Member Reviews
This is book 2 in the Pearl River series. While Mark Lassiter and Alexis Stone (or Alex as she prefers) are characters in the first book "Counter Attack" and appear in this book--Mark as one of the MCs--, it can be read as a standalone.
As an animal lover, I loved seeing that there were two dogs included as MCs, one is Mark's police K-9, the other one is Dani's puli dog, or as others would call her...a mop dog.
But back to the actual story line and my review. I really liked Mark. He impressed me with his humility. He is a handsome guy and knows it. He turns heads wherever he goes. Yet, he doesn't let this fact get to his head. When women basically throw themselves at him, he remains this down-to-earth guy who politely pushes them back. Dani falls for him, too. But if you expect a steamy romance book, don't pick this book up. Mark focuses on his job and, unlike some, he realizes when his attraction to Dani impairs his judgment and focus on the job he is supposed to do. Maybe his former job as a soldier who deployed to Afghanistan has taught him that distraction can be fatal and he just can't shake that mindset, which is very helpful since Dani and Mark often end up in quite dangerous situations.
I felt that the end was a bit rushed considering that the list of potential suspects in the cold case of Dani's parents and the attack on Dani's grandma, as well as the attempts on Mark and Dani's life, is still long until about 98% of the book, even though suspicious characters seem to keep dropping like flies. In addition, this is not a book that wraps up all loose ends with a nice bow. There are still stories to be told, which is unsurprising since another book is coming in the series. I think we will see some of the characters from the first and this book again in the third book because...oh wait; I can't say more since that would spoil the first and part of this book. I guess you'll just have to take my word for it.
Thank you, Revell and Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book! The opinions in this review are entirely my own and unbiased.
This book had me from the start. The action was fast-paced and believable. I loved the characters and the setting. I was rooting for Dani, the heroine, and her hero. I wanted good to triumph and evil to be banished. I stayed up way too late reading this spellbinder.
While reading Fatal Witness I am reminded of why Patricia Bradley is one of my favorite authors. I also love reading about cold cases and the way that they are solved. She combines suspense, mystery and bone chilling, holding on to your seat excitement in her books and this one does not disappoint. This book revolves around the mystery of a nine year old child whose parents were murdered and her uncle, her daddy’s brother has raised her. She has no recollection of her parents or where she lived before and he is very careful not to reveal anything that happened to her parents or as to why they left and as to why they are living where they are now. He’s always been very protective of her, didn’t want any pictures of her out anywhere and never encouraged her to talk about her parents. This was very strange. She is very gifted in pottery/art and has her own studio. Someone did take a picture of her and put it in a magazine for sculptures and from that the mystery begins to be solved. She was recognized by the resemblance to her murdered mother by her grandmother who never gave up searching for her missing grand daughter. The name is not the same but she looks so much like her daughter that she feels sure that this is her…..Thus begins the search and the frightful experience this starts, for the killer is still out there… I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions and comments are my own.
Unfortunately, I did kind of figured out who the bad guy was fairly early on bu t it was still a fantastic romantic suspense. The pacing and action kept me enthralled and wondering how it was going to play out. The characters were lovable and part of me would have liked to see more of the grandma because I loved her character.
This story takes us back to Pearl Springs, this time concerning Mae Richmond's long lost granddaughter Danielle. Her daughter and son-in-law's murders have never been solved and she has not seen or heard from Danielle or Dani's uncle in twenty-five years. But Mae has never given up hope and when she finally gets evidence that she is alive and possibly found, she gets help from K-9 officer Mark Lassiter and Alex and Nathan from the previous book.
This story was like a puzzle as each piece was put together to show who the killer was and why. To say I was shocked at who it was, is an understatement. Poor Dani has suppressed her memories since she was only nine when the murders happened. She was raised by her overprotective, maybe somewhat manipulative uncle. While her grandmother Mae languished wondering what happened to her.
I liked seeing Alex and Nathan again from the previous book, the author expands on their story as well. I liked that the characters thought things through and really worked as a team to bring this cold case to a close.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
Bradley knows how to write a gripping suspense novel that keeps you hooked until the very end! We are back in the town of Pearl Springs with all of its vibrant and rich characters. I loved the close knit community Bradley created and the bonds of friendship. The two dogs in the story, Lizi and Gem, pulled on my heartstrings and made it even more interesting. I had to look up a Puli so I could envision this amazing dog! The mystery surrounding Dani Collins kept me page turning, guessing, and second guessing every person who came into the picture. Fans of romantic suspense will love this book! With just the right amount of faith woven in, this story will have you guessing until the very end! I received a complimentary copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is the first book by Patricia Bradley that I have read and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely look into reading more books by her. I thought this was a great suspense that had lots of twist and turns and misdirections that kept me guessing till the end of the book. Just when I thought I had it figured out something would show up disproving my theory. I also liked the characters and how supportive they were as Dani worked to regain her memories. I liked that those who cared about her were patient and encouraging. I also loved Mae as a character and loved her spunk. I also loved that there was romance between Dani and Mark but it wasn’t the main focus of the story. I did like that as they got to know each other they were able to deal with their own individual relationship issues so they could try to have a relationship later. I look forward to reading more books by this author and to reading the other books in the series.
