Trial By Fire

FBI Task Force #0.5

by DiAnn Mills

A new standalone novella from one of the top names in romantic suspense. Includes a preview of the first book in DiAnn’s explosive new FBI Task Force series!Special Agent Savannah Barrett and her partner, SA Paul Winston, have been investigating a puzzling string of church arsons when she receives devastating her estranged son has been killed in a car accident, leaving Savannah sole custody of three young grandchildren she didn’t know existed. As she and Paul investigate new fires, trying to establish an M.O. and a suspect list, Savannah is thrown back into parenting while trying to handle her own heartbreak. Paul becomes her biggest support—on and off the job—kindling the fire between them.But when the case takes a personal turn and Savannah’s grandkids are threatened, she and Paul must put everything on hold to stop this arsonist’s reign of fire.

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

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2016

About the author

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites her readers to step into stories where suspense meets adventure and romance warms the heart. Known for crafting unforgettable characters tangled in unpredictable plots, DiAnn believes every breath we take unfolds a story waiting to be told—so why not make it thrilling?

Her novels have consistently landed on bestseller lists including CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly, and have won prestigious awards such as the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol awards.

DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers. She actively participates in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, International Thriller Writers, Outliers Writing University, and The Christian Pen. DiAnn passionately invests in helping fellow authors succeed through mentoring, book coaching, and editing. She travels nationwide speaking and teaching engaging writing workshops.

A proud coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn also enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband make their home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.

Connect with DiAnn online for behind-the-scenes glimpses, writing tips, and lively discussions on any of the following social media platforms:

Website: https://diannmills.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diann...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannmills
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannmillsa...
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannmills/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/diannmills
X: https://twitter.com/diannmills

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially enjoyed having an older hero and heroine in this short story. Also, it is well-written, with a fully-formed story in a few pages. I enjoyed the mystery of the arsonist and the chase to catch them. And it was both heart wrenching and heartwarming to read of the death of Savannah's son and her efforts to bring her three grandchildren into her life and help them adjust.

*I won a copy in a giveaway via the author's website. I was not required to give a review, favorable or not. Thanks to DiAnn Mills for my copy!

[Nadine Keels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah had little time to sort through everything like she wanted.
She had children to raise.
She had a case to solve.
When was the last time she slept?

Savannah's an FBI agent, investigating a string of church arsons with her partner and best friend, Paul. They're both nearing retirement, but with the sudden death of Savannah's son, the three grandchildren she's left to raise pose a whole new challenge in Trial By Fire by author DiAnn Mills.

I've read a little, just a little, of romantic suspense in my time, but what instantly got me interested in this book was a glimpse of the man and woman on the cover. Clearly not a pair of twenty or thirty-somethings, a fact that I was sure would bring a different and welcome flavor of romantic suspense than I had yet to try. I was right.

This novella is smart, emotionally stirring, and engaging, with no lag or "yawn" time in the middle. There's believable dimension to the family dynamics as well as the chemistry between Savannah and Paul. Now, I felt that a particular scene was a pretty obvious setup for danger, and I'll admit the race factor included in the plot had me on edge, especially considering the current social and racial climate in the US. But a declaration of Savannah's to a pastor eventually put me at ease, whether or not her declaration was directly related to my cause for edginess.

I found this to be a quick and satisfying story that many readers of ChristFic suspense should enjoy.

[Wendy Sparkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my 3rd attempt to try and read this. This time I succeeded in finishing it.

My main problem was that I struggled to connect with Savannah, and while it did eventually come, it was hard to get into to start with. Paul, however, I liked right from the start.

I did really like that the MCs were in their fifties. It made a refreshing change to have a focus on older characters.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

intense search for a church arsonist
add tragic death of an adult child and sudden custody of 3 unknown grandchildren....very Christian

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced, good suspense, great family bonds. Enjoyed this very much.

[Norma Gorrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trial by Fire

Great read about FBI and a fire bug. The inclusion of a mourning mother and soon to be grandmother brings a lot of different things into perspective . I felt so sorry for Savvy when she found out about her son and that she had grandchildren to look after. The burning of churches and the sad life of a young girl who was missing her brother and suffering from lose. A great book to read, one I normally would not have read but ended up with it on my iPad and so glad I did. This is my review and mine alone. Norma Gorrill

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story so read it in a couple of hours. Nice change from most mystery books I've read. This one Savanah and Paul were in their fifties and found love and three grandchildren to take care of because their parents had died in a car crash. The arsonist turned out to be a seventeen year old girl, lashing out because her brother had been killed in Afghanistan after he'd been turned down for work by the churches that she lite on fire. Fun read.

[Caryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mills has crafted a fast-paced novella. Trial by Fire is an explosive introduction to the series. I was immediately immersed into the drama. Twists and turns kept me turning the pages. I read this novella in a couple of hours. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Recommend to readers who enjoy fast paced suspense.

