Being a fan of Irene’s work, the arrival of a new series is exciting! This one is entitled Code of Honor, and the lead male in Dangerous Illusions definitely lives up to the title. The book kicks off with the emotional death of our leading lady’s mother and, at first glance, it seems a sad but ordinary occurrence. It’s no spoiler to know that it isn’t and the real twist is FAR more eerie, disconcerting and out of the blue! The characters are tangible, my heart went with Trish each step of the way, Colin is easy to connect with and the villains have depths and backstories that make them believable. Much more on the actual story will spoil the mystery and the tension that runs throughout. Sufficed to say, I loved it, I can’t wait for the next one and I read the whole thing in one sitting, so beware, it’s addictive! It’s a 5 out of 5 on the enjoyment scale!

Great start to a new series!

With a tale so complex and twisted, Irene Hannon will keep you guessing and interested in the mystery. Art teacher Trish suddenly finds herself wrapped in suspicion after her mother's death. Strange and scary events happen and cause Trish to question herself. Two men, Matt the account and Colin the detective, offer assistance during her grief, but something seems off to her. Which man can she trust and what will it cost her? Some illusions are dangerous, indeed.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

Dangerous Illusions by Irene Hannon

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Story Notes

Irene Hannon brings her skills to bear excellently with her newest story and series combined into one. She places her story in the suburbs of St. Louis with a grieving widow who is still reeling from the death of her husband 3 years before and is caring for her mother who is recovering from a devastating stroke. Add to this her very involved job teaching art/putting on student art shows for high school students in low income families and Trish Bailey is one very busy lady. Her mother is the administrator of the family fortune, which is funding many deserving charities around the country, and her accountant Matt Parker has become the willing hands to ensure that the charities are given the funds they need in expedited fashion. But tragedy will soon invade Trish’s life, when she comes home to find her mother dead with suspicious circumstances. Enter Detective Colin Flynn of the Crimes Against Persons Bureau for SLPD, who is tasked with figuring out whether or not Trish is responsible for the “accidental” death of her mother. Given Matt’s version of recent happenings of the family in which Trish has “been rather forgetful” of things lately, Colin is not sure what to believe. Trish doesn’t strike him as a vengeful or greedy person but all is not as it seems. As Trish and Colin begin to work to piece the puzzle together they will find there are much darker forces at work with Trish’s mother’s death and the charities she supported. Why has Matt Parker become almost a different person, one who is pushing for more responsibility for charity monies? Why is he trying to make it look like Trish is unable to handle her responsibilities because of stress? And why are there Russian operatives in St. Louis trying to find Matt’s brother Craig? All these questions and many more are the basis for a wonderful story that will have readers anxious to find out what is coming next and who exactly Matt Parker is. Ms. Hannon also brings a sweet romance into the pages of her story which gives extra dimensionality to the plot. Readers will be holding their breath and praying for Colin to get to Trish in time to save her life, and will be thrilled at the conclusion of the story. I am also most pleased with the way Ms. Hannon weaves faith so seamlessly into her stories – showing that true faith is a lifestyle not a one-time prayer. I loved how she made clear distinctions between the “good” and “bad” characters, making their words, thoughts and actions so opposite as to ensure that no one would mistake them. And her inclusion of justice dealt from consequences was a nice touch too, taking the responsibility of capture or death of the culprit from the Colin and letting him focus on Trish instead. Ms. Hannon is careful in her crime details and in making sure all important threads of her story are tied at the end, while also leaving just a few that will let her bring in her next story as a good continuation of this first one. I am most readily looking forward to the next story and have added it to my “2018 To Read” list. I will be recommending this book most highly to my friends, family and blog readers and hope they will enjoy it just as much as I did.

I received this E-Book free of charge from Revell Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.

