Edge of Truth
Suspense and Christianity are neatly woven into this novel by Janice Cantore, where Long Beach Detective Lainie Jenson is at a personal crossroads.
Alone and on a mission to repair her reputation, Lainie is thrust into the middle of a very personal case. The man who walked away from an arrest fifteen years ago is back and determined to break Lainie’s resolve. Dallas Vine is Lainie’s white whale. Now, she’s discovered he’s infiltrated her family, and when Lainie’s sister disappears and is believed to be murdered, Lainie will stop at nothing to bring Vine down.
With the help of her department, her father, and Ben Issacs with the FBI, Lainie is determined to end this turf war. But despite all the threats on her life and the fury she channels toward Vine, she discovers a renewed relationship with God. Building a foundation on faith and learning to trust and hope seems foreign to her. But with the odds stacked against her, Lainie quickly learns that these are critical safeguards in her arsenal.
I enjoyed this book and appreciated how the author kept it gritty without being crass.
In the first third of the book, the prayer and devotional references seemed forced, but they then flowed naturally as Lainie needed God more and more in her life. To me, that made the character even more real: when she first dismissed the preachy elements of religion as just too much, and then saw how she’d needed a foundation of strength and the subtle influences of others to guide her back to faith. This is a fun read for those who like a strong, gusty protagonist who’s also vulnerable and willing to admit that faith is important in her life.
While the book has the swift pacing and on-the-run plot elements of a suspense novel, it feels more methodical, like a detective, crime, or police procedural. Which makes sense. After all, the author is a retired police officer turned best-selling author with multiple series to her name.
Book and Image Courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley
