This is a fast paced FBI crime mystery that just so happens to also be a Christian novel. From Trenton's death, to the threatening note left on Risa's car, to the essay that implodes, to the romance between Risa and Gage. Diann Mills takes the reader on a whirlwind journey full of twists and turns and palpable suspense.

The characters are easy to connect with because they are written with depth. The plot makes it a page turner. Pick this one up if you get a chance. You will not regret it.

Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills is about two Houston FBI agents who delve into the dark workings of violent crimes against children division. After the death of her brother, Risa takes a leave of absence and begins looking into his murder, which takes her on a journey to discover an illegal high-level baby adoption ring. The story contains page-turning content and a plot that holds the reader's attention. I enjoyed the storyline, characters, and the questions it causes one to consider about the kind of support that is available to mothers choosing life for the unborn child within them. It has a predictable happy ending, but I didn't mind a neat bow at the end of such a tragic story.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a clean weekend mystery, but I wouldn't refer to it as a 'heart-pounding' thriller.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers, for an arc of this book for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

#FacingtheEnemy #NetGalley

Written in first person prose, with the chapters going back and forth between the two main characters, DiAnn Mills presents a Christian thriller that's well worth the read. Romance and mystery/thrills are throughout the book. I did feel like that the intensity of the mystery thrill was amazing throughout the whole book until the last couple of chapters and then the mystery seemed to wrap up too fast and the romance took over. But all in all a 4* read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, DiAnn Mills and Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me this kindle arc version in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! If it was a cup of delicious, doctored coffee, I would be thinking how delightfully yummy it was!
The characters and plot were especially engaging! FBI Special Agent Risa had reunited with her brother and watched him die before her eyes. She was horrified that he sacrificed his life for hers. Risa's partner, Special Agent Gage, had loved Risa since he first met her. They were working on solving a complex case where babies and birth mothers had gone missing. The author masterfully brought in their relationship with The Master to show how the characters' faith affected their questioning and dealing with their own grief/guilt situations. If those were not enough, the note from the author at the end was very special. I am so glad I read this book, as this author writes magnificent books!
I very much appreciate reading this book, compliments of the publishers. The thoughts expressed are my own.

Facing the Enemy is a stand-alone romantic suspense novel by DiAnn Mills. FBI agent Risa Jacobs watches her brother be killed before her eyes in a hit-and-run accident and learns that she was the intended victim. Racked with grief and determined to find out who is after her, Risa takes a leave of absence from the FBI and becomes a college professor. However, Risa is still on the case and her former partner. Gage, enlists her help to solve a string of baby adoption kidnappings. Mills has weaved together an intricate plot that will keep the reader entranced until the last page.

Wow! This was my first book by DiAnn Mills & I’m now a fan! If you enjoy romantic suspense, this book is a must read. From the get go, I was drawn in to this fast-paced, suspenseful, FBI mystery with a sweet romance and touch of faith woven through. It really kept me guessing, and didn’t shy a way from violent, evil enemies with nefarious intent.

Risa Jacobs’ an FBI agent who just lost her brother in a terrible pedestrian hit and run accident. Her grief, pain, and need for finding the killer supersede everything else. When she receives a threatening note, putting her parents and FBI partner in danger, she agrees to a leave of absence and begins teaching a college writing class. When one of her students turns in a writing assignment with seemingly unbelievable detail about her brother’s accident, she’s immediately suspicious. Could he be playing a cruel joke or does he have the answers to her brother’s death?

Risa enlists the help of her former partner Gage Patterson who she’s secretly in love with. While Gage was upset about Risa leaving, he understood her reasons and tries to suppress his growing feelings and attraction while being her friend and support. He’s been working on solving a baby kidnapping ring, but agrees to investigate Risa’s student. What follows is an edge of your seat thriller as Gage and Risa seek for the truth in both cases.

I loved Risa & Gage. Risa is a strong willed, intelligent, yet softhearted agent who doesn’t hesitate to act, often without thinking through the ramifications. I felt like her struggle with anger and faith was very realistic and well written. Gage is a calming force who steadies her and supports her. I loved their relationship and couldn’t wait to see if they would admit their feelings for each other.

The suspense was nail-biting and just when I thought I’d figured out what was going on, I was thrown a curve ball. The red herrings and false leads kept me turning the pages trying to figure out who all was involved in the crimes. I enjoyed the way the two mysteries were intertwined.

Highly recommend, especially to romantic suspense fans! I can’t wait to read more books by this author. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are completely my own and voluntarily provided.

