Double Cross by DiAnn Mills

About the book: FBI Agent Laurel Evertson’s investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she’s vowed to forget Wilmington—and what she sacrificed to put him away—he is now her best lead.

Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer’s next targets, and he’ll do anything to protect his family—even force interagency cooperation. But he’s quickly drawn to Laurel’s empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon.

As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington’s claims of redemption, or if he’s leading them straight into a double cross.

My thoughts: The author, DiAnn Mills, is consummate story weaver. Relying on research done in person with real Houston based FBI agents and having her own story platform of ideas, she developed characters realistic to their professional lives and intricate in their personal lives. 

The two main characters are professional law enforcers - Laura is FBI and Daniel is Houston Police. They are literally thrown together on a professional and personal stage when a scam is perpetrated on the elderly in the form of insurance and illegal money transfers. Daniel's determination to stop this is deeply planted in his very being because his own grandparents, who raised him as a child, are victims. Laura faces her own nemesis in the form of a former criminal scam runner she was instrumental in convicting and who has vowed to take her down.

I absolutely loved Daniel's grandparents. They are such a charming, lovable older couple. He has Alzheimer's disease, drifting in and out of reality, and she is a gun-toting lady that isn't afraid of much but has loads of charm and good sense. 

While the story is very much contemporary, one can't help but realize that the wild and woolly west is still very much alive in Houston with terrifying gun action and chases.

A good read and one that is faith based.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Blog Network on behalf of the author, DiAnn Mills, and publisher, Tyndale Fiction to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine. I was not compensated for the review.