Hidden Agenda {by Lisa Harris}

Title: Hidden Agenda

Author: Lisa Harris

Series: Southern Crimes, #3

Genre: Christian suspense/mystery

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Received from author

Michael Hunt is alive--and on the run. Presumed dead by friends and family, the undercover assignment he's been working for the past eight months has just been blown. With a hit out on his life and corruption inside the Atlanta police department, Michael finds himself hunted by both the cartel and the law. His only hope is the daughter of the man who wants him dead.

What a conclusion. I've mentioned before that I'm not super into suspense/mystery type books...usually. But this series has me hooked, and I'm sad that it's over. This series plot-driven, while still focusing on characters, and Harris pulls it off well, without overwhelming the reader.

Since I guess that synopsis itself spoils the first two books (or at least, Michael's part in the books) I'm not sure what I can or can't say that would be considered a spoiler. Since they already told you he's alive. He's been working undercover for the leader of a drug cartel that he's been trying to bring down. But he's been found out, and he can't go back home either since the police force thinks that he's a traitor. The only thing left to do is prove his innocence and bring down the cartel. And who arrives as his help? None other than the kids of the man he's trying to bring down. 

Being "dead" for so long, Michael feels like he doesn't know who he is anymore. I think we've all gone through those moments, and it was portrayed honestly and realistically. Olivia is going through the same thing as well, as everything she has ever known about her father turns out to be a lie. Both of them are dealing with these huge issues, but they still put themselves aside for others. Making sure that others, like Olivia's brother, are safe, and that no one else gets hurt because of the bad men that are after them. 

Drug lords, cartels, running for your life...these are all big issues. But Harris handles them in a way that doesn't make it seem overwhelming. Yes these are serious issues, but we get to see the characters banter with each other and care about each other. Yes, this book is filled with suspense and intrigue, but not so much that it's too much action and not enough character. Harris achieves the balance.

I also loved our secondary characters, like Ivan, and of course our favorites from the first books, like Emily, Mason, Avery, Jackson. And while this was a "Christian" book, it wasn't preachy or overbearing. It didn't take away from the story. Both the characters are Christian, and it was just something that naturally shone through.

And this was a perfect conclusion, as it ended well for both the story and the characters. I would definitely recommend this whole series.

My review of Fatal Exchange here

This review can also be found on   

Lisa Harris:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

And, I'll be giving away one finished paperback of Hidden Agenda! This giveaway as US only (sorry INT folks!). Must be 13+ to enter, or have parent permission. All entries will be checked, and falsified entries will result in all the entries for that participant being disqualified. Winner has 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen, so please check your SPAM folders. I am not responsible for lost packages.

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Fatal Exchange {by Lisa Harris}

Title: Fatal Exchange

Author: Lisa Harris

Series: Southern Crimes, #2

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Received from publisher

Emily Hunt might come from a family of cops, but she never goes looking for an adrenaline rush. She lives the quiet–well, relatively quiet–life of a teacher and thrives on making a difference in the lives of her students. But she’ll have to draw on a well of strength and savvy she didn’t know she had as student Rafael Cerda takes her class hostage for ransom money to save his brother’s life.Undercover cop Mason Taylor has been working with Rafael to find his brother and bring the cartel thugs who hold him to justice. Can he talk Rafael down from his impulsive actions? And is there something more sinister at work here than he realizes?

I'm not usually one for suspense novels. The books I read about cops and detectives and the like are very few and far in between. (Although I did watch four seasons of Castle, that's gotta count for something, right?) So I wasn't sure if this was going to be my thing, but I didn't need to worry. I loved it.

Emily is a teacher. She wants no part of the cop life of her father, sister, and brother. Mason was her brother's best friend--and a cop. The two have to work together, when Emily's student Rafael takes her class hostage for ranslm money for his brother. 

I liked the characters, as they were well-developed and believable. Often, the problem I have with female protagonists is that I find them annoying. (Blunt, but true.) They tend to make bad decisions, or ruin things, something. But Emily wasn't like that. She was a strong female character, although she didn't come off overbearing or superior. She stayed level-headed, and that was really refreshing. Mason wasn't without his fair share of flaws as well, with his daddy issues and unforgiveness, but that also served to make him more human, easier to relate to. He knows he has his issues, but he's humble about them. And his character showed a lot of growth throughout the story, which I loved. 

Although most of the story happens throughout the course of just one day, this isn't really a case of insta-love. Mason and Emily have known each other for a long time, and have been crushing on each other for a while as well. So this was more of a case of falling back into love. Also, while the romance aspect is definitely there, it doesn't overtake the story, which I liked. Everything has it's place. 

The storyline itself was very intriguing. The writing works well to captivate you, and hold you in throughout the story. The pacing itself was well done, with some twists and turns thrown in to keep you guessing. 

I didn't actually know this was a second book when I started, so there was slight confusion on some of the story aspect with the Hunt's and Emily's brother, but not enough that I couldn't enjoy the story. In fact, I've already got the first one checked out from the library and ready to start. 

The faith aspect was also very nicely done. It wasn't overbearing or preachy. But it also wasn't so sublte that you missed it or didn't know what the author was trying to get out. It was just the right amount of God talk to feel natural. 

So if suspense is your type of thing, then I would definitely recommend this book. Of if you're looking for some new Christian fiction and wanting to branch out, this is a great one to start with. Er, maybe start with the first one ;)

This review can also be found on   

Lisa Harris:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads