Fatal Mistake

This book is extraordinary! From the moment I read the first sentence until I read the last chapter, I was so caught up in the story that I didn't even know what was going on around me - I had to apologize to my husband! All the characters were very realistic, so much so that they could be your neighbor, your best friend or your Aunt Sarah! You could relate to each one of them....that is the mark of a great writer and that's why I love this author! She makes the story come alive and you can't stop thinking about her books (and stories) for days after you finish them.

In this book, Tara Parrish stumbles upon bomb-making ingredients just by going out to the pump house of her aunt's house to check on something at her aunt's request! She is suddenly sickened at the thought that her childhood friend whom she's known for years is the LONE WOLF BOMBER - a serial killer who has been terrorizing the country. She can't wrap her mind around it but she at least calls the FBI hotline to report what she is seeing inside the pump house! However, she sees the bomber (Oren) coming and has to think fast because there's no way of getting out of that small shed so the FBI agent on the phone (Cal Riggins) helps her with a plans to escape. At least she is able to blindside Oren and run, although Oren chases her. Cal, on the other hand is racing against time in a helicopter to try to find Tara and save her! That's just the first couple pages!

It's an amazing story and you can tell that SO much research went into it because the FBI technical parts are fantastic and show you how hard it is to catch a criminal. I was literally on the edge of my seat most of the time and turning those pages as fast as I could!!! All the people on Cal's team were great too. I hope they all get their own stories! I enjoyed Cal's interaction with Tara because he's trying very hard to be professional through this whole experience but she is changing him. His upbringing wasn't the best and she is breaking down his barriers. I can't recommend this book enough. It has something for everyone and will make you very glad that you read it!

"He was coming for her, and he was close."

With that first sentence, Susan Sleeman draws the reader into this novel and the tension and thrills do not let up one bit until the very end! Ten stars, please!!! Sleeman is a veritable master at what she does! It's like being thrown on a huge roller coaster for a day or two and not being able to get off. The ride is thrilling, scary and so much fun.

FBI Agent Cal Riggins takes a call on the Lone Wolf killer hotline one night from a woman who has found a cache of explosives, supposedly belonging to this killer. Tara is certain she knows who the unsub is and is scared to death. Then things take a turn for the worst and her life is in extreme danger.

No spoilers here, folks. You'll have to read the book. Seriously, this story is as tightly wound as you can get! Your heart will stop in places. Sleeman doesn't let up on this action one bit until the ending. She is a master at this, believe me. I was holding my breath through much of the book. It's sort of like a Criminal Minds marathon, only better. I am serious. It is a fantastic book. And the fact that it's Christian fiction only makes it better. The spiritual message is tremendous. I loved every minute of it! Every single minute.

*I was provided with a preview copy of this book. My review is my own

A best friend turned mortal enemy. The young boy Tara Parrish played with as a youth has evolved into a hateful serial killer. Oren Keeler uses his knowledge of explosives to create terrifying bombs to kill women as he pursues Tara, the one woman who escaped his murderous intentions.

Cal Riggins, FBI Special Agent tasked with keeping Tara safe, finds himself in danger of losing his heart. But both Cal and Tara have gigantic trust issues to overcome before they can consider a relationship...if they can survive that long.

In Fatal Mistake, Book one of the White Knights Series, Susan Sleeman expertly engages the reader within the first sentence. Sleeman's writing is taut, tension-filled, and addicting all at once. The reader is taken on a terrifying journey alongside Tara and Cal and can only hope to emerge in one piece at the end. Just in time to read the preview for book two, Kill Shot, coming in early 2018! I'll be anxiously waiting!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This did not influence my opinions presented, solely my own.

I really loved this book! This title is my favorite Susan Sleeman book. I really enjoyed the intensity of this book. It was very fast paced.

Tara Parrish is an average all American girl who is continually rushing to stay two steps ahead of her wayward childhood friend, Oren Keeler. Keeler is out for revenge only Tara doesn't know why he is trying to kill her. In steps the dashing and direct FBI agent Cal Riggins. Cal and his team are on the hunt for Keeler but when Tara discovers Keeler is too near she runs away. The hunt for Keeler and the search for Tara proves to be taxing for Cal and his team.

I really liked the inspirational messages this book provided. Such inspirational messages as "God is with me. Nothing is bigger than He is". These reminders throughout the book really resonated with me as a Christian to give God my problems and trust that the outcome would work for my good. Tara came to that conclusion in the book regarding Cal and God, "That's why she had to trust him, like she had to trust God. To believe the unseen and know that it would all work out for her good".

I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is a great Christian suspense filled book.

It was a book were you know think u know what is going on. Ihe author did a great job incorporating faith into the characters lives.

