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Expert Witness
DANGEROUS TESTIMONY
Minutes after testifying in a murder trial, sketch artist Sydney Berry is almost killed in a drive-by shooting. United States Marshal Max Preston saves her life then whisks her away to safety. She's his first protected witness, and he'll do everything in his power to keep her safe. But Sydney doesn't want to hide from danger. She is determined to finish her testimony and put a killer away. With potential suspects coming from all corners, Sydney will have to trust Max with her deepest secrets—and her life.
Minutes after testifying in a murder trial, sketch artist Sydney Berry is almost killed in a drive-by shooting. United States Marshal Max Preston saves her life then whisks her away to safety. She's his first protected witness, and he'll do everything in his power to keep her safe. But Sydney doesn't want to hide from danger. She is determined to finish her testimony and put a killer away. With potential suspects coming from all corners, Sydney will have to trust Max with her deepest secrets—and her life.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
About the author
Rachel Dylan
26 books541 followersRachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for two decades, including as a litigator at one of the nation's top law firms. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and three furkids—one loveable Labrador and two cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 17, 2024
This book started off good, then went horribly wrong. So many dirty investigators. Did not know who to trust.
June 29, 2015
Expert Witness was a great romantic suspense! The action started off right from the beginning and continued to the end.
The romance was sweet and I thought the ending was so cute. I've never read a book that ended quite this way and I loved it!
All in all, Expert Witness was very good and I recommend it if you enjoy this genre.
*I received a complimentary eBook copy for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
The romance was sweet and I thought the ending was so cute. I've never read a book that ended quite this way and I loved it!
All in all, Expert Witness was very good and I recommend it if you enjoy this genre.
*I received a complimentary eBook copy for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
June 27, 2015
Expert Witness is a great choice for fans of romantic suspense. It is full of interesting characters, lots of action, and a sweet romance.
I really liked learning about the back stories for both Sydney and Max. The traumatic past that Sydney had to overcome molded her into a very different person than she used to be, and opened her up to learning about God. Max was just the opposite. He allowed his past to turn him away from God and he became closed off emotionally. Seeing these two characters connecting, while trying to stay alive, kept the story moving along at a nice pace.
Expert Witness is full of side characters who will keep you guessing. It is hard to know who can be trusted. As one thing after another seems to go wrong for Sydney and Max, finding honorable people to help them is a must, but is easier said than done.
I enjoyed reading this exciting suspense novel and look forward to many more from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
I really liked learning about the back stories for both Sydney and Max. The traumatic past that Sydney had to overcome molded her into a very different person than she used to be, and opened her up to learning about God. Max was just the opposite. He allowed his past to turn him away from God and he became closed off emotionally. Seeing these two characters connecting, while trying to stay alive, kept the story moving along at a nice pace.
Expert Witness is full of side characters who will keep you guessing. It is hard to know who can be trusted. As one thing after another seems to go wrong for Sydney and Max, finding honorable people to help them is a must, but is easier said than done.
I enjoyed reading this exciting suspense novel and look forward to many more from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
August 10, 2015
EXPERT WITNESS is a fast-paced romantic suspense… that keeps the pages turning. I enjoyed getting to know Sydney and Max. Sydney is stronger than most heroines in romantic suspense books. Coming from an abusive relationship, she learned how to fight back. She is not content to sit in the sidelines, but she doesn’t make stupid mistakes like most heroines in these books in an effort to be independent. She is smart enough to know when to set tight.
Max is on his first assignment as a U.S. Marshal and he’s already breaking the rules. He stepping solo, disobeying his boss, kidnapping the witness, and thumbing his fingers at the rules in an effort to keep her safe. But now he’s a wanted man—and will he even have a career in law enforcement when it all ends?
A great story. Recommended.
Max is on his first assignment as a U.S. Marshal and he’s already breaking the rules. He stepping solo, disobeying his boss, kidnapping the witness, and thumbing his fingers at the rules in an effort to keep her safe. But now he’s a wanted man—and will he even have a career in law enforcement when it all ends?
A great story. Recommended.
