nice having a lot of back story already to understand Ruthie’s family dynamics. The story is full of harrowing experiences and imminent danger. It’s hard to put down. I especially enjoyed Ruthie and Isaac’s interactions. They’ve just met and are thrown into crazy situations yet their sense of duty and justice keep them plugging on together. It’s a great read.
I would highly recommend this book. It’s a great introduction to three fabulous authors. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of this book. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Three incredible suspense novellas, from some of my favorite suspense authors.

Dee Henderson's is another cold case, Ann Falcon (who just happens to be one of my favorite fictional characters) happens upon it quite by accident by purchasing certain items at an auction.

Dani Pettrey's is short and thrilling. An island mystery.

Lynette Eason's falls into her currently in progress series, the one about the St. John family. In this book we get to know Ruthie, the surgeon just a bit better. She finds herself caught in the middle of something dangerous.

These are all very good, short reads.
The main issue I had with all of them is what I have with almost all novellas I've read--they are just too short! :) There's not as much room for all those delightful, suspense building details you normally find in mysteries of this sort.
All in all, they are a delight to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It's been a while since I read a book (about 10-15 days). I was pretty busy with my personal stuff. I got my hands on the book 'The Cost of Betrayal' by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey and Lynette Eason via NetGalley. This is a book with three short stories. Each story is a masterpiece in itself and Betrayed by Dee Henderson is my favorite. As the title says, the stories are about betrayal by your loves ones or someone you trusted deeply. I loved the line from Betrayed which goes like this.. 'If you want to betray someone, the best person to target is the one who trusts you the most.' All the three authors were amazing at the way they narrated their stories. The details were catchy. I didn't feel bored at all since the pace was just right. Betrayed is about the betrayal by best friend. Deadly Isle is about the betrayal by family member and Code of Ethics is the story of betrayal by colleagues who are considered almost like a second family.

While I'm talking about the book, I also want to add that, the stories are not just about betrayal but also about trusting again, second chances, faith and hope. The stories tell how evil brings out some good out of it, how we must do our part and leave the rest to God and how there is always light beyond darkness.

I totally loved this book and I feel refreshed after reading it. Thank you Bethany House and Chosen Books for letting me be part of their reader crew.


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What could be more exciting than a collection of novellas from three of my favourite mystery-suspense authors? The Cost of Betrayal is suspense at its very best. A perfect sample of these three masters’ writing for new readers or simply another collection to enjoy for old fans. Either way, readers are sure to love the three new novellas in this collection.

Betrayed by Dee Henderson

It is so wonderful to drive back into the marvellous writing of suspense master Dee Henderson. Her novella, Betrayed is just as evenly paced and fully-fleshed out as any of her full length titles. As is her style recently, Betrayed focuses on solid, methodical detective work, with just slight hints of romance. I know some readers may not be as happy with the more open-ended ending of Betrayed but I loved it. It is perfect for a novella, allowing the full scope of the investigation and developing romance to play out without being constrained or squished into the timeline of the novella. Betrayed returns readers to Ann and Paul Falcon, this time as Ann stumbles across the evidence from a murder while enjoying a weekend hobby. As she works to untangle the truth of what really happened she has the opportunity to free Janelle, a woman wrongly accused of murder, and giving her the tools and people to ensure a fresh start in life.

I really enjoyed returning to Ann and Paul, as well as being introduced to Janelle and Greg. I loved the mix of murder investigation with the small details of Ann and Paul’s life -from snowball fights to walking Black. I also enjoyed Janelle’s story of coming to terms with her new freedom, meeting and working with Greg and her time on his idyllic island.

Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey

While full of both action and romance, Deadly Isle didn’t grip me in the way other Dani Pettrey novels have. Nonetheless, it is a fun romp, with scary storms, explosions, bad guys lurking in the dark of night and a second-chance love story about forgiveness and over coming betrayal.

It’s turning out to be a bad day for Teni. First her fiancée dumps her, then on a routine morning swim her cousin goes missing and, to top things off, the man to come to her rescue is none other than the guy who broke her heart so many years ago. But Teni will need to accept Callen’s help if she is going to uncover what happened to her cousin and stop the person who seems intent on harming Teni herself.

