Monday, July 7, 2014

Book Review of Silenced by Dani Pettrey

A fantastic read! Dani Pettrey's fourth installment in the Alaskan Courage Series is out and she hasn't missed a beat yet!


Cover ArtJake Knew Something Was Wrong. 
But He Never Guessed 
How Wrong. 

A relaxing day of rock climbing takes a disturbing turn when Kayden McKenna's route brings her face-to-face with a dead climber. Is it a terrible accident or something darker? When the case is handed to overburdened sheriff Landon Grainger, he turns to Jake Westin for help. With Jake's past now revealed, he's ready to use his talent for investigation again--but he could never prepare for where the mystery will take him.

Kayden's climbing expertise soon leads her and Jake to the realization that the death was no accident. And worse, it seems the killer is onto them. When strange things begin happening in Yancey, Jake is terrified that once again his world may put someone he loves in danger. But the truth is far worse than he could ever imagine. 

Silenced was an exciting read filled with an amazing cast of characters. Most of them are all familiar to readers who have been following the series all along. I read this book from that perspective, having started with Dani and the McKenna clan in book #1 Submerged. I am not a good person to ask how the story holds its own to a reader just joining the fun. However, each of the past characters plays a supporting role in the book, continuing on with their story lines slightly. This makes the characters more fleshed out then just names and casual mentions. 

I have been looking forward to this story line since the middle of book #3 Stranded. Kayden always drew my curiosity in the ways she poked and prodded at Jake, hoping to prove him a fraud. In book #3 we all got a glimpse into his secretive past making us all, Kayden included, like him a little bit more.

Now in Silenced we have the full growth of that change into a budding romance. And a sweet one at that. Jake is
anything but a fraud. He is a gentle man filled with protectiveness, spirit and faith. He fights hard to protect the woman he's falling for and the family that supports her. A wonderful hero.

It was also fun to peel back some of the hardened outer layers of Kayden and see into her heart. She is a strong woman with her own demons and secrets to secure. Yet, with faith, time and the gentle prodding of a compassionate, caring man she learns to reveal her true self.

The suspenseful plot was responsible for a few late nights, but thankfully I was compelled to finish it in only a few days! Pettrey has a gift for keeping the reader moving along. Her twists and turns are engaging and believable. This book is tops in that category. I can't even tell you why, or I might spoil the ride for you. Loved the twist!!

Again, Pettrey sets the stage for another round. The book adds in a couple new points of view later in the book as bad-boy brother Reef gets a voice along with newcomer Kirra. At first this threw me off. I found it distracting to the story line my heart was invested in. It became clear as the story went along that this was the pre-staging for the next book Sabotaged. However, it was a bit jolting so late in the story. Even still, I am looking forward to see what trouble those two characters will get in to. (Release February 2015.)

Overall, a fantastic addition to your summer reading list! Excitement, romance, enthralling settings and deep, engaging characters - a perfect mix!

As always Dani Pettrey has tons of fun for her fans at her author webpage - soundtracks, fun facts, excerpts and much more. Check her out - check the book Silenced out and be sure to watch for the new release of book #5 Sabotaged!

Thanks to Bethany House, and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. These thoughts are my own and I was not required to review it positively.

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