When the men she dated begin dying, Madison Long must convince the police of her innocence and help them determine who has taken on the role of her guardian before he kills the only man she ever truly loved, Detective Nate Zuberi. Madison Long, a high school chemistry teacher, looks forward to a relaxing summer break. Instead, she suffers through a nightmare of threats, terror, and death. When … death. When she finds a man murdered she once dated, Detective Nate Zuberi is assigned to the case, and in the midst of chaos, attraction blossoms into love.
Together, she and Nate search for her deadly guardian before he decides the only way to truly save her from what he considers a hurtful relationship is to kill her—and her policeman boyfriend as well.
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All Madison Long wanted was a peaceful summer of rest from her job as a chemistry teacher at St. Martin’s Preparatory School. Her peace was unsettled with the feeling that she was being watched. Then the notes and gifts showed up. Then the body count began to climb, the first one appearing in her peaceful lakeside backyard. Enter Detective Nate Zuberi and his partner, Officer Jeannie Jansen who have doubts about Madison, and you have the beginning of a wild ride.
If you enjoy edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense that will have you staying up, long after your bedtime, turning page after page, then Deadly Guardian is for you. Award-winning author, Deborah Sprinkle expertly relates a gripping story with colorful, believable characters you’ll want to get to know better. And for you pet lovers, you’ll fall in love with Oscar, Madison’s faithful companion.
I give this one five stars and label it “keeper”.
Deadly Guardian kept me turning pages until past midnight so I could finish it. And I loved the cover. It perfectly showcased the setting
I really enjoyed this fast-paced, twisty story. There were enough clues and red herrings to keep me guessing until the end. Madison was no wimpy female character, and I especially liked the romance that developed between her and Nate. And along with the fantastic setting, Sprinkel’s secondary characters–Sarah and Jeannie added a lot to the story. The spiritual element came across naturally and added to the emotional journey for Madison.
Readers are given no time to relax as Madison goes from one danger to the next. This intricately-woven suspense is Sprinkle’s debut novel. The author has written a spell-binding romantic suspense. I couldn’t put it down! I had to know what happened next.
Deborah Sprinkle is great in the way she weaves the romance and keeping you dying to know what is going to happen on the next turn of the page. If you are like me, you will appreciate the fact Deborah keeps the blood and guts, foul language, and graphic content out. The thrill of the who done it makes this book one that you can’t put down until the end.
I don’t typically read a lot of mystery/suspense, so I like to pick up the genre here and there to see what’s happening in it and for a little extra excitement.
Overall, this book delivers some exciting moments and mystery. I really appreciated that the science teacher wasn’t the hero. It makes me crazy when the cops have to rely on someone else to solve the case for them. While the heroine was involved with the investigation, she didn’t sweep in and save the day — I like it when the police get to be police.
It was a bit choppy at times, which made me pause and re-read a few times (a character would mention needing to go someplace, then be there in the next sentence — it made me wonder if I’d missed something).
If you’re looking for a clean-read mystery that’s a little more dramatic than a cozy mystery, I think you’ll like this book.
The suspense!
If you have a cozy chair and a lake house (and even if you don’t) settle in for Deborah Sprinkle’s debut romantic suspense novel, Deadly Guardian—just don’t take a stroll around the lake. That’s when high school chemistry teacher, Madison Long’s highly anticipated summer break at Lake Pleasant ended up not so pleasant. If fact, it took a deadly turn. Several, actually.
Sprinkle’s intriguing story is filled with twists and turns that keep you turning pages till the end. Just when you think you’ve nailed the perpetrator your off and running again. It’s a fun read with a believable storyline, well-developed characters, descriptive writing, and just the right mix of romance and faith.
I look forward to more books from this budding author.
Deborah keeps me drawn into Madison’s life and mysteries of a “guardian angel”. Absolutely loved the twists and turns throughout the book, did not want to stop reading until I found out who, and why.