Concrete Evidence
by diAnn Mills
Pub Date: October 4, 2022
Tyndale House
Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC of this Christian suspense book.
This author is very popular at our library and I have already preordered this one. I just wanted to read it before we get it to put on the shelf. This was a solid Christian suspense novel with some good themes. Recommended for readers who enjoy suspense and romance. I don't enjoy the romance part of this novels, I am mainly there for the mystery but I did appreciate that there was a continued awareness that the characters had been thrust together in the face of urgent circumstances. They acknowledged, multiple times, that they would need to get to know each other better, once everything had calmed down.
I recommend this book.
4 stars

Concrete Evidence is a romantic suspense set in Texas at the Brazos River Ranch. Avery Elliott finds her grandfather standing with a gun over a dead man. She wants to believe his innocence and contacts FBI special agent Marc Wilkins for help. Someone or several someone(s) are killing friends of her grandfather. While they are pursuing leads and trying not to get killed; they prepare for a hurricane that is on the way. There seems to be someone after them at almost after every turn. But, who is it and why? This is my first DiAnn Mills book and I really enjoyed it. I have since downloaded another book of hers and look forward to reading more from her back list.
*I received a copy of this book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

DiAnn Mills has written an outstanding romantic suspense. Concrete Evidence is a fast paced page turner. I couldn’t put this book down. I definitely recommend this book . My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

"Concrete Evidence" is another intriguing thriller by DiAnn Mills. This book keeps you guessing until the very end. The characters are well developed and very likeable. I thought I had the threat figured out until there was a twist that I never saw coming! I highly recommend this book and all of DiAnn Mills books. She writes good, clean, suspenseful books.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

A huge thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I am a huge fan of DiAnn Mills so it devoured this book ,pretended to forget about it and then thought about it again. The title should have told me how engrossing this book was but I missed the memo LOL. The book is about family, healing, sacrifices , greed and friendship. The book tells the story of Avery who one day finds her hero -her grandfather standing with a gun over the body of a dead man. To add fire to the fuel they are under investigation over a dam construction and it doesn't help that the body count is increasing. Her grandfather then decides she needs to get help in the form of FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins . Concrete Evidence is a romantic suspense that will heart warm you but also has ' did they do that moments'. I would say go into this book blind to enjoy it more.

Concrete Evidence, written by DiAnn Mills, is another nail biting story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. DiAnn kept me guessing through the entire book as to the origin of the threat. Just when you figured out the “bad guy” there was another twist to make you rethink your choice. As always when you read a book by DiAnn Mills – Expect an Adventure.

Excellent book! I really enjoyed the story, and DiAnn Mills captures your interest immediately. Murder, intrigue, sabotage, etc. Don't want to give too much away. Read the book!!

Concrete Evidence is the latest book by DiAnn Mills. It is sure to keep readers guessing as the story of suspense, mystery, misunderstandings, and a wide variety of characters unfolds through twists and turns.

When Avery Elliott finds her grandfather standing over a body with a gun in his hand, it sets off a series of events filled with multiple murders, accidents, near-deaths, threats, and danger. Characters are introduced who may or may not be the bad guys, leaving readers wondering who's telling the truth and who isn't until the end of the book.

Who to trust and who not to trust becomes a matter of life and death as Avery and FBI agent Marc Wilkins work together to find answers to their many questions before it's too late. Throw in a hurricane and the questionable structural integrity of a dam, and you have Concrete Evidence.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley from Tyndale for a fair and honest review, which is exactly what I gave.

Oh I am honestly wrestling with the direction to take with this review. I have opted to only share this version with NetGalley and to edit it a bit for other platforms.
Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills is packed full of things I like mystery, romance, questions, plots, ranches, cowboys, heroines, heros, faith, family, and friends. But it also had a lot I don't know how to express. I don't want to be overly critical but I feel like, as a NetGalley reader, I need to share my impressions. The voice of this novel came through as very grandmotherly. I love grandmothers and many of the authors I follow are grandmothers but the tone or voice of the stories rarely come through in such a way that I hear a grandmother voice in my head (unless a specific character lends to it). I really don't want this to be a criticism of an aging author but it is an aspect I wanted to share.
I enjoy DiAnn Mills writings. I have read many (if not all) of her stories and am always enraptured by her talent and imagination. This particular story didn't captivate me as much as many others have. While I enjoyed the plot of the story and trying to figure out whodoneit (on multiple fronts) the characters lack the dimension that I've come to expect from Mills. Multiple times Avery and Marc expressed they needed to wait to pursue a relationship until after the case was solved but then they didn't (over and over). I'm not sure why all the rage in novels anymore seem to be to have the characters be under the same roof ... but this author is not alone in that happening. I understand when a safe house is needed but this story didn't follow the same type of safe house set up I'm accustom to reading.
All that said I enjoyed the faith journey these characters took. I found several quotes that were noteworthy and believe they would make great promo graphics for this release.
Here is my review for other platforms:
Avery Quinn Elliott III is not what one would expect as someone who carries their father and grandfather's name. She is a professional in every aspect she can control but when her world is shaken by an unexpected encounter with her grandfather everything seems to unravel. Special Agent Marc Wilkins is grieving the loss of his estranged father when the unexpected Avery Elliott arrives at his office and thrusts him in the midst of her unexpected tale.
Both Avery and Marc are growing in their faith journeys as they lean on the Lord and each other to figure out what is happening at Avery's family's ranch and with their construction business. How can he best keep her safe and figure out what is going on?
DiAnn Mills once again keeps readers in suspense as she unravels Avery and Marc's tale. This novel has lots of quotes to take to heart and reminders to trust Jesus with whatever life throws at you, even when it sweeps in like a Texas twister or a cat 5 hurricane.
Thank you NetGalley and Tyndale House for the opportunity to review this book.