Trish Bailey had gone through so much turmoil over the preceding two years, losing her father and husband in a horrible accident which left her mother confined to a wheelchair unable to do so many of the things she loved. Seeing to her mom’s care and working as an art teacher in an underprivileged school kept Trish from focusing on her great loss, and also from forming new relationships. Was the mounting stress impacting her judgement, possibly with deadly consequences? Matt Parker was living a life of solitude, hiding from things in his own past, but was considering the possibility of nurturing a relationship with Trish. His job as accountant for her parents’ charitable foundation often put them in one another’s company. Trish’s mom was certainly in his court. Might Trish be ready to succumb to her mother’s match making attempts? Detective Colin Flynn of the St. Louis County PD only had two people of any significance in his life, his two best friends from school, but their ties were stronger than many families. Yet, in spite of many of his protestations to the contrary, Colin was beginning to sense his increasing readiness to find the right person and settle down. Unfortunately, the only woman he had been drawn to was right in the middle of one of his investigations. Would she still be free by the time things were wrapped up? If not, would it be because of he had placed her under arrest, or because another man was already endeavoring to win her heart?
When reading Dangerous Illusions, expect the unexpected. Major plot twists are headed your way. If this first book is any indication, Hannon’s newest series, Code of Honor, will be every bit as wonderful as her last, Men of Valor. As a matter of fact, readers of that series will renew acquaintance with a couple of familiar characters, Mac McGregor and, through his stories, his wife, Lisa. While the story has some romance, it is the mystery that keeps the pages turning. It is what keeps me coming back to Irene Hannon’s books again and again, always happy to see when her newest series hits the market.
I wish to thank NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Dangerous Illusions in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Fantastic start to her new series. What a villain and book has some interesting plot twists.

Wow! Edge of your seat suspense!! the twists and turns this book took were amazing. Trish Bailey thinks she's losing her mind from all the stress she is under even to the point of accidentally killing her mother, Colin Flynn is the detective in charge of the case. The case takes an interesting turn with the accountant Matt Parker. The title of this book says it all....Dangerous Illusions.

Dangerous Illusions is a great read. Had me guessing wrong through most of the book trying to figure out what was going on. Trish's memory lapses and the emotional turmoil she has gone trough for the last two years makes her think she has made a deadly mistake. When the police get involved and want the case settled, Detective Craig Elliott is having problems believing Trish was capable of the accidental murder. Especially when they start having feelings for each other and other incidents happen. Full of danger, suspense and romance. I can't wait for the next book in this series and I'm also going to check out Ms. Hannon's other books.

I received this book from NetGalley and Revell for my review.

Enjoyed this book very much. A page turner. Suspenseful yet a good love story. You enjoy the characters. Colin and Trish flirt and learn to trust each other. Plenty of action in between. True Irene Hannon style. Love her books

Irene Hannon rocks! This new series is awesome, having just finished Dangerous Illusions I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

What does murder, embezzlement, stealing identities, Mafia, have to do with a young woman who has already lost a lot? You soon realize that Trish comes from a rather well to do family, and they are big on giving back, but money can’t buy happiness, and she has lost her husband, her Dad, and her Mom was severely injured, in an accident. Trish spends her days teaching and taking care of her Mother, but evil has a way of winding its hand in and that happens in this great book, but things are not always as you perceive them to be.

This is a Christian meeting the evil of the world. Early in the book you meet Detective Colin Flynn. The interaction between Flynn and his longtime friends was great! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense with a little romance thrown in for good measure!

Irene Hannon is in a league of her own, one of the greatest mystery Writers I have ever read, and her new series does not disappoint. They just keep getting better and better

Trish is under a lot of stress and attributes some of her recent absentmindedness to that stress. But when her mother suddenly passes away it appears that Trish may have mixed up her medication by mistake. Detective Colin Flynn is handling the case and at first it appears that Trish's mother's death is just a terrible accident. Trish is still having memory lapses and is thankful for her mother's accountant Matt who manages her mother's charity. Trish's mother would have liked nothing better than for Trish and Matt to get together. But there is no chemistry between the two of them and when Matt's behavior changes after her mother's passing, Trish becomes suspicious and enlists Colin to look into Matt's background. What at first appears to be a squeaky clean background soon turns up some pretty shady dealings that could put Trish at risk. Will Colin be able to find out all he needs to know before Matt's past catches up with him?

