Houston Police Detective Aubrey Grayson had come to Corpus Christie for a vacation. On the first day of her trip she found herself and former senator Grant “Papps” McKenna being shot at - and Papps was within a moment or two of dying. Before the day was over she would find the boat she was in being targeted with rocket grenades and hearing that the FBI was accusing her father of selling national secrets. Her father said he was being set up. As Aubrey muses, “This had turned into some kind of game of cloak-and-dagger. Stolen government secrets, rogue agents, and dead bodies. And she’d ended up smack-dab in the middle of it all.” It did not make sense.

Lisa Harris has created another 5-star faith-based, romantic, suspense novel that will hold the reader’s attention from page 1 to the very last page. I have been privileged to read several of Lisa Harris’ books and I don’t remember being disappointed - and she does not disappoint here.

Those who enjoy the genre will find the book satisfying. The book also will fit well into the church or public library.
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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.

I really enjoy Lisa Harris' books, and this one did not disappoint. While there is a bit of predictability in the romance section (at least you can guess who will end up with you), the steps taken along the way are harder to guess. I definitely did not make all of the connections or determine all of the ending.

This is a story about second chances. Should we get a do-over? Is that always realistic? Is God willing to forgive us no matter what? Are we willing to forgive others? Should we risk the truth even if it might hurt someone else? These and more questions are tackled in this latest book by Harris.

I cannot tell if this is a stand-alone book or if there will be a sequel. The characters are strong, and the family connections are meaningful. I do recommend this as a Christian suspense book. While the romance factor is an element, that is definitely not the dominant part of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for letting me review this book. All opinions are my own.

The Traitor's Pawn is Lisa Harris's newest release from Revell. Harris has long ago established herself as one of my favorite suspense authors, so I was excited to get my hands on this one and dive deep!

The story starts out very action-packed and from there, you can't put it down. Aubrey Grayson is a very compelling character and easy to relate to. Her motivation is clear and the reader can't help but root for her. I enjoyed the romance between her and Jack, and appreciated that it took more of a backseat to the other events of the story. It made it so much more realistic. The ending wrapped up her character arc perfectly, but in a very authentic way. Speaking of Jack, I really liked his character as well, although I just wish there was . . . more of him. In most books like this one, the role of main character is equally shared between the male and female lead characters. However, Jack's POV scenes were few and far between compared to Aubrey's. And as much as I appreciated the message the author was trying to get across with Aubrey's story, I would have loved to delve into Jack and his story more. As it was, he seemed more of a device to get Aubrey and the story where they needed to go. It left me wanting a sequel just to be able to learn more about Jack and get into his head more.

The story goes deep into the investigative side of things, which I enjoyed, although a little more action may have moved the story along faster. This was almost in the style of a Dee Henderson novel: heavy on the actual investigation and solving of the crime and light on the more action-packed scenes. I also appreciated the themes of forgiveness and redemption Harris included in the story; they were woven in very realistically.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed this release from Lisa Harris! If you are a fan of Dee Henderson and Lynette Eason, you'll definitely want to check out The Traitor's Pawn!


FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

The Traiter’s Pawn by Lisa Harris is an edge of your seat thriller that will keep you guessing to the end.
Aubrey is a detective taking some vacation days when the man she has thought of as the dad she never had is shot. Since he is a senator they have to determine if the killer was after him or her. Adam and Jack are called in to help when Aubrey is kidnapped from the scene.

Adam, Jack and Aubrey were best friends growing up. However neither Jack or Aubrey knew the other had feelings for each other. Jack left when she was dating Adam (I promise it is not a love triangle). All three of them have great camaraderie with each other which enhances the dialogue.

Jack is now an FBI agent that is in town working an espionage case. They start to suspect that Aubrey’s kidnapping is related to his case and they start working together. This is not your dime store criminals. They are skilled and talented with resources.

Sexual content
Violence - shooting, kidnapping, bomb threats, hostage situations

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

I really enjoyed the story but felt it for bogged down a bit. I liked that I really couldn't tell how things were going to work out, and who was lying and who was telling the truth.

"The Traitor's Pawn" is a Christian romantic suspense novel. The suspense was high from start to finish, created by the physical danger (shooting, kidnapping, a bomb threat, hostage situations, and more) but also by the relationship tensions. Aubrey's father was on Jack's FBI "to arrest" list as someone known to be selling government secrets to both the Chinese and the Russians. Aubrey's father was never a big part of her life even before her parent's divorce, but she still had feelings of abandonment to deal with and a desire to have a good father conflicting with the reality that he wasn't. Jack helped her to deal with these feelings.

Jack and Aubrey were best friends since childhood and supported each other. Their love grew as they shared life experiences together and felt understood by the other, but both were afraid of ruining their friendship if they dated and it didn't work out. They were a good team and made a good couple. During the story, they talked about several Christian topics like how God is faithful even when the people in our lives aren't and about how forgiving is for our own sake. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this suspense novel.

Lisa Harris does an excellent job of writing good mysteries, while also interjecting concepts of faith in appropriate moments. I appreciate that she does not include anything graphic in her novels. "The Traitor's Pawn" centers around Jack and Bree, two former best friends, who must now work together to solve a mystery. As they work together, romantic feelings begin to grow between them. My only complaint about this book is that I wish the romance was not contained to the last chapter.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thrilling suspense from beginning to end. Detective Aubrey Grayson is visiting former Senator Grant McKenna when shots are fired. He is injured and she is abducted. Able to get away, she isn’t sure who was the target and why. Her friend from childhood, FBI Agent Jack Shannon, is also visiting while working a case. When information from her abduction becomes relevant to his investigation, they team up to find out who is selling classified intel to the Chinese. Jack had been attracted to Aubrey years ago and now with their time spent together he knows the attraction is still there. If they survive, is there a chance for them? A very intricate mystery as new clues lead them to someone from Aubrey’s past that may have been involved all along. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Aubrey Grayson and Jack Shannon grew up together in Houston, Tx. They considered one another best friends so when they both ended up back home to work on a case, they found themselves with feelings they both thought had been buried so that they could move on with their lives.
Aubrey had come back to spend time with the family that taken her in as a child when things were rough. Former Senator McKenna had been the father that she never had, since Charles Ramsey had left her Mom and her when she was little. All she had ever wanted was to be able to some day ask him why. Little did she know that she was going to get her chance. Her father had been selling secrets to both China & Russia and she is about to realize just where she stands in her father's heart and mind.
Jack was back in the area because the FBI had been searching for a traitor. This person had been selling secrets to China & Russia and he was determined to apprehend this him. But he has no clue that his case is about to collide with the local detective, Aubrey Grayson and how this case is going to take a turn that he could never predict.
While Aubrey and Jack were best friends back then, she had briefly dated Adam, Jack's brother. Neither Jack nor Aubrey never wanted to tell the other how they really felt because they did not want to ruin the friendship, so when Jack could not take it anymore he left the area so that Aubrey could have a chance with his brother.
That relationship did not last long and they lost their friendship along the way as well.
While searching for the traitor Jack and Aubrey rekindle their friendship and they need to see if there is more there for them.

This was a really good story that I did not want to see end. Thank you Ms. Harris for allowing to participate. I look forward to the next book.