CW: some violence, baby kidnapping, murder, loss of sibling, grief.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Facing the Enemy is a winner for me when it comes to a good heartstopping Suspense. Risa is excited to see her brother again, but the outcome is nothing she ever expected. It wasnt until she went back to her old job of teaching that the issues are brought to life. She was surprised that an assignment turn in was an account of her brothers death, in chilling details. With the help of her former partner Special Agent Gage Patterson, details start to surface.

This chilling and thrilling story will truly have you sitting on the edge of your seat bitting your nails. I love getting to know Risa and Gage as I followed rheir journey trying to find who is doing all of these crimes. As they look into Risa’s student, Carson’s life they find more than they bargained for, but a start on who and where the responsibility falls on.

I really like Risa and Gage and learned a lot about law enforcement and what is involved in a case. Author Diann Mills does a fantastic job with researching her story well, and it shows in the detailed scenes throughout the story. The twists and turns will have your head spinning and wondering what is coming next. I love these stories such as this one. I was so engrossed in the story, I didn’t want it to end. If you enjoy a good heartstopping Suspense thriller full of chills and pulls out all the bells, then you need to read Diann Mills Facing the Enemy. I’m giving this book Five Stars, and oh how I wish I could give it more.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I've been reading DiAnn's books for at least a decade and am amazed by her ability to create so many different storylines that give us an immersive look into an aspect of law enforcement. The amount of research she's conducted for her books is impressive. This one is a slow build and ensures you won't be able to figure out where it's all going to land.

Trigger warning for those sensitive to crimes surrounding children. There's nothing graphic, but baby kidnappings are not easy to think about.

"A strong woman faces the enemy and walks through the fire. Just like you're doing. A coward stuffs her grief and attempts to will it away."

As an FBI agent, Risa should be able to handle whatever comes her way. But suddenly she is trying to navigate a grief that she never anticipated. Hiding away is not helping. But will she know how to find the answers that she seeks? Is she willing to reach out to those who care about her and want to help?

This is another incredible romantic suspense book by this author. After so many years of writing incredible fiction, how the author can continue to come up with original and interesting plots amazes me! So many twists and turns. Once you start reading this book, you won't want to stop.

This latest book by DiAnn Mills is highly recommended.. If you enjoy books that keep you guessing without all of the gore and yuck, I highly suggest that you pick up this one. Glad I could read this book on NetGalley. I wanted to read and review it. All opinions are my own.

Facing the Enemy sweeps you up on a whirlwind of suspense and carries you all the way through to the end. With intense moments of suspense, mystery, and intrigue you’ll be turning pages long past midnight. The author has done it again, writing a tale that’s both suspenseful and heartwarming. I absolutely recommend this clean romantic suspense.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy a copy of this book for my review.

I always look forward to a new DiAnn Mills book, and Facing the Enemy proved worthy of the anticipation.

Can you imagine watching a life changing tragedy, then getting an essay turned in with details only someone involved could know about? That’s what happens to FBI Special Agent turned college professor Risa Jacobs.

Risa turns to her former partner Gage Patterson to help her figure out what’s going on with her student. Gage has been focused on a string of baby kidnappings but agrees to help. It doesn’t take long for the pair to realize their cases may be connected. But can they solve the mystery before one or both of them wind up dead?

As ever, DiAnn Mills delivers a gripping story that’ll keep readers guessing about the eventual outcome. I did stay up too late reading, despite being in the middle of moving house when this hit my nightstand. If you like fast-paced, cleverly written romantic suspense stories, then this is highly recommended.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley but the completely enjoyment (and dark circles round my eyes) are my own.

Facing The Enemy is long time favorite DiAnn Mills’ latest romantic suspense offering. Filled with unexpected twists, this book kept me guessing! That’s a big plus for me. Featuring FBI agents Risa and Gage, their usual professional demeanor is put to the test when crimes become much too personal. That aspect kept the story interesting and begged the question how does law enforcement keep an objective mind when elements of a case come too close to home? I felt Mills developed both of the characters in realistic ways. Their growing romantic relationship was put to the test as well — but that ending satisfies too. 😉 There are tough issues explored — human trafficking, child endangerment — that, unfortunately, keep this novel relevant. We live in an evil world and confronting and exposing that is hard. But Facing The Enemy is not a book without hope. There is a strong faith element that runs throughout the book. We may not always understand or agree with God’s plans, but He is faithful and loving in spite of our doubts.

