Evidence of Mercy

Sun Coast Chronicles #1

by Terri Blackstock

Lynda Barrett, a young lawyer and pilot, can no longer afford to keep her beloved Piper aircraft. Enter Jake Stevens: wealthy, arrogant, and interested in Lynda’s plane. Together, he and Lynda embark on a test flight that ends in disaster — hurling them into a terrifying sequence of events. One thing becomes clear. Someone is out to get Lynda…someone who will not be satisfied until she is dead. Evidence of Mercy takes the reader on a suspense-filled flight into a world where the dark side of human nature meets with a greater power, where love finds root in the midst of hatred’s savagery, and where fear become the catalyst for forgiveness and faith.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Mystery, Christian, Fiction, Suspense, Romance, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 6, 1995

About the author

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over seven million books sold worldwide.. She has had over thirty years of success as a novelist.

Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in a U.S. Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them that they’re valued by God and that their trials have a purpose.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites of Blackstock’s work so far. Though it was written in 1995, the only thing that felt dated was the use of a car phone and the lack of a cell phone. During a plane crash, the owner and the potential buyer both realize how very empty their lives are. The subsequent hospital stays and hunt for the bad guy are a great balance between hunting the would-be killer and in beginning to open their lives up very slowly to more people around them. A lot of parts of this one were really endearing and there is a strong Christian message.

[Carolyn E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book 7 or 8 stars. It is a wonderful story as are all of Terri Blackstock's books. I am in the process of reading all of them. I have just finished the Cape Refuge series and am now reading the Sun Coast Chronicles series. I highly recommend these books.

[Aerykah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terri Blackstock introduced me to Christian suspense and I always enjoy her books. This one was no different.

In this suspense however she revealed the bad guy early in the book, which was not expected but also added something different to the book since she gave the reader a bad man's point of view. With a twisted bad guy, the plane crash that kicked the story of with a bang, a heated child custody case as well as interesting characters who had to deal with the results of the plane crash, this was a great story.

Recommended to all Christian suspense readers.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackstock never disappoints! This was a challenging novel to my sometimes complacent Christianity. Sometimes it is so easy to just drift along and not make a difference!

[Joanie Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terri Blackstock is one of my favorite authors, and in my opinion, this is one of her better books. Even though this is one of her earlier paperbacks, I had not read it before now.

What I liked: The two main characters are both struggling with spiritual battles, and their victory over those battles is both enlightening and inspiring. Both Lynda and Jake see their own flaws and wrestle with themselves to improve their character. The way they grow from being arrogant, demanding, or insensitive to caring and obedient is an inspiration for anyone reading the book. The spiritual battles of the story make it special because they are battles the reader probably faces at some point. Trust, forgiveness, and obedience to God are just a few.

What I didn’t like: The plot was somewhat predictable, and I guessed who was trying to kill Lynda close to the beginning of the story. However, knowing who was after her and what he planned to do, definitely added tension to the story. There was one thing that confuses me about the facts of this story: If she is selling her most prized possession (her plane) to pay the debts of her deceased father, why does she lets a client she is harboring use her credit card unsupervised. She shows no concern for the money they are spending and even states in the story that she has plenty. This was a confusing point.

Over all I give this book five stars. I loved it, and I feel it is worth every star. I recommend it to anyone loving suspense, romance, and spiritual guidance for a good Sunday afternoon read.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this way back in 1995 when there wasn't a lot of choices in Christian suspense. There are parts of it I've re-read multiple times, but I finally re-read the entire book. And it's awesome.

[Hannah Linder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page-turner, as always!

[Janet Stiglicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author never fails to deliver. Fast paced, hard to put down.

[JaneReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that the author had the characters questioning faith and beliefs such as, were they a lukewarm Christian, how do you should God's for others, why does God let bad things happen, how do you forgive someone who has really hurt you. The way these questions where presented through out the story really got me thinking about what I believe. I really like when a fiction book gets me thinking about my life and how to live for Christ. In regards to the suspense story itself, I felt the characters were very well built and each had their own imperfections along with strengths. Jake's reactions to his situation were believable and feel that anyone in his situation would react very similar. Even though we find who the bad guy was very early one in the story it was interesting to see how this would play out, would he succeed in his attempts or would they escape and if so, how? Would they be able to figure out who was behind everything in time? The story moved at a good pace and there were not parts where it felt like it was dragging. I felt the characters grew as the story went along and I liked who they had become at the end.

