Whenever I read a book by DiAnn Mills, I know I'm in for a wild ride and an exciting adventure. This captivating story is no exception.
After losing her little sister at a young age, wilderness survival expert Therese Palmer has dedicated her life to helping others, especially children. When Russian professor Rurik Inanov reaches out for help in retrieving his kidnapped daughter, Therese doesn’t hesitate to lend her expertise. Complicating matters, the kidnapping hasn’t been reported to the police or any other agency. With time running out, Therese knows she needs assistance from someone with experience in crisis management and negotiations. Blane Gardner, a Texas Ranger, comes to mind. Though she had been on three dates with him in the past, she had quickly ended things when he declined her suggestion to attend church with her. Nevertheless, she believes his skills make him well-suited for the vital mission of saving young Athina.
Equipped with trackers in Athina’s shoes, Therese and Blane trek through the treacherous terrain of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. As the FBI becomes involved, they receive alarming information indicating that a Russian organized crime syndicate is behind the kidnapping. Athina's father has already paid a ransom of $3 million, but now more is being requested.
There are many unexpected twists and turns to this riveting story. I could not put this book down until I turned the last page. I highly recommend this fascinating book that is full of adventure but also delivers an important, heartfelt message.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

A gripping story that takes the reader on a breathtaking journey of suspsense, mystery, murder, danger, intrigue, faith, hope, and love. From the first moment I began reading the story, I was drawn to the lives of the characters and the plot twists. A kidnapping leads to questions about trust and survival. Great read. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.

Therese Palmer has her work cut out for her when a young girl goes missing, she must rely on Texas Ranger Blane Gardner, to help her decide what to do. This book is full of mystery, suspense, romance and more. The characters are well developed and the story line grabs you from the beginning. If you enjoy fast paced, contemporary, suspenseful reads you will enjoy this one. I was given a copy. of this book for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is another winner by Diann Mills full of suspense, mystery and romance. Very descriptive and highly enjoyable!

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


Thriller, FAITH, Mystery and Romance - those are the genre categories for CANYON OF DECEIT, the September 2025 release by author DiAnn Mills.

Mills has written over 125 books in her long and oft’ awarded career. Early on, she favored Historical Fiction. It always had strong faith and adventure themes flowing thru them. Now, she writes mainly thriller or police/justice professional/first responder, high action stories. Faith continues to be a primary theme with wholesome romantic sub plots and contemporary current world/political adjacent events woven in.

Blane is a Texas Ranger. Therese is a wilderness survival expert. His profiling/negotiating skills and her knowledge of the beautiful but dangerous land that is the Guadalupe Mountains National Forest, along with her first aide skills are exactly the combination needed to rescue the kidnapped young daughter of a Russian professor. Russian Organized Crime, the ROC, is involved with the professor, impending assassinations, murders, military espionage and foul play in the city of Houston. All the major law enforcement agencies come together to rescue Alina and solve this complex web of corruption that keeps readers guessing.

Chapters alternate POV’s between Blane, Therese and Alina, the young girl. There’s some overlap in the storytelling that elongates the overall narrative that could easily be tightened up. I’d have liked to hear more from Alina and what was happening where she was being held by the bad guys, who were really nasty, btw.

Character development happens for Blane and Therese while they are patching each other up after near death encounters. Oh, you have a concussion and have to stay awake; tell me your life story. A few chapters later the other gets in a worse jam and has their opportunity to. tell their story. Secondary characters are revealed by way of discussing “the case”. That technique works well.

Bring your truth meter to this tale; you’re gonna need it. Subterfuge is everywhere. It’s not until the very last few pages that readers learn what actually happened even tho’ you might fit in a few pieces in advance. Truly, this is a CANYON OF DECEIT 📚

Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks.

Wow, Canyon of Deceit is a thrilling fast-paced ride through background trauma and terrorist activity. Mills is a master of crafting deep characters and complex plots and it shows in this story.

I absolutely love these main characters. Their bravery and strength is second to none, and their determination to help those in need, despite their own pain, wouldn't let me put the book down for a second.

The only thing I don't like about a fantastic Mills book is that she doesn't do sequels, and that's especially true for Canyon of Deceit. If you enjoy fast-paced stories where the setting is as much a character as the villains, you won't want to miss this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Parts of this story were engaging, but I’ll admit to having a hard time following the plot twists. I felt like the dialogue was unrealistic. Real men just Donny talk like that, even when they’re thinking romantic thoughts. I keep trying to like Diann Mills’s books, but oftentimes they fall flat, even with lots of adventure.

DiAnn Mills never fails to deliver suspense packed stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This one was no exception. I love a good book that brings the suspense, but when you then also put those characters out in the wilderness? It only amplified the suspense and makes it that much more page turning and enjoyable. The romance between Therese and Blane was great--- I enjoyed these two together very much... but it was definitely the suspense and sense of danger that took the front seat in this story for me! There were so many twists and turns to keep me guessing and I found myself looking forward to seeing how it was all going to play out in the end. Throughout the story, there were also elements of faith that I thought were blended in beautifully. If you are a fan of romantic Christian suspense that will keep you guessing until the end, this is absolutely one to check out.

**ARC received via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is really 4 stars for the plot/theme of faith & 3 stars for what felt kind of cheesy to me. There was some dialogue that to me just felt like I’ve not heard people talk like that.

I love a thriller type store & anything set in Texas. The suspense part of the plot I honestly enjoyed with the espionage & trying to find out who was telling the truth. In my opinion she wrote the supense/action well. I also enjoyed the setting of the Guadalupe Mountains.

The dialogue between the main characters was simply hard for me to take seriously. It wasn’t missionary dating exactly, but still felt a little far fetched to me. They were likeable characters, I just couldn’t get over parts of the dialogue.

I did appreciate theme of faith that was clear throughout & how the author acknowledging God’s sovereignty & suffering and how that can be a difficult thing. My only critique is maybe that the gospel wasn’t super clearly articulated but need for Jesus/God was.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Page-turning, fast-paced, edge of your seat suspense and action. Reliance on God, forgiveness of self and others are key themes throughout. Canyon of Deceit by Diann Mills was my first read by Mills but cannot wait to read others. I would place this novel in the same category as some I've read by Terri Blackstock and Colleen Coble. Very high praise in my book.

Releases Sep. 9th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Great read! You won’t want to put this book down!
Enter Russian players and anything is possible.
There are twists and turns throughout the entire story.
A kidnapping, murder, and lots of lies leave the main characters running into danger to save a young girl.
Diann Mills does an excellent job weaving together her story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I had not a faith-based novel in a while, so I chose this one because of description. The story started a bit more formally than I was used to, but is more in line with traditional works in the genre. There is a standard friends-to-lovers trope here, which might seem a bit fast, but this story takes place over a few days, and the couple has a history, so it is not terribly rushed.

Mills is a bit older as a writer, so the technology does not play as much a part in the story as one might expect. And I was a bit surprised by the ending, as the story up to that point seemed to suggest it would go into a different direction. I'd normally give it 3.5 stars, but am happy to round up here.

Wow! This book had me from the very beginning. I loved the intrigue, twists and turns and adventure; but I especially loved the interactions back and forth between Theresa and Blane. I loved how the author weaved Christianity into the story without hitting the reader over the head, but it was a central message throughout the book. It was done remarkably well. It's a great book for those seeking to know more about Christ but also a great book for believers to remember we can share our faith through actions and words; it's a combination of living out the lifestyle and speaking freely about Him as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

Wonderfully written suspense full of action, unexpected events, faith, and relationship issues. Canyon of Deceit held my attention and kept me turning pages. Highly recommend.

Therese is a wilderness search and rescue expert. When she gets a call from an old professor desperate for her help to find his kidnapped daughter, she feels compelled to act. Wisely she takes a partner along with her in the investigation, a Texas Ranger she's worked with before, Blane. Together they seek to locate the girl and try to get a grip on what's true and what's being concealed. As old cases intersect and other Russian forces become involved, the risks they face in getting her back build up.

This story unfolded in unexpected ways. I had a hunch, but it really only became clear at the end. I think you'll enjoy this novel!

*Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was drawn in from the first page and it kept me guessing.
I loved these characters and the issues they encountered that brought out their true character.

I highly recommend this book.

I absolutely love Diann Mills and her storytelling. I’ve read her for years and she never loses her touch. Canyon of Deceit was amazing. I couldn’t put it down. What do you get when you pair a wilderness survival expert and a Texas Ranger? Another story from Diann Mills that will blow you away.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from Tyndale and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

"Canyon of Deceit" is a Christian romantic suspense. There was plenty of suspense due to physical danger, both from the wilderness landscape they were searching and from the bad guys. The man who asked for Therese's help in saving his kidnapped daughter was clearly withholding information, but she felt responsible for her sister's death and so was willing to risk her life to save the young girl. She asked Blane to come with her as backup.

As this is an Advanced Reader Copy, some of these issues may be cleared up in the final version. However, I sometimes had trouble following the wilderness descriptions. For example, Therese returned to the trail head, yet she was obviously still off trail, out in the middle of nowhere. Neither Therese or Blane talked normally. When Therese learned that a serial killer who wanted to torture and kill her was after her, she responded with: "fear rises like the sun and binds me to take precautions." Or "No respect for human life continues to play out" or "Questions pelt me like someone throwing stones" or the thought "The men who'd bled and died placed my caution on high alert." These things kept me from getting immersed in the story.

The main characters also did illogical things. They were trying to sneak around behind the bad guys, had to camp, and deliberately made a fire that would be visible to the enemy. Later, Blane waited until nightfall before making his smoke signal, which somehow was seen only by the good guys. Blane had a severe concussion and an badly injured arm, but as soon as he visited a hospital, he was back to driving and gun fights. I wish hospital visits were so miraculous.

Blane's friend has talked with him about God, and he discovered Therese also believed despite the bad things that have happened in her life. When badly injured in the wilderness, he seriously considered what they'd told him about God. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this twisty suspense.

Once again, DiAnn Mills does not disappoint. By the way she tells a story, you can tell that she has researched the topic beyond measure. The twists and turns will keep you turning the pages. DiAnn continues to come up with unique story lines to keep her readers engaged. The characters are relatable and the story line believable.

I enjoyed this book but at times I just wanted to yell at Therese and Blane because of the stupid things they were doing. This was a Christian mystery with a little romance.