Her Every Move

by Kelly Irvin

Tour February 8 – March 5, 2021

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour for HER EVERY MOVE by Kelly Irvin.

Below you will find a book synopsis, my book review, and excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Good luck and enjoy!

***

Book Synopsis

He’s a cop trying to stop a serial bomber. And she’ll stop at nothing to clear her own name.

When a deadly bomb goes off during a climate change debate, librarian and event coordinator Jackie Santoro becomes the prime suspect. Her motive, according to Detective Avery Wick: to avenge the suicide of her prominent father, who was accused of crimes by a city councilman attending the event.

Though Avery has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, he can’t exonerate her even after an extremist group takes responsibility for the bombing and continues to attack San Antonio’s treasured public spaces.

As Jackie tries to hold her shattered family together, she has no choice but to proceed with plans for the Caterina Ball, the library system’s biggest annual fundraiser. But she also fears the event provides the perfect opportunity for the bomber to strike again.

Despite their mistrust, Jackie and Avery join forces to unmask the truth—before the death toll mounts even higher.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54287703-her-every-move?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AIzqOIBIzd&rank=1

Book Details

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: February 9, 2021
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 0785231900 (ISBN13: 9780785231905)

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

HER EVERY MOVE by Kelly Irvin is an edge-of-your-seat Christian romantic suspense by a new to me author that I could not put down.

A bomb goes off at a library sponsored climate change debate in San Antonio.

Jackie Santoro, librarian and event coordinator loses her best friend in the bombing and yet still becomes a prime suspect due to her family’s past. Detective Avery Wick has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, but he also cannot exonerate her.

As the bombings continue around the city, Jackie is forced to continue with the plans for the annual Caterina Ball which funds the cities’ libraries for the year. Avery and Jackie know this event could be the next target for the bomber and they must work together to unmask the bomber before the death toll rises even further.

I was completely wrapped up in the chase for the bomber. Ms. Irvin’s pacing and plot development kept me on the edge-of-my-seat as each twist and new suspect emerged. While the bomber was on my list of suspects, the ending was still handled well and was satisfying. Avery’s handling of his long-time friend’s mental health decline added not just suspense, but also empathy to the story.

I loved that the protagonist, Jackie Santoro is a librarian and all the references to her life-long love of books and libraries. She is a strong heroine protagonist who follows her beliefs and feelings in her personal life as well as her professional one. Avery Wick is a detective, who while hardened by his years of seeing the worst of humanity on his job still has empathy for others. Their relationship evolves over the investigation and chase for the bomber at a realistic pace. The secondary characters are fully fleshed and add to the depth of the story without being just placeholders.

This is a Christian romantic suspense so there are no sex scenes in this romance, but the romance between Jackie and Avery grows realistically throughout. This book did have more inclusion of religious beliefs and prayer than other Christian romantic suspense books I have read, but the inclusions are not gratuitous.

I recommend this book for an exciting romantic suspense read and I will be checking out more of this new-to-me author’s work.

***

Excerpt

A steady stream of patrons stood and edged toward the center aisle. A low murmur swelled to the sound of hundreds of people all talking at once. Soon they’d be in front of Jackie, impeding her progress from the parking garage and on the narrow, one-way downtown streets of San Antonio.

“Great job, Jackie. Looks like your boss was wrong.” Sandoval’s constituent services director, Tony Guerra, sauntered up the aisle toward her. “Climate change opponents can coexist amicably in the same space. And so can city manager and city council staff.”

“Thanks, but it took a whole host of partners to make this happen. And it’s not over yet.” Jackie stuck her hand on the door lever that would release her to the Tobin’s massive lobby.

She liked Tony, which was a good thing since he’d asked Estrella to marry him. However, he wore his political ambitions like an obnoxious neon-pink tie.

“I have to go. I want to make sure there are no last-minute snags with the reception. Then it’s back to fine-tuning the altars for the Catrina Ball. It’s only a week away, and I’m behind because of the debate.”

“You never let up, do you? Are we still on for the Spurs game tomorrow—”

A powerful force knocked Jackie from her feet.

Her skull banged on the hardwood floor.

Sharp projectiles pelted her face in a painful ping-ping.

What’s happening?

Estrella? Tony? Bella?

Muffled screams and even her own moaning seemed strangely distant. “Estrella? Tony? Bella?”

If they answered, Jackie couldn’t hear them. She dragged herself onto her hands and knees. Glass and sharp metal pierced both. She forced open burning eyes.

Heavy black smoke shrouded the hall. Metal and debris like deadly confetti showered her. She raised her arm to her forehead to protect her face from the remnants of folding chairs and electronics.

Warm blood dripped from her nose. The acrid taste of smoke and fear collected in her mouth. Her stomach heaved. Her pulse pounded so hard dizziness threatened to overcome her.

No, no, no. Do not pass out. People need help.

Shrieking alarms bellowed.

Water, like torrential rain, poured from above. Rain, inside? Her ricocheting thoughts made no sense. Jackie shook her head. Neither the smoke nor the clanging in her brain subsided.

Sprinkler system.

The smoke had triggered the sprinklers.

Where there’s smoke there’s fire.

The old cliché ran circles in her mind like a children’s nursery rhyme.

Estrella’s mama and papa would never forgive Jackie if something happened to their sweet daughter. Mercedes and Mateo always saw Jackie as the instigator of trouble. And they were usually right.

Ignoring pain and panic, she crawled forward. Sharp metal bit into her skin. Where were her shoes?

Finally she encountered a warm, writhing body. “Tony?”

“What happened?” He struggled to sit up. Blood poured from an open wound on his scalp, his nose, and a cut on his lip. “I have to get to Estrella and Diego.”

He might have yelled, but Jackie could barely make out the words. She leaned back on her haunches. “You’re hurt. Does anything feel broken?”

“No, but I can’t hear anything.” He wiped at his face. Blood streaked his once crisply starched white shirt. “Why can’t I hear?”

“It’ll pass. We have to get everyone out.”

With a groan, Tony leaned over and vomited on the floor. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Everyone out. If you can walk on your own, evacuate.” One of the contract security guards hired for the debate loomed over them. “The bomb squad is on the way. Go, go.”

“We’re fine. We’ll help get the others out.”

“Negative. Get out, there could be more bombs.”

Bombs.

***

Author Bio

Bestseller Kelly Irvin is the author of 19 books, including romantic suspense and Amish romance. Publishers Weekly called Closer Than She Knows “a briskly written thriller.” The Library Journal said of her novel Tell Her No Lies, “a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end.”

The two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist worked as a newspaper reporter for six years on the Texas-Mexico border. Those experiences fuel her romantic suspense novels set in Texas. A retired public relations professional, Kelly now writes fiction full-time. She lives with her husband professional photographer Tim Irvin in San Antonio. They have two children, three grandchildren, and two ornery cats.