Strands of Deception by Robin Caroll

A Justice Seekers Novel

When Gina Ford, the daughter of a prominent Tennessee politician, goes missing from the University of Memphis a week after another girl was murdered on the same campus, police call in the FBI. Nick Hagar, married to his job as Special Agent in Charge, is assigned to the case, and when Gina’s body is found, her father demands justice.

Maddie Baxter is the forensic expert running DNA tests from the crime scene. When they come back without a match, Nick asks her to do a familial DNA run that yields a shocking result: the prime suspect is Adam Alexander, the very same guy who broke Maddie’s heart when she was in college.

But do scientific advancements tell the whole story? Strand of Deception offers romance, suspense, and a lively debate about the impact of DNA testing, for better or worse, on the United States justice system.

My Review:
This Christian fiction is the third in the Justice Seekers series, but it's a stand alone work. I received my copy Monday afternoon and had it finished by Wednesday evening. It's a real page-turner.

I like the two main characters: Nick Hagar and Maddie Baxter--who become romantically connected.  They both share tragedy in their past lives: Nick's brother died while serving overseas with the Marines, and Maddie's parents were killed by a drunken driver. This causes Nick to doubt God, while Maddie leans on Christ.

Nick's hard work at finding and following leads has the reader jumping from one conclusion to another. "Science doesn't lie" is the motto that Maddie lives by, as she manages the DNA testing. Their struggles of work on a murder case makes for some interesting and complex issues.

Maddie, a super fan of Elvis and his music, creates a lighter theme that runs throughout the novel. As a long-time lover of Elvis, I really enjoyed the references!

Discussion questions included.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and B&H Books for my copy.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.