I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.
"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you." Psalm 56:3
These words from Psalm 56:3 are often quoted in Fatal Witness and author Patricia Bradley couldn't have chosen a better verse for this riveting tale of murder, memory loss, and a killer's efforts to make sure that those lost memories are kept buried forever. There is heart-pounding danger and nail-biting suspense, along with fear and a need for trust! I was fully engaged from the very first pages of Fatal Witness!
While there are characters from the first book in the Pearl River series, the main focus of this story is Dani Bennett, her grandmother Mae, and K-9 officer Mark Lassiter. I adored the tender reunion between a granddaughter and grandmother who had been separated for twenty-five years, and I loved the special friendship that developed between Dani and her protector Mark. Bradley shares a poignant picture of their past hurts and insecurities while showcasing the strength that they find in their journeys to faith and trust. Mae Richmond's hope and determination are priceless---she has become one of my favorite book characters ever!
If you're looking for an intense thriller that you can't put down, grab a copy of Final Witness. I couldn't wait to learn the truth, but I didn't want it to end! Very deserving of being more than a 5-star read!!
I received a copy from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review.
4.5 stars
This latest suspense from Patricia Bradley grabbed my attention from the very first scene and kept me glued to the story until the end. A double murder, stolen diamonds, an artist without a past, an over-protective uncle who keeps her on a tight leash, a grandmother who will never cease trying to find her missing granddaughter, a handsome K-9 officer who takes a personal interest, and a small Tennessee town on edge as someone who walks among them wants to keep long-buried secrets from being exposed to the light. Ahhhhh!!! Did I mention that I couldn’t put it down? I devoured this book as quickly as possible even though I could have easily stayed in Pearl River with these characters indefinitely. But I needed to know how it would all play out and if my hunches were correct or way off base. (Turns out I was somewhere in between haha)
Before I talk about our hero & heroine I have to mention how much I adored Mae. She reminded me of a blend of my own grandmothers, and her feisty spirit just delighted me. I would – in a heartbeat – read a whole spinoff series (maybe a cozy mystery?) featuring her character. Dani is a character you’ll quickly care about and I was very invested in her story as she tries to put together the missing pieces of her childhood. Mark is super swoony and kind (I loved how he watched over Mae) and while he still wants to be chief deputy (the job that Alexis was given in Counter Attack) he seems to be content now with waiting for the right time. Their romance is sweet and I really enjoyed watching them fall in love. Not only do they complement each other nicely but they help shore up the broken layers in one another while ultimately resting in the One who can truly heal. And I would be seriously remiss if I didn’t gush over Gem & Lizi, the two endearing, smart, and protective dogs in this book. The side cast is a tapestry of varied personalities that may be friend or foe – that’s part of what must be sussed out – as well as some beloved familiar faces from book one.
Bottom Line: A decades-old mystery. A missing granddaughter. A determined (and delightfully sassy) grandma. A town full of suspects. A budding romance. Danger at every turn. Patricia Bradley delivers all this and more in Fatal Witness – an intense & entertaining journey from start to finish. I enjoyed all of the above, as well as the gentle faith thread which supports the plot and characters in a way that feels natural to both. The layered characters leapt off the page and into my heart (especially Mae), and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book! Fans of Lynette Eason, Irene Hannon, and Terri Blackstock will love Patricia Bradley too – and this Pearl River series is a great time to start reading her books if you haven’t already!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
As a little girl Dani witnessed something a little should never have to see, her parents being killed. Dani has suppressed the memories of that night and the people in her life but an article in a magazine stirs up memories and trouble.
As Dani learns of her family back in Pearl Springs she also meets a handsome cop who will do anything to protect her. It helps they both have two dogs that protect them both as well when they are on the run from shooters.
Great read with lots of twists and turns and this book will have you guessing until the end.
