A gripping new novel from New York Times bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock.One father was murdered. Another was convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but … back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.
Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.
Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and now she’s fighting a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. Brenna is barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.
As Nate and Brenna deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—the past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she’ll have to learn to trust him again first.
Praise for Smoke Screen:
“Full of secrets, lies, and with a visceral impact that grabs from the first sentence, Smoke Screen is Terri Blackstock at her finest.” —Colleen Coble, USA TODAY bestselling author
“Terri never fails to deliver a plot that moves, well-developed characters who are real, flawed, and relatable . . . Just a word of warning if you decide to pick up this book—don’t plan to do anything else until you finish it.” —Lynette Eason, bestselling, award-winning author
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I was very disappointed, not a riveting book. Almost like someone else wrote it.
Teri Blackstock as usual has written an amazing book. It is not only a mystery from the past but it deals with some relevant subjects I.e. alcoholism, divorce, child custody battles and lost love. Brenna and Nate connect after several years apart during which he has been working as a smoke jumper and she has married another man who has now dumped her for another woman. I wrestled with several different emotions as I read the book. Sympathy for both of the main characters, disgust for some and anticipation that everything would be solved in the end. This is a very good book and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.
When I first started reading this book, I thought it started out slowly, perhaps it was just me. But the further I got into the book, the more I wanted to keep reading. Terri Blackstock has the talent of giving us Biblical truths in such subtle ways. While the characters continue to pray for resolutions to their problems, they realize that God is working in the background for their ultimate good. This may be a truth you don’t realize until the end of the book because it seems that the bad hits just keep coming. If you like to see the buy guys get what’s coming to them, you’ll love this book. The author doesn’t tie everything up in a new bow quickly. She explains the resolutions and lets the reader rest in them.
Love…a good thing or the beginning of trouble? Well, in this fictional tale, two teenagers who are now adults feel they are to blame for the what happened in the past. Terri Blackstock takes audiences on a wild adventure of two characters named Nate and Brenna. Nate is a smoke jumper and a hero. Brenna faced the hardest thing in her life, divorce and now is fighting her ex for custody of their children.
Brenna is carrying an emotional load that is driving her to the bottle, and she wonders if her faith has any substance left. Now she is just trying to make ends meet while also fighting her ex in court over which parent the children will live with full-time. Behind her ex is his father who has much money and loves to bully.
Nate is recovering from wounds he suffered while on a mission to stop a fire raging in the forest. Nate and Brenna have a history, and while it might not be convenient it seems romance is once again aflame between the two. However, the cloud that hangs over them is their relation to a murder that happened many years ago but with a governor’s recent pardon stirs up old feelings from many people.
Each chapter alternates between Nate and Brenna which makes for fascinating reading as little clues are uncovered slowly. The author draws the readers emotions in to the pages and keeps them reading for hours until the very end. The tension between families, the mystery of the murder, the claim of innocence and trying to move forward with the past tenuously hanging to both Nate and Brenna makes for a wonderful work of fiction!
Grab a copy, get a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket! Wrap up and then be prepared to enjoy a suspense-filled tale that is sure to entertain for hours!
Great read I highly recommend!! you cannot go wrong with Terri Blackstock!!! she is an amazing writer
This is my first time reading a book by this author author and it was an excellent read to me. The characters were well developed and you can see and feel the emotions of what each character was going through. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride for me of happy, sadness, anger, trust, pain, inspiration and suspense.
I love how Nate and Brenna love as teenagers was always felt by them through the years that they were separated from each other because of Nate’s father being convicted and jailed for killing Brenna’s father.
Nate has come back to his hometown to recuperate from injuries he received from fighting a fire and also to see his father who has been released from jail and still claims his innocence. Breanna is going through a nasty custody court battle with her ex-husband who wants full custody of their two small children.
There are a lot of plots twist and turns some I did not see coming. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I highly recommend this book to read, you will not be disappointed.
Cassandra H.
I received a ARC from Netgalley and this review is of my own honest opinion.
