At times riveting and suspenseful and at other times slow and repetitive, Every Deadly Suspicion deals with an intriguing question - would you help someone you’ve been taught to despise? The heroine, who is a small town police chief, is dealing with a number of crimes plus two romantic relationships plus a serial killer plus a dying person who never was in her life as a parent. Her hands are full!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndall House Publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Janice Cantore is one of my favorite authors that I found about a year ago. It took me awhile but I'm catching up on reading her books and they are all great!! This book set in a small town in Dry Oaks, California where Hannah Keyes is Chief of police. From the very beginning the action explodes on the page with a plane crash. Hannah Keyes grew up in Dry Oaks and never knew her father, she only knew what her mother told her and her mother was a very angry woman! Joe was a convicted kiler and in jail her whole life.I was amazed by the depth of this story, every time I thought we had the suspect it kept charging. It was a story of forgiveness and redemption that I thouoghly enjoyed. There were many moving parts to this book. There were murders that happened over 35 years ago and they had a real time serial killer they dubbed the Lonely heart killer..They also had a missing DEA agent from many years ago. She brought all these moving pieces of this story all together for a very satisfying ending.I would definitely read this as a series set in Dry Oaks with Hannah's friends, just an idea. This book has very strong characters and a great setting. I loved she evan made room for an old love coming back to town. I want to thank NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for gifting me this arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Definitely a five star book!

Janice Cantore worked in law enforcement in Long Beach, California, for 23 years. The author’s experiences make the characters richer, complex, and full of life. Janice says she wants to "inspire and keep the reader interested." This is true of this story. Chief Keyes is kind of surprised by the town's reaction to the mystery surrounding a 30-year-old cold case; this adds drama to the investigation. Readers are captivated and prompted to consider their own actions given Police Hanna Keyes’s situation.

I was amazed by the depth of this story. Just when I thought everything was settled, a new layer appears, and I learn something I didn't know before. This would be great as a book club pick; there is so much to talk about. If you haven’t read a book by this author, I recommend you start with this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

The number of problems I have with this book...ridiculous.

Once I finished this book, my first thought was "okay, so that explains a lot." And what do I mean by that? The last page of this book says it is "christian crime fiction."

Whilst reading this book I felt like there was some super weird messaging that felt very icky to me. And now I know why.

This book was not advertised as christian when I was searching through mysteries on NetGalley (and the blurb of this book mentions nothing of it either). I know that it seems like I'm harping on this, but that is a very important distinction to make. The same way I go out of my way to not read books by men, I go out of my way not to read christian books (have you seen the state of this country??). Sorry if that's harsh, but so is religion.

And I know it now sounds like that was my biggest complaint about this book, funnily enough, it really wasn't. There was a lot I didn't like about this book, the religious aspect is just the easiest to rant about. And is connected to a lot of my other problems with it.

This was so incredibly slow and boring. The writing style did not help. It felt so old-fashioned that I just could not connect with the characters or the plot. And the mystery/thriller aspect was also so very unsatisfying. That's the one thing I ask of a book in this genre: have a satisfying ending. The characters aren't developed enough to be liked or understood and they don't go through any development either.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

When Dry Oaks, California’s Chief of Police Hanna Keyes finds herself in a position where she questions the integrity of those around her, it drives her to rely on the one person she’s most vulnerable around. Her father, Joseph Keyes, was imprisoned for murder and Hanna subsequently cut him out of her life. Now an opportunity for grace arises; her father is granted compassionate leave from prison.

We all have had to reconfigure our boundaries at some time or another and so readers can relate to the anxiety and inner tension that Hanna is experiencing. We may not feel we need to welcome an accused killer into our home, but we’ve all had our boundaries shifted and our hearts softened and done things our former self said we’d never do. Realizing he needs a second set on eyes on a cold case and knowing in her heart it’s the right thing to do, Hanna welcomes her father back into her life.

We’ve all had challenges dumped on us at the most inopportune time. We all have crazy busy lives. This is why we as readers can identify with the roadblocks placed in Hanna’s life. She’s got enough on her plate to deal with, but the opportunities for second chances keep piling up. Will she pass on them? Or deal with them and allow them to enrich her life?

This allows her to contemplate if the ‘truth’ is really what it seems.

This is a riveting story, full of twists, and new-to-me author Janice Cantore has been added to my auto-read list.

I was gifted this copy by Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Growing up, Hanna never knew her father… just what her very angry mother told her about him. He was a convicted murderer and in jail, Now, Hanna is the chief of police I her hometown, making her own way and name for herself, when a prominent citizen is murdered, it unleashes a lot of questions and suspicious activities that Hanna needs to investigate, in addition, her father has been given compassionate release and wants to spend his last days in hospice care with Hanna. Even more, the love of Hanna’s life, Jared, is back in town after ten years, she’s got a lot to deal with.., and it’s so interesting to read how she navigates all of this. Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for an advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Another great Cantore book. The action keeps moving, the suspects keep changing, the characters become more real as the book continues.
Hanna Keyes, the Chief of Police, has a convicted killer for a Dad. She’s dating a detective and both of them are caught up in murders. What is she to do when her first love moves back to town, but she’s moved on. Engaging and thrilling story of a small town caught up in the errors of the past and the present, Five stars..
You’ll be pleased with any Janice Cantore book you read!

Every Deadly Suspicion
by Janice Cantore
Pub Date: March 4, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thirty years after a federal agent and two suspects disappeared in the wilderness, the case is cold, and they’ve never been found. Now their suspected killer is about to go free. But is the truth really what it seems?
Excellent book that I enjoyed reading!
I appreciate the author's experience as a retired Long Beach police officer. I think it adds credence to her suspense novels and keeps me engrossed in the story. I also like the inspiring nature of this book. I have also enjoyed her Pacific Coast Justice Series and LIne of Duty series.

EVERY DEADLY SUSPICION by JANET CANTORE is an exciting thriller with a really good Christian message of forgiveness and redemption. The story is fast paced and will really keep you guessing, and the characters are well portrayed.
Hanna Keyes, chief of police in Dry Oaks, has spent her life under the cloud of her father Joe’s conviction of the murder of Blake and Sophia Carson, her best friend Mandy’s parents, at the Beecher’s Mine Cabin. Mandy and Jared Hodges stood up for her against the bullies at school, who called her the “spawn of Satan”, amongst other things. She has done well for herself and is now well loved and respected by most of the inhabitants of Dry Oak. She is broken-hearted when Jared leaves to see the world, but when he comes back after ten years he is a changed man……
Blogger and wannabe author, Marcus Marshall, has written a book about Joe and the murders, which has been taken to be the truth by many people. Marcus, who some people call Muckraker, is just that, stirring up trouble, especially when Joe gets compassionate parole and comes to stay with his daughter, who has never met him and whose mother badmouthed him to her all her life. …….
There is a huge fire, the murder of Scott Buckley, and the murder of women by “The Lonely Heart Killer”, all of which keep Hanna, Jared and Nathan Sharp, her boyfriend, and their colleages very busy……
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This novel has a strong female at the center. This is a good mystery without the sex and gore that other books contain.

Police chief Hanna Keyes has never know her father because he has been in prison her whole life. Now he is dying and being released in her care. Is he guilty or not? Things aren’t adding up and there is a murderer on the loose. This is an inspirational romantic suspense. I enjoyed this book and would read more about Hanna and her friends.