Will Dani ever regain her memory of her childhood? At what cost to her and those around her? The twists and turns of this book are engaging. It makes you wonder how trauma can be overcome and happiness can be found. Dani shows bravery and resilience in dealing with her new found family. She immediately loves them and will do anything to protect them. The dangers keep coming until the final show down. The culprit may surprise you or it may not. The author did a good job at keeping the character in the background until the last event. This story also shows how unforgiveness can ruin a life.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. This review is my own.
Fatal Witness is a fast read, with likable characters and interesting plot. Dani Bennett, talented potter and artist, receives a mysterious phone call from an officer from Pearl Springs Tennessee. Returning that call, starts Dani on a journey that ends in both tragedy and reunion. Dani's parents were murdered 25 years ago, and she saw the killer. The problem is Dani doesn't remember anything before she was 9 years old when she moved to Montana with her Uncle Keith. Dani travels to Pearl Springs, unknowingly triggering a series of events and discoveries.
I have always liked repressed memory storylines, so I enjoyed the book. There are some awkward scenes and some disjointed dialogue that pulled me away from the story, which is why it received three stars and not four. My favorite aspect of the book is that Dani, the FMC, remembers the scripture shared with her and uses in when feeling afraid. It is one of the scriptures that I am claiming over my family this week as well. Psalm 56: 3 - When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
The plot included a sweet romance, is quick paced and well resolved. I would recommend this as an easy read with likeable characters and a clean message focusing on clinging to God in fear.
Thank you to Revell Reads and Netgalley for my review copy!
Patricia Bradley's newest book, Fatal Witness, proves why she is a best-selling author! You will not be able to put the book down and the "bad guy" will not only surprise you, it might even shock you!
Dani Collins has no memory of her life before the age of 9. She knows she lives with her uncle, but has no memory of her parents or any other relatives, so when she is contacted by K-9 officer Mark Lassiter from Pearl Springs, TN, claiming that she might be the long-lost granddaughter of Mae Richmond, she is skeptical. If her uncle knew she had a grandmother, wouldn't he have told her? She knows he's been highly protective of her, and that he changed her last name at one point. She just doesn't know why. If she traveled to Tennessee, could she find the answers she seeks?
Mae Richmond has been searching for her granddaughter ever since the murders of her daughter and son-in-law. She suspects that her son-in-law's brother has her, but she can't understand why in the last 25 years he has never contacted her. When she opens her latest pottery magazine and finds Dani's photo in the featured article, she is struck by the resemblance to her dead daughter. Could this Dani be her Danielle? Contacting her neighbor, Mark - the only local police officer who doesn't believe she's gone senile - she asks him to look into it for her. Could her search finally be at an end?
Mark Lassiter is hooked the moment Mae shows him the magazine photo of potter Dani Collins. As a local boy, he remembers her parents, and that Dani disappeared following her parents' murders. When Dani arrives in town and someone takes a shot at her, he knows there is more to the story of her disappearance than anyone knows. Someone wants her to die before she remembers what she saw back then. As they work together to follow the few breadcrumbs they have, key people die, including Dani's uncle. Can they solve the mystery before Dani is next?
This book was classic Bradley! The characters are wonderful - the men strong and the women spunky. I also loved the addition of the two dogs, both Dani's dog and Mark's. Dani's dog is a Puli, which I'd never heard of. Characters in the story kept saying that the dog looked like a mop, so I looked up the breed and sure enough, it does look like a mop. The suspense is nail-biting, and until the reveal, I had no idea who was targeting Dani. In my mind, that is the mark of a great suspense! I've read so many romantic suspense books that I'm getting pretty good at guessing "whodunit", but I had absolutely no idea on this one!
Readers who enjoy romantic suspense definitely need to read this one. While it's book 2 in Bradley's Pearl River series, it can be read as a standalone story (although, it might make you want to go back and read book 1, Counter Attack, as well!) I can highly recommend this one!
Fatal Witness was the perfect addition to Patricia Bradley's Pearl River series. Non stop action and twist and turn suspense made for a real page turner. I loved it. Five stars.
A riveting romantic suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the very end!
What had happened that day, 25 years ago, to Dani Bennett?
Would she be able to uncover the secrets of her past and reclaim her identity?
I enjoyed meeting the characters from the first book in the series!
I received an ARC of this book for review. I was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions in this review are my own.
Title: Fatal Witness
Author: Patricia Bradley
Ch: 69
Pg: 384
Series: Pearl River 2
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
Rating: 5 stars
Publisher: Revell
Fatal Witness is the second book in the Pearl River Series by Patricia Bradley and I have to say that it’s my favorite in the series so far. We meet the hero Mark Lassiter in the first book in the series so this is indeed a series that one needs to read in order. Mark is a K-9 officer for the county. He's also an Army Veteran and sniper who this reader is convinced he has PTSD. But it's his faith that helps to make him a good hero.
Dani Bennett is a potter who has no memory of her life prior to moving to Montana with her uncle. Little does she know her Grandmother Mae Richmond has been looking for; for twenty five years.
I took my time with this one because I didn’t want it to end. But it was one that I could have easily finished in one day if I didn’t need to be a responsible adult and go to work the next day because I just had to find out what happened. I’m just a little sad that I guessed the bad guy before they figured it out.
Fatal Witness was my favorite kind of romantic suspense suspenseful with a hint of romance. Mark was the perfect romantic suspense hero not perfect he had his flaws, but he was a good man trusting God. And with Mae this book shows just how far the love of a grandmother goes for her granddaughter. I loved the faith content I just wished we knew where Dani was on her faith journey.
I look forward to the final book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a blog tour I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Fatal Witness had suspense from the beginning! You will wonder why Uncle Kevin took his niece, Dani, from Tennessee to Montana where he pretty much kept her in isolation after her parents' murders. Even her grandmother does not know what happened to her. Through a magazine article the grandmother is able to contact Dani and the action begins. You may suspect the murderer but you won't be sure until the last few pages! Dog lovers will like the canines that are included! I recommend Patricia Bradley's latest book to others. I received a complimentary e-book through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley is a great story that is fast paced and full of action. This second book in the Pearl River series brings us back to Tennessee and Alex at the local police department. We also meet Mae and Dani. Mae lost her daughter and son in law twenty five years ago to murder. At the same time, her granddaughter Danielle went missing. When she sees a young lady in a pottery magazine who looks like Danielle, she enlists the help of Alex, along with her neighbor Mark, who is the police K9 trainer. When they find Danielle and bring her to Tennessee to discover if she is, in fact, Mae's lost granddaughter, someone tries to kill her repeatedly. Suddenly, the stakes are high and they have to find a killer before they finish what they started all those years ago.
I enjoyed the story and it was interesting to see who the killer was and how it got there. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read it. I am looking forward to book three in the series!
Fatal Witness, by Patricia Bradley, begins with Danielle Bennett as a young girl being hidden away so she does not see the brutal killing of her parents. Now 25 years later, with no memory of her earlier life, she is building her life as a talented artist making beautiful pottery creations. When Danielle’s picture is published in a national ceramic magazine, her image is noticed by both friends and foes!
Dani’s grandmother, Mae Richmond, is also a well-known potter and has been searching for Dani for years. When she sees Dani’s image in a pottery magazine, she pulls in K-9 officer, Mark Lassiter, to help make contact with Dani!
After Dani meets her grandmother, she is intent on learning more about what happened to her parents all those years ago. When Dani and Mark are targeted by a sniper, you know this tale is about to get very intense. All Dani wants to do is find justice for her parents!
You will never believe who the mastermind is behind all these killings. The person does not show up until the final pages of this fast-paced tale!
Dani Bennett has no childhood memories. She doesn't remember how she came to live with her uncle, Keith, or that she witnessed the deaths of her parents. She and her uncle have lived in Montana for twenty-five years. Keith is extremely protective (or is it controlling) of Dani.
Dani is a potter who sells her work at high prices.
Dani's grandmother (her mother's mother), Mae has searched for Dani since she disappeared. Did I mention that Keith changed their names? Mae even has a crime board in her home. That's how serious she is about finding her granddaughter. She knows that her son-in-law had stolen diamonds. Her daughter was not involved in the crime, but was murdered along with him. The missing diamonds were never recovered.
Mae, also a potter, saw an article in her monthly magazine about a potter along with a picture. Could this woman be her missing granddaughter? Dani had discovered her photo was printed alongside the article after being assured it would not be. She only hopes Keith doesn't see it.
On a hunch that this woman is her granddaughter, Mae enlists the help of K-9 officer, Mark Lassiter to help.
Dani travels to Pearl Springs, Tennessee unbeknownst to her uncle to see if this woman is truly her grandmother and hoping going there will unlock her memories.
Once there, attempts are made on her life. The cold case get reopened. It appears that someone out there is afraid Dani knows the truth or will soon remember.
There are lots of twists and turns in this story and it will keep you guessing 'who done it.'
This is the second book in the Pearl River series, but no worries if you missed reading the first one. This one is great as a stand-alone.
I was given a free advanced ecopy by the publisher, Revell through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.