Book Recommendation - A Secret to Die For

Lisa Harris's most recent novel was one of my most anticipated suspense novels this season. I was super excited to be selected as an influencer for this book. One of the aspects that had me intrigued was that the main character was a psychologist. For those that don't know, my undergrad degree is in Psychology, so I always find it fascinating to see things from their perspective. Ms. Harris did an excellent job of portraying her role. 

Psychologist Grace Callahan has no idea that she has a secret--one worth killing for. But when she finds out one of her clients has been murdered, she quickly realizes that the computer security specialist wasn't simply suffering from paranoia.
Detective Nate Quinn has just been cleared for active duty after a bombing killed eighteen people, including his partner, and left him dealing with PTSD. His first case back on the job involves the murder of Stephen Shaw, and his only lead turns out to be an old friend, Grace Callahan--and her life is in grave danger. Someone believes Shaw gave his psychologist information before he died. Information they are willing to kill for.
With her signature pulse-pounding suspense, Lisa Harris takes readers deep into the heart of fear in this race against the clock.

This book hit the ground running and did not let up in the action. I was drawn in from the get-go and did not know who the "bad guy" was till the very end. The plot-line was scary in its realism and I never knew what was going to happen next. The romance ended up very sweet (though at times felt a bit trite). The spiritual aspect was not overly religious, but addressed the question of where is God when life is hard? At one point Nate is talking to the police chaplain, asking where God is and the response is "Right where he's always been. It doesn't matter what is happening around you. He is here." Both of the main characters struggle with and grown in their faith throughout the book. 

I wanted to conduct an interview for my blog with Ms. Harris, but due to current circumstances (though she is a missionary in Africa, she is currently stateside, caring for her mother after a fall - if you are  praying person, please pray with me for Lisa Harris and her mother), I felt it best not to contact her. However, her publisher, Revell books, offered me their press release interview and I wanted to share a few of those questions here.

What was your inspiration for A Secret to Die For?

As with a lot of my stories, my inspiration started off with a random idea for a heroine, who quickly became Grace Callahan. She was a psychologist, but more than that, she had her own personal giants that she was facing in her life. After I began to flesh out her character, I brought in the hero who was also dealing with loss, and the ideas for the plot line started to come together—both for them personally and for the greater danger they were facing. 

Detective Nate Quinn struggles with PTSD. How did his disorder come in to play in A Secret to Die For? 

At the beginning of the story, Nate has just gone back to work after an explosion took the lives of his partner and several co-workers. And while he wants to be back on the job—even needs to be back—he’s not a hundred percent sure he’s ready. He encounters a number of triggers and begins to realize how his life has changed. He also has to deal with the guilt of being a survivor, which is something very real for those who have gone through trauma and lost people they care about. Grace becomes the perfect person to help him heal, which I love watching play out in the book. 

Was there any part of this book that really surprised you once you began writing it? 

As with a lot of the stories I write, I’m usually not sure who the villain is until the end of the book, and that was definitely true for this story. On the positive side, I’ve decided that if I’m not sure until the end who did it, then hopefully the reader won’t figure it out either!

What do you hope readers gain from reading your book? 

While I definitely want my readers to be entertained—and maybe a bit (okay, a lot) scared—while reading my books, I also want them to discover how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things for him. People like you and me have the chance to allow God to use us in spite of all our fears and insecurities. I see the spiritual thread in my stories as a part of my characters’ reactions to life. How they react and deal with things on a spiritual level is crucial. Just like in my own life, I don’t want my faith to be simply tacked on but an intricate part of who I am. 

What’s next on your writing to-do list? 

Next up is another stand-alone novel for Revell that I’m super excited about as it takes my hero on a treacherous path I’ve never taken them on before. (Sorry, no spoilers!) 

How can readers connect with you? 

I’d love to hear from you! 

Website: www.lisaharriswrites.com 

Blog: myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com 

Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaHarris 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heartofafrica 

Pinterest: https://za.pinterest.com/lharriswrites/

You can purchase this book from  your favorite retailer:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KICneB

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2lQjUPs

Christianbook.com:

 https://bit.ly/2KEWj2f

Check out my review here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2378778088