I borrowed a copy from KU. I have expressed my honest view.

[Linda Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah and Paul,work together to find an arsonist while at the same Savannah
Dishes to bring home her grandchildren after her son and daughter in laws death.
The story has plenty of suspense, an excellent storyline and a cast of vivid characters
I recommend this novella to anyone that likes Christian romantic suspense.

[Ellen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Churches dating from the late 1800’s have been torched, in the early mornings, the fourth in two months. Savannah was an FBI agent, two years till retirement. A call informing her, son, and wife were killed, leaving three children. Hadn’t spoken to him in ten years, so all of this was news to her. Even with the case she would be taking three days off.

[Veronica Knack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, action and suspense

Great plot which intermingled love, suspense and action. I enjoyed reading of Savannah's struggle of faith and surrender. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

[Ja’net · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

This was an entertaining novella. I actually enjoyed the budding romance and the storyline with the children more than I did the actual crime itself. Loved that the main characters were older.

[Deloris Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Thank you Ms. Mills. Fast read. Fantastic read right at bedtime. Great characters and the setting is very good, nice twists and turns.

[Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick enjoyable read

This story moved at a good pace this was an enjoyable quick read
Willing to try other books by this author

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

Great read! Enjoyed that the characters were over 50. Mills showed how God shows unconditional love and provides for us.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short book, one I had gotten free a while back. I always enjoy books by DiAnn Mills. This one was at a very clipped, fast pace, but a nice little story with a wee bit of mystery :)

[Patrick Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one. Who is burning churches and why? Can they catch the culprit before anyone is hurt?

[Sandra Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Will definitely read more of this author!

[Dera Olalere]

Nice and sweet. A pretty quick read, but with the classic Diann Mills suspense. It was also nice to see slightly older protagonists.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author’s work but this one didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t feel connected to the story. The main female character just seemed cold to me. DNF.

[Ann Marie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

so worth reading

What a unique story. Great to read about people who still struggle with problems yet can learn to trust God to to heal.

[Donna Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is short, it's a full story. The FBI case is solved, there's a romance between partners Savannah and Paul, and there is growth in the family dynamics with Savannah's grandchildren she acquires on the death of her son and his wife.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Trial by Fire" is a Christian romantic suspense novella. Savannah and her FBI partner, Paul, are investigating a series of arsons at churches. They question the people at the churches but make little progress until someone with critical information finally admits that information. More of the focus was on Savannah trying to care for three grandchildren that she didn't even know that she had. Savannah struggled to forgive herself for her past mistakes. Paul, who has long been in love with her and is a caring guy, also wants her to allow their relationship to become romantic.

The mystery was not very developed due to the length. I didn't see how the arsonist was able to so successfully set fires and leave no useful clues behind. I was also dumbfounded that Paul rushed into a burning building to save a person when the fully-protected firefighters were right there and headed in to do the rescuing.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel to fans of DiAnn Mills, but it isn't her best work.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, quick read. True to her form, DiAnn Mills lets you see what it's like to be an FBI agent. When life throws you a curve ball, how would you react? We find out how one FBI agent, who is 2 years away from retirement, reacts. This is an emotion packed book. My only regret is that this book is a novella. While complete in it's story and character development, I can see where DiAnn could have developed it into a full novel. We could have spent more time with her characters, which is what I love to do. I look forward to her next book," Deadly Encounter", with great anticipation.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

DiAnn Mills is a must-read romantic suspense author for me, so when I found out she was releasing a novella to introduce her upcoming FBI Task Force series, I immediately purchased it for my Kindle. Don't let the brevity fool you as Mills packs plenty of action into this quick read, including personal tragedy, crime, danger, and moments of heart-stopping suspense. I read it in one sitting. The novella also contains a preview to whet the appetite for Deadly Encounter, coming in August! Grab a copy of Trial by Fire for your e-reader or other device today!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a FBI agent discovers that her son and his wife died in an accident and left three children for her to care for? Apart from hunting down a criminal who sets fires to churches, she becomes a super grandmother.this is a short story about love in different situations, a crazed love , a love of grandchildren and an overdue love that our heroine finally admits to.
A simple fast reading story with likeable characters

[Bruce&Marsha Sarrazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

This was my first book by DiAnne Mills but definitely not my last. I intend to read them all. If I like them as much as I believe I will, I will collect them in hardcover for my library.

[Charlene A. Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief

How does a family deal with the loss of a son and a brother? Grief and the feelings associated with it is different for everyone. It is different even among family members.

Read the story to learn more about the story.

[Rose De Reamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty hokey

Can't say I am too excited about this book. The plot seemed like several others that I have read. You take several plots, throw them altogether and then abruptly end everything with a happily forever with very little transition.