Christmas Conspiracy

First Responders #6

by Susan Sleeman

WITNESS IN JEOPARDY

It's a typical day at Rachael Long's day-care center—until a masked gunman tries to abduct one of the children in her charge. First response commander Jake Marsh manages to diffuse the situation before anyone is harmed…but not before Rachael unmasks the would-be kidnapper. Now Jake must lead a manhunt and protect Rachael from the criminal who's turned his focus on her. But the case is reawakening painful memories for Jake, and Rachael's treating emotional wounds of her own. And with danger mounting as Christmas nears, they must learn to let go of the past in order to outwit a killer…and find the peace that's always eluded them both.

Genres: Love Inspired Suspense, Romance, Christmas, Christian Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary, Love Inspired

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 6, 2016

About the author

SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over sixty romantic suspense and mystery novels with more than two million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real.

In addition to writing, Susan also hosts The Suspense Zone. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, two special sons-in-law, and four amazing grandsons

Reviews

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Conspiracy is another winner – in romance and in suspense – from author Susan Sleeman!

One of my favorite things about Susan’s books is that she starts you off with some high-stakes suspense right from the beginning, in many cases from the very first sentence. This latest book is no exception. We open the book with a masked gunman, a baby, and a brave woman trying to thwart a kidnapping. That’s seriously the first page! And, true to form, you cannot relax AT ALL until the bad guy (or gal … or group) is safely (really, truly) in custody.

I love it!

And the mystery itself? Just when I thought I had figured out who was behind all the kidnapping and threatening and trying to kill, I realized I didn’t. Very well-constructed and nicely paced.

Woven through the fast-paced criminal shenanigans and investigation-related tensions, Susan also does a fantastic job developing a sweet romance between characters you genuinely care about. And that perhaps really IS my favorite thing about her books – the characters. Especially this First Response Squad. I’ve been with them since book 1 and they’ve all become my friends. Which makes parting with them after this book (wail!) more than a little bittersweet. The scenes in Christmas Conspiracy where we get to see them all together – with spouses and fiances and extended family members – made my heart smile and soothed the ‘farewell’ just a bit.

Bottom Line: Be glad that these Love Inspired Suspense books are pretty quick reads because you won’t want to put this one down until you’ve reached the end. Christmas Conspiracy by Susan Sleeman is just the right blend of action, suspense, police procedural, romance, friendship and a dash of holiday coziness. You don’t have to read all the books in the First Responders series to enjoy this last book but they’re SO GOOD that I highly recommend you do anyway!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)

See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Dawn ♥ romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This holiday romantic suspense had an exciting beginning and action throughout but I didn't like that they spent so much time treating the victim as a prime suspect. I also didn't feel much romance happening. They were more focused on their self-imposed guilt. Rachael fights a gunman who is stealing a baby at her daycare center and first responder Jake comes to her rescue.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series, and was sad to see it end. This last book in the series brought the series to a great conclusion, while finally focusing on Jake, the team leader. In addition to the great suspense and drama one can expect from this author, the book also dealt with guilt and how it can affect our lives and hold us back from what God wants for us. Great read

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sniffle. This is the last book in the First Responders series and I'm gutted! Such an awesome series I wanted it to go on forever. I've read them all except for Explosive Alliance which is out of print now. Sob! So don't dally over this one -- get it now before it's too late!

Fitting that the first and last books are Christmas stories, bringing the team full circle with a delightful round of happily ever afters. Christmas Conspiracy reads well as a standalone, however, if you've been keeping current with the series you'll be thrilled with the way Sleeman wraps this up. Great glimpses of the whole team interacting together. Love that camaraderie. They are a tight, ready-made family and I'm going to miss them all! Sob!!!

There's a great blend of intriguing suspense and hesitant romance in this story with plenty of Christmas blended in. (And the end...be still my holiday lovin' heart!!!) Rachael and Jake have emotional reasons for wanting to remain aloof and unattached. They both are determined to guard their hearts and pour their passion into their jobs which seem more like callings to them. But what they are really doing is running away from the hard stuff. Yes, even big, brave, uber-protective Jake is running scared. Loved watching their hearts shift in the midst of a trying case.

Danger, edge-of-your-seat suspense and heart-melting romance combine to make this an amazing conclusion to a fantastic series. (But I'm still disgruntled and cranky that it's over.)

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts: First, the disclaimer. "I was provided a free paperback copy of this book. All opinions are my own." That done, I really enjoyed reading CHRISTMAS CONSPIRACY and getting to know Rachael and Jake. Rachael is put at risk when someone tries to kidnap a baby, but when she unmasks the kidnapper she sees who it is so now he recognizes her and so she's in police protection.

Jake was a good detective and it was funny when the baby started crying and he didn't know what to do with it. He was really nice and a good protector.

As per usual with this book, the heroine was kept on the run and the kidnapper really wanted to kill her so her life was in danger the whole time. I didn't figure out who the "bad guy" was before the end, and I didn't know why.

Even though it is the final book in the First Responders Series, it easily stands alone. I am sad to see this series end. I've loved every book in this collection.

Great book. 5 stars.

[Dorel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I read by Susan Sleeman. I loved ❤️the cover.This book's storyline was okay. I liked the action in this story. I liked the Christian ✝️ theme in this story. I liked Rachel's character. I liked Jack's character. I loved ❤️ Kelly. I liked the ending.

[Tima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachael arrived early at the day care center she owned. She was helping a single mother out by watching her baby before the center opened. She didn't expect to be drugged, almost killed, and have an attempted kidnapping. Since the kidnapper thinks she saw his face, she has a target on her back. Jake Marsh, a first responder, is working furiously to protect Rachael and Kelly, the little baby.

Like all of this author's books, this one started off with a major event and the suspense didn't let up until the very end. The characters were well developed and the romantic relationship between the two main characters was sweet. While I've read all of the other books in the series, I think this book would definitely work well as a stand-alone. But for someone who has been following each person on the First Responders team, it was great to see where each story was going after their book ended. This is a fun book that will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys suspense, drama, clean romance, and strong elements of faith and family. Loved this book and can't wait for the next one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series and am sad that it has to end.
I loved Jake's and Rachel's story and how they were able to help each other deal with the pain of their pasts.

[Debora Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible romantic suspense!

This book is a stand-alone suspense story. The character’s lives are moving right along though and if you read the series in order a number of the references to personal lives will make a lot more sense.

The characters in the book are as well developed as I expected them to be. I love the details that Susan Sleeman puts into each one of them and the way she brings characters from previous books into each additional story within a series.

I loved finding out so much about what makes the team leader, Jake Marsh, tick. He has a lot of personal heartache that has helped to shape him. I wanted so badly for him to work through his history and be able to move on with his life.

Rachael has a huge hole in her life that she is working hard to fill with her day-care-center. As I read the details of her pain and loss my heart broke for her. Now she needs to try and determine if that is how she is to fill it for the rest of her life.

I thoroughly enjoyed Rachael’s belief in God. It was wonderful to find out how she has trusted Him to help her through past trials.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[Bethany Waddell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this book. The premise is not terrible, albeit not particularly original, but the overall delivery was just totally lackluster for me. I actually cared more about the characters in the first half of the book than the second. I only even read it because I wanted a Christmas book that also had something of a plot well also hitting the heartstrings a little bit.

I have to say, for some reason the main male character referring to the female lead as “honey” several times within the first few days of meeting her was beyond cringeworthy for me. Terms of endearment at such a very early phase of a relationship, particularly a professional one, are very unnatural for the reader.

The ending was also completely anticlimactic and I rolled my eyes several times. A small, unarmed woman stopped an armed gunman by throwing a handful of snowballs at him? Then made the BRILLIANT DECISION to run out on a barely frozen lake to escape him? Is there any better way to stick a target on your back? Literally not a single tree or bush in sight to hide behind.

Meanwhile a highly trained law enforcement officer keeps almost blacking out or wrecking his car bc he is so distracted by his two-day old crush on the main female. Then, rather than shoot the armed gunman in the chest as trained, he shoots him in the hand in order to protect the delicate lady from seeing someone get killed.

I scanned the epilogue and had enough. Main guy says “I love you” to someone he’s known for like 4 days and has not discussed anything with at all. Maybe I have just read some romantic suspense books that are significantly more well developed, but I personally would appreciate a little bit more character development, as well as attention to detail in winding down the plot line in what could have been a page turner.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is the killer really after???

In Christmas Conspiracy Susan Sleeman drops readers right into the action and doesn't let them go until the last page. This is one book that will keep you guessing and on the edge-of-your-seat. The First Responders series is the first that I've read by Susan Sleeman but she's quickly become a favorite author over the five, out of six, books that I've read.

This series has focused on finding peace even through difficult circumstances. That search is something that I think we all identify with, even if we are probably not being chased or shot at. Susan Sleeman delivers some spiritual food for thought and encouragement in a small and entertaining package.

Christmas Conspiracy was an enjoyable fasted-paced read and a great choice for anyone who loves romantic suspense, especially if it's as much as I do.

(I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are entirely my own.)

[Lizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling end to an equally thrilling series, Christmas Conspiracy will keep you on the edge of your seat. The sixth book in Susan Sleeman's First Responders series, you follow child care worker, Rachael Long, and Deputy Jake Marsh as they try to overcome their guilt over losing family members and trying to find out who is terrorizing Rachael. Both are reluctant to give into their feelings at first, but in the end they realize that it was part of God's plan all along. It doesn't matter if you read this story as the Christmas season approaches, or if it's in the middle of summer. As a series, it's better to read them from beginning to end, but if you happen to discover the series somewhere in the middle, that's okay too.

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Sleeman is top notch at suspense! When I get my hands on a new book of hers, it's hard to let go for very long. This is the last of her First Responders series and although I'm sad to see it end, I look forward to what she has for us next.

Sleeman is an expert in her field, as her writing will attest. She starts her suspense novels off with a bang and continues to ratchet up the suspense up until the very end. She carries her readers along for the ride of heart pounding excitement. I loved every minute!

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book. My review is honest and my own opinion.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in the First Responders series, but also works well for a stand alone. This book has it all, Christmas- what's not to love, suspense, romance, tension, and most importantly Faith. Rachel and Jake have both been thru tragedies in their lives and have made work their lives. Unforeseen circumstances bring them together and they need to trust God to work all things out. I love the way the characters develop as the book progresses and how it keeps you guessing who is behind the kidnaping and murder attempts. Well worth you time to take a break and read.
I received a copy from the author. The honest review and opinions are my own and we're not required.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Conspiracy is the last installment of the First Responders series. From the opening lines to the closing ones it’s non-stop suspense. Rachael Long runs a day-care center. One morning she has to try to fight off a man trying to kidnap one of the babies in her care. In the process, she unmasks the assailant. In comes First Response Commander Jake Marsh to save the day. Now he must protect Rachael from a would-be killer. Can Jake save Rachael and put his past behind him so he can find true love? Find out in Christmas Conspiracy.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just knew this book would not be interesting enough to hold my attention, thinking it would be some deep psychological journal...until I read the first chapter. A loss of motivation and a chance encounter leads Jake to Willow Lake and the legend of a secret corridor. A portion of the book was hare to wrap my mind around until I thought, "Narnia for adults." I would recommend this book for anyone. I received a free copy of this book.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in the First Responders series. I realize that I read the last book first, but it intrigued me enough that I want to read the first five books too. Susan Sleeman's books are fast paced suspense with splashes of faith and romance blended into the story, and this book is no exception. Christmas Conspiracy kept me guessing until the end. Loved the cover of the hero, Jake, protecting the baby victim in the story. Overall a good, entertaining read!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas conspiracy by Susan Sleeman. This is part of the first responders series. It stands alone although some of the characters from the other books in the series, are in this one too. The book opens up and grabs your attention as someone is trying to kidnap a baby from Rachel's daycare.
Rachel has a very sad backstory. She lost her husband and had a miscarriage all within a year. The book is suspenseful and the fact that you're trying to understand why they want to kidnap baby Kelly.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read with crazy suspense and kidnapping and clean romance. I love the mix of the fun, funny, and a little scary. Susan Sleeman has great series that you can really get to know the people while reading.

[Nancy Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Read

A Good book. A little unrealistic at times but still had suspense and was mostly believable. I enjoyed reading the book.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Loved the characters.

[Sandra Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the last book in the series and I really, really hate to see it end. Each book was great and this last one was no exception. Great characters and storyline. And of course a HEA ending.

[Brenda C. McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!!!!

This was another really good book in this series. I really enjoyed reading it. It had everything in it that I enjoy--- romance, intrigue, mystery and God.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

[Annette Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great end to this series! Absolutely loved it.

[Saraya K Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense

Great series. Mrs Sleeman books keeps me hoping I could read faster. I enjoyed this series. This is the first time I have read her books and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. If you never read books from this author you should give it a try.

[Beth Burdette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Conspiracy is the last book in the First Responders series and focuses on the leader of the team – Jake Marsh. He and Rachael Long met after a man forced his way into the daycare where Rachael is the owner and director. He came to kidnap a baby named Kelly. Rachael put up a fight but was drugged. Before the drug took full effect, Rachael managed to remove the mask off of the kidnapper. While Rachael was struggling with the kidnapper, Jake and part of his team were outside watching on a closed circuit video feed while planning the safest way to rescue Rachael and baby Kelly. The First Response team managed to send the would-be kidnapper on the run, rescuing both Rachael and Kelly…but the danger for both is far from over.

