Deadly Ties

A Novel (Crossroads Crisis Center)

Christian - Fiction
326 Pages
Reviewed on 02/12/2011
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite

Lisa Harper has lived separately from her mother Annie for years. Not because they wanted to; they had no choice. Annie signed custody of Lisa over to someone else to protect her from Dutch Hauk, Annie's controlling, abusive second husband.

Lisa has worked hard to become a doctor; the plan had been that as soon as Lisa was able to support Annie, she would leave Dutch. Just as that plan is about to come to fruition, Dutch sets something in motion that just might keep them apart forever.

Mark Taylor, a former special operations spy with the group "Shadow Watchers", is now the chief of security at the Crossroads Crisis Center. He has done everything in his power to keep Lisa and Annie safe, and somewhere along the way, he started falling in love with Lisa. Because of his past, he has always dreamed of being loved and wanted, not just needed. When he and his friends from the Shadow Watchers realize that Nina (an organization they were working to bring down) is involved in Dutch's plans, they plan on doing everything in their power to keep Lisa safe, while bringing down Nina. Can it be done?

This book started out a bit slow for me, but once it got going, it was a real thrill ride that had me on the edge of my seat on several occasions. The main characters in this story carry burdens from their past, but that doesn't stop them from having hope and faith in God. Lisa was an amazingly strong character, determined to take care of her mother. Mark carried blame for the death of his mother and his friend in Iraq...things that were out of his control, but he still felt responsible. The love story that unfolds between the two is touching, and they fit so well together. The banter that went on between Mark’s friends from the Shadow Watchers was often very funny but also gave us a true look at the close bond between them.

While this story is the second story in the Crossroads Crisis Center series, it can easily be read as a standalone work. If you’re a fan of Christian suspense that draws you in with a great plot and characters that will keep you riveted to the story, then you definitely should pick up this book!