Narrow Escape

Sonoma #4

by Camy Tang

Arissa Tiong and her three-year-old niece are snatched off the street by members of a notorious drug gang. Having lost her police officer brother to a drug bust gone bad, Arissa knows the danger she's in. But she has no idea why they want her. Desperate to protect the little girl, Arissa escapes and runs straight to Nathan Fischer. She knows the handsome, weary former narcotics cop hasn't told her everything about the night that ended her brother's life and Nathan's career. But he's all that stands between her and dangerous thugs who are after something she doesn't even know she has.

Genres: Romance, Christian, Love Inspired Suspense, Mystery, Love Inspired, Suspense, Christian Fiction

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Camy writes Christian romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and cozy mystery as Camy Tang and Regency romance under her pen name, Camille Elliot. She grew up in Hawaii but now lives in northern California with her engineer husband and rambunctious dog. She graduated from Stanford University in psychology with a focus on biology, but for nine years she worked as a biologist researcher. Then God guided her path in a completely different direction and now she’s writing full time, using her original psychology degree as she creates the characters in her novels. In her free time, she’s a staff worker for her church youth group and leads one of her church’s Sunday worship teams. She also loves to knit, spin wool into yarn, and is training to (very slowly) run a marathon.

Reviews

[Danica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable book! I thought it was very high-paced and exciting.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

full of suspense a fun read for the holidays

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action from the first page. I loved this one!

[Kim - Inside the Wong Mind · Rating 5 out of 5]

So you might think I’m a little bias when reviewing Camy Tang novels but in all fairness, her writing really is good. I love her storylines because I can relate to them and because I’m from the Bay Area too.

Narrow Escape is Camy Tang’s 4th Love Inspired Suspense by Harlequin. She continues with this fast-paced thriller set in Sonoma, CA. Meet Arissa Tiong and her three-year-old niece/adopted daughter, Charity. Charity’s father, Arissa’s brother, was killed in action as a LAPD narcotics cop. The story starts abruptly with Arissa waking up after having been kidnapped. She and Charity are able to escape but not before Arissa realizes that the kidnapping had something to do with her deceased brother, Mark. She borrows a friend’s car and drives to the only person she trusts to help her – her brother’s old parter, Nathan Fischer, who lives in Sonoma. Nathan is the first and last person she wants to see – she had strong feelings for him before he accused her brother of being a mole for the Filipino gang, LSL. Nathan is weary to help at first, but his protective and paranoid instincts kick in just in time before their lives are in danger. Nathan is sure that his partner was feeding information to the LSL but no evidence was ever found beyond what Nathan witnessed. He didn’t want anything to do with Arissa, a woman he had fallen in love with, but he can’t let her and Charity down. Nathan’s injuries and circumstances have led him to give up on God, but will he dare to trust again? Can Arissa and Nathan figure out what really happened with her brother and why the LSL are after her?

This story was so fast-paced and interesting. I loved everything except maybe how fast the ending was. I actually didn’t guess the ending, which was nice. I wish the ending hadn’t been so rushed (which is why the 4.5 instead of 5 rating).

I really enjoyed getting to know Arissa and Nathan as characters. They developed really nicely for the length of this book. They each had their fears and struggles – they were real and relatable, which is what I love about Camy Tang’s characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an attention-grabbing story with a Christian message full of God’s protection and forgiveness.

