Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

A brand new heart-stopping series from a USA Today bestselling author

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promises he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late.

Patricia Bradley is the author of Standoff, Obsession, Crosshairs, and Deception, as well as the Memphis Cold Case novels and Logan Point series. Bradley is the winner of an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, a Selah Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award; she was a Carol Award finalist; and three of her books were included in anthologies that debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. Cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., Bradley is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. She makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.

Whew, this book was intense! 

From the very start, I was drawn right into this story and it held my attention right to the end. It might not have been quite so as action packed as some other suspense reads I've read, though it certainly had its moments... but the idea of a serial killer and the connection to the dark web certainly kept me at the edge of my seat. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that aspects of how this killer operated and the connection to the dark web definitely made it a darker storyline than I've read lately... and as such I had to step away a few times... but it was such a good story either way. There was a good amount of faith content within the story (though certainly not a primary focus), so that helped to make it a little lighter than it could have been as well.  Admittedly, I did figure out who the villain was fairly early on in the story... I didn't find that impacted my enjoyment of the story though. There were still some moments I did not see coming and I enjoyed seeing how it all played out. 

This is the first book in a new series, and it certainly has me looking forward to the next one! If you are a fan of romantic suspense, this is definitely one to check out!