The Survivor

The Survivor
(Crime Scene: Houston)
DiAnn Mills
(Zondervan)
ISBN: 978-0310333227
March 2013/384 pages/$14.99
Is it her next bestseller . . . Or her last words?

In The Chase, award-winning author DiAnn Mills introduced you to the world of Kariss Walker, the bestselling suspense author with a nose for trouble. In The Survivor, Kariss gets the chance to tell her most powerful story yet. But will it revitalize her writing career? Or bring it to a violent end?

Kariss meets Dr. Amy Garrett, who survived a brutal childhood attack in which the assailant was never found. Now Dr. Garrett wants her story written in a novel. Kariss wishes she could seek the advice of Special Agent Tigo Harris, but she broke off the relationship a few months prior and seeing him again would be too painful. She interviews Amy and conducts her own research, stepping unaware into a viper’s pit of danger.

Tigo misses Kariss and wants her back, but he understands why she broke off their relationship. Instead, he concentrates on solving a car bombing and bringing the killer to justice. As Kariss’s new story attracts an onslaught of danger that she never expected, can Tigo save the woman he loves and find who wants her dead for writing about an unsolved cold-case?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed suspense-filled novels. DiAnn’s first book was published in 1998. She currently has more than fifty books published. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won placements through the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Carol Awards and Inspirational Reader’s Choice awards. DiAnn won Christy Awards in 2010 and 2011. Learn more about DiAnn at her website.


MY THOUGHTS

DiAnn Mills is on my short list of must-read suspense authors, and The Survivor is yet another reason why. Like The Chase (which I reviewed here), this novel is based on an actual cold case from the Houston FBI files, a heart-wrenching kidnapping and attempted murder which the victim survived. Mills skillfully communicates the details of the attack without being graphic or sensational and her portrayal of the now-grown Dr. Amy Garrett, and the lingering emotional scars she bears but tries to hide, is utterly authentic. As in the previous book, I loved Kariss Walker and suspect Mills has poured some of herself into this brilliant character! Kariss is strong, independent, and firm in her convictions, especially the one about not dating Tigo as long as he doesn't follow Christ - yet she still struggles with her feelings. (As for Tigo and his partner, Ryan, I'll just say we could all sleep better at night if every law enforcement officer were like them!) This is not a benign cozy mystery. Plenty of heart-pounding action kept my pulse racing as Mills ratcheted up the danger while providing chilling glimpses of the perpetrator's thoughts. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves suspense, just don't expect to read only a chapter or two at bedtime and then drift off to peaceful slumber!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an copy of this book free from DiAnn Mills. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”