[Julie Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arissa and her niece Charity are kidnapped in broad daylight. When Arissa awakens she is able to get herself and Charity away from the kidnappers. Hearing one of the kidnappers mention her brother’s name Arissa knows there is only one person she can turn to for help.
Nathan is Arissa’s brother Mark’s former partner. Nathan was wounded during the same gun fight that Mark was killed. Nathan can no longer work in his former job which has left him bitter and angry at God. He also believes that Mark is guilty of being a mole for the gang that killed him. After hearing her brother’s name from the kidnappers Arissa starts to doubt her brother’s innocence.
When Arissa and Charity show up at Nathan’s front door Nathan struggles between his old attraction to Arissa and his bitterness and anger at her brother and God. But he is determined to protect them the best way he can while trying to figure out what the gang wants. Will he be able to keep both Arissa and Charity at arm’s length and also still hang on to his anger at God?
Camy Tang definitely knows how to write a romantic suspense story. Narrow Escape did not disappoint in the heart pounding action from the very first page. This is the 2nd Love Inspired book that I have read of Camy’s and I have to say that so far I am a fan. If you haven’t read any of Camy’s books they are a must. Try the Sushi for One series which is a hoot! And then try the Protection for Hire series which is another suspense/romance series. Both great series! Camy has become one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading more books from her.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Arissa Tiong and her three-year-old niece are snatched off the street by members of a notorious drug gang. Having lost her police officer brother to a drug bust gone bad, Arissa knows the danger she's in. But she has no idea why they want her. Desperate to protect the little girl, Arissa escapes and runs straight to Nathan Fischer. She knows the handsome, weary former narcotics cop hasn't told her everything about the night that ended her brother's life and Nathan's career. But he's all that stands between her and dangerous thugs who are after something she doesn't even know she has.


REVIEW: Continuing the story of Nathan from Stalker in the Shadows, Nathan find his way back to life and to the Lord as he assists Arissa and her niece Charity as they try to discover why a gang is after both of them. As usual, Tang captures the readers' interest immediately and keeps it til the last page. The storyline is solid and the characters very realistic as they struggle with issues that test their growth and their faith. One of my favorite parts was the repeated use of the "Prudence" move.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "Because somehow she hadn't trusted God to take care of her. She had kept thinking of more things she could do, almost as if she hadn't thought God could do anything for them."

[Lisa Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camy Tang books are always favorites of mine. Her characters are real people, peppered by the real problems we face as sinners trying to live right in a fallen world. This is a great story of the grace available to us when we fail (which is often!)

The thread of whether Arissa's brother had really betrayed them all before he died kept me turning pages until the end.

[Harlequin Books]

Category: Inspirational Romance

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a book that will keep you wondering and in suspense,this is one you need to read.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This high-speed, suspense story will whisk you through the pages. I'd liken it to the intensity of a Bourne movie.

[Shirlene]

Arissa Tiong woke up in a bit of a daze. She and her brother's 3 yr. old daughter, Charity, had been kidnapped. She pulled the boards off a window of the run down house and then hid in with Charity in a vent hole. She caused a distraction and the kidnappers thought they had gotten away when they were hiding in the room. After they left to search for them, they came out of hiding and escaped. Arissa took Charity to her brother, Mark's, old partner's house for help.
Nathan Fischer was involved in the shoot out that had killed Arissa's brother, Mark. He had followed Mark when he saw him take a file from the police office. Nathan had been shot and his thigh had been shattered. Nathan was angry at Mark and blamed him for his injury that would never truly heal. He had lost his ability to continue working as a detective and was now in charge of a security agency. He had seen Mark take a file from the office and give it the gang's captain. He told Internal Affairs about it and they had investigated Mark as being a mole within the force for a gang, the LSL, Laki Sa Layaw. They found no proof because the file had disappeared. Charity was the daughter of Mark and a sister of one of the drug lords. Charity's mother had gone into labor after the shoot-out and died giving birth to Charity. Charity had been given to her parents to raise but they gave her to Mark's parents when her brother found out Charity was the daughter of a cop.
Arissa had borrowed a car from a friend, Malaya, to get to Nathan's house. She was worried about her parents and they were staying with Arissa's church sponsor's home for safety. Nathan found her friends cell phone in the car and was worried about being tracked. They drove the car a couple hours away from LA and were tracked and found before they dumped the phone at a gas station. Nathan felt sure that someone inside the police force had tracked the phone because the had been located so quickly. They escaped while being shot at. They went back to Arissa's house and found out that it had been ransacked. There was nothing left for them to take with them. Arissa was glad that her parents weren't there because there was no telling what would have happened to them. Arissa had no clue what the gang members were looking for. She had heard one of them talking about Mark but he had been dead for 3 years.
Nathan was worried about being around Arissa again. He had fallen for her while he was partnered with Mark but never dated her because of the the partnership. He felt he had ruined any chance with her when he accused her brother of working with the gang. They hadn't seen each other for years. He was surprised she had come to him for help. He had his parents go to a safe place too.
Nathan asked about Mark's possessions. Arissa told him that Internal affairs had gone through them and never found anything. She didn't think they would find anything either. Nathan was surprised to learn that there were items of Mark's that they might not have searched because his stuff was put in a storage unit that was not under the family name. Arissa went through his computer and found another bank account. They went to the bank and found out that he had a safe deposit box. They had to have Charity and documentation that Arissa was her legal guardian to gain access. They didn't have the key and was told it would take 2 to 3 weeks to get a replacement. They went back to the storage unit to see if they could find the key in a fishbowl filled with keys that one of her aunts had kept until she died. It was now in a storage unit.
The storage was in the name of an aunt with a different last name and the extended family all used the large locker for various items. They went to the facility and as they were looking through it, a cousin, Tito, showed up and told them that he was looking for a crockpot. They found it suspicious but he left. She remembered a shoe box that her father had put all of the mail they received for Mark in after his death. They searched and found it. They took it and a couple of boxes with paperwork from the unit to go through. They also found a box of old dolls for Charity to play with since all of her toys had been destroyed. This was the storage unit that they went back to in search of the key and found it. They were spotted at the unit and this resulted in another shoot-out. They called Tito and he picked them up in his SUV. They were staying at a friend of Nathan's and Tito took them to his house. The gang members found this house too. The gang members tore apart this house too. The brother of the house arrived and he was shot. Arissa was told that her friend who loaned her the car had been tortured and killed.
They used the key they had found to get into the safe deposit box and found an engagement ring. They knew that this wasn't what the gang was looking for. They were still missing something. Nathan's parents had mentioned seeing Mark in Sonoma. They were trying to find out why he was there. Nathan's parents said that Mark had mentioned visiting an aunt that lived there. They went to see the aunt and found her brother was there with her. They had thought he was still in Taiwan. He had retired and moved to Sonoma to be closer to his sister.
There was another key on the key chain with the safe deposit box. It was an extra key to their uncle's apartment in Sonoma. They went to the apartment and found a couple of boxes that belonged to Mark there. They found out that Mark had been a mole for the gang members with the LAPD. He had gotten paid lots of money and used that money to pay for his and Arissa's mothers cancer treatment. After those bills were paid off, he began working with the FBI to take down the gang. There was talk of the gang spreading north and maybe into Sonoma. Mark found out that his girlfriend was pregnant and needed to get them all away to keep them safe. He had stolen three million dollars from the gang and hidden it in an offshore account. He was planning on turning on the gang with the FBI and going into witness protection with his girlfriend and baby. Neither the FBI or the gang knew he had stolen the money. It would guarantee them a good life while in witness protection. Mark had set up the account where there had to be a DNA test in order for the money to be released and until his child was 18, there had to be a guardian with the child. That was why the gang needed both Charity and Alissa. They needed both of them to gain access to the $3 million.
They still didn't know who the mole was and they went to talk to a friend in the Sonoma police dept. They spoke with the officers who were watching Nathan's parents house. One of them had asked where they were taking his parents and Nathan told him that he would never tell. Charlie had been an accountant before he was a cop. It turned out that he had been a colleague of the accountant who accessed the money files for Mark. That accountant had told Charlie about the money that Mark had taken from the gang's account. Charlie had wanted to become accountant for the gang and told them about the money. He had tried to get the money back and found out about the DNA clause. Charlie had asked questions of people in the community and found out that Nathan, Arissa and Charity were now staying at a cabin outside of town. Charlie went to the cabin and took Charity. Nathan had shot him in the calf. He called and asked for $100,000 in exchange for Charity.
Arissa went to the meeting place with a bag of papers in the shape of bills. Nathan went with her to the meeting place overacting his leg injury. They ended up overtaking Charlie and getting Charity back. Nathan shot Charlie in his shoulder. The policemen that were hiding in the dark came out and arrested Charlie. The loss of this money would prevent the drug gang's move north.
Nathan had lost his faith in God after his injury and the loss of his career. The death of Mark had caused Arissa to get closer to God. He realized through all of this that he was still a man. Arissa looked past his injury and saw him. He knew it was God that had brought them back together and she had trusted him enough to have come to him for protection. He had put her first and protected both Arissa and Charity. He asked Arissa to marry him and she accepted. Arissa's trust had made him whole.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrow Escape By Camy Tang
Sonoma Series Book 4
Arissa Tiong has been raising her niece for a year, not even knowing her brother was going to be a father when he was killed three years ago. Her life changes drastically once again on the day that the local gang kidnaps Charity and her. After her escape there's only one man she trusts enough to turn to. She can only pray he'll help them.

