I selected DiAnn Mills’s latest book, Canyon of Deceit, because I appreciate her attention to history, character development, and emotional honesty throughout her stories.
In Canyon of Deceit, I journeyed with FBI informants in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in western Texas. I don’t usually select books written in the first person, but Mills’s novel held my interest.
The main character, Therese Palmer, deals with her past guilt and loss by using her martial arts and survival skills to find a kidnapped professor’s daughter named Alina Ivanov. Alina, a savvy and intelligent girl, is one of my favorite characters in the story. The communication between Therese and the girl is believable and heartwarming. Through tension and dialogue, I witnessed Alina develop confidence and trust in following Therese’s directions.
I also enjoyed learning more about the Texas Rangers and their professional skill set. Blane Gardner’s negotiating skills aided the mission, but his friendship with Therese interested me more. Neither one pursued a relationship before they met, and circumstances and hardship kept them together. Mills effectively demonstrated the significance of forgiveness for both others and ourselves.
If you enjoy Canyon of Deceit by DiAnn Mills, you may enjoy Breach of Trust, Under a Desert Sky, and A Woman Called Sage.
