Shadows of the Past

December 16, 2013
Heavy on action, Bradley’s debut inspirational novel rushes to fit in everything from violent chase scenes to renewal of faith. Dr. Taylor Martin, a beautiful, übercompetent criminal profiler, wonders why God doesn’t answer her prayers for help finding her father, who has been missing for 20 years. An answer appears, perhaps, in the form of crime novelist Nick Sinclair, whose addict brother Scott seems to be stalking Taylor. Family financial issues call Taylor home from Washington state to Logan Point, Miss., where, suspiciously, Scott turns up. Nick follows him there, determined to prove that Scott is not the criminal Taylor suspects him to be. This is a page-turner—in every chapter, new hints of foul play arise suggesting that Scott, Taylor’s missing father, and the current family crisis are all dangerously interrelated. Family and friends help untangle the riddles, culminating in a climax readers won’t want to miss. It will be gratifying to watch Bradley’s characters evolve in future installments of this new Logan Point series. Agent: Mary Sue Seymour, Seymour Agency.

February 15, 2014

Twenty years ago when Taylor Martin was a child, her father left suddenly without explanation, and she has since struggled to understand why God would allow this to happen. Now a college professor and criminal profiler, Taylor gets a lead on her father's whereabouts and goes home to Logan, MS, to investigate. But she soon realizes she is being stalked. She meets author Nick Sinclair, the brother of the student she believes may be her pursuer. Nick's wife was murdered several years ago, and Nick is trying to find his brother, who is the only family he has left. VERDICT Winner of a 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award and a finalist for the 2012 Genesis Award, this is a fantastic first novel of thrilling suspense. The nonstop action and the sympathetically drawn characters' narrow escapes will keep readers mesmerized. The gripping tension also makes Bradley's title a winner with fans of Iris Johansen and Mary Higgins Clark.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2014
Taylor Martin doesn't know what happened to her father. He left one day and never returned, and Taylor has spent her life wondering why. She now profiles victims of crimes, solving mysteries for others. It soon becomes clear, however, that several recent crimes have one thing in common: Taylor. Nick Sinclair's brother is in trouble. Scott has dealt with substance abuse for years and now stands as the central suspect in a murder investigation. Nick is convinced that Scott is innocent, but it becomes increasingly difficult to prove. As Nick and Taylor's paths cross in their pursuit of the truth, they stumble into romance. Bradley weaves an exciting story of danger, mystery, and attraction. Readers will love the thrill of trying to solve the crimes surrounding Taylor as they root for her and Nick's relationship to blossom. Bradley infuses the plot with questions of faith, too, as her characters learn that at the end of the day, only God knows all, and that faith is what makes life's traumas bearable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)