TRACE OF DOUBT
BY DIANN MILLS
Categories: Romantic Suspense / Christian Fiction / FBI Crime Solving Novel / Clean Romance
Publisher: Tyndale House
Pub Date: September 7, 2021
Pages: 432 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House
Pub Date: September 7, 2021
Pages: 432 pages
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Fifteen years ago, Shelby Pearce confessed to murdering her brother-in-law and was sent to prison. Now she’s out on parole and looking for a fresh start in the small town of Valleysburg, Texas. But starting over won’t be easy for an ex-con.
FBI Special Agent Denton McClure was a rookie fresh out of Quantico when he was first assigned the Pearce case. He’s always believed Shelby embezzled five hundred thousand dollars from her brother-in-law’s account. So he’s going undercover to befriend Shelby, track down the missing money, and finally crack this case.
But as Denton gets closer to Shelby, he begins to have a trace of doubt about her guilt. Someone has Shelby in their crosshairs. It’s up to Denton to stop them before they silence Shelby—and the truth—forever.
PRAISE FOR TRACE OF DOUBT :
“Filled with high stakes, high emotion, and high intrigue.” – LYNN H. BLACKBURN, award-winning author of UNKNOWN THREAT and ONE FINAL BREATH
“Trace of Doubt is a suspense reader’s best friend. From page one until the end, the action is intense and the storyline keeps you guessing.” – EVA MARIE EVERSON, bestselling author of FIVE BRIDES and DUST
“DiAnn Mills serves up a perfect blend of action, grit, and heart. . . Trace of Doubt takes romantic suspense to a whole new level.” – JAMES R. HANNIBAL, award-winning author of THE PARIS BETRAYAL
“Well-researched . . . with some surprising twists along the way. In Trace of Doubt, Mills weaves together a tale of faith, intrigue, and suspense that her fans are sure to enjoy.” – STEVEN JAMES, award-winning author of SYNAPSE and EVERY WICKED MAN
Link to the Book Trailer on YouTube
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Retreats: Marketing, Speakers, Nonfiction and Novelist with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion for helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
Blog Posts ║ Facebook ║ Instagram ║ Youtube
A thrilling story of faith, sacrifice, forgiveness, friendship, and love, Trace of Doubt kept me up all night trying to follow the heart-pounding twists and turns in the life of Shelby Pearce after her release from prison. At first, I tried to guess what was going to happen next but when I found myself wrong several times, I decided to just enjoy and let DiAnn Mills take me for a literary ride. Starting with the dramatic prologue all the way to the satisfactory conclusion in the epilogue, this book had me enthralled.
Ms. Mills has a deft hand in the characterization of her leads, especially with Shelby’s. From page one, I cared about her and had absolutely no trace of doubt in my mind in her innocence of the crime for which she’d served fifteen years behind bars. I was in turn worried, indignant, scared, sad, relieved, and happy for her as the events unfolded. I am glad she found people who believed in her and supported her wholeheartedly to balance the number of those who intended her harm.
Like Shelby, I didn’t trust Denton at first, especially with his preconceptions and deceptions, but I warmed to him the second he showed up with a gift of a puppy. I enjoyed his self-examination of his relationship with God and celebrated his rediscovery of his faith. For me, it was a believable transformation heavily influenced by the awe-inspiring strength of Shelby’s example in words and in deeds.
Christianity is central to this story. Ms. Mills didn’t stint on proclaiming her beliefs through the main characters. God’s words often emboldened Shelby in her actions. Biblical quotes and Christian maxims abound in Trace of Doubt. One of my favorites is:
Trusting God doesn’t mean we have to understand why bad things happen.”
The one aspect of the book that I had difficulty with was the characterization of the villain. While I appreciate the attempt to explain their motivation, I wanted the addition of redeeming qualities. Even just one.
Content notes: physical violence, bullying, death of a loved one, gun violence, child abuse
Thanks to Lone Star Literary Life, Tyndale Fiction, and DiAnn Mills for providing me copies of the book to review.
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Maida Malby 
Great review! I love a book that wrecks your plans for getting anything else done until you’ve turned the final page. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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Thanks, Kristine. You’ll definitely want to read this in one sitting.
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Thank you!
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Maida, thank you so much for allowing me to be a guest on your blog site. I’m a bit teary-eyed with your wonderful review of Trace of Doubt. So glad you enjoyed the story!
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You’re welcome, DiAnn. I’m happy to be part of the tour for this awesome book.
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