Deadlock by DiAnn Mills

Two murders have rocked the city of Houston.  Are they the work of a serial killer, or is a copycat trying to get away with murder? 

That is the question facing Special Agent Bethany Sanchez, who is eager for her new assignment in violent crimes but anxious about meeting her new partner. 

Special Agent Thatcher Graves once arrested her brother, and he has a reputation for being a maverick. Plus, their investigative styles couldn’t be more opposite: he operates on instinct, while she goes by the book. When hot leads soon fizzle out, their differences threaten to leave them deadlocked. But an attempt on their lives turns up the heat and brings them closer together, and a third victim might yield the clue that will help them zero in on a killer. 

This could be the case of their careers . . . if they can survive long enough to solve it.

Available on Amazon, Deeper Shopping

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers' Choice, and Carol award contests. 
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America's Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

My Take:
After enjoying the first couple books in this series, I was really excited to read this one. FBI mysteries and crime solving are some of my favorite reads. However this book was a little shy of what I expected.

The book starts out with Bethany Sanchez first day on her new job, a transfer to violent crime unit from another department. She is partnered with Thatcher Graves, an agent who once sent her brother to jail.
The day begins with the second scorpion killing in a short time. The two struggle to hit it off due to their different approach at crime solving and there is a lot of stress between them.

What I liked: The plot was creative. There is quite a bit of action. It spans a period of about two and half weeks and there is a lot happening. DiAnn does a great job of incorporating the faith spectrum in the lives of both main characters, as well as some serious family issues, especially in Bethany's case. She is estranged from her family due to her lack of support and enabling of her delinquent brother and also her difference in faith. That is a huge struggle for her. Her strength and reliance on God and good friends is encouraging.

What I didn't like as much: The relationship with Bethany and Thatcher. I totally understand what the author is trying to portray, I just didn't like the way it came across. Bethany and Thatcher begin their relationship with a whole lot of tension and one minute they are cutting each other down, the next they are building up. I am not sure why, but I just didn't enjoy that part. It's like a love hate relationship to start, but within the span of just a few weeks, they are romantically involved. Also a few things in the book didn't really add up for me.
(Don't want to give away spoilers) There were also quite a few characters to keep up with as well as how they tied in with each other.

The author however did a great job on playing up the killer and keeping you guessing during the whole book. It could have been any number of people. Up until the end I did not really know who the killer was or how everything tied together. I would read other books by DiAnn. This book was just not my favorite one in the series.

I received this book from Tyndale and The Book Club Network in Exchange for my honest opinion.