[Ashley Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lynda needs to sell her plane to settle some debts. Jake is the man wanting to buy it. When the two of them meet, neither really likes the other but a turn of events forces them closer than either ever suspected was possible.
I liked the plot line in this one. There were several subplots that were a part of the main plot that just made the story fly by! I loved Brianna! She was so sweet and innocent. The two detectives were intriguing. Lynda and Jake both had such huge obstacles to overcome and I loved their healing stories and how much both of them change.
I rate this a 5/5. It is a clean mystery/suspense book!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ✨! Loved the characters and their journeys.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced mystery with a good plot and enjoyable characters.
Linda and Jake meet for the first time in a Florida airport and go up in a single engine airplane so Jake can do a test flight because he is interested in buying the plane from Linda. To their whore, as they approach for a landing, they discovered that the landing gear of the plane won’t engage. They have no other option than to do a hard landing that will probably result in breaking up the airplane. Thus begins a harrowing experience for both of them.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book even though one of the main characters at times seemed a little too good to be true - actually, the way Christians like myself ought to be but generally aren't. Not that we don't want to be better; we're pretty fallible and only human like everybody else. But I liked the story and definitely plan to read the next book in the series.

[Erika Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book. I must admit figuring this one out pretty quickly, however the rest of the story was strong enough to hold the readers that figure out what happens. Well written and enjoyable

[Bertha Ivins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Terri Blackstock books. You always know you will get a clean story with good morals with a good storyline.

[Jake Fraser · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Terri Blackstock and this is a new series for me. It's a Christian law/detective novel. Lynda Barrett, busy attorney, has to sell her beloved airplane to cover the debt left by her father's death. Reluctantly she agrees to let Jake Stevens, shallow, handsome, carefree playboy and potential buyer, test flight her small Piper. While in the air they discover a mutual animosity that doesn't disappear when sabotage downs the plane. Jake wakes up in the hospital with a marred face, a missing eye and no feeling in his legs. Lynda soon realizes that someone wants her dead. She is working on a divorce/custody case, which she has let slide, but realizes once she's survived, that she needs to help more. The captivating narrative that follows as Lynda fights for an abused client, befriends a suicidal Jake and fights to stay alive will stay long term in your memory.

Jake has to realize there's more to life than being a playboy; Lynda realizes she wants to be more than a marginal Christian and by helping Paige and her little girl, they also realize what love is. Lynda, by working on Paige's case, almost gets herself killed several times--obviously God has a plan.

[Jill Bratcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read many of Blackstock's books, but I have to say I almost appreciated the Afterword more than the book. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a page turner. But I appreciated her candor about her own faith walk (and previous inadequacy thereof).

I can't recall a book that starts out as a whodunit revealing the perp halfway thru before. Usually, you know - or think you know - from the beginning or you're trying to watch for clues and foreshadowing. Never seen a mix before.

Still, an entertaining 5(ish)-hour read.

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I read Terri's "Cape Refuge" series a couple years ago, and ADORED it. But this one...it just didn't stick with me. The main characters are good, but not incredible. I didn't care for the POV. But my main problem was that the villain was revealed so soon in the book. I love a good shocker, and this book didn't have it. No plot twists. The tension was minimal.

It was just...meh. Nothing special. Personal opinion. That being said, I do fully intend to read the next books in the series. Hopefully they will be better for me.

[Michelle Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynda Barrett meets a young man new to Florida when she tries selling her airplane to him. Unfortunately this plane erupts in an explosion, nearly killing them both. Nobody knows why her plane was targeted and think it's just a random act. Now thrown together, Lynda and Jake are sent to the hospital to recover from their injuries. But more attempts are made on Lynda's life and things become scary for her and the client she is trying to help. Who is behind these malicious sinister acts and can Lynda live along to figure it out? A great clean suspense novel that will keep you turning the pages.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being the first in a series I thought I would give this a try. What I wish had been on the explanation was that this is "god" book. Christian, faith based. At least with the Amish genre you know what you are getting. This one took me by surprise. I was too far in to it (wanted to know "who dun it") so I listened to the book.
If you are a Christian and live a faith based life you may enjoy this book.

[Chris Unwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye Opener

Suspense filled book with great characters.

Why do I say it was an “eye opener?” I shared my kindle account with my mom who has been gone for two years. She obviously had read this book years ago and left me many highlighted parts. The most heart wrenching being “about missing your mother and wanting to talk to her.” Tender reminders of my mom.

Clean read

[Jean D. Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful love story between man and God

What a wonderful way to draw closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus. This book shows how God comes thru when we go thru trials and tribulations. How we need each other to navigate thru this world. What a wonderful book!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.00 stars - rated pg

I'm very slowly going through all my bookshelves and trying to catalogue books bought and read in years gone by. Stars and ratings are mere guesses at this point. I'm assuming I enjoyed the book at some point in my life?

[Lois Baron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook. Nice narrator.

