Cover Image: Crosshairs

Crosshairs

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Exciting, page turning romantic suspense. It will keep you guessing with many surprises along the way. Great characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

A return trip to the Natchez Trace Park in Mississippi brings on suspense, danger, and action. A teenage girl was found dead and Investigative Services Branch Ranger Ainsley Beaumont of the National Park Service is the lead investigator. She lives in Tennessee but is just back from a cruise and since Natchez is her hometown, she was the logical choice. An old high school boyfriend and former FBI sniper, Linc Steele is working on the Trace as an interpretive ranger tour guide. An bad incident caused him to leave the FBI but because of his background he has been asked to help Ainsley. After an awkward start, they are able to work together and a good thing when someone attacks Ainsley. But before she was attacked, her aunt fell in her home under suspicious circumstances. Not sure who her attacker was, all precautions are taken. Then her other people close to the dead girl are shot. This is an action packed story that is hard to put down and lots of people to look at for possible shooter/attacker(s), including an escaped convict who Ainsley put away or maybe someone close to Ainsley. Suspense, politics, old secrets, drugs, old hurts needing forgiveness, faith, romance...this story has it all to make it a great read.
I received a complimentary ARC from Revell Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Was this review helpful?

I like this type of book. This is a quick read...an enjoyable afternoon or early morning...a protagonist that one likes from the beginning...she works to solve the mystery...the setting is the south...a favorite part of the country...this is just a book one will like...It was sent to me by Netgalley for review electronically.

Was this review helpful?

This third book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series has all the same suspenseful vibes as the rest. Once again, Patricia Bradley treats her readers to a page-turning, nail-biting, bet-you-can’t-guess-what-comes-next suspenseful read.

Ainsley and Linc are very likeable lead characters, each imperfect with issues to resolve by the end of the story. Secondary characters pepper the pages, and perhaps Ainsley’s Aunt Cora and Grandma steal the scenes in which they appear. I LOVE those ladies!

There’s a lot of drama, chases, shoot-outs, cover-ups, and more. Patricia Bradley is a master of disguising the true criminal, leaving readers guessing until the final reveal. And then when all is exposed…

I look forward to the next book in the series (please say there is one!).

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Crosshairs in the third book in Patricia Bradley’s Natchez Trace Park Rangers series. This book was a fantastic continuation to the series.

Just like the rest of the series, Crosshairs is full of suspense tempered with a bit of romance. Patricia Bradley writes fantastic characters that are relatable and have realistic character arcs. I love how every character has to go through some manner of growth throughout the story. The plot of this book was great. There were so many twists and turns and I did not see all of them coming.

If you love romantic suspense then definitely check out this series. The books can be read as standalones but why not start with Standoff.

Was this review helpful?

I love this Natchez Trace Park Rangers series by Author Patricia Bradley, and I so enjoyed Crosshairs, number 3 in the series! It's been fun to read them in order, but they can totally be read as standalones too. Fans of romantic suspense with love the romance, humor, and all the twists and turns in this suspenseful tale!

We encounter Investigative Services Branch (ISB) ranger Ainsley Beaumont when she arrives in her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, to investigate the murder of a pregnant teenager. Ainsley has always had a distant relationship with her father, and it's not improved at all. She has let her faith slip away in her years away from home, and now she's requested to work with a boyfriend from her past, former FBI sniper Lincoln Steele on this case. He's dealing with his own issues as to why he is a "former sniper."

Sparks fly (whether she wants them to or not) as Ainsley becomes the next target. And as she's seen the many changes in Linc, although not just physically, but this was funny. "He hadn't even the decency to go to pot. Instead, his form-fitting T-shirt revealed sculpted muscles as she slipped out of the black slicker."

I LOVE her Gran and her great aunt Cora, they are a hoot. I'd like to be like them when I get old, they are full of wisdom and humor. Her Gran said to Ainsley "I always prayed to God to put His desires in your heart. " " Honey, never compare God to your dad. He has frailties and weaknesses. I should know, I raised him. God will always be there for you, and he'll never give up on you."

"You playing possum Miss Cora?" "A person learns a lot that way," she replied.

