Deadly Encounter is the third book by DiAnn Mills that I have read, and thus far, it was my least favorite. The first book of Mills’s “FBI Task Force” series was well written, and I could tell it was well researched. That being said, however, I struggled with this one. Stacy Broussard is a caring veterinarian who volunteers as an airport ranger on Saturday mornings. When she stumbles across a body, an injured dog, and a military-grade drone, her life turns upside down. FBI Special Agent Alex LeBlanc and his partner are on the case.

But the tale does not end there. In a maze of questions, the characters keep running into dead ends. When they think they have stumbled across a clue, it only leads them into another, more convoluted level of the maze. There are so many facets to Deadly Encounter by DiAnn Mills. There’s the murder. Stacy’s custody battle for a 12-year-old genius of a boy with a wretched family life. A crime-infested, low-income neighborhood. Dead relatives. Broken relationships. A polluted water scam. Then, finally, a sudden but deadly illness with no obvious cause. Could it be a virulent case of the flu...or worse? Terrorism? Biological warfare? I normally enjoy a book with many tiny subplots that lead to a conclusion, but Deadly Encounter was hard for me.

The plot was very elaborate, but that both worked for and against it. Sometimes it was as if Mills was too caught up in the scheme that she lost track of the overall story and further expanding upon the relationships between the characters. To be frank, I found parts of the novel to be bland. The interactions between Stacy and Alex seemed forced. I wanted to see more of them together, rather than sending quick text messages to each other. I didn’t come into this book expecting a whirlwind romance, but I would’ve appreciated seeing this aspect developed a little more.

The tension in the novel crept upward as it continued. The “big moment,” however…I found it to be a little anticlimactic. I wanted something a little bigger than what actually occurred. Although I will say this—bravo to DiAnn Mills for the super subtle hints dropped throughout the novel. I didn’t identify the “bad guy” till close to the very end of the novel although I tried to figure that portion out the entire time. The “when” and the “what" seemed straightforward, but then Mills kept adding to them until the final pages. That’s when she finally gave her readers the “who,” the “how,” and the “why.”

Deadly Encounter by DiAnn Mills was good, but it wasn’t great. For me, the novel was a slow burn that probably could’ve moved faster and have kept my attention a little better. I did enjoy it. It was suspenseful. Life-threatening in a way, yes, but for me, that didn’t add any real excitement to the story. The characters had depth, but the relationships between them often seemed a little too surface-level.  Deadly Encounter was a slow progression from one turn in the maze till the next until it eventually reached its end.

What does a body, a dog with a bloody paw, and a downed drone all have in common? They’re all found together by airport ranger volunteer and veterinarian Stacy Broussard on what she thought would be a peaceful Saturday morning. Far from it.

Soon her life is turned upside down because of this one deadly encounter, putting her chances of adopting Whitt, the special boy in her life, at risk.

FBI Special Agent Alex LeBlanc doesn’t trust witnesses anymore, especially the beautiful Stacy Broussard. Was she telling him everything?

Stacy and Alex find themselves working together to solve this puzzling mystery of drones, tainted water, and viruses before it affects the entire community. Will they learn to trust each other in the process?

DiAnn Mills has done it again! Deadly Encounter is another fabulous read from the get go. Her ability to weave a plot amazes me every time. She’s a masterful storyteller and one every writer can learn from and every reader can be sure they’ll be blessed with an amazing read.

Her characters are always well planned and full of backstory. I especially loved Whitt and his IQ. He’s adorable! I loved his overprotectiveness when it came to Alex and Stacy. So cute. Well done, DiAnn!

The author’s ability to pull the reader onto every page using sensory detail is superb. Drawing us in and keeping us there isn’t easy to do, but she does it beautifully.

A real page turner!

I give Deadly Encounter five dog bones. It’s one mystery you’ll want to sink your teeth into and not let go! ;-)