Double Cross

Book Review: Double Cross

Author: Diann Mills

Genre: Fiction/Romance/Suspense  

Publisher: Tyndale

Publication Date: April 1, 2015

Rating: 5 out of 5 (near perfect)

Pros: Great plot, relatable and loveable characters, no technical jargon common to FBI novels

Cons: None

   

            FBI Agent Laurel Evertson’s investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she’s vowed to forget Wilmington—and what she sacrificed to put him away—he is now her best lead. Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer’s next targets, and he’ll do anything to protect his family—even force interagency cooperation. But he’s quickly drawn to Laurel’s empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon. As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington’s claims of redemption, or if he’s leading them straight into a double cross.

            Double Cross begins with the prologue of a scene five years old from Agent Laurel Evertson’s past that draws the reader in to chapter one, which occurs five years later with a case concerning an elderly fraud. Laurel’s prime suspect turns out to be none other than Morton Wilmington—the man she put away five years ago. Believing he is operating from prison, the FBI has to think from a new angle when Wilmington is released from prison claiming a new faith in God through Christianity. Laurel is forced to work with the very man she hates, along-side with Officer Daniel Hilton of the Houston Police Department. Daniel finds himself attracted to Laurel, one of the first women in his life who he can’t seem to shake from his mind. But Laurel’s growing attraction to Daniel only causes her to feel the need to protect him from the overwhelming baggage she carries, along with the need to protect herself from the fear of losing him once she tells him the truth. Although Laurel at first hates Wilmington and believes him to be a liar, she starts to wonder if he may be telling the truth. His soft spot for her has the unlikely trio working together almost in the shape of a triangle. His conversion keeps the reader wondering all along whether he is sincere.

            The characters all have flaws that make them realistic to the reader. Anger, bitterness, revenge, and lack of faith all makes them relatable. The knowledge of their backgrounds really helps the reader understand the way they tick. Unlike most novels, the character’s backgrounds were not revealed until crucial points in the novel. Since Double Cross is longer, this was beneficial because dragging out the curiosity and mystery of the character’s backgrounds added some extra suspense. There is a good balance among the characters, the main ones with personal points of view being Laurel, Daniel, and Daniel’s grandparents, specifically Gran. Laurel’s anger and bitterness at Wilmington for the death of her partner and close friend, Jesse, prevents her from trusting him despite his claim of religion. Because of her anger, she refuses to trust God, and accepts the fact that she will never have faith. Throughout the novel we see her slow softening towards the things of God—and also to Wilmington—although we do not see a complete change until the very end of the novel. Daniel’s feelings for Laurel keep mounting, although he fears his feelings may jeopardize the case in some way. Knowing he must give up his bitterness and anger towards his parents, specifically his mom, he moves forward in trusting God to fill his heart peace. Raised by his grandparents, he is personally involved with the case because of his grandfather’s buying a scam life insurance policy. Gran speaks from her point of view often, and we can see how loveable and spunky she is. Daniel’s grandfather has dementia, and we can see how she loves him enough to care for him. Their input in the novel made the case so much more personal to the reader because it is impossible not to fall in love with them.

            The characters are very communicative, and a lot of dialogue fills the novel. Their personalities are revealed in their speech. I could sense tone and attitude by Dian Mill’s word usage, which made the characters very unique. There is a good balance of dialogue, descriptions, and narration with no overkill descriptions and technical jargon that I expected in an FBI suspense novel. The flow was simple to read, although the plot was anything but simple. Everything had a deeper secret behind it and questions that lasted until the end of the novel, drawing in more suspense. The plot is neither predictable nor unpredictable. It is easy to know that the bad guy will be caught in the end, and we even know who he is. Getting there is very complex with a lot of little elements of surprise to keep the reader on their toes. Diann Mills is not afraid to injure or kill off characters so I was nervous the entire time danger was near.

            I chose Double Cross because I was in the mood for a good suspense, and this book definitely fit the bill. I have never read Diann Mills before, or heard of her. I loved Double Cross and will hopefully be buying my own copy. Very suspenseful and entertaining in the area of mystery and romance, I could find no true cons for this book. Only thing I thought as I read was that the story could have moved along a little faster in some places since the book is so long. The ending really surprised me, but it made sense to pull the story together. Overall, Double Cross is a great read worth buying.

            I received a complimentary copy of Double Cross from Tyndale through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.