When Rachael woke up from her drug-induced sleep, she struggled to remember what happened at the daycare and could not remember the face of the would-be-kidnapper. Unfortunately he did not know this and made multiple attempts on her life, and attempted to kidnap baby Kelly again. As Jake and Rachael try to capture the attempted kidnapper/murderer, they learn more about each other and more about themselves. Meanwhile, Jake is also struggling with the changes in life at the restored fire station where he and his team live. The rest of the team has found significant others, and Jake is wondering where he fits in now and if Rachael might be the answer to that question.

My favorite aspect of both Jake and Rachael is that they allowed God to use tragedies in their pasts to prompt them to help other people – Jake through law enforcement and Rachael for providing childcare, sometimes for free, to people struggling financially and needing a little extra help to get back on their feet. They both have a tendency to work non-stop in an effort to not let anyone down and struggle to let go and trust God to be in control – something that I can definitely relate to.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the entire First Responders series, and I highly recommend all 6 books in the series. Though, having read the final book, I’m a little sad to say good-bye to Skylar, Cash, Brady, Darcie, Archer, and Jake who I have been reading about for the past 2 years. I’m looking forward to seeing what Susan Sleeman will be writing next!

*I received a copy of this wonderful book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First Responders are a family of their own making! They live together in a building that was bought for the team by a lady who bought the building and gave it to the team.

This group of people really care about families and keeping them together as much as they can. They help each other, respect each other, work as a team in all aspects of their life.

In Christmas Conspiracy we meet Rachel, a widow who runs a daycare for underprivileged parents. She is a lifeline to them and does what she can to be of service to them. As the book opens Rachel has opened her daycare early to accommodate a mother so she doesn't lose her job. Rachel knows she shouldn't do it due to regulations but has decided to take the chance of not getting caught. On a normal day one of her employees would be coming in shortly after Rachel has opened for the mother but on this day trouble comes early! Someone has broken in and is attacking Rachel while she tries to protect the baby she has grown to love.

Meanwhile Jake and his crew are monitoring the situation from a van outside the building. They are unsure of who the masked person is or what they're after. All they can do is pray they can get control of the situation and protect Rachel and the child. All of a sudden they see a policeman enter the building and begin to make his way to the room where Rachel, the baby, and the masked man are. No one knows if there's more than one intruder and whether or not he/they are armed. While they assess what they should do the masked man removes a syringe from his pocket. What is his plan and who is it for? Is it for Rachel? Is it for the baby?

As Jake and the team start to take control of the situation Rachel manages to unmask the madman....who is he and what does he want?
Will Jake, Rachel, the baby and the team survive the ordeal? Will they solve the mystery by Christmas? Will Rachel remember more details when she needs to? Will Rachel and Jake overcome their problems and each start healing?

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This series is was a lot of fun to read, each book is about a different member of the First Responders team and can be read as stand alone or part of the series. If you enjoy reading books that are part of a series involving mystery and suspense or if you even just like mystery/suspense you will thoroughly enjoy this book!

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last book in the “First Responders” series, and I’ve enjoyed each and every one. Of course, in CHRISTMAS CONSPIRACY, the sweet little baby in it tugged at my heart in a special way, in addition to the excellent writing and riveting plot. The main characters, Rachael and Jake, were very relatable to me. They struggled with fear and being unable to trust. They couldn’t trust God after horrible personal tragedies happened in their lives, and they couldn’t trust themselves, since they felt to blame. They tried to overcome their guilt by sacrificing their own needs and focusing on saving everyone else. However, they needed to realize that although giving and saving are wonderful deeds, their emotional wounds also needed to be healed.

Both Rachael and Jake can understand each other more than anyone else because they function successfully fueled by their driving motivation of deep emotional guilt. Since they are forced to team together to protect others—what they do best—they also slowly learn what it means to forgive, to trust, and to open up to others. They not only give, but learn how to receive love, as well as allow themselves to enjoy the beauty of Christmas.

I love the First Responder “family” and how they are part of that healing process…I’m sad to know this is the last book involving this special group of people. As a side note, you don’t have to read any of the other books to enjoy this one—it’s written so well that it’s easily a standalone book. Lastly, the suspense of who was trying to kidnap the baby, who was trying to kill Rachael (and why) kept me perplexed until the final ending. (I stayed up all night to finish!!) It’s a wonderfully written and thoroughly enjoyable book that I highly recommend!

Note: I received this book free from the author but was not required to write a review—I enjoyed it so much that I want to share it with everyone!