"The Hidden Son" by Dianna T.Benson (Review & Giveaway)

About the book:  When U.S. DEA Special Agent Lelisa Desmond refuses to follow an order to bury evidence in a high profile case, her superior hires a hit man to kill her deep in the ocean off Grand Cayman Island. Lelisa survives the first attempt on her life, but someone close to her is mistakenly murdered in her place.

With no one to trust, Lelisa enlists Inspector Alec Dyer for help but learns she's his number one suspect in the scuba diving homicide.  She sets off on a daring mission to bring down the man who ordered her execution. A man in a high position, with powerful friends. A man who will stop at nothing to silence her forever in order to hide his son’s crimes.

My thoughts:  I am simply amazed that a first published novel can be so enthralling, engrossing, engaging, and exciting as The Hidden Son is.  Dianna T. Benson has taken us from the beauty of the Cayman Isles to the depths (pun intended) of diving into the devious and destructive world of murder and mayhem.  We're speaking of hit men who are law enforcement officers and who are working at the beck and call of real power players in law enforcement.

Agent Lelisa is on the run to preserve her life and tagging along, much to her consternation, is Cayman Isles Inspector Alex.  Who can Lelisa trust? Who can Alex trust? Can they trust each other? Where does all this murder and mayhem originate? Who is behind it all? What is behind it all?

Attempts on Lelisa's life get her running from the Caymans back to home in Raleigh, North Carolina.  But is isn't easy. Trouble is following her and pursuing her.  There is intense action in The Hidden Son and the story is multi-layered.  Inspector Alex is grieving the loss of his 16 year old daughter who went missing two years prior on his watch as detective at the FLPD. When he was removed from the force and the case he moved to the Caymans. Lelisa is grieving the loss of her friend and (sometime) boyfriend, Rick, who died in the diving accident at the beginning of the story.

This is a faith based story that does not preach. In crisis, Alex shares prayer and faith in God with Lelisa in a limited way. But it is effective. And then I especially enjoyed the EMT action in the story and know that the author is writing from her personal experience as an EMT herself. Benson has created believable characters and dialogue that smacks right at the heart of the story.

Since I'm from North Carolina, when they were running around Raleigh, Durham, and I-40 and I-440 I could envision the neighborhoods. I've shopped in Raleigh, worked and shopped in Durham. I could mentally visualize the chase.  I've been to the hospital and walked its corridors.  The author wrote beautifully of the Caymans and of North Carolina.  (And yes, as Alex observes, North Carolina has lots of trees and flowers!)

I anticipate reading more from Dianna T. Benson as the other two books in this Cayman Islands Triology are released. It has been a pleasure to read this book and review it. I hope to be a reviewer for Dianna T. Benson in the future!

GIVEAWAY:  Dianna T. Benson has gracious provided a giveaway copy of her first book, The Hidden Son, for one of Chat With Vera's readers to win.  So here is how to do it.  Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  Begins April 9 and ENDS May 1 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway  
About the author: See Dianna's guest blog here on Chat With Vera by clicking HERE.
Visit the author's website: www.diannatbenson.com
DISCLOSURE: I was provided an uncorrected ARC of The Hidden Son in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.