Terri Blackstock is a veteran author of romantic suspense that grabs you from the beginning, and this latest novel is no exception. I was first introduced to Brenna, a divorced mother of two who is fighting a serious custody battle with her powerful and wealthy spouse. Then, I met Nate, a smokejumper who is injured on the job and comes home to recuperate. Brenna’s father was a pastor until he was murdered one night after confronting Nate’s father at a bar over their children seeing each other. Nate’s dad was arrested for the murder and when the story begins, he has been pardoned and is heading home. This is just the intro to the book, showing how complex the plot is. Blackstock does a masterful job of weaving this complicated plot and drawing the reader into it so that it is hard to escape until you have completed the book. The book is romantic suspense at its best. I enjoyed the mystery the best. Actually, there were two mysteries: Who really killed Brenna’s father if Nate’s dad is innocent as he claims? Who set the fire that burned down the church after the murder? Fans of absolutely clean romantic suspense will love this book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Pat 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Smoke Screen is a great story of how life can take you by surprise and batter and bruise you. But keeping your faith in God can and will get you through. Shows the importance of forgiving and being forgiven.
Terri Blackstock is a new to me author but definitely one I will need to read more of. Smoke Screen tells the story of how young love goes terribly wrong and the life-long consequences for two families. Nate and Brenna walked away from each other after the fateful night where her father was murdered and his dad was accused of the crime. Now they are both back home and facing not only their pasts, but the present as well.
What is real and what is not? While dealing with the release of the man accused of killing her father, she is also dealing with a nasty custody battle. While at the same time, Nate is trying to find answers from the past. Can they learn to trust each other and find what was lost so long ago? I have actually never read or heard of the genre Christian fiction, but to me this was more a suspenseful read that touches around faith and beliefs, as well as second chances and fixing wrongs.
Read and reviewed for Reviews From the Heart.
Happy reading!
“Nothing bad had ever happened to me at that point. I had the perfect life. It was easy to be spiritual.”
Now it seems, that nothing is going right in her life. After losing her father, and then her husband, Brenna Strickland Hertzog is currently struggling to maintain custody of her children, but the depths of despair that she feels when her children are with their father, has tricked her into thinking that alcohol is the answer. Imagine her surprise when her first love shows up at her door; Nate Beckett.
Taken off duty as a fire jumper while recovering from second degree burns, Nate Beckett comes back to his Colorado hometown and learns that his brother lives right across the street from Brenna Hertzog. Becoming reacquainted is the easy part, guiding Brenna back to her former self, especially with their family history, is not at all what Nate expected; but definitely worth it. Carlisle has many unanswered questions lingering in their town history, can the accused be found innocent and the presumed innocent be proven guilty? Time will tell.
At first glance, this may appear to be a bare bones story, lots of secondary story threads demanding attention, while none seem to rise to the top . . . . except that in the end, they do.
“In tough times, you rely on what you know, not what you feel.”
Smoke Screen by author Terri Blackstock is a stand-alone Christian mystery which is a delight to read, Brenna is a newly divorced mother of two young children. He ex-husband is using a custody conflict to further his appeal to the public for an upcoming mayoral race. Brenna is having problems dealing with her failed marriage and the threat of losing custody of her children. She loves her children and has been a very good mother. In order to cope with the stress of her problems, she has been drinking alone on the weekends while the children are with her ex. Has she totally lost control of this situation? She feels she has lost her faith but life has dealt her some unimaginable blows. She blames herself for the death of her father who was a preacher. No, she didn’t actually cause his death, but the first love of her teenage life was Nate, and his father has been in prison for 14 years for the murder of her father. She remembers how her father did not want her around Nate because his father was an angry drunk. Brenna has many regrets and uncertainties as she opens her door one day to see an injured Nate standing before her.
Nate is an honest man who decided to leave home at age eighteen after his father is sentenced to prison. The local church had burned to the ground the day before Nate left home. Many people in the community felt he burned the church as revenge for his father going to prison for the murder of the church pastor. It was only a coincidence of the timing. Nate and Brenna had not talked again after her father was killed. Now that Nate is off work healing from burns he sustained in a wildfire event, he decides to talk with Brenna and let her know he still cares about her. He is surprised at how he finds her and feels compelled to try and help her.
Many people from their past have secrets that can affect Brenna and Nate. Will Nate be able to uncover those secrets and motives which have held him from pursuing the love of his life?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Terri Blackstock’s novels get better and better. She’s had some hits and misses for me in the past, but the If I Run series was excellent, and Smoke Screen is even better.
Brenna is unhappily divorced from Jack, who is now remarried to Rayne. Brenna now has to work, and Jack gets their children at weekends, which means she barely gets to see them … and so she drinks away her sorrows, and worries about Jack’s latest threat, to seek full custody of the children.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Roy Beckett, the man convicted of murdering her preacher father, is out of jail. And his son, Nate, Brenna’s first love, is back in town … and as handsome as ever. Nate has grown up, and he’s now a strong Christian, even more of a reminder how far Breanna has fallen.
Smoke Screen is full of tension right from the first page. Jack alternates between selfish and stupid, as he is influenced by his domineering father. There is also the mysteries of Roy and Nate Beckett. Roy was convicted of murder but has always claimed he was innocent. But if Roy Beckett is innocent, who killed Pastor Strickland? And Nate was found guilty of arson by the court of public opinion. Again, if he is innocent, who did burned down the church?
I have to admit that there were a few times when the tension got a bit much and I had to put the book down. But it was compelling, and I had to keep reading—no matter how much I wanted to purse-whomp Jack and his father (I actually had a little sympathy for Rayne, who was completely out of her depth).
It was also fascinating to read a Christian novel where the main character—Breanna—had obvious problems.
Let’s not mince words: divorce has turned the preacher’s daughter into an alcoholic with possible mental health issues. There are good and not good ways to react to a nasty divorce, and turning to hard liquor is definitely one of the not good ways. That meant there were times when I found it hard to sympathise with Breanna, because she was partly her own problem. But that made the story even more compelling.
Nate was an excellent hero—truly heroic. But he’s not perfect. He still resents his father for ruining his teenage romance with Breanna (well, having your father accused of murdering your girlfriend’s father will put a damper on the relationship). So there are family issues there that Nate has to get over as well.
Smoke Screen is an excellent novel, with plenty of tension, and a solid dose of romance. Another great new release from Terri Blackstock. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
It’s been awhile since a novel has raised my blood pressure like Smoke Screen did. The author was able to paint a portrait of pure evil that had my blood boiling from start to finish. Terri Blackstock is one of my favorite authors and her novels just get better and better! How she is able to build such rich, deep characters with real life issues, drawing you into their pain and suffering, while at the same time showing small glimpses of hope amid the hardest of circumstances is just incredible.
Nate’s character is a wonderful man that is a hero through and through, but the author wasn’t afraid to show his shortcomings as well. The custody battle that plays a major role in the story hit very close to home and brought up a lot of my own personal emotions and memories of one of the hardest times of my life.
The end was satisfying and though it was predictable it still brought tears to my eyes. Incredible story and a must read for anyone and everyone!
*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
Terri Blackstock takes hard, difficult, real to life issues and wraps them up in suspense writing that keeps the reader involved and entertained. Her books always deliver on suspense, making the reader wonder what turn will come next and who it will affect.
A divorced mom having trouble keeping herself together when the children aren’t at home and an injured smoke jumper have a past they can’t ignore. They fell in love as teenagers, but her dad was murdered and his dad was convicted of it. The years have taken them in different directions, but God has brought them back together when they both need it the most. She is fighting an uphill battle for custody, with alcohol the only numbing factor she finds to help when the kids are gone. He is recovering from injuries that put him in the perfect place to help her. And wrapped around it all are secrets the little town can no longer contain. Who really killed her dad? Who set the fire all those years ago at the church? And who is the shadowy man following them, and what does he want?
Terri Blackstock weaves characters that are instantly relate-able and real to readers. I find myself pulling for them to change bad decisions, look over their shoulder to see the danger, and cheering when the right decision is made. I love how they face real issues that may not be pretty but make the characters even more real. I feel I can really learn from the mistakes and growing they do through the story. It was so easy to sink into the story and stay there! This is a great book well worth the read. Terri Blackstock just keeps upping her game with each book I read! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
SMOKE. SCREEN. Teri Blackstock
Her ex husband with a new wife, barely out of her teens, and now he is
running for mayor, Wants his eight year daughter and 4 year old son on the
platform with him, bribing them with gummies. He is even suing her for
custody of them. Brenna wonders if his father has bribed the judge.
A secret of her drinking, until she falls asleep, daughter of a pastor. He’d roll over in his grave if he knew. The man convicted of the murder of this pastor is out. This is a stand alone, and has many twists and plots dealing with a number of issues. The plot flowed with a story and good characters
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion by Net Galley and
Thomas Nelson.
Heart wrenching
From the very beginning this novel grabbed my attention, pulled at my heart strings and didn’t let go until the very end. I felt a real connection with both Nate and Brenna and it was if I could feel their emotions right along with them. They had both faced betrayal and disappointments and it was wonderful seeing them come to rely on each other to move forward. My heart just went out to poor Brenna who was facing the prospect of losing her children and you could empathize with her despair. One of the interesting themes of the book was looking at how sometimes tragedy and disappointments can lead you to a closer dependence on God; whilst alternatively it can lead an individual to question and turn away from God.