FATAL MISTAKE by Susan Sleeman, White Knight series book 1 published by Faithworks, releases May 9. From the first page, you have been caught in this story. Tara, at her aunts place, finds bomb material in the pump house, it can't be true. Her best friend during childhood, has been staying there. A call to 911, Oren has come back early, now what. Agent tells her to go stand by the door, to trust him. To breathe and describe the table, with items on it. To breathe and not hang up. This story is action packed and doesn't stop. Who is the Lone Wolf ? Where is Tara, she disappeared under FBI watch. Will Agent Cal find her, feels a connection to Tara. Susan was a new author for me, and looking for more. Great thriller, that would be enjoyed by all. Given ARC from Net.Galley for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

Thrilling beginning and end! The middle bogs down a little but not too much to take the fun away from reading this story. The angle for the story was a little unique- home grown terrorist instead of focusing on a third world bad guy.

"Fatal Mistake" is a Christian romantic suspense novel. The action started with the heroine stumbling across a serial bomber--someone she knows. She called the information in, but now the bomber is after her. Of course, the lead FBI agent falls in love with her while protecting her and hunting down the bad guys.

The suspense was high throughout the story as the bomber managed to repeatedly outmaneuver the FBI team. The romance was initially just physical attraction (and was recognized as such), but they drew closer as they worked together and got to know each other. I understood why they liked and respected each other (which is a good foundation for a relationship).

Both characters dealt with guilt. The hero felt guilt over his missions where people died, and he pushed hard for perfection and control. The heroine felt guilt over the people whom the bomber killed because they were associated with her. Both wondered why God allowed innocent people to die at the hand of evil people when He could stop it. Friends urged them to release their guilt and trust God more.

There was no sex. There was a minor amount of "he cursed" style references to bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting suspense novel.

Filled with an intensity from the first sentence that never releases its grip on the reader, Fatal Mistake is a must-read for fans of romantic suspense.

Author Susan Sleeman weaves high octane action, anticipation, and palpable attraction throughout this book. And the longer word count (from her fantastic category suspense stories) allows her to delve more deeply into the motivations and emotions of her characters.

The detail in this book of weapons, investigative procedures, and military specialties is excellent, giving the readers the feeling of being in the middle of a police procedural show. Sleeman knows her stuff!

I loved the strength of both Tara Parrish and former-SEAL-turned FBI explosives expert Cal Riggins. There isn’t a cowering, simpering heroine in this book. Nope, Tara can hold her own against the intense FBI Critical Incident Response team.

And what a team it is, each member willing to do whatever it takes to protect innocent lives. I can’t wait to read the others’ stories!!

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Fatal Mistake is a romantic suspense novel. It is light reading and satisfying for the romance genre. The POV and dialogue seemed stilted and awkward, but that did not hinder my enjoyment. The climax is thrilling! The characters were nicely developed, and I felt emotionally invested in them! I will definitely read the next installment in this new series!

Fatal Mistake

A Novel
by Susan Sleeman

FaithWords / Center Street

You Are Auto-Approved

FaithWords
Christian

Pub Date 09 May 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of Fatal Mistake through FaithWords and Netgalley:

This book transports us to Spotslyvania County Virgina, where Oren is about to kill his friend from childhood Tara Parish because she knows the truth about him, he's a killer. She is able to contact the FBI but will she be saved before The Lone Wolf gets her too?

Tara is shot but the FBI gets there in time to save her, still she cannot feel safe until Oren, The Lone Wolf is captured.

From Spotyslvanaia County Virgina too Dufur Oregon, to Fairfax Virgina.

It comes to light that Oren had been keeping a journal one he called Ode to Tara.

Will Tara be able to find safety once more?

Will she find love?

Will the FBI agent who is slowly falling for Tara be able to protect her?

If you liked action packed, clean suspense, I highly recommend Susan Sleeman's Suspense novel Fatal Mistake...

“An FBI agent must protect the woman who can identify a terrorist bomber “ ; It's with that premise my heart started pounding in anticipation of a story that would leave me breathless the whole way through!

What would it feel like to know that a childhood friend turned out to be an alleged terrorist with links to ISIS? And knowing he's coming after you? Beyond scary! Tara flees for her life, always having to watch her back, and be hyper-aware of her surroundings. Even with the protection of the FBI agent Cal Riggins and his team, she's terrified and afraid. Can they stop his reign of terror when he dogs their every move?

This story could be ripped out of today's newspaper! The modern elements in this story made it feel very real. It had me gripped in it's clutches from the very first sentence & held captive until the end when I could finally catch my breath! The danger kept ramping up, the surprise attacks coming from unexpected places. A truly gripping suspense! I thought Tara and Cal were the perfect hero & heroine characters. I could connect with them as they both struggled with past issues, and as they began to get to know one another. Elements of attraction took the back seat, while the suspense took front & center. I loved seeing these two fall in love in spite of their reluctance to. I also loved the faith-theme woven throughout, God was a natural part of the story. Getting to know the rest of Cal's team—the White Knights—was an added bonus. I'm sure we'll meet them in the next installments of what sounds like another fantastic suspense series by an author who knows how to write them! Gripping terror, danger lurking around every corner, hints of romance and faith mesh in this highly recommended novel!

Fatal Mistake was so good. I opened the book up and got hooked right away from that opening scene. It was intense, suspenseful, and gripping. I think one of the reasons this book was so intense was because it felt like it could be a true story and that made me care for the characters even more. The villain was insane and creepy. His fascination with Tara was scary and I really can't believe all the stuff he was able to do.