I highly recommend "Crosshairs" by Patricia Bradley! Thank you to the author, Revell, and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Ainsley Beaumont is with the Park Service and is an Investigative ranger. She has been sent to her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, to investigate the murder of a young girl at a campground. Lincoln Steele, her former boyfriend, who used to be an FBI sharpshooter, has now been employed by the Park Service and is doing tours. The chief asks for him to partner with Ainsley in investigating this murder. They are both still suffering from the breakup but are apprehensive about the close proximity of working together. Add in Ainsley's grandmother and her grandmother's elderly sister, and you have all kinds of drama and suspense. This has concurrent suspense threads which makes it more interesting. I like this author! I'm going to look for her two previous books in this series.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

As part of the Investigative Services Branch of the National Parks service, Ainsley Beaumont has returned to her hometown to investigate a murder on the Natchez Trace. While Ainsley is happy to reconnect with her grandmother and great aunt, she really doesn't care to see her father or her ex-boyfriend Lincoln Steele. More mysteries ensue around her grandmother's 'fall', missing diaries, and someone that tries to kill Ainsley. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is the first book that I read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the mystery. I plan to go back and read the previous books in the series and add the author to my TBR list. The book is full of suspense and I love that there is more than one mystery to solve. I like that Ainsley and Lincoln needing to work together slowly reconnected them. I also like that Lincoln is remorseful about their breakup years ago. This Christian romantic suspense mystery can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone.

Was this review helpful?

Crosshairs by Patricia Bradley was an outstanding continuation of her Natchez Trace Park Rangers series. I have enjoyed the excellent writing of Ms. Bradley in the other books of the series, but I appreciated the intrigue, mystery, and very surprising and unexpected plot twists in Crosshairs. This was a very entertaining and wholesome book full of adventure, crime solving, multiple overlapping plots and the great themes of faith, family, forgiveness, and love. I would give Crosshairs a high recommendation.
Crosshairs begins with Ainsley Beaumont returning, or should I clarify, being pulled over for speeding and left with a warning, to Natchez, Mississippi. Natchez was Ainsley's hometown and where she grew up, but not where she wants to be. Unfortunately, due to her job as an Investigative Services Branch (ISB) ranger, Ainsley must investigate the murder of a pregnant teenage girl. Ainsley has much to deal with, but what she didn't anticipate was working alongside Lincoln Steele, the man whose heart she broke.
Lincoln Steele has been put in incredibly dangerous and difficult situations before as a FBI sniper, but none has prepared him for this. Lincoln is an interpretive ranger at an estate in Natchez, Mississippi and love his job, especially as it does not require him to carry a gun. Lincoln had a close call in his past as a FBI sniper, where he almost shot an innocent bystander, leading to tremendous guilt and an inability to carry and shoot a weapon. Lincoln has not moved on from his first love, Ainsley, but still secretly harbors feelings for her. When Ainsley waltzes back into his life, Lincoln must guard his heart from being broken again. Can he help Ainsley and protect her from her enemies without triggering his past guilt? Will Lincoln and Ainsley be able to bring justice to the criminals in this deceptively complex investigation? Can their recently renewed relationship survive the troubles they face? Read Crosshairs to find out. You will not be disappointed, I promise! Happy readings!
Disclaimer: Revell graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

A compelling read full of twists and turns right to the end. The strength of the characters encouraged me to walk the path God's called me to walk. Such truth in their lifestyle.

Was this review helpful?

Patricia Bradley is a new to me author and since suspense is my favorite genre, I decided to give her a try. This is quite good suspense, very detailed with well done characters. I enjoyed the plot and locale of the story very much. And there was a super surprise twist at the end that I did not suspect. Well done.

My thanks to Revell Publishing for a copy of the book via the Net Galley platform. The opinion here is my own.

Was this review helpful?

Crosshairs by Patricia Bradley is the third book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series. Each can be read separately. Ainsley works as an Investigative Services Branch ranger.

She has been asked to come in and work a murder of a teenager who was three months pregnant. In the process someone is trying to kill her. Is it related? Then add in her family issues with her dad and you dont know what will happen next. Why does he want the diaries. I loved the addition of her grandmother and her great aunt.

Lincoln was back at the Trace after leaving the FBI after almost killing a child. This storyline gave you an interesting perspective into what snipers have to deal with. Lincoln is now an interpretive ranger that gives tours of the facility. He and Ainsley have a past which they work through as they try to find out what is going on.

The story has a lot of action and characters to keep you guessing.

Violence - several people end up in the hospital and not all of them make it out.
Drug - some of the teens are doing drugs which plays into the story line.

Was this review helpful?

"Crosshairs" is a Christian romantic suspense. This is the third book in a series, but it works as a standalone novel. The main characters were engaging, complex, and reacted in realistic ways to events. They asked good questions as they investigated and worked well together. The suspense came from the physical danger to Ainsley since more than one person hated her enough to want her dead. There were also several mysteries that needed to be solved: Who murdered the girl? Who wanted Ainsley's relative's diaries enough to kill for them? And is a criminal that Ainsley sent to prison the one trying to shoot her?

Since we get the bad guy viewpoints, we know more about the dangers than Ainsley does. However, both Ainsley and Linc were sensible about protecting themselves. Linc realized that he needed to genuinely ask God to help him overcome his mental inability to shoot a gun so he could help protect the woman he loves. Their high school dating relationship broke down because of Linc's fears and selfishness. They worked through their past issues as they spent time together. He's changed, and Ainsley admired the man he's become. He built her up and genuinely trusted her abilities. He simply wanted to protect her with more than shouted warnings.

Ainsley came to understand that God did care about her and wanted the best for her life. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.

Was this review helpful?

Crosshairs is a very well written romantic suspense. The plot and characters are well developed. This book is a real page turner and suspense fans will not be disappointed. Patricia Bradley has written another winner.

Was this review helpful?

Crosshairs by Patricia Bradley features a chase through the park with bullets flying, a dead girl, and the burning flash of romance. The plot opened with a dead body on the scene, which definitely captured my suspense loving mind. While I wanted more focused on the forensics behind the element of who murdered the poor girl, the story focused more on chasing who did it without seeing the study of the clues on the body. Yes, the heroine does wander around the woods and goes into the church, but not much time spent on the scene. The heroine does focus on asking different people present at the campground and in the Natchez about the girl, so she does follow through later. The plot was interesting. I could not wait to see how it played out. As for the romance, the heroine and hero had been in a relationship together back in high school. Then life happened. The driven- down emotions were still just below the surface and wanting to break through the whole time of the story. The characters, especially the heroine, have a good backstory that I completely empathize with. She had spunk and determination. I like her personality. The hero fell a little flat to me. He was needy and helpful, but I really did not like him. Overall, Crosshairs by Patricia Bradley lives up to its name as a romantic suspense novel. Lots of action and romance to keep any reader interested.

I received a complimentary copy of Crosshairs by Patricia Bradley from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Was this review helpful?

If you love action, suspense, second chances, and a crisis of faith this is the book for you. Patricia Bradley knows how to weave a story that draws you in from the very beginning and keeps you up late at night.
Ainsley is called back home to Natchez to work on the murder of a teenaged girl when she comes face to face with Linc the man who broke her trust years ago. As a former FBI agent he’s been asked to help assess the crime scene. She isn’t sure how she’s going to be able to work with him. The attraction is still there, but so is the hurt.
Linc is surprised to see Ainsley and soon realizes old feelings haven’t died. Soon the danger is ramping up and instinct tells him this is only the beginning. The stakes are high and the body count is rising. He hasn’t carried a gun for years. With multiple suspects can he keep Ainsley safe, and possibly win back her love?
This series keeps getting better and better—one of the best books I’ve read this year.
I was given a copy of courtesy of Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group. This is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

It's hard to believe that the time frame of this book only lasted about one week. There was so much going on every chapter felt like an extra day. With more than one bad guy it was hard to guess who the killer or killers were. I liked that. I'm so glad that Lincoln and Ainsley got a second chance.

Was this review helpful?

This is the third book in this series but can also be read as a stand alone book. This is a romantic suspense with lots of twists and turns. The book ending felt very rushed and it did leave a lot of unanswered questions and unfinished story lines

Was this review helpful?

ISB.Ranger.Ainsley.Beaumont sent to Natchez to investigate the murder
Former FBI Lincoln as another set of eyes was sent in to help her
15 years a choice her dream or him, can they work together. now
Cora was hit in the library, while a tornado was raging outside,
Puzzling when one. noticed the wet spot on the carpet.
Cora whispering about new diaries she just found.
Things escalate when a shot was fired at Ainsley
Finding one of the thirteen guns of Blake missing.
Found the plot didn’t flow for me as well as the first two in series
Each can be read as a stand alone story. Overall was a good plot.
The author gave us suspense with romance which she is known for
Given ARC by Net Galley and Revell for my voluntary review and
my honest opinion Releases. Nov 2, 2021

Was this review helpful?

The third in a series ("Natchez Trace Park Rangers"), Patricia Bradley, keeps the suspense going until the end, throwing in plenty of surprises for the reader. While it is part of a series, it is easily read as a stand alone book as the series is bound by the characters rather than the story line itself.

As a result of reading this book, I have ordered it for my library. I did receive it from the publisher in exchange for a honest review so the fact that I'm purchasing it should tell you that I found it worth the time and money to read!

With other series such as the "Logan point" series and the "Memphis Cold Case" series, Patricia Bradley has established herself as a crime writer to be read.

Was this review helpful?