Inspirational romance/mystery. Good for the genre--didn't hit one over the head with religion.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! Twists and turns keep you hooked on reading. She does a wonderful job of developing characters

[Godly Gadfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Mary Higgins Clark! (5 stars)

A Christian version of suspense queen Mary Higgins Clark? Terri Blackstock’s skill at writing suspense fiction reminded me much of the mystery queen. “Evidence of Mercy” (available as a separate novel, or as one of four best-selling Blackstock novels in the “Suncoast Chronicles” anthology) is a humdinger of a suspense story, revolving around the lives of three main characters. The main protagonist, Lynda, is a Christian lawyer whose life is threatened by an unknown killer. The second central character is the atheist Jake, who becomes a paraplegic after crashing on Lynda’s sabotaged plane while test-flying it as a prospective buyer. The third main character is one of Lynda’s clients, Paige, a single parent trying to avoid her abusive ex-husband. Suspense mounts as the mystery killer and his motive remain unidentified in the first half of the story.

It’s a terrific and captivating story that draws you in, and at the same time gives you much to think about, because the characters not only battle a mysterious killer, but also their own personalities and weaknesses. Much Christian fiction falls into the trap of featuring an artificial conversion story. Terri Blackstock shows that writers can craft a mouth-watering Christian story without artificially sprinkling it with an obvious theological twist of this kind, and yet retain a deeper spiritual significance. In the afterword, Blackstock explains that the idea of her book came after a personal struggle with her faith, and the growing awareness that faith needs to be put into action. “I thought I believed, I said I believed – but I did nothing to put the belief into action. I was neither hot nor cold, but luke-warm, and absolutely fruitless.” The title “Evidence of Mercy” describes this important spiritual theme that Blackstock wants to convey. The struggles of the three characters mirror Blackstock’s own struggles, as she explains: “the characters interested me because their own spiritual battles were so much like my own: Lynda, a lukewarm Christian who would let someone die without witnessing to him; Jake, an agnostic who couldn’t give up the pilot’s seat in his life until it was taken from him; and Paige, a spiritual infant on the verge of belief, who lacked the faith to make the final plunge.” For instance, Lynda comes to conclude “she’d made a god of an airplane, an altar of her job, and an idol of her ego” (p.38), and Jake realizes the folly of relying on his good looks: “If I’d known I was going to be left with just my character, I’d have worked harder at building some.” (p.135) Without taking on an preaching tone that many Christian writers unwittingly do, Blackstock brings out these important spiritual truths by showing them in the lives of her characters in a convincing and persuasive manner.

Terri Blackstock’s novels are a welcome addition to the ranks of Christian fiction. The genre has been dominated especially by the historical romance, much of it inferior to secular fictions on most levels. With her successful efforts in suspense fiction genre, Terri Blackstock shows that it doesn’t have to be that way (aside from an unnecessary kiss in the last pages), and that Christian writers can successfully take on new genres, and do so with style. As a fan of suspense fiction, I’m grateful to see Christian writers provide exciting alternatives to secular novels in the genre. Move over Mary Higgins Clark!

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s a detailed retelling of *Evidence of Mercy* by Terri Blackstock, now with real-time pacing, expanded antagonist details, and a clear outcome—using dashes throughout as you requested.

– 7:00 AM – Lynda Barrett wakes up anxious about selling her beloved Piper aircraft. She’s a young attorney and pilot, financially strained but emotionally attached to the plane.

– 8:30 AM – Jake Stevens arrives at the airstrip. He’s a wealthy businessman with a cocky attitude, interested in buying the plane. Lynda dislikes him immediately, but agrees to a test flight.

– 9:15 AM – They take off. Tension builds in the cockpit as their personalities clash. Lynda notices something odd with the controls but dismisses it as nerves.

– 9:45 AM – The plane crashes. Both survive but are seriously injured. Lynda is rushed to the hospital with broken bones and internal injuries. Jake is unconscious.

– 11:00 AM – Lynda wakes up in the hospital. She’s disoriented but begins to suspect the crash wasn’t an accident. Her instincts as a lawyer kick in.

– 12:30 PM – Investigators arrive. Lynda shares her suspicions. She recalls a recent legal case involving a man named David—someone with motive and access to the aircraft.

– 2:00 PM – Jake regains consciousness. He’s angry and confused but agrees to help Lynda investigate. Their dynamic shifts from hostile to cooperative.

– 3:30 PM – Lynda receives a threatening note at the hospital. It’s clear someone wants her dead. She connects the dots: David sabotaged the plane to silence her.

– 5:00 PM – A second attempt on Lynda’s life occurs. Someone tampers with her IV. A nurse catches it in time. Security is tightened.

– 6:30 PM – Lynda and Jake dig deeper into David’s background. He’s tied to a criminal case Lynda was preparing to expose. His financial dealings and violent history make him the prime suspect.

– 8:00 PM – They confront David at his home. He denies everything but slips up, revealing knowledge only the saboteur would know.

– 9:00 PM – Law enforcement arrives. David tries to flee but is arrested. The sabotage, threats, and attempted murder are all traced back to him.

– 10:30 PM – Lynda and Jake return to the hospital, exhausted but relieved. Their bond is stronger now, built on survival and trust.

– 11:45 PM – The story closes with Lynda reflecting on mercy. She chooses not to be consumed by vengeance. Her faith, tested throughout the ordeal, emerges stronger. Jake stays by her side, hinting at a future together.

– Outcome – David is imprisoned. Lynda’s legal case moves forward. Her reputation is strengthened, her spirit renewed. She keeps flying—figuratively and literally—knowing she faced death and chose life.

David sabotaged the plane in Evidence of Mercy because he was desperate to silence Lynda Barrett. She was involved in a legal case that threatened to expose his criminal activities—specifically, fraud and corruption tied to a powerful organization. Lynda’s investigation had uncovered evidence that could ruin him, and he knew she was close to taking action.

His motive wasn’t just fear—it was control. David believed that by eliminating Lynda, he could protect his secrets and preserve his reputation. The sabotage was calculated: he tampered with the aircraft, expecting the crash to look like a tragic accident. But Lynda survived, and that’s when his plan began to unravel.

Next: Justifiable means

[Abigail Hawthorne · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*
So...wow. Talk about mixed feelings.
Because I got so behind on reviews, I'll have to leave a review using what I can remember of the book, so I might have missed something important. :) And this review may seem scattered. Sorry about that. :)
At first, I wasn't hooked. Then I was. And I stayed hooked. Then a POV character had a chapel scene and suddenly she was perfect. *sigh* It doesn't work that way. Trust me. But the plot and the other MC were so wonderful that I kept reading - I mean listening. :D (BTW, that audiobook narrator was awesome! She mispronounced a few words, but her voices and sound effects were soooo good!) Then I struggled for a bit. Then I was hooked - really, really hooked - until the end. All the action and suspense in the last half or so - it was just great!!
Can we just talk about Jake for a minute? Jake was an awesome character. So imperfect, but yet just likeable enough that I loved him! He just felt...raw and real and relatable. Jake alone oughta count for two stars!
And this is what I love about Terri Blackstock - she can craft a thrilling suspense book that, instead of being full of just action, has a lot of emotions in there too. And not just romance. I LOVE that!!! While this wasn't as thrilling or emotional as the "If I Run" series, it was still really good!
But the other characters...I didn't care for all of them so much. The police officer seemed perfect and his POV seemed unnecessary. Paige...she was sweet, but seemed too cliche or something. Nearly perfect in a lot of ways, but victimized. But, especially later on the book, I started realizing that she was a lot better character! Lynda...she was the one with the chapel scene. I liked her before that, but, afterwards, she was just too perfect. (Perfect characters a pet peeve of mine, if you can't tell :P)
And then the whole villain reveal...just no. Please, please, don't let the villain tell me from his own POV who he is!! That just takes the mystery completely out of the story. And then I have to wait for the other characters to finally realize who he is. I'm not a big fan of villain POVs anyway, but this might be the worst one I've read yet. :/

Content: Okay, so, I'm taking probably a whole star off for a content issue. It's a spoiler, but I'll leave names out: A single guy - one who, before a major life change a few weeks ago, was known for not having a great reputation with women - moving into the garage apartment of a house with two single young women living there. Nothing bad happened and nobody expected it to, but it still seems improper, especially considering that the one woman - the one who owned the house - was supposed to be a good Christian lady. And it also meant that there were times when one of the women left and the other one (and maybe the toddler girl who lived with them, too) was left alone with the guy, whether he was in the house with them or in his garage apartment. It just...didn't set right with me. However, nothing bad or even really romantic ever happened that I can remember. Just cooking and conversations. Not enough to make me stop the book, but enough to affect my rating and to keep me from recommending it to sensitive readers.. Also, there was some violence, including one murder and multiple attempted murders. And there was some POV from the warped mind of the villain, but it wasn't incredibly dark or anything. The romance was very slow and one of those that I saw coming and was rooting for from miles away. But, towards the end, it seemed to heat up very quickly. The kisses were...well, they were a lot more detailed than I appreciated reading. But they weren't horrible or anything, and the book is still definitely considered "clean" in my book. The first kiss, though...that one was funny, not gross (still smiling thinking about that one). You have to read the book to have any idea what I mean.. :D

Bottom line? This book is a good clean suspense read, even with that one content issue. Good book, just not one of my favorites largely because of the characters. But if you don't have that same pet peeve that I do about characters, you might really, really enjoy it!