Overall this was a fabulous book and I can’t wait to read more by this talented author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Their past has come full circle…
While I can’t say that I even remotely begin to understand Brenna’s choices, specifically turning to liquid ‘help’ when life got tough. But, what I can say is that it’s about time someone peels back our plastic Sunday faces and dare to shine a little light of reality into fiction. Author Terri Blackstock has bared the unmentionable before in her Intervention series, where a mother deals with a child addicted to drugs, and, she has done it again in Smoke Screen. Life is not guaranteed to be perfect…even for Christians…
Despite the rather heavy topics I found myself unable to put the book down, finishing it in a single evening. I enjoyed it immensely! It was the perfect blend of psychological drama and suspense, with a decent helping of romance. I’ve been a fan of Terri Blackstock since I started reading her books as a teenager. I’m pleased to say that I seem to like each one more than the last. This held true with Smoke Screen, which is going to wind up being one of my favorite books read this year.
I loved Smoke Screen and it’s one I would definitely recommend, whether you are a longtime reader of Terri Blackstock or if this is your first. Don’t miss out on this emotionally moving and suspense filled story!
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
“In tough times you rely on what you know not what you feel.”
I started reading this book and I was thinking of the less messier ways for it to end. My heart was in my mouth for Brenna, I wanted her to win but I did not see any possible way for her to come out unhurt. But Terri Blackstock did not disappoint. She nailed it.
The intriguing plot of this book kept me reading till the end. I told myself I was going to finish it before dropping the book.
Brenna was in the middle of a custody battle for custody of her two kids with her husbamd whose character was far from stellar. Issues also came up in her own immediate family and it was all enough to drive her over the cliff. Then Nate came back into the picture. Nate blew my mind. I loved reading about how he went after what he wanted without reservations. I really admired his wit, bravery, forwardness… I loved reading about the fact that he came back and tried to make things right. Now, that’s the kind of man I admire. Through the whole drama in Brenna’s life and his, he fought by her side till the end.
Smoke screen will tug at all your heart strings. It will bring to your heart the importance and reward of fighting for what is right and not giving up. It will show you the importance of family and sticking together. It will turn your heart to the power in prayers.
I enjoyed every bit of this book.
I received a copy of the book and this is my honest opinion
What an adventure this story is. It has all the element for a movie of the week with intrigue, secrets, deceit and high volume action. The story is not just about forgiveness but about learning to trust God. It was easy to like Brenna because even though she had flaws, she still tried to overcome her weaknesses. For years she has had to live with the death of her father who was murdered. I understood how hard it was to be a preacher’s kid and knew her dating Nate went against everything her father believed in.
Nate is a wonderful character with a dangerous job as a smoke jumper. Can you imagine jumping from a plane into a blaze that was out of control? I enjoyed the turmoil between him and his father. We have often heard of people in prison who are innocent but cant prove it. Nate struggled with his dad being locked away for years knowing that he still doubted his dad’s innocence. The author does an excellent job of writing scenes where Nate and his dad have to find a way to communicate again. What I liked was Nate’s bravery in rescuing a family in danger of being in the line of a fire overtaking their home. Most people would have not gone back into the fire, but Nate wouldn’t be able to live with himself he he didn’t try to save them.
The relationship between Nate and Brenna is not welcomed by some and it took the story in a direction where we see how God works. Brenna is at a breaking point with fighting for custody of her children, coping with the release of her father’s killer and maintaining a semblance of control in her life. There is much to learn in the story from how to treat an asthma attack, discovering secrets about a murder and learning to forgive. It is a fast paced story that will have you on the edge of your seat as secrets are revealed. I liked how Nate’s father never gave up hope and drew closer to God during his time in prison. Nate and Brenna are dynamic characters each searching for truth and healing. Don’t miss this story from a gifted author that delivers intriguing stories surrounded by faith.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Terri Blackstock has written another great book about ever burning forest fires, as is prevalent even today. This book is different from the “If I Run series” but still a good suspense. Alcoholism is discussed with sensitivity and dignity. Grace and forgiveness are major topics and shows how our Heavenly Father can put back together the broken pieces of broken lives. Then one can learn to to forgive and accept those who have hurt us. A great story of how love and forgiveness can bring healing. I highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate well-written Christian fiction, mystery, and drama. I have enjoyed every book I’ve read written by Terri Blackstock! She is truly a great writer………I was gifted this E-book by the publisher via NetGalley and these are my own words.