June 27, 2015
What a great book! It was really interesting learning about Sydney being a sketch artist and how she serves as a witness with her drawings to help put away criminals. She is such a strong character who learns to fight back after being in an abusive relationship and escaping from it. She is determined not to join witness protection after working so hard to have the life she has. At times in the story, that decision seems reckless, but at other moments it made perfect sense.
Max is FBI turned Marshal agent and his first assignment is protecting Sydney. He doesn't realize what risks this assignment will put him in, but he NEVER backs down and gets frustrated when Sydney insists on helping setting the bad guys up to be caught.
It was also sweet that Sydney has learned to depend on her faith to get her through stress and traumatic moments in her life while Max grew up going to church but turned his back on God after a sour experience. Yet as hard hearted as Max has made himself, Sydney's faith inspires him and affects him deeper than the danger they are in together.
Dylan does a stand up job of getting the reader not only to care about Sydney and Max but also the minor characters in the story. You can tangibly feel the tension as Max desperately tries to figure out who the bad guys are and how they are all connected.
One of my favorite scenes is when Sydney faces her abusive ex-boyfriend in the story and THIS time, she is NOT the victim. Even so, she only fights back to protect herself and not for revenge which made me like her even more. There's also one scene where Sydney has to testify in court and loved how it was written.
This is Dylan's second book and I do hope there will be MANY more :) Thanks to the author for the review copy!
Max is FBI turned Marshal agent and his first assignment is protecting Sydney. He doesn't realize what risks this assignment will put him in, but he NEVER backs down and gets frustrated when Sydney insists on helping setting the bad guys up to be caught.
It was also sweet that Sydney has learned to depend on her faith to get her through stress and traumatic moments in her life while Max grew up going to church but turned his back on God after a sour experience. Yet as hard hearted as Max has made himself, Sydney's faith inspires him and affects him deeper than the danger they are in together.
Dylan does a stand up job of getting the reader not only to care about Sydney and Max but also the minor characters in the story. You can tangibly feel the tension as Max desperately tries to figure out who the bad guys are and how they are all connected.
One of my favorite scenes is when Sydney faces her abusive ex-boyfriend in the story and THIS time, she is NOT the victim. Even so, she only fights back to protect herself and not for revenge which made me like her even more. There's also one scene where Sydney has to testify in court and loved how it was written.
This is Dylan's second book and I do hope there will be MANY more :) Thanks to the author for the review copy!
August 28, 2015
Took me a while to finish this book, but it was worth reading for, good pace of action and suspense added with touching part about faith and belief in prayers and God.
Intrigued immediately with the character of Sydney Berry, a court sketch artist who was in the wrong place and time at first initial thought, but as the story progresses, there was a dark secret, a disgruntled ex-boyfriend, Rick Ward, based on his character name, already sounded creepy and scary that he can do anything to hurt Sydney, from injuring her self-confidence, beauty and willing to kill her to completely eliminate her.
Then there was Max Preston, a US Marshal who was amazed with Sydney's determination and stubbornness for not allowing what happened to her in the past to change her to become little and small, but to make her even stronger, physically, emotionally and even best, in her faith to God.
And how her belief in faith that kept her strong and going, her kindness, determination and stubbornness able to change Max's heart to start believing again in his faith to God.
And actually loving the ending, never thought it was one of the good guys who end up being the really bad guy, Tom Hilton who was Max's most trusted colleague.
I hope the writer will write a good story about Brian, the survivor in this story, who was also Max's colleague who got hurt to find the truth, in how he survived the attack and start his healing process to get back on his feet.
Intrigued immediately with the character of Sydney Berry, a court sketch artist who was in the wrong place and time at first initial thought, but as the story progresses, there was a dark secret, a disgruntled ex-boyfriend, Rick Ward, based on his character name, already sounded creepy and scary that he can do anything to hurt Sydney, from injuring her self-confidence, beauty and willing to kill her to completely eliminate her.
Then there was Max Preston, a US Marshal who was amazed with Sydney's determination and stubbornness for not allowing what happened to her in the past to change her to become little and small, but to make her even stronger, physically, emotionally and even best, in her faith to God.
And how her belief in faith that kept her strong and going, her kindness, determination and stubbornness able to change Max's heart to start believing again in his faith to God.
And actually loving the ending, never thought it was one of the good guys who end up being the really bad guy, Tom Hilton who was Max's most trusted colleague.
I hope the writer will write a good story about Brian, the survivor in this story, who was also Max's colleague who got hurt to find the truth, in how he survived the attack and start his healing process to get back on his feet.
July 24, 2015
First of all I would like to thank the author for giving me a copy of this fantastic book to read and review.
Sydney Berry is a forensic artist who is to testify in a murder trial. She is determined to testify and put a killer away but when she is almost killed in a drive-by shooting everything changes. Since her testimony is so important she is being protected by U.S. Marshal Max Preston. After the shooting and another attempt on her life, Max basically kidnaps Sydney, hiding her away and not even telling his boss about it. He is determined to keep her safe but doesn't know who he can trust after suspecting a leak in the police department.
The character development was excellent allowing me to really get to know and understand this pair. I liked that Sydney was a strong, determined woman who wasn't scared off (just because someone was trying to kill her). Max's dedication to protect her and his skills to get the job done just made me love him.
I loved this book and didn't want to put it down. Unfortunately, my work frowns upon me phoning in "reading" otherwise I would have read it right through. But when I had to stop reading, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Sydney Berry is a forensic artist who is to testify in a murder trial. She is determined to testify and put a killer away but when she is almost killed in a drive-by shooting everything changes. Since her testimony is so important she is being protected by U.S. Marshal Max Preston. After the shooting and another attempt on her life, Max basically kidnaps Sydney, hiding her away and not even telling his boss about it. He is determined to keep her safe but doesn't know who he can trust after suspecting a leak in the police department.
The character development was excellent allowing me to really get to know and understand this pair. I liked that Sydney was a strong, determined woman who wasn't scared off (just because someone was trying to kill her). Max's dedication to protect her and his skills to get the job done just made me love him.
I loved this book and didn't want to put it down. Unfortunately, my work frowns upon me phoning in "reading" otherwise I would have read it right through. But when I had to stop reading, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
August 19, 2015
Expert Witness by Rachel Dylan is a romantic suspense filled with action. I found the occupations of both characters interesting. I never really thought the sketch artist role in testifying in court cases. Sydney is almost killed in a drive by shooting right after testifying in a murder trial. Max is a new US Marshal and is sent to protect her.
I loved how Sydney had survived a bad past and was so much physically stronger as a result. I don't want to ruin any surprises, small or large, but the first scene that shows her strength was great. She was tough and strong but didn’t make stupid choices to prove a point.
They are on the run most of the book and the killers keep tracking them down. There are several suspects and possible plots as to why they are trying to kill her. It will keep your attention. I recommend Expert Witness if you like a sweet romance with suspense and a dose of faith.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
I loved how Sydney had survived a bad past and was so much physically stronger as a result. I don't want to ruin any surprises, small or large, but the first scene that shows her strength was great. She was tough and strong but didn’t make stupid choices to prove a point.
They are on the run most of the book and the killers keep tracking them down. There are several suspects and possible plots as to why they are trying to kill her. It will keep your attention. I recommend Expert Witness if you like a sweet romance with suspense and a dose of faith.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
August 29, 2015
Syndey is an expert sketch artist who is set to testify in a murder trial. She is really good at what she does.
Max is a member of the US Marshall's. His job is to protect Sydney because she has become a target from a gang that has ties to the murder suspect.
This book has a lot of suspense. Max and Sydney are continually on the run as their position is compromised again and again. Somehow the bad guys seems to know where to look for them. It looks as if there is someone who is supposed to be a good guy helping out the bad guys.
This book has a lot of Christian talk and themes. Max is not religious, but Syndey is. They spend a lot of time together and have many religious conversations. It seemed to be a dominant factor of the book. At times it overshadowed some of the suspense for me. I enjoy Christian fiction, this book bordered on preachy to me.
The book has a sweet romance. Sydney and Max are a great couple of people who both really needed to find some happiness and trust.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book.
