Review: Beneath the Surface by Lynn H. Blackburn

Series: Dive Team Investigations #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Revell
Released: March 6, 2018
353 pages

About the Book:

After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.

Ryan finds satisfaction in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.

  

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was hooked right from the beginning. What begins with a discovery of a dead body leads to much more when Leigh’s life is threatened multiple times. Homicide investigator Ryan Parker sets out to protect his best friend’s sister and figure out who is behind the attacks on her. He doesn’t realize how this interaction is going to change his future. Ryan and Leigh have been friends for years through his relationship with her brother, but neither knows that they both have more than friendship feelings towards one another. Will they take a chance to see where these feelings take them? Will Ryan be able to protect Leigh and solve his murder case?  

The mystery and suspense kept me captivated. Ryan is investigating one murder case, a fellow cop is investigating another case and then there are the attacks on Leigh. So much going on and keeping the cops busy searching for answers and providing protection but very few leads in any of the cases making their work frustratingly slow for them. Just like the investigators I was trying to figure out if the cases were connected or not. I liked that Ms. Blackburn had me guessing and that I was unable to figure out who the villain was before it was revealed.

I am drawn to romance stories that are between people who have known each other for quite a while, so the romance in this story was right up my alley. Both characters were hesitant about acting on their feelings, not knowing how the other felt. I loved the way it developed slowly, but the bold moments have me cheering for them.

I loved this group of characters; each one was unique and had their own personality. Ryan tried to protect Leigh without suffocating her. The teasing that Gabe gave Ryan made me look forward to scenes that included Gabe. The fact that Leigh did not let the threats keep her down made me love her. One of my favourite scenes that made me love Ryan even more was the confrontation between him and Leigh’s brother, Kirk. 

The group worked well together, each bringing different strengths and being open to hearing out other perspectives. 

Favourite Quote: 

“I don't think He (God) cares so much about what we say. I think He mostly just wants us to talk to Him.”

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Other books from this author that I have reviewed:   

   

In Too Deep - Dive Team Investigations #2

One Final Breath - Dive Team Investigations #3