Not This Time - by Vicki Hinze

A BLOOD-SOAKED MATTRESS. A TERRORIST ATTACK.  AMONG THEM, A TRAITOR. 

BETH DIDN’T TRUST ROBERT.  NOW HE’S MISSING AND BETH IS BEING BLAMED.

Sara and Beth built a multi-million dollar business and act as anti-terrorism consultants.  Now their business and friendship are strained because Beth is leery of Sara’s husband.  When he goes missing and is verified kidnapped, authorities consider Beth their prime suspect. Then their hometown, Seagrove Village, Florida, is rocked by an act of terrorism, and Beth doesn’t know who to trust. Someone close to her is connected to the attack, but who? Is there a connection to Crossroads Crisis Center? In the midst of the confusion and fear, Beth finds herself attracted to a man from her past, the former Shadow Watcher, Joe. She knows she shouldn’t fall in love with him–she can’t resist or even explain their bond. And as her world unravels around her, she wonders…Will the truth set her free or ruin her life?  Is it possible to be pushed beyond redemption?

This is the 3rd and I believe final book in the Crossroads Crisis Center Series by Vicki Hinze.  I've enjoyed the series, beginning with "Forget Me Not" and then "Deadly Ties".  For this to be centered around an idyllic oceanside village, they sure have their share of intrigue and danger.  After the first book, I would have moved from this town!  This story revolves around Beth and Sara, the owners of SaBe and Sara's husband, Robert.  Robert is kidnapped and held for ransom.  Is he faking the kidnapping or is the terrorist group, NINA back for more?  From the way that "Deadly Ties" ended, it's a safe bet that the terrorist group NINA was going to be returning and causing chaos once again.  Mark and his crew of Special Ops members are back in this novel as Joe finally makes his feelings known to Beth and her tough facade begins to break down towards him as well.

 This book is not one that can be read by itself, so if you are interested in purchasing this book, you will need to get the other 2 books and read them first.  There's a lot of characters that are carried over from the earlier books and you have to know their history and relationships in order for any of this to make sense.  There are times in the book where there's so much going on, that it kinda bogs down, but not enough to totally ruin the story.  All of the danger and intrigue that have been relevant in the other novels have culminated in this final book.  There's a nice letter at the end that wraps everything neatly up in a bow, which is a great way to end the series.  I enjoyed the fact that for every mention of evil there was always something good to overshadow it.  This series is strong on faith and redemption, two traits that we should carry with us at all times.

In the end, from this guy's perspective, this book has plenty of suspense and intrigue to satisfy any guy's interest and just enough romance for him to remember that special woman in his life.

About the Author

Vicki’s first published novel, a romantic suspense, was a bestseller that sold in nearly a dozen foreign countries. Since then, she’s shifted writing focus several times. After co-creating the first single-title open-ended continuity series, she turned to military life and has been credited with a Career Achievement Award for being one of the first to write military romantic suspense, military romantic intrigue, and military romantic thrillers. Recently, she has shifted focus to Christian fiction. Her willingness to take risks and blaze trails has won her many prestigious nominations and awards,