I hate to say this because I love Diann mills books but this one was a little bit clunky. It seemed like some chapters skipped ahead from where they ended. Making sure feel like in had missed something. I also didn't find super plausible that she was supposed to hide and went to a hotel with her own vehicle etc..

This book I could not just read and ahh it was an awesome book. No the deeper message came and nestled into my heart. It lingers with you and tugs on your heart.  Nothing is more important than God and the ones we love. No money. No work. Nothing . . . We meet Marc and Avery on their quest to find the truth about his Father and her Granddad. A truth so deeply conceiled it nearly cost them their lives.  DiAnn Mills you did an excellent job with a thought provoking story that kept me on pins and needles to see what is going to happen next!!! Absolutely loved it! Job well done!

Concrete Evidence – DiAnn Mills

I waited a while before providing feedback on Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills. Not because I disliked the book but rather because I wanted to contemplate my words. I have enjoyed every DiAnn Mills book I have read, and Concrete Evidence is no exception…as long as I did not think too hard. Unlike most of her books, certain aspects of Concrete Evidence didn’t line up for me. It could be because I inhaled the novel like it was fresh water in a desert. Or it could be because of my career in emergency management and my horse experience, both of which led me to ask “What?”

I liked Avery and Marc’s characters; Mills does a great job developing them as people and making them likeable. Avery and Marc were not her most relatable characters, but they’re still the type of individuals readers want to root for. With danger around every corner, of course readers want everyone safe! You’d be pretty heartless to wish otherwise when you read DiAnn Mills novels! She makes it impossible not to be in the characters’ respective corners. Avery is trusting until circumstances dictate otherwise; meanwhile, Marc is the opposite. It served as a nice contrast.

Where I struggled with Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills: Research errors made me cringe, and this, in turn, affected my believability of the plot. Avery rides horses, for example, and gives a lesson to another character. As a horse person, I understand the terminology better than most. Certain aspects of the horse segments were incorrect and left me with cartoon question marks over my head as I tried to figure out what Mills meant to say. It mostly surrounded the equipment placed on the horse in order to ride, also known as tack. A few examples:
• Most riders don’t ride with a halter under the bridle. I do if I’m not riding in an arena, but typically, it’s unnecessary. Looking back, I think she was trying to describe the headstall, which is not synonymous with a halter.
• A bit does not go over a horse’s nose. You put it at the front of a horse’s mouth and stick typically your thumb and middle finger on both sides of the mouth, at the back, and behind the molars to prompt the horse to open its mouth. Then you gently pull the bit up and over the tongue.
• Avery points out different parts of a bridle: noseband, browband, crownpiece, and throatlatch. These are common parts on an English bridle not a western one like what Avery would be using at the ranch. Unless you’re doing speed or high-impact events like roping, you do not use a noseband/tie-down in western riding.

Finally, I struggled with the novel’s portrayal of a hurricane. The National Weather Service has no authority to issue evacuations; those come from the local government. Furthermore, I understand that a hurricane may not concern residents that live farther inland, but when the storm hit, there was no noticeable shift in the book’s tone. It seemed to soften the serious nature of a Category 5 storm. For featuring a hurricane in the novel’s synopsis, I expected more.

Overall, Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills was another successful addition to her authored novels. DiAnn Mills balances suspense, danger, and romance in a unique story that will leave readers wanting more. DiAnn Mills, sign me up for your next one!

"Concrete Evidence" is a Christian romantic suspense. Some parts of this story were unrealistic and others were never satisfactorily explained. So much about horses was wrong. While I enjoyed that the heroine rescued the hero (unfortunately, in a scene full of unrealistic aspects), this came at the expense of the hero being incredibly dumb. He knew who the killer was. He saw that the person had a hidden gun. He didn't call/text for backup. He didn't put off the confrontation and arrange for a safe arrest later. No, he confronted the killer and immediately gave up when the killer pulled the gun, like he hadn't expected that response. Sigh.

On to the unexplained: The bad person wanted a digital file and acted like there was only one copy of it. And it's not like that was the only evidence against the killer. Also, the first video of the dam inspection wasn't of a different dam or something, so how did no one notice the foundation was flawed or that it was the same video in the second inspection? Surely multiple people viewed the thing. Surely different people carried out independent inspections of the foundation before the rest of the dam was built, etc.