I enjoyed the fast-paced action, the realistic characters, and the plot that made me suspect just about everyone. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, put Facing The Enemy on your TBR list.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Risa finally gets together with her brother, Trenton whom she has not seen in a long time only to have him murdered in front of her after they had dinner together. Come to find out that the murderer was actually after her. They had been estranged from each other as Trenton had gone through a rough time over his use of drugs.

Risa and her partner Gage, who also have some romantic feelings for each other, are both agents of the FBI. They both work for the Violent Crimes Against Children of the Houston FBI.

After her brother is killed, their investigations lead them to a kidnapping plot in which babies are taken from the mothers and put up for adoption, and not through legal means.

The further they get into the investigation into Trenton's death and the illegal adoptions take them right into the mess that this all is.

Told in separate viewpoints, in the first person we also learn a bit more about Risa and Gage. There is a lot to unpack in this novel. Romantic inclinations, murder, and what and why was she the target for this hit and run, which killed her brother instead.

This book is pretty fast-paced and I did figure out who the bad guys were probably 2/3rd of the way through the book. This is not the first book I have read of Ms.Mills, Concrete Evidence was the first. These two books are not part of a series. Both of the books have Christian faith as part of the story. Not overly religious myself this did not deter me from reading the books. In fact, it helped to understand the characters.

DiAnn Mills knows how to weave a suspenseful tale with romantic leanings, very clean which is nice. As the story went on, I was cheering Risa and Gage and hoping that at the end they would end up together.

I enjoyed the book and give it 5 stars.

Facing The Enemy

So I enjoyed part of this story, but in the end, the cons unfortunately outweighed the pros in terms of content.

Negative Elements

Language: screwed up, sucks, darn (each used once). Someone uselessly tries to deny their affection for someone, and tells the person who pointed it out that they were talking through their rear. (Whatever they meant by that, this was really inappropriate.)

A mention of someone deserving a good rear chewing.

Other negative content/triggers:

A side character is found beheaded.

A male character offers for a female character to use his place as a safe house. Not a wise idea, especially considering his past choices and regrets. They don't, but this was terrible idea to even bring up.

A mention of his past sin, and the guilt the character still carries because of it.

The female MC wears a sorta short off the shoulder dress.

Blood- a character writes a short story in which the villain has a disgusting desire to spill blood, and lots of it. :-P

So it's a bummer that because of all the various bits of crummy content, I have to rate this one star.

If you want a good clean thriller/suspense story, I recommend reading the author's previous book, Concrete Evidence instead.

Thank you the publisher for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and the thoughts above are my own.

Facing the Enemy was such an intense read. This is the first Diann Mills book I’ve read. I can assure you, I want to read more. Her writing pulls you in and you become hooked from the first few pages.

Both main characters are dynamic, smart, and in love with each other. The problem is neither one has spoken about it with the other. They were FBI agent partners until someone killed Risa’s brother in a hit-and-run. She finds out they really were trying to kill her. The guilt and shame that Lisa goes through is heartbreaking when she knows they are after her.

Gage is kind loyal and good at what he does. Working together to find Lisa’s brother's killer, they become closer and closer. There were so many smaller pieces in this story that started weaving together the picture. I felt like I was on a wild ride where I could either jump off or hang on for dear life. This whole storyline is so compelling you don’t want to put the book down. There were several red herrings in the novel to keep readers on their toes. Mentally I’d sit there reading while simultaneously trying to put everything together, The other part of the story is about a baby being kidnapped and a ring of people that sold stolen babies. This was an emotional book about Rosa’s brother dying and the many babies that had been taken away from their now-empty arms.

I know this is vague but I will never ruin a book and give away details. Facing the Enemy is a novel that Romantic Suspense readers need to latch onto and put aside time to read. This book was such a great and emotional read with enough romance and suspense to keep all readers happily sitting on the edge of their seats.

This novel is set in Houston, Texas. Risa Jacobs works for law enforcement - It has been five years since she moved to the violent crime division, specifically crimes against children. Risa and her Partner in the FBI agency, Gage Patterson, worked together to investigate kidnappings, pedophiles, pornography, online predators, human trafficking, involuntary servitude, parental kidnapping, and any other instances that fall into the violent crimes against children.