Max is a member of the US Marshall's. His job is to protect Sydney because she has become a target from a gang that has ties to the murder suspect.
This book has a lot of suspense. Max and Sydney are continually on the run as their position is compromised again and again. Somehow the bad guys seems to know where to look for them. It looks as if there is someone who is supposed to be a good guy helping out the bad guys.
This book has a lot of Christian talk and themes. Max is not religious, but Syndey is. They spend a lot of time together and have many religious conversations. It seemed to be a dominant factor of the book. At times it overshadowed some of the suspense for me. I enjoy Christian fiction, this book bordered on preachy to me.
The book has a sweet romance. Sydney and Max are a great couple of people who both really needed to find some happiness and trust.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book.
December 18, 2016
An exciting and suspenseful plot with fast-paced action until the very end. I enjoyed the fact that there were multiple motives provided and kept me guessing about who was doing what and why.
June 29, 2015
Non-stop action kept me reading to find out what would happen next. Max and Sydney had to move quickly to stay ahead of the various assassins sent after her. The Christian element was strong, with Sydney not shy about sharing her reliance on God, although I felt that Max's quick about-face with his spirituality didn't quite fit his character.The romance definitely took a back seat to the plot with several twists and turns leading to an exciting climax, but the attraction and admiration between Max and Sydney simmers throughout the book. Highly recommend to fans of Christian suspense!
(Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)
(Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)
August 1, 2015
Who would think using her gift as a sketch artist would put her life in danger but that appears to be why people are shooting at Sydney Berry. Marshal Max Preston not trust her skills as an artist but he will protect her with his life if necessary. It becomes as hard to tell who to trust as keeping alive. Maybe an ex-boyfriend is in the mix too.
October 24, 2015
I liked this book a lot! I loved how strong Sydney the heroine is mentally and physically in quest to testify against a killer. Even though there were many attempts on her life to prevent Sydney from testifying , she never gave up. That's what impressed U.S. Marshal Max Preston the most and he vows to make sure she's alive to make to the trial!
October 8, 2017
Suspense was good but the book dragged a lot.
September 23, 2025
DNF @page 34.
Why? Because it was SOOOO stupid, I couldn't stand another minute. A sketch artist for the police is slated to give 'expert witness' testimony, and someone's trying to take her out before she can. And she's SHOCKED at it - SHOCKED, I tell you. Because nobody who is a witness in a crime ring case is *e.v.e.r* at risk... r'something?!?!?
So the first thirty pages is Max (hero who just suddenly shows up out of nowhere) getting her to safety... wait, no, turn around we'll go to safet... wait, no... let's try a THIRD safe house nobody knows about because the two scheduled ones are compromised.
WHEW!!!! Safe! Settle in. But oh, no, the phone rings, and the dude she was gonna testify against broke bail!!! EGADS!!! "That means we have to get out of here, right now." And leave the SAFE safe house... for absolutely no good reason, other than that they're already safe.
I. CAN'T. EVEN !!!!!
Just stop. If she's SAFE?!! YOU DON'T MOVE HER, HELLO>>>!!!!!
I hate this book, and I barely started it.
There are better things to read.
Millions of better things.
Move on.
You won't regret it.
Why? Because it was SOOOO stupid, I couldn't stand another minute. A sketch artist for the police is slated to give 'expert witness' testimony, and someone's trying to take her out before she can. And she's SHOCKED at it - SHOCKED, I tell you. Because nobody who is a witness in a crime ring case is *e.v.e.r* at risk... r'something?!?!?
So the first thirty pages is Max (hero who just suddenly shows up out of nowhere) getting her to safety... wait, no, turn around we'll go to safet... wait, no... let's try a THIRD safe house nobody knows about because the two scheduled ones are compromised.
WHEW!!!! Safe! Settle in. But oh, no, the phone rings, and the dude she was gonna testify against broke bail!!! EGADS!!! "That means we have to get out of here, right now." And leave the SAFE safe house... for absolutely no good reason, other than that they're already safe.
I. CAN'T. EVEN !!!!!
Just stop. If she's SAFE?!! YOU DON'T MOVE HER, HELLO>>>!!!!!
