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.
Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new voice in romantic suspense. Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn grabs readers by the throat and doesn’t let go until the final heart-pounding page.
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START! Just start your next book with Beneath the Surface. I had the pleasure of meeting romantic fiction author, Lynn H Blackburn at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina in May of 2019, but had never read one of her books. I suggest the Dive Team Investigation Series. Once I settled into my chair with my Kindle iPad reader, I found myself surrounded by the lively, colorful characters from her novel. I held my breath when the main character found herself in dangerous situation after situation. I laughed at the humor of one of the characters, who reminded me of myself. I enjoyed every minute of the adventure and have the second and final books in the series ready to discover another dive investigation mystery. You won’t be able to put this book down! Unless, like me, you fall asleep from insane work habits and wake to find the kindle cradled in your lap! ENJOY.
Danger. Action. Mystery. Intrigue. This story has it all. Looking forward to reading all of the stories by Lynn H. Blackburn.
What a great book! Kept me guessing, which is not easy to do! Can’t wait to read the next one.
A unique romantic suspense book that is well worth the read.
Love the story line and the characters. The story moved quickly and surprised me at the end. Nice job by this author.
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and it’s a great romantic suspense. The romance overshadowed the suspense at times and I was disappointed with how little of a part the killer had in the story. But, the book is a great clean read. There is also a good bit of faith content for those who look for that in a book.
But believing God truly loved her, truly had her best interest at heart even when it didn’t look like it? She didn’t know if she could muster that kind of faith.
The best she could do was whisper a humble “Help me.”
Somehow she knew that would be enough for now. That he heard her. That he wasn’t waiting for her with a long list of grievances. That he was running toward her, longing to hold her close if she’d let him.
The characters are what I really loved about this book. I really bonded with them even though Leigh seemed a bit juvenile to me. I liked that Leigh and Ryan had a history so that their attraction didn’t feel like insta-love. There was a solid background to draw on for their mutual attraction. And I honestly loved them. I love the entire team.
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I was impressed. While the romance got in the way of suspense at times…there were still some really intense moments. I chose to read this book at bedtime and kind of scared myself. I was a bit thirsty but too freaked out to go get myself some water. Either I’m a big scaredy cat or this book had some really great suspense.
Overall, I liked this book and I will definitely pick up the rest of the series. In fact, I’ll probably check out her other books as well.
This book was provided to me by Revell Reads. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.
This is the first book by Lynn Blackburn I have read and it was awesome! I have romantic suspense and this book had me gripping the edge of my seat until the very end. If you enjoy contemporary romantic suspense (and love books by authors like Dani Pettrey, Irene Hannon, Colleen Coble, and Terri Blackstock like I do), you will love this book!
The story is well-written and intense, the plot twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, the action is fast-paced and adrenaline-filled, the characters are so lovable, and the characters’ faith journey is relatable, believable and heart-wrenching.
The dialogue amongst the characters is funny, heart-warming, and down-to-earth. The main characters of Ryan and Leigh are fantastic. Ryan is a homicide investigator who is loyal, faithful, steadfast, protective, loving, and intelligent. Leigh is an ED nurse practitioner – a loving, tender-hearted, intelligent, but independent woman – who is being hunted by an unknown suspect. She’s already been through an ordeal, being stalked by a patient, and she moves back home to restart her life. Several seemingly unrelated homicides and threats to Leigh’s life bring the two together. The secondary characters, that include Ryan’s friends and colleagues, who are introduced in this book are also wonderful and I can’t wait to read more about them as the sequels of this series is released.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/NetGalley via Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to write a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
Just when you think you can relax, Blackburn brings you back to the edge of your seat in this riveting, high-tension suspense story.
Wow! Great story and wonderful characters! I could hardly set this book down and I am completely invested in this team of people who were introduced in the novel. If you are a fan of Dani Pettrey’s romantic suspense books, I would definitely recommend Lynn H. Blackburn. This is the second novel that I have read by this author and I really like the way she writes both suspense and character development. She really kept me guessing with this one.
OH!MY!WORD! If you haven’t yet read Ms. Blackburn’s books, you are missing out!
Needing a fresh start after being stalked by a former patient, Leigh Weston, an oncology nurse practitioner moves home to Carrington, North Carolina. Leigh has settled into her new life by taking a position in the emergency department at a local hospital. She believes her past is no longer a threat until someone tampers with her brakes.
Ryan Parker, Leigh’s friend from high school is now a homicide investigator. He also volunteers as an underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff’s Office dive team. When a body is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation leads to a possible serial killer that may be tied to Leigh.
I was immediately immersed into the story from the opening scene. The danger and suspense kept me turning the pages. I so appreciate the spiritual truths that Ms. Blackburn weaves into the story. You won’t be able to put this book down! I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Recommend to those who enjoy inspirational, romantic suspense.
I won a copy. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
This Christian romantic suspense was the definition of a page-turner! From chapter one, I was invested. Who was the dead man? What had happened to him? And was he the victim of a serial killer? Blackburn kept raising the questions and the stakes, making me not want to put the book down. She also confronted her characters with hard questions, such as: Why doesn’t God answer our prayers—or answer them the way we want him to? Why does He let bad things happen?
I appreciated her strong writing style and genuine faith, apparent through this book, and will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.
Good read, enjoyable characters, suspenseful.
With an appealing combination of danger and desire, this action-packed friends-to-more romance captivated my attention page after page! The author’s attention to technical detail and skillful descriptions immersed me (pun intended) into the world of Carrington, North Carolina and the lives of Leigh and Ryan.
Fans of romantic suspense authors such as Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason, Rachel Dylan, and Cara Putman definitely need to pick up Blackburn’s work! I highly recommend this story and eagerly anticipate reading the next installments of this and future series!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
I would live to read more of this writer’s books!
Always enjoy a good read (clean, wholesome interesting plot, intrigue, etc.)…also appreciate an author who uses excellent vocabulary and sparks literary interest through novel expressions and word pictures…great ending, too!
What an exciting and intense thrill ride! I’ve read quite a few suspenseful books lately, and I’ve gotta say, Beneath the Surface is one of the most compelling, fast paced ones in recent memory. I had an insanely difficult time pulling myself away from it to tend to ‘real life’ things.
The whole cast of characters were great. Leigh was immensely likeable. She’s so kind, is always looking out for others and helping them when she’s able. She’s been through a lot, but she’s a fighter. Ryan’s a born protector. He’s just an all-around, genuinely good guy. I do have to say that it wasn’t just Ryan and Leigh, the main characters, I became invested in. All of the supporting characters were authentic and ‘real’. I’m eager to spend more time with everyone in subsequent books.
I really can’t say enough good things about Beneath the Surface. It held my complete attention. I was constantly thinking about it, wondering what was gonna happen next, trying to figure out who the baddie was and what their motivation was. It was so good. I’ve found a new author to add to my must-buy list. I’m ready to dive into book two!
I loved this book from the first page! Just when I thought I had everything figured out, a new twist would send me in a different direction.
I loved it! Couldn’t put it down!
This was the first book by Lynn H. Blackburn that I have read, but it definitely won’t be the last. Romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres, and Beneath the Surface did not disappoint! Beneath the Surface is the first book in her Dive Team Investigations Series. Having Dive Team Investigations as the premise of the series was so intriguing. This was a fast-paced thrilling romantic suspense novel that kept the reader guessing until the end. I was completely surprised by “whodunnit,” but I would have liked to see more of a reason “why” the person committed the crimes. However, in real-life criminal cases, we don’t always get the answer of “why” either. The author’s knowledge and research in the both the medical field and law enforcement was evident.
I loved the long time friendship of Leigh Weston and Ryan Parker and the possibility of it turning into something more. I also loved the supporting character of Gabe and his wonderful personality. I hope he gets his own story later in the series! I can’t wait to read Adam and Sabrina’s story in Book 2 of the series.
Lynette Eason is one of my favorite authors, and I recently read Code of Valor (Book #3 in her Blue Justice Series). She had a crossover section in part of the book where the Dive Team Members from this book assisted with a case in her book. I can’t wait to go back and reread Code of Valor since I now am familiar with the Dive Team characters! I would definitely recommend Lynn H. Blackburn to fans of romantic suspense.
TOTAL ADRENALINE RUSH!
Beneath the Surface (Dive Team Investigations Book # 1) by Lynn Blackburn is a Total Adrenaline Rush! Blackburn is a new to me author and I am a fan! I am a voracious reader and I need to be “hooked” quickly. Blackburn had me “hooked” in the first paragraph and I was totally invested within the first five pages.
This is not a novel to read in snippets or to be read at the same time as you are reading two/three other books. (There are plenty of novels that can be read this way.) This plot is complex and if you come and go in your reading too many times or read too many other books while reading this one, you could easily lose the intensity, forget who secondary characters are and miss nuances that may be key to solving the mystery.
Blackburn has given readers a truly amazing romantic suspense novel. The setting is a small town with a medical center and a neighborhood with large lots and a huge lake behind the homes. Blackburn’s characters are realistic, complex, the best at their professions, working to strengthen their faith, the romance is sweet and tender and and one is pure evil! She manages to keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire book and makes you feel as though you are running for your life. The intensity continues to rise throughout the book. There’s nothing quite as creepy as reading along and discovering the killer is from your hometown! That’s when you momentarily FORGET you’re reading fiction and start rereading the name and see if you recognize it so can ask family and friends if they recognize it! That’s REALISTIC FICTION!