I really liked the FBI agent and how, even though he had a job to do which did pull him away from personally protecting Tara at times, he still was very invested in her protection. I also liked Tara, but I did think some of the things she did were a bit foolish, but understandable considering the circumstances.

All in all, Fatal Mistake was a great opening to Susan Sleeman's new series, White Knights, and I am eager to read the next book! I definitely recommend Fatal Mistake.

*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Some books take a bit to get going—this isn’t the case with Susan Sleeman’s Fatal Mistake. From the first pages, a character is running for her life. The tension that begins with that page, doesn’t let up until the last chapter.

Fatal Mistake is a novel that pits a top FBI team against a terrorist with a personal agenda. Through the course of the investigation, we get to know Tara and Cal. Watching them both work together is part of the enjoyable aspects of this novel. Both have some trust and faith issues that they need to overcome all while dealing with a man who is killing women with bombs.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be a very fast read (not sure if that was the writing or the tension just pulling me through, because this was a hard to put down book). Susan Sleeman is a new-to-me author, but she is one that will continue to be on my list of authors to keep an eye out for. I fully intend to read more by her in the future—particularly from this series.

If you are looking for an action-packed novel with some suspense and a dash of romance, give this one a try.


**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Susan Sleeman’s most recent suspense novel is one that will keep you up at night……because you must know when or if the killer will be caught.

I love to read books that are so realistic that you can almost taste the fear and danger that the characters are experiencing. Ms. Sleeman’s latest story most certainly answers that desire and delivers a chilling race against time to catch a killer who is determined to destroy not only those he believes are traitors to their faith but the one woman who “should have loved him”. Tara Parrish’s life literally explodes when she accidentally stumbles on the workshop of the Lone Wolf Bomber, never dreaming her childhood friend Oren could have become a murderer. Barely escaping with her life, she goes into hiding, praying she can stay one step ahead of the man who has vowed to kill her. Tara’s only problem is that Oren is not the only one looking for her. FBI Special Agent Cal Riggins saved Tara’s life and hopes that she will help him capture the Lone Wolf Bomber before he kills anyone else.But Tara doesn’t want to be found, by Oren or Cal, and it will take another attempt on her life to help her realize that people are dying because of Oren’s fixation on Tara’s “betrayal” of him. Agent Cal Riggins is frustrated – not only has the Lone Wolf Bomber eluded him for months, but the one person who could help Cal track him down has been hiding from him (very well, mind you) as well. But Cal’s team isn’t touted as the best in the country for no reason. When he finds Tara, he won’t have found the scared, naive woman he rescued months before. Tara has become hardened, both physically and emotionally, and she is not going to come with Cal without a fight. But after Oren tries to kill not only her but Cal and his team, Tara decides she is tired of running and wants this fight finished – whatever that will take. I so enjoyed reading every page of this story! I had it with me on a day that I was running errands that gave me lots of waiting time and I got annoyed each time I had to put it down to go to the next place – it was that good. Ms. Sleeman presents a story that is very relevant to the time in which we live and yet she was able to make it timeless as well with the theme of unrequited love driving someone to cause destruction. The tension that she creates is so palpable I found myself holding my breath on several occasions as I waited to see if Oren would succeed in his terrible tasks. And her main characters were very well developed to give me a sense of walking beside them through the case and actually pondering questions or ideas of possible targets they should consider at times when I wasn’t able to read the book. I further liked the spiritual journey that both Tara and Cal make throughout the story. Given the horror Cal has seen on this case, he’s having a hard time reconciling how God can allow the numerous murders of innocent people. It will take Cal truly trusting in God to help him walk through this case without seeking vengeance rather than justice. Tara knows God cares about her, she’s just not sure she can trust Him, or anyone,to keep her safe from Oren. And her guilt over those who have died during Oren’s search for her make her even less willing to reach out for the help and comfort she isn’t sure she deserves. One of the main reasons I like to read Ms. Sleeman’s books is her honesty when she describes attraction between two people. While she keeps the content clean, she shows the real emotions and feelings of the characters involved – making it very easy for her readers to connect with them. It is always good when an author shows that professional protectors or agents are human too, not just case focused machines that never feel anything. Not that Cal became consumed by the attraction he felt for Tara but Ms. Sleeman did show his journey to falling in love with Tara, rather than just being physically attracted to her. Tara as well was shown to journey from a place where she had hardened herself against relationships to finding that trusting and loving others is how God designed us to live. And to see that they were both willing to give their lives to save the other just made these characters some of my all-time favorites. The other characters that were featured in the book were also well done. I have a good idea that Ms. Sleeman will continue the story of this team and their cases, but will most likely have each be shown through the individual eyes of the team members. I love reading military or crime series such as this and am looking forward to what Ms. Sleeman will be offering next. I will most certainly be passing this story along to others and hope they will enjoy this fast-paced nail bitter as much as I did.

I received this E-book free of charge from Faithwords/CenterStreet Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either of these companies for this review.