I hate this book, and I barely started it.
There are better things to read.
Millions of better things.
Move on.
You won't regret it.
June 17, 2019
Sydney Berry is an expert witness on a murder trial and has shots taken at her outside the courthouse as a US Marshall, Max Preston, heads out with her to tell her why he has been assigned to protect her. This sets off a series of events, which lead to some discoveries as well. Elena, Brian, Davies, Tom, Rick and a few others round out the secondary characters. Set in the area of Georgia this is a story that opens up at the beginning and doesn’t let up til the end. Easy to like characters along with suspense that throws a curve ball make this a very enjoyable read.
June 16, 2023
Sketch Artist
Sydney had a bad experience with an old abusive boyfriend, serving jail time or so she thought. He was part of The East River gang. The guy at the top was a cousin to the guy she was testifying against. Multiple attempts were made on her life but she had taken defense classes after her experience with the abusive gangs member exboyfriend. This story will keep you reading until the very end.
Sydney had a bad experience with an old abusive boyfriend, serving jail time or so she thought. He was part of The East River gang. The guy at the top was a cousin to the guy she was testifying against. Multiple attempts were made on her life but she had taken defense classes after her experience with the abusive gangs member exboyfriend. This story will keep you reading until the very end.
October 25, 2023
Great inspirational contemporary romantic suspense story. Sydney is a strong woman of faith with a past history of living in an abusive relationship that affects every part of her present life. As an expert witness in a well publicized trial, she runs up against death threats and is assigned protection by the U.S. Marshalls. But the web of deceit runs throughout the plan for her protection until she doesn’t know who to trust.
June 14, 2023
This was an intriguing romantic suspense book. The main character is actually a sketch artist who is in danger for trying to bring a man to justice. At least that is why she thinks she is being followed. Getting shot at is not a part of the job. This one had plenty of parts that made me guess what was really happening. Overall rating: 4.5 stars.
January 7, 2022
This is the 2nd the book I read by Rachel Dylan. This book's storyline was okay. I liked the action in this story. I liked the Christian theme in this story. I liked Sydney's character. Max's character. I liked the ending.
April 22, 2023
Edge of my seat great Christian read
I liked the action, intrigue, and personal interplay. The characters were strong, sure of their mission, and caring. I look forward to other books by this authur.
I liked the action, intrigue, and personal interplay. The characters were strong, sure of their mission, and caring. I look forward to other books by this authur.
June 21, 2023
Witness to a thrilling book
It was very exciting and hard to put down. Just when I thought things were going to be smooth, things kept changing. It turned out good in the end. A lot of tense moments.
It was very exciting and hard to put down. Just when I thought things were going to be smooth, things kept changing. It turned out good in the end. A lot of tense moments.
July 25, 2020
I have read some of other of this author's books, but this is the first Love Inspired Suspense novel I have read of hers....and it was a great read
May 3, 2022
Ok. Kitten??
*You had me with the kitten.
MARRIED FOR LIFE.
*You had me with the kitten.
MARRIED FOR LIFE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2023
Thrilling read
This author had my heart racing with all the near deadly misses. Heart warming romance in the end with a well crafted plot and believable characters.
This author had my heart racing with all the near deadly misses. Heart warming romance in the end with a well crafted plot and believable characters.
May 1, 2023
exciting
This was a great story. Very exciting. Wished there was a little more chemistry between the characters, but I loved the ending.
This was a great story. Very exciting. Wished there was a little more chemistry between the characters, but I loved the ending.
May 21, 2023
Fantastic story.
You are drawn in immediately to the story. It is an amazing how much you get drawn into all that goes on. A must read.
You are drawn in immediately to the story. It is an amazing how much you get drawn into all that goes on. A must read.
July 20, 2023
Wow’
Twist after twist after twist! This is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Dylan, but it won’t be the last!
Twist after twist after twist! This is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Dylan, but it won’t be the last!
August 6, 2023
Amazing book by Rachel Dylan! Loads of suspense and a beautiful romance all brought together for an awesome ending!
March 12, 2024
An easy read, but not Dylan's strongest work. There were a decent number of twists that kept the read fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews