đź“šTrace of Doubt by DiAnn Mills

?Trace of Doubt

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in Reviews / 16 Comments

Having read the author’s previous book, Airborne, I looked forward to reading ?Trace of Doubt. It did not disappoint. Read on and see my thoughts on this suspenseful story. 

 

đź“šTrace of Doubt by DiAnn MillsTitle: Trace of Doubt
Author(s): DiAnn Mills
Published by Tyndale House Publishers on September 7, 2021
Pages: 432
Genre(s): Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Thriller
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc
Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon|B&N|Audible
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

Bestselling and award-winning author DiAnn Mills delivers a heart-stopping story of dark secrets, desperate enemies, and dangerous lies.
Fifteen years ago, Shelby Pearce confessed to murdering her brother-in-law and was sent to prison. Now she's out on parole and looking for a fresh start in the small town of Valleysburg, Texas. But starting over won't be easy for an ex-con.
FBI Special Agent Denton McClure was a rookie fresh out of Quantico when he was first assigned the Pearce case. He's always believed Shelby embezzled five hundred thousand dollars from her brother-in-law's account. So he's going undercover to befriend Shelby, track down the missing money, and finally crack this case.
But as Denton gets closer to Shelby, he begins to have a trace of doubt about her guilt. Someone has Shelby in their crosshairs. It's up to Denton to stop them before they silence Shelby--and the truth--forever.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

?Trace of Doubt tells the story of Shelby Pearce. Shelby served fifteen years in prison for the alleged killing of her brother-in-law and the embezzlement of funds slated for charity. She is now out on parole and trying to get her life back on track. However, someone wants her gone permanently and will stop at nothing to achieve that goal.

Meanwhile, the FBI’s interest in the embezzled funds placed her in the crosshairs of Agent Denton McClure. He spent the past fifteen years trying to determine the location of the funds. Now that she is free, he hopes she would lead him to where she hid the money. However, the more time he spends in her company, the more he questioned the validity of her fifteen-year-old confession.

Written from the POVs of Shelby and Denton, ?Trace of Doubt delivered a tale steeped in danger, mystery, and suspense. The story pulled me in and proved difficult to put down. Let’s just say I have some sleep to catch upon. Now, this is not your typical romantic suspense. The thing that sets apart is the heroine’s strong Christian faith. The same faith which got her through the most difficult of times, and what she now relies on as she navigates this dangerous terrain and seeks to close this chapter of her life once and for all.

The secondary characters behaved the way one would expect in a situation such as this. There is the set who looked beyond Shelby’s past and embraced, then there were thee one who wanted to run her out of the town. It was easy to figure out what actually transpired fifteen years ago and the identity of the true villain.

I had a great time with the story, however there were a few things that bothered me. Some of which I will not mention for fear of spoilers. The issues I had were:

  • Denton was working undercover, yet he used his real name. This I found strange, especially knowing his affiliation with the case fifteen years ago, which would make him easily identifiable by all who were involved in the case. 

  • The ending for me was anti-climatic after such a suspenseful and dangerous journey.

Overall, ?Trace of Doubt was an enjoyable story. A suitable read for fans of Christian/faith based romance.

 

Story Evaluation
Plot
4
Characters
5
World Building
4
Writing Style
5
Pacing
4
Cover
3
Enjoyment
4
Ending
4
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

Additional Purchase Links

ChristianBook.com | Tyndale | Books-A-Million | Murder By The Book

 

“Well-researched… with some surprising twists along the way. In Trace of Doubt, Mills weaves together a tale of faith, intrigue, and suspense that her fans are sure to enjoy.” – STEVEN JAMES, award-winning author of SYNAPSE and EVERY WICKED MAN

“Trace of Doubt is a suspense reader’s best friend. From page one until the end, the action is intense and the storyline keeps you guessing.” – EVA MARIE EVERSON, bestselling author of FIVE BRIDES and DUST

“DiAnn Mills serves up a perfect blend of action, grit, and heart… Trace of Doubt takes romantic suspense to a whole new level.” – JAMES R. HANNIBAL, award-winning author of THE PARIS BETRAYAL

“Filled with high stakes, high emotion, and high intrigue.” – JLYNN H. BLACKBURN, award-winning author of UNKNOWN THREATand ONE FINAL BREATH

Read an excerpt:

PROLOGUE

SHELBY

Would I ever learn? I’d spent too many years looking out for someone else, and here I was doing the same thing again. Holly had disappeared after I sent her to the rear pantry for potatoes. She’d been gone long enough to plant and dig them up. I needed to get those potatoes boiling to feed hungry stomachs.

I left the kitchen to find her. The hallway to the pantry needed better lighting or maybe fewer corners. In any event, uneasiness swirled around me like a dust storm.

A plea to stop met my ears. I raced to the rear pantry fearing what I’d find.

Four women circled Holly. One held her arms behind her back, and the other three took turns punching her small body. My stomach tightened. I’d been in her shoes, and I’d do anything to stop the women from beating her.

“Please, stop,” Holly said through a raspy breath. For one who was eighteen years old, she looked fifteen.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I forced my voice to rise above my fear of them.

“Stay out of it, freak.”

I’d run into this woman before, and she had a mean streak. “What’s she done to you?” I eyed the woman.

“None of your business unless you want the same.”

“It’s okay, Shelby. I can handle this.” Holly’s courageous words would only earn her another fist to her battered face.

And it did.

“Enough!” I drew my fists and stepped nose to nose with the leader.

The four turned on me. I’d lived through their beatings before, and I would again. I fell and the kicks to my ribs told me a few would be broken.

A whistle blew, and prison guards stopped the gang from delivering any more blows to Holly or me. They clamped cuffs on the four and left Holly and me on the floor with reassurance help was on its way.

I’d been her age once and forced to grow up fast. No one had counseled me but hard knocks, securing an education, and letting Jesus pave the way. I’d vowed to keep my eyes and ears open for others less fortunate.

Holly’s lip dripped blood and a huge lump formed on the side of her head. I crawled to her. “Are you okay?”

“Not sure. Thank you for standing up for me. I thought they would kill me. Why do they do this? I’ve never done a thing to them.”

“Because they can. They want to exert power, control. Stick by me, and I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”

CHAPTER 1

I tightened my grip on the black trash bag slung over my shoulder containing my personal belongings—parole papers, a denim shoulder bag from high school, a ragged backpack, fifty dollars gate money, my driver’s license at age sixteen, and the clothes I’d worn to prison fifteen years ago.

The bus slowed to pick me up outside the prison gates, its windshield wipers keeping pace with the downpour. The rain splattered the flat ground in a steady cadence like a drum leading a prisoner to execution. I stepped back to avoid the splash of muddy water from the front tires dipping into a pothole. Air brakes breathed in and out, a massive beast taking respite from its life labors.

The door hissed open. At the top of the steps, a balding driver took my ticket, no doubt recognizing the prison’s release of a for- mer inmate. He must have been accustomed to weary souls who’d paid their debts to society. The coldness glaring from his graphite eyes told me he wagered I’d be locked up again within a year. Maybe less. I couldn’t blame him. The reoffend stats for female convicts like me soared high.

For too many years, I imagined the day I left prison would be bathed in sunlight. I’d be enveloped in welcoming arms and hear encouraging words from my family.

Reality hosted neither.

I moved to the rear of the bus, past a handful of people, and found a seat by myself. All around me were those engrossed in their devices. My life had been frozen in time, and now that I had permission to thaw, the world had changed. Was I ready for the fear digging its claws into my heart?

The cloudy view through the water-streaked window added to my doubts about the future. I’d memorized the prison rules, even prayed through them, and now I feared breaking one unknowingly.

The last time I’d breathed free air, riding the bus was a social gathering—in my case, a school bus. Kids chatted and laughter rose above the hum of tires. Now an eerie silence had descended.

I hadn’t been alone then.

My mind drifted back to high school days, when the future rested on maintaining a 4.0 average and planning the next party. Maintaining my grades took a fraction of time, while my mind schemed forbidden fun. I’d dreamed of attending college and exploring the world on my terms.

Rebellion held bold colors, like a kaleidoscope shrouded in black light. The more I shocked others, the more I plotted something darker. My choices often seemed a means of expressing my creativity. While in my youth I viewed life as a cynic. By the time I was able to see a reflection of my brokenness and vowed to change, no one trusted me.

All that happened . . .

Before I took the blame for murdering my brother-in-law. Before I traded my high school diploma and a career in interior design for a locked cell.

Before I spent years searching for answers.

Before I found new meaning and purpose.

How easy it would be to give in to a dismal, gray future when I longed for blue skies. I had to prove the odds against me were wrong.

***

Excerpt from Trace of Doubt by DiAnn Mills. Copyright 2021 by DiAnn Mills. Reproduced with permission from DiAnn Mills. All rights reserved.

 

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About DiAnn Mills

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Retreats: Marketing, Speakers, Nonfiction, and Novelist with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

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16 responses to “đź“šTrace of Doubt by DiAnn Mills

  1. Great review, thanks! I read this one and loved it!
    Well… somethings are just meant to be. If Denton had not used his real name then Shelby would have never found out who he was and that would have changed the whole story. So, while I do agree with you, I think it was a “meant to be” kinda thing. 🙂