Nathan Fischer hasn't really been living the past three years. Not after a man he thought he knew and trusted had betrayed him. Nathan was left with a limp, no longer fit to be an officer and a bitterness towards God and his dead partner. Then a blast from the past comes to him for help. How can he help the beautiful Arissa when he can barely face her as he feels less than whole since the shooting?

As one finds faith...the other has lost it. Can God really be in control of their lives when every turn brings more danger? This fast moving, page turning, suspense romance will take you on twists and turns and keep you running until the end. Well, it will keep the characters on the run and if you are a visual reader like me...it will feel as if you were with them. Another great addition to the Sonoma, California series.
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of "Narrow Escape" by Camy Tang in a contest through bestfiction.com.This was a fast-paced thriller that I really enjoyed.

Arissa Tiong and her three year old niece, and legal guardian of Charity, were kidnapped off the streets in Los Angeles.Arissa was an international flight attendant. Her parents owned a tiny grocery store in a low-income Filipino community.Mark, her brother had been killed in the line of duty.Arissa and Charity escaped their captives and ran to Nathan Fischer for help. Nathan was head of security at Glencove Towers, but had previously been Mark's partner as narcotics detectives.Nathan had been with Mark when he was killed.Nathan saw Mark handing a police case file to one of the drug gang captains, selling out for cash. Mark had been a LAPD mole.

But Arissa doesn't know why these dangerous thugs are after her...but she knows she is in real danger.What do they want? It is a race against time to discover the truth.

A well written novel, that has you glued to your seat.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This is really just not my subgenre, I think. It was okay. I didn't actively dislike any of the protagonists. Charity was kind of a plotmoppet more than a real kid. Christian fiction often falls short for me, but I think the author did a solid job, with Arissa, of showing someone struggling with their faith. (Less so with Nathan, who fell into the "atheists are really just mad at God" trope.) This is probably a genre issue, but I felt like some of the kissing and feelings happened at really weird times. The climax and denoument felt a bit rushed to me, compared to the beginning of the book.

And they all lived happily ever after, amen.

My notes and highlights all contain spoilers, but I can't be bothered to tag them. Consider yourself warned.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced, suspenseful book with delightful characters. LA gangs, police moles, hiding while being pursued, and characters who grow in their faith and others who are struggling with questions of why God allows certain life events make it a book that will keep you turning pages to discover what happens. I enjoyed the fact that there are enough clues that make you consider possibilities other than the way the story actually ends that the reader probably won't figure everything out ahead of time. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a tense, exciting plot. If you haven't checked out any of Camy Tang's novels, be sure to do so!!