Avery and Marc were both nice people, but they didn't share any interests and didn't always get along. Once, Marc wanted to wring her neck, yet he kept thinking about what a good team they made. Well, about her lips, at least. It seemed like they wanted to get married mainly so they could freely kiss (and more). Marc and Avery both just assumed that she'd go live with him and live at his paygrade even though she's rich. I'd have preferred they discussed it beyond a few sentences, summarized: 'You'll have to give up living wealthy!' which was met with 'No problem' rather than 'Why?'

The constant danger was suspenseful. The mystery was both complex and oddly easy to solve. (I was sure whodunit was a certain person. Avery was certain it wasn't him, even though all evidence pointed toward him, so I said, 'if not him, then that person.' I was right.) The characters were likable. So it's not a bad story, but more...exasperating. There was no sex or bad language.

This book is full of mystery, drama, suspense and so much more. Avery Elliott is not sure what to expect when she finds her grandfather standing over a body, as things escalate she must rely on FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins. Marc and Avery must work together and keep their feelings at bay, all while trying to stay alive, find a killer and solve the mystery of the dam. I love the writing style of DiAnn Mills and look forward to more from her.
I was given a copy of this novel for my honest opinion.

This book was so well written, I felt like it was right there in the story. I loved these characters, and the way they came to life and made me feel like I really knew them.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

You will be kept guessing who the suspects are in this case until the end of this book!
Avery is the granddaughter of a wealthy rancher and Senator, their extensive ranch is run by Avery and her Grandfather. Avery overhears her grandpa talking to a man about moving a body and keeping it quiet then Avery sees her grandpa bend over a body with a gun in his hand and he is told to hide the body.
The body was that of a friend, Colonel Abbott Wilkin, and the police claimed he died of a heart attack, but his wife and son, Mark don't believe the report.
The next day Avery confronts her grandfather, he denies killing anyone and he says he has to go to Austin and he does not know when he will return. Avery gets an anonymous call telling her to do what her grandfather says or she will be killed. So Avery decides to go to Houston and stay at a hotel so she can't be tracked.
Avery's grandfather calls her and tells her to talk to Mark Wilkins, Colonel Abbott's son, an FBI agent and tell him what she saw and heard.
But the killers know her every move, they follow her and Mark and threaten them both.

DiAnn Mills always keeps me guessing. Concrete Evidence had so many possible "bad guys" that it was tough to choose which one was responsible for all of the awful things going on.

Avery Elliott was raised by her grandfather, Senator Quinn Elliott, from the great state of Texas. She helps him run both their Brazos River Ranch and their commercial construction firm. She knows her grandfather as a man of extreme integrity who believes in God first, Family second, and Country third, so when she finds him in the family cemetery, standing over a dead body, and holding a gun, she can't believe the evidence her eyes are showing her. When she then discovers a billing discrepancy having to do with the construction of the Lago de Cobre dam, she knows she needs help to prove her grandfather's innocence. The senior Elliott asks her to trust no one - except FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins. Can they unravel the mounting evidence against her grandfather, and find the person who is really responsible for the weakness in the dam?

With a hurricane approaching, and the dam's structure questionable, can Marc keep Avery safe from the person intent on silencing her? Every time he thinks she's out of danger, someone shows up trying to take her life. Someone, somewhere, has to be tracking her, but how?

This book had so many different "villains", but all of them tied back to the same person - eventually. I never could have guessed this one! (It kind of started to feel like the game "Whack-a-mole", where every time they'd eliminate one threat, another one popped up.) I liked the romance that developed between Avery and Marc, and Mills' thorough understanding of working with concrete, and building a dam, was impressive.

As always, Mills is a MUST READ AUTHOR for me, and Concrete Evidence was a thrill ride from the first pages to the dramatic conclusion.

Avery Elliot was raised by her grandfather and now helps run his construction company. When questions arise about a local dam the company built Avery is determined to uphold the family business and find out what is going on. Unfortunately there are forces that are trying to destroy the Elliotts and they will stop at nothing to succeed.

I really enjoyed this thriller! It was fast-paced and exciting. I loved the characters. Avery was strong and learned to stand on the faith that her grandfather had taught her all her life. Marc was an FBI agent looking into the murder of his father. As they pursue their cases they grow closer together. The romance was light, but well-developed. A great story that kept me entertained!

DiAnn Mills always wants her readers to experience an adventure when reading her books. And believe me this new book, Concrete Evidence will not let you down. Once you start the first chapter until you finish the book, you are on an adventure. The characters in this book are truly memorable.. The book is action-packed.

Again DiAnn Mills has knocked it out of the ballpark..

Wow! Avery and Marc’s story is a high-octane race against time that kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. The characters are well-rounded and likable. The plot moved along nicely with some great twists. The tension and conflict in this story were well placed. Just when you think they were safe, wham! Something else happens. This puts the reader right into the story, holding their breath. The author’s use of sensory is done effectively. It brings the words on the page to life. Loved it. Highly recommend Concrete Evidence.