Beneath the Surface

Lynn H. Blackburn

Mar 2018 · Dive Team Investigations Book 1 · Baker Books

About this ebook

After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.

Ryan finds satisfaction in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.

Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new voice in romantic suspense. Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go until the final heart-pounding page.

Ratings and reviews

Wow! This is the fabulous first thriller in an explosive new series, Dive Team Investigations. The author far exceeds my expectations with female leads this reader could connect with, scenes that elicit fear or excitement, the potential for a long-awaited romance, and a plot in which the bad guys/ gals quickly escalate attacks. All of this, with serious spiritual lessons and a sweet, renewed revelation of God’s love and faithfulness. Ryan and dive partner Gabe, both homicide detectives, are in Lake Porter, in beautiful central North Carolina on a regular training dive, when he finds remains of somebody chained to weights on the lake floor. They need to investigate the site as much as possible for clues. Ryan visits Leigh, who is living in her late parent’s home with a dock that is perfect to coordinate from. Ryan’s best friend since high school is Leigh’s older brother Kirk. Leigh is an oncology nurse, but a patient who couldn’t be cured stalked her during the worst of his disease. She returned home and began to work nights in the Emergency Department of the local hospital. Even though the patient has died, Leigh continues to hold her friends at a distance. Seeing Ryan, the subject of many teenage dreams at her door, was a surprise. That evening she went to work, and the next morning her brakes went out on steep, descending grades. After emergency surgery, Ryan told her that her brake line had been cut. He was assigned her case as an attempted homicide. With her stalker dead, was there yet another stalker? The stakes are impossibly high for both Leigh and Ryan as the attempts on her life escalate. First and best, the author includes spiritual struggles with which many Christians who have gone or are going through trials have encountered. Leigh begins to examine her faith, or lack thereof, and is stuck on questions that I have certainly been stuck on. After many years of infertility, Leigh and her brother were adopted by their parents. We are given windows into the faith of their parents as she recalls and considers what they had shared. Ryan, whose family has also seen prolonged trials, understands and mirrors her questions. These are pages this reader wanted to savor, to glean from. They are so well and clearly written; the author demonstrates her understanding of faith and the several apropos scriptures included. We get to know Leigh and Ryan best; it is easy to have empathy for Leigh and two other ladies, Anissa, a homicide detective, and Sabrina, a professor. This group that has bonded closely through the dual investigations. I am very impressed with each character involved in the investigations and how they fit into the whole! They are the kind of team that I would want on my side, or to be on their side. Plot twists escalate the suspense and some even change the course of the investigations. It is very finely plotted and executed, leaving no loose ends or suspects. The crimes are intricately interwoven, providing no end of frustration to those studying security footage and internet sites. I had considered and discarded the real killer, and am too embarrassed to admit who I began to suspect! I highly recommend this novel, especially to those who appreciate Christian mysteries and suspense with a bit of romance. Accolades to this author for this riveting, spiritually enriched read! From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this novel from the author; a review was not required.

Enthralling read! Great action and suspense. Can't wait to read the next in the series!!

About the author

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Hidden Legacy (Love Inspired, June 2017) and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She's passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don't make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children.