Overview
She thinks she knows who she is and what she wants, but when the web gets terribly tangled, is her game of deception a clever lie or a deadly trap? Two bodies in an isolated canyon on the edge of L.A. One with saddlebags filled with diamonds. That's how it begins for Liz Towne, a stunning blonde with a devout husband who has given up a prime job for reasons Liz cannot understand—for 'Mac' Mac Donald, a Gulf War vet who's done time in prison and is just now finding his way back to normal life—and for Roxanne 'Rocky' Towne, Liz's sister-in-law, who suspects things she cannot prove. All three are thrown together after a tragedy in Pack Canyon. After finding the stolen diamonds, Liz is faced with an escalating set of choices: Truth or lies? Stop or keep moving? All in or played out? A stunning suspense thriller from bestselling author James Scott Bell.
Synopsis
Two bodies in an isolated canyon. A fortune in diamonds missing. The love of money is the root of many kinds of evil, and for Liz Towne those roots grow deep. Deep enough to lead to murder. But is Liz too clever for her own good? A suspense thriller from James Scott Bell, bestselling author of The Whole Truth.
Publishers Weekly
Former trial lawyer and Christy Award-winner Bell (Presumed Guilty) hits his stride in this twist-filled suspense thriller with punchy dialogue and a resurrection ending to keep readers awake at night. When Liz Towne and her husband, Arty, find diamonds and a corpse along a trail in Pack Canyon, something takes over Liz that one doctor calls "sin dissociation." She stops at nothing to get rich and take a gift to her role model, who taught her to kill. When her sister-in-law Roxanne "Rocky" Towne suspects foul play, Rocky calls on a tortured but praying and faithful Gulf War veteran to help her track down Liz, who is on the run. Dialogue carries the book with rich characters and flashbacks, but time stamps and a confusing wraparound narrative device feel tacked on and unnecessary in this fast-paced thriller with its Los Angeles music scene, creepy canyons and a slew of cons. Bell, who also writes nonfiction books on writing, is a master of the cliffhanger, creating scene after scene of mounting suspense and revelation in this heart-whamming read. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Former trial lawyer and Christy Award-winner Bell (Presumed Guilty) hits his stride in this twist-filled suspense thriller with punchy dialogue and a resurrection ending to keep readers awake at night. When Liz Towne and her husband, Arty, find diamonds and a corpse along a trail in Pack Canyon, something takes over Liz that one doctor calls "sin dissociation." She stops at nothing to get rich and take a gift to her role model, who taught her to kill. When her sister-in-law Roxanne "Rocky" Towne suspects foul play, Rocky calls on a tortured but praying and faithful Gulf War veteran to help her track down Liz, who is on the run. Dialogue carries the book with rich characters and flashbacks, but time stamps and a confusing wraparound narrative device feel tacked on and unnecessary in this fast-paced thriller with its Los Angeles music scene, creepy canyons and a slew of cons. Bell, who also writes nonfiction books on writing, is a master of the cliffhanger, creating scene after scene of mounting suspense and revelation in this heart-whamming read. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Library Journal
Liz Towne does not understand why her husband, Mac-a Gulf War veteran trying to restart his life after doing time in prison-has given up a great job. When Liz finds a saddlebag of stolen diamonds, she, her sister, Rocky, and Mac fall into a deadly trap. Another thriller from a top author of Christian suspense.
—Tamara Butler