Wow! Dangerous Illusions had some amazing twists and turns and kept me turning the pages until the end! It was filled with suspense and deception and a bit of romance, the perfect trio of things I love in a story. Just when I thought I had everything figured out I'd turn the page and another twist would present itself! Dangerous Illusions will keep you awake into the early hours even when you tell yourself, "Just one more chapter." But you still have to continue on to find out what happens next. I can't wait for the next books in the series because I really enjoyed Colin's friends and look forward to reading their stories.

Note: I also posted the review on Christian Book Distributors. It takes up to 72 hours to post on that site. The other sites I posted are in the links. I also post all reviews to facebook.

Dangerous Illusions is the first romantic suspense book in the Code of Honor series written by author Irene Hannon. Wonderful characters and storyline. Thanks to NetGalley and Revell Publishing for the advance copy.

I loved that this case required quite a bit of detective work rather than being all action. There is action that happens, but we really get to dig into the cases with the detectives. Even though as a reader I was introduced to the villain, knew their motive and got their point of view, I felt like I was right there with Colin trying to solve the cases and figure out how (if) they were connected.

Trish has gone through so much in the last couple years; and is used to being the one to take of others and herself. Who does she turn to when she becomes the focus of a police investigation? I couldn’t imagine the guilt she would have been feeling when it appears that she messed up her mom’s meds. I really felt for her, but she was much stronger than she gave herself credit for. She was strong in her faith and never questioned God through it all. Colin comes from a difficult past but his experience has motivated his passion for the work he does. His persistence to get answers was admirable and I liked how he was blunt expressing his intentions to Trish. I absolutely loved that Mac from Buried Secrets was included as Colin’s partner. The ribbing he gave Colin about Trish and him trying to play matchmaker was hilarious.

As I got further into the story I had what I thought was a crazy theory about one character but the closer we got to solving the cases my theory turned out to be really what happened and not a theory at all. I was so excited and shouted “I knew it!” (my husband just looked at me and shook his head.) There was a moment where I was scared that help would not arrive in time, but the ending left me satisfied. Justice may not have been brought to all characters in the story, but was served for the main characters. Sometimes this is just the way it is in real life. I was pleased with the way Ms. Hannon weaved the story and characters together, it was filled with intrigue, suspense, romance and friendship. This was a wonderful start to a new series, I can’t wait to get to know Colin’s friends more and see what else Ms. Hannon has in store for readers.

For readers who are lovers of romance and suspense, this is the book for you! Couldn't put it down. I finished this in two days. Trish has a lot of stress in her life. Her husband died suddenly and now her mother's health is not well and Trish has moved back home to help care for her mother. She is also a school teacher. Her parents had established a foundation which gave money to good causes and Matt is their accountant who oversees this and meets with Trish's mom monthly. Matt has a romantic interest in Trish, whose affections she does not return. When her mother unexpectedly dies and it's discovered that she was given too much of one medication, Trish questions if she made the error as she is the one who puts out her mom's medication for her. She realizes she is under a tremendous amount of stress and this only adds to it.
Detective Colin Flynn is put on the case and he's suspicious that it is not a memory lapse and something more sinister may be going on. As information unfolds, it becomes evident that this is much larger than first thought and Trish's life may also be in danger.
This story has a lot of twists, turns and surprises. My disappointment is that Trish is a professing Christian, Colin is not. She seems to want to pursue a relationship in spite of this. The story never mentioned that he became saved, only that he started 'praying to God.' That does not equal salvation and I hope the story wasn't implying that. As a book labeled as Christian Fiction, I would have liked to have seen more true Christianity in the story.
I was given an ecopy of this book by the publisher, Revell and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Irene Hannon is one of my favorite authors in the Christian Suspense genre. I was excited to read it, but I should have known better than to start it late in the evening, because I couldn't put it down! The main character, Trish, has had a lot of sad, life-changing events happen in the last couple of years. When she unexpectedly finds her mother dead after returning home from a movie, she is in shock. The detective assigned to the case is very kind to her and they are immediately drawn to each other, but first he must solve the crime and make sure she isn't involved. What follows are a lot of plot twists that leave the reader racing to turn the page to see what happens next. A very enjoyable novel by Irene Hannon. I look forward to reading the next one she writes in this series and highly recommend this book!

DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS is a page-turner by Ms. Hannon. I started this book Sunday afternoon and by bedtime I was almost done! I was right in the middle of the ending, so I had to stay up another hour to finish so I could reach the HEA.

I felt for Trish, as the caregiver for my mom after her stroke, I can't imagine the guilt I'd feel if I was accused of deliberately overdosing her. I was glad when other suspicious things happen and the detectives on the case take it seriously and start looking different directions.

When two cases merge into one, and then more surprises happen, and a third case appears, it is a race against time and Trish's life is in danger.

Filled with intrigue, suspense, romance, and questions with no easy answers, this is a book to keep reading from start to finish. Ms. Hannon is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors and this book is a perfect example of why.

Even though we KNOW who the bad guy is, plenty of questions are left to be answered. And Ms. Hannon has unexpected twists thrown in.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

"Dangerous Illusions" is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the first book in a new series, but it's also a stand-alone novel. It's one of my favorite by this author. Trish has been through a lot of loss and heartbreak. She's used to taking care of herself (and others), so she initially had a hard time "bothering" Colin to ask for help. But even though she's independent, she was sensible and wasn't stubborn about having her own way.

We know who the cruel bad guy is and his goals, so we can see the danger even when Trish has every reason to think there is none. Still, Trish did start putting the pieces together pretty quickly, told her idea to Colin, and he promptly investigated the angle she suggested. I liked that he was supportive, caring, and respected her. While I strongly suspected how the end suspense was going to play out, I still had a pounding heart as I read it, partly because she was afraid and I cared about what she was going through.

The main characters were Christians, though Colin started out feeling like praying was pointless. We mainly saw their faith through how they treated people and what they cared about. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful, intriguing novel.

rish Bailey is on overload trying to deal with a demanding job, an ailing mother, and a healing heart. When a series of unsettling memory lapses leads to a tragic death--and puts Trish under police scrutiny--her world is once again thrown into turmoil.

Detective Colin Flynn isn't certain what to think of the facts he uncovers during his investigation. Did Trish simply make a terrible mistake or is there more to the case than meets the eye? As he searches for answers, disturbing information begins to emerge--and if the forces at work are as evil as he suspects, the situation isn't just dangerous . . . it's deadly.

This is the first book in the Code of Honor series. Irene didn't disappoint with this book. There are twists and turns everywhere. I thought I had it figured out. But I was wrong. It's not a sit on your seat suspense book but mystery through and through. I didn't want to put it down.

Dangerous Illusions

by Irene Hannon

Revell

Christian

Pub Date 03 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of Dangerous Illusions through Revell and Netgalley:

Trisha Bailey has her hands full dealing with a mother who is ailing, a healing heart and a demanding job. When her Mother dies unexpectedly and she begins experiences memory lapses Trisha’s world once again turns to turmoil.

Did Trish simply make a mistake with her Mother’s medication, a mistake that lead to her accidental death or was something deeper, darker going on.

Irene Hannon once again takes a reader on a deep and windy ride,with characters who become alive on the page.

I give Dangerous Illusions five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

“There should be smooth sailing ahead” (location 1531). Famous last words. Trish often seems to be in a spot where things should get easier but time after time it doesn’t prove to be true. Caring for her ailing mother who thinks Trish has grieved for her dead husband long enough, while finishing out the school year, is crazy enough. But when she starts forgetting things, and tragedy strikes, even her friends can offer little comfort.

I love the action and the suspense. I enjoy watching how the police handle evidence and go about trying to find the culprit. A potential suspect herself, Trish is amazingly strong. Most people would fall apart dealing with everything she goes through. There are twists and turns as she learns who she can trust. It makes for a great read. I’d highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.