The Traitor's Pawn is action packed and suspenseful from the beginning to the end. Detective Aubrey Grayson is enjoying a break from work spending a few days duck hunting with friends in Corpus Christi when a father figure is shot right before her and she is abducted and taken away in a boat. A couple of other friends, one a wildlife officer, Adam, and his brother, Jack, an FBI agent, step up in the search and rescue. Events seem to be tied to foreign governments trying to use Americans to steal classified government information, in particular, using Aubrey's non presenr father. After she is rescued, the three work together to get to the bottom of things. Why would someone try to kidnap her? Is Aubrey's father a traitor to his country in addition to deserting his family? Is he being set up?
Jack and Aubrey used to be best friends until Aubrey started dating Adam back during their college days. Jack left town because his feelings had become more than friends and he couldn't watch his brother and best friend date. Now, Adam is married to someone else and has children. So, Jack and Aubrey have a second chance. Can they rekindle their friendship and maybe more after the case is over? Aubrey is dealing with past hurts and anger along with the current stressful situation. Jack is trying to help her through her pain and disappointment with her father while trying to keep her safe. This story is filled with action, danger, suspense, and also forgiveness, faith, and moving forward. A great start to a new series.
I received a complimentary ARC from Revell Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Lisa Harris started her latest novel, The Traitor's Pawn with her guns blazing. Right from the start, she jumps right in and starts the action. Just the way I like a romantic suspense to be. The two main characters have a love interest that they never mentioned to each other. They were best friends who wanted more, but never said anything. I totally understand that. But it bothered me that Harris allowed both of them to hide their feelings for the majority of the novel even though there were tons of underlying emotions. I felt like the hero, Jack should have said something sooner. Maybe just a little hint to make Aubrey scratch her head and wonder why she didn't see it or why she didn't admit to him or even herself. The ending is different. One I haven't seen done at all in any novel, which I really liked, but it still felt like the easy way out. I wanted more. Overall, The Traitor's Pawn wasn't a bad novel. Definitely carried enough suspense and romance to satisfy any reader. Recommended for fans of DiAnn Mills and Colleen Coble.

I received a complimentary copy of The Traitor's Pawn by Lisa Harris, but the opinions stated are all my own.

What a terrific romantic suspense. A fast moving plot, great characters and setting. Lisa Harris has delivered another home run with The Traitor's Pawn. If you love suspense you will not want to miss this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

If you are looking for the next suspense read to keep you at the edge of your seat, The Traitor's Pawn may be just what you are looking for. From the very first chapter we are drawn into the action and cannot wait to find out more. But then can we expect anything less from Lisa Harris? She is a master at creating suspenseful stories (and intriguing romances) that will captivate the reader, and this one is certainly no different.

There are a lot of great elements to talk about in this story, so let's break it down: first, the romance. There's something about a second chance romance that I absolutely love so the story of Bree and Jack. As teens they were best friends, until they parted ways with Jack never telling Bree how he felt. Tragedy throws them together and gives them another chance if they so choose to take it. I enjoyed their relationship very much.

But the real star of this story was definitely the suspense. There was a lot of fast paced action, and often these seemed to come in at quite the unexpected moment... even right from the very start, I wasn't expecting things to happen quite as fast as they did. This certainly kept me at the edge of my seat, ready to see what was going to happen next. To be honest, I never could quite figure out what to expect with this one. Oh, I had an inkling here and there that perhaps so and so wasn't who they seemed, or there was more to this particular character, etc... but even then there was enough of a mystery there that I really didn't quite know how it all would turn out.

In the midst of all the drama, there were really great moments of faith weaved in too. I loved how the characters quite naturally sought God during it all. It was certainly a prevalent part of the story, but didn't feel forced. It felt just how these believers would have reacted in these moments. There was also a great message of forgiveness, and a reminder that oftentimes the forgiveness is not for the one we forgive... but for US too.

Overall, this was another fantastic read from Lisa Harris that fans of Christian suspense are going to love. I know I certainly did!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

Readers will not be disappointed in this fast paced suspenseful story. Many twists and turns will have readers wondering which person is telling the truth. Aubrey's father divorced her mother and left to marry a younger woman. Now years later Aubrey, a new detective finds herself caught up in her father's lies. She and her childhood friend, Jack, an FBI agent will strive to untangle a world of deceit, secrets and a espionage. Highly recommended!