Risa hadn't seen her brother Trenton in years, who was caught in the act of drug and alcohol addiction. Then, they decide to meet up at a restaurant to express their sibling's love. Trenton during this meeting asks for forgiveness from his sister for his addictions and lets them know he has changed for many months to be a clean person. On their way, a driver speeds up his SUV and kills Risa's brother Trenton at the intersection of the road. Risa takes the blame for her brother's death, she couldn't feel anything other than guilt and shame. Risa was driven and determined to find Trenton's killer. The only person who could stand by her showing compassion and support was her friend FBI Gage. The Security cams from the restaurant had captured the crime and one of the witnesses got the license plate number - But the SUV was abandoned and stolen hours before reported. Since Risa had been involved in this incident, the FBI and the Houston police department had formed a task force to investigate the case.

Risa had an outstanding record with the FBI but she decides to resign thereafter, Risa finds a note paper demanding and threatening her to resign from her job at the FBI immediately asking her to watch out that next it will be her as Trenton died in her place, now she knows someone wanted her to be dead. She goes technically on leave. The status allowed her to view the investigation into her brother's death. She intended to find her brother's killer. Risa returns to teaching as an English professor as she hasn't found a single piece of evidence. Lots of questions started to haunt her - Who could have followed Trenton when he left to meet Risa? or hacked into his phone to learn the date and place. What if Trenton recognized the SUV.

Meanwhile, Gage had been working on the Missing Addington baby case. Gage gets a new partner to work with - Jack Bradford. Depression and grief cuffed Risa hoping that she would find Trenton's killer.

Carson Lowell - one of her students has something to do with Trenton's death. Carson's story-writing final paper submission to Risa's class paves the way to the exact scene of Trenton's death. How did Carson have a clue that his English professor had been a Federal agent? Carson is the eye witness or he is the murderer? Both the cases - Trenton's death and Addington's case to find the abducted baby take priority investigation in this novel. Risa and Gage share a romantic relationship even when their Jobs take the front seat. As partners, they work together to find the killer and the organized ring of abducting babies of parents.

The combination of high-stakes action, thrilling twists, and gripping research of the author makes this crime novel very original and genuine. This book deals with some horrific criminal issues that took me by surprise that the public society of the USA faces today such as Murder, Kidnappings and abduction, security systems, and even terror attacks that people have to watch out for. Every page has nail-biting sequences that keep readers wanting for more!!

Thanks to Partners in Crime tours, Netgalley, and Tyndale House Publishers for an advance copy for my honest review.
Smitha Agy: - Novel nerd blog: https://smithareading.blogspot.com/

If you like a twisting, turning, nail-biting murder mystery, you won’t want to miss Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills. This is my first experience in reading one of her books and I was absolutely wowed!! Her attention to detail and keeping the reader guessing is inspiring. When the criminals are revealed, I realized I was clueless with my detective work. Maybe you can do better. I dare ya!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

A sinister plot has a target on Agent Risa Jacobs back, with connections that she can't understand. She steps away from the FBI, but the only way to protect herself may be to go looking for answers.

Risa has had a hard time since her brother's death, suffering with survivors guilt while pursuing a quieter life. The book spends a lot of time in her head as she deals with everything that has happened to her. While this book has elements of romance, it isn't really a romance as the characters already know how they feel about each other and spend most of their time apart in the beginning, but I did really love when they worked together. There is a lot going on behind the scenes as they try to make it all make sense.

It was a slower build, with good character development, and I liked how the book dealt with Risa's struggles of faith and self blame. An entertaining read filled with suspense, strong characters who do a very difficult job for the right reasons, and a good message of faith in the dark times.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have to start by admitting that I've not quite finished the book so my review will be on what I've read so far and I will come back and edit the review when I've finished the book.
From reading the blurb I didn't realise that the book was classed as Christian crime fiction so the heavy amount of Christian religion in it from the first few pages took me by surprise and if I'm honest put me off the book a little and is why I'm still not finished reading it.
The story confuses me at times and I think it's because this feels like two separate books a romance and a crime, almost as if the author wasn't sure which she wanted to write and I'm not sure if they have been woven together as well as they could have been.
That being said I do like the crime element and the adoption/kidnapping crime ring and how Gage and Jack are trying to bring it down and aside from the religious elements I do like the writing style.
I feel like we haven't got to know Risa or Gage well enough, that this possibly feels like the midway book in a detective series rather than a stand-alone novel.
As I said I've not finished the book yet so my opinions may change but currently despite liking the writing style due to the religious elements being so heavy-handed I don't think I would pick up another book by this author.

I really enjoyed this story! The characters were well-written (although I did find the dialogue a little challenging at times), and the mystery kept me guessing. There was a little more gore on page than I like, but it didn't deter me from the story. I would enjoy seeing these characters in a series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.