[Bekki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I was expecting the Christianity aspect of it to divert me from the story, when the two subjects weren't overly involved with each other. This made it a lot easier for me to enjoy the story as a non-faithful person. The action really gripped me more than I was expecting and though I didn't particularly care for Arissa's character, I understood her easily. I liked Nathan a lot more when he was introduced and through the middle than I did near the end of the book, but I don't want to spoil anything.

[Heather Delgado · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I've read the other books in this series, but that did not detract from my understanding of the characters in the story.

"Narrow Escape" was full of intense action and had me on the edge of my seat as the characters fled from the LSL gang members. In fact, there were a couple times I had to put the book down and walk away because I couldn't figure out how the characters were going to get through all of the turmoil. Thankfully, the ending is a happy one!

If you enjoy suspense and action-packed stories, but ant a quick read, this is the book for you!

[Dianna Winget · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this suspenseful adventure by Camy Tang. In short, it's the story of a young woman and her three year old niece who are forced to flee from a drug gang. For protection and help. Arissa turns to her brothers former police partner, a man who's been forced to retire due to an injury, and now considers himself broken. Relatable characters, an interesting plot, and lots of suspense with a dash of romance, make for a great read.

[Bonnie Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrow Escape by: Camy Tang is one of the best Authors for Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense Series that will have you feeling a fast pace in wanting to help catch the guys responsible for the hurt they put on two Officers and their Family's for several years until a kidnapping happened to the sister of one of the Falling Officers. She dose to the only one who can protected her and her niece from harm.

[Judine Brey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Arissa's history with Nathan and why that caused her to seek help from the former narcotics cop. The fact that her brother Mark was hiding things from her and his partner, Nathan, made the determination of what really happened interesting to follow. That said, I felt like the ending was a bit convenietn. Given how drug rings are typically portrayed, I didn't feel like arresting the leaders would eliminate the problem.

[Ileana Tsai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense, love, forgiveness- all great ingredients in this another great story from Camy. The plot was great and kept you guessing from page to page who the mole is. This book is an easy and fun read. it was just an added bonus that Camy writes about Filipinos and there is even a mention of Taiwan since I have ties to both Filipinos and Taiwanese.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Sonoma Series has turned out to be pretty interesting. A well written story with a nice plot. Page turner. At the end of the book I realized that I was suspicious of this books bad guy in the previous book. Interesting how that was carried into this book but for most of this book I was thinking the bad guy was someone else, so maybe he'll be the bad guy in the next one??

[H.L. Wegley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camy Tang has created a story with plenty of mystery, intrigue, and suspense. The main characters, Arissa and Nathan, are well developed, believable, and flawed, but likable. There’s plenty of action and never a dull moment in the story. If you like well-crafted romantic suspense, then you will enjoy Narrow Escape, the best yet from Camy Tang.

[JS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good novel! I love how the story started off with tons of action! There were definitely a lot of twist and turns with tons of adventure and suspense. The book had a nice easy flow to it which made it a good read. The characters were well developed which made it easy getting to know them. This was my first novel by Camy Tang but I'm definitely looking forward to reading more!

[Joanie Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packed with action and romance. I loved the characters, and the heart-stopping suspense kept me turning pages. The child involved in the story adds even more concern for the characters and their frightening situation. Great read!

[Kathy Dickinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the caracters & the fast paced adventure & constant danger.Very moving the way you combined there weaknesses with Gods strength. When they realized God is always in control they were able to win in the face of adversity.Good read.

[Pygmy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really liked this author's sushi series, but these category books of hers are unreadable. =( I wish she'd go back to writing stories with more character nuance, but I suppose this is where the money is.

[CarolynB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me interested all the way through! It was very fast paced and one never knew who the real villain was until the end. It's a real breath-holder!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me in Suspense throughout the book. Highly recommend this book!

[Jesus Beach Girl Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Camy Tang. Family ties can be strong, as is love, regardless of the circumstances. I enjoyed the example of loyalty to family and to love.