Code of Ethics by Lynette Eason

Code of Ethics by Lynette Eason returns readers to the St John family from the Blue Justice series. If you are a fan of that series, Code of Ethics fits nicely between book two and the soon-to-be-released book three. Each book and this novella can be read as standalones, so if you enjoy Code of Ethics and haven’t started reading the Blue Justice books, it is the perfect introduction to this amazing crime-fighting family.

Ruthie St John is the black sheep of her family; the only one who is not an officer of the law. Instead Ruthie is a top surgeon. When she repairs the shoulder of a shot cop she is startled to stumble upon another attempt on his life. Issac is determined to find evidence on the cops who have betrayed their oath and fellow officers and who now want him dead. With Ruthie’s help, Issac is still alive - for now. But Ruthie and Issac will need to work quickly if they want to stay that way.

Brilliant suspense and a captivating story rounds out this collection of suspense novellas. Code of Ethics is just as well-written as any of Lynette’s full-length novels (I’m a fan) and a wonderfull addition to both this collection and the Blue Justice series.

I can’t wait to read more from all three authors and highly recommend Betrayed to readers who love inspirational suspense and a touch of romance. Whether you are already a fan of these talented writers or looking for something new, Betrayed will not disappoint.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

The Cost of Betrayal is three novellas written by the power house trip of Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason. Henderson has familiar characters of Paul and Ann Falcon work towards freeing a wrongly accused woman from prison and the story behind her crime. Pettrey begins with a swimner being murdered, and Tennyson Kent is determined to investigate the loss of her friend. There characters are new, and may be appearing in Pettrey's next series. Eason expands on her Blue Justice series by looking at surgeon, Ruthie St. John. A cop is rushed to the ER with a gunshot wound, but Ruthie saves'his life as someone tries to kill him while in the hospital. Who is behind this? These novellas are superb as usual and great for a fast suspenseful read.

I enjoy a good novella collection especially when it features three of my favorite romantic suspense authors: Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason. All of these authors have captured my attention in their full length novels, and I enjoyed their past novella collaboration Sins of the Past. I couldn't wait to get my hands on their new collection, The Cost of Betrayal. Even though all three novels have to do with Betrayal of some sort, each individual novel stands alone.

"Betrayed" by Dee Henderson
The novella starts with a familiar couple I was introduced to for the first time in Full Disclosure, Paul and Anna. So if you are familiar with that novel than you might find it enduring to have them come back and try to solve a mystery. This time the mystery centers around a jewelry box that Anna purchases at an auction with a pocket knife inside. With a number of research, Anna finds out the knife belongs to a young lady doing time for murdering her boyfriend. As the story progresses, I watch Anna as she explains her theories to Paul. The story moves pretty quickly and kept my attention. I enjoyed seeing familiar characters return. BUT . . . I felt cheated with the ending. Henderson left us with three different type of endings of how Alex could have died. She really didn't answer the question on who killed him. I read mysteries to see who did it. I didn't get it this time.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

"Deadly Isle" by Dani Pettrey
The people are completely new, but the setting, I believe, is the setting for Pettrey's new series, so I believe these characters might have a comeback. While the story does move at a quick pace, I think the story was too condensed to be a well-written story. The ending moved quickly, and I had a hard time buying who the bad guy is. The writing is clear, and the tension is top-notch, which proves why Pettrey is top in the romantic suspense genre. I can't wait for her next series.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

"Code of Ethics" by Lynette Eason
If you are familiar with her Blue Justice series, than the last name St. James should be familiar to the reader. This story is about Ruthie, the surgeon. The sister who didn't become a member of the police force. The tension started right from the beginning and grasped my attention. Eason definitely proves why she keeps writing wonderful suspense stories and keeps her audience's attention. I loved seeing familiar characters and can't wait t read the next book in the Blue Justice series with Code of Valor. The tension is top notch, and I figured out the bad guy before Eason showed me. I can't wait to read more by Eason.
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of The Cost of Betrayal by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.