Intent

Small Town Secrets #2

by Krista Wagner

Previous cover edition for ASIN B074R82CYH
For alternate cover edition see here

Tired of feeling stuck in her small town, twenty-two-year-old Raylee yearns for something to happen, but she is rocked when an unexpected tragedy hits home. Bitter and lonely, she finds comfort in an old high school crush, but nothing can prepare her when people she loves start to die and her tormentor from high school shows up. As she attempts to uncover the truth behind the murders, Raylee questions whom she can trust as all clues point to a killer who is close to her. But soon her own life is on the line. Can she expose the truth before it's too late?

A dramatic thriller that takes you on a spiritual journey, where faith is tested and the truth is not what it seems.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Suspense

240 pages, ebook

First published August 24, 2014

About the author

Amazon bestselling author Krista Wagner lives with her Marine Corp. veteran husband and an entertaining clan of pets. It takes a major sense of humor and a warm heart to fall in love, so those are the kinds of love stories she pens under Cristina Ryan.

Outside of her sweet romcoms, Krista explores themes of betrayal, deception, and hope in the psychological suspense and mystery genre, and writes YA psychological horror mystery under Jessica Blade.

Reviews

[Patricia Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intent by Krista Wagner is a suspense novel about an insecure twenty two year old girl named Raylee. She's just flunked out of college and feels as though her only purpose in life is to work at her aunts restaurant. When her parents die in a tragic accident Ralyee doubts God. How could a loving God take her parents from her? Heartbroken and distraught Raylee tries her best to move on. When Billy, a boy she once had a crush on, comes into her aunts restaurant things change dramatically for her.

This story started out a bit slow but as I got more into it I realized the stage the author was setting. Once things got rolling, the scenes were intense. Raylee was a lovable character. And true to life, she was too obsessed with her circumstance to see what was right in front of her the entire time. This book is filled with intense scenes, disturbing situations, and fast-paced action. In all it's intensity, it's also a story of Gods grace and love. I will be reading more books from this author.

[T.J. Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storytelling that moves the book along and captures the readers attention.

[Janice Lombardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best I have read in a long time. Pace was quick - I hope that there will be more stories like this in the series!

Many Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a good, solid read!

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was mysterious, intriguing and interesting. This book was very suspenseful and kept you guessing until the end. The book was a page turner for sure.
This book is one I highly recommend and will read again.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definite scary story to keep you up so that you could finish and find out what happened.

[Ashley Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all who wouldn't be a little bitter after losing both parents at the same time. It would be bad enough to lose one at such a young age but both, that's horrible. And even though she a good christian girl I think it would be normal to be cynical and question the afterlife. I think everyone questions God's plan when something doesn't go as planned, not saying they should but everyone does.

I'm not going to lie, the beginning of this book was kind of slow. It took a little while to get passed her whining about her life. I grew up in a small town, a lot like her and I got out. I know a lot of people that didn't and they are happy. No need to be a Debby downer just because your life isn't the way you wanted it to be. No ones is. Things change, goals change, life changes...you might as well get used to it.

Once I got passed the whining, I stepped back and really looked at Raylee (love that name) and realized how relatable of a character she is. There are so many people in the world that are in her shoes. I think Krista Wagner did a great job at making her so "life like."

I got a weird vibe from Billy. His crazy mood swings and profound lines creeped me out. He kept saying these crazy sweet lines to Raylee that made her heart melt but not me, there was just something no right there.

Paul was too sweet to have gotten friend-zoned. Why do girls alway friend-zone the good guys and go after the psychopaths? That being said I wish I had a friend like Paul!

I was very proud of myself for solving this mystery! I never get it right and I actually got this one right. I really enjoyed this book, it kept me on my toes. Once the action started it was really fast.

For more of my reviews visit: http://hyperashley.blogspot.com/

[Janice Lombardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best I have read in a long time. Pace was quick - I hope that there will be more stories like this in the series!

Many Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a good, solid read!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense

This book is another great one in the series. Your not sure what's going to happen. Had a hard time putting down.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way the author was able to combine all the best parts of suspense, drama and mystery in this book.This writing style gives you a glimpse of the thought process of the character. My reaction to the overall message makes me double think all relationships I have in my life. This book is memorable because it had be fooled many times, thinking a situation was going to end in one way when indeed i was wrong. This book shows just how a person can become lost with themselves and is very spot on in how things are in the true world. The setting of a small town allows for the mysterious tone to be set in the novel. Many of the times i found myself having to reread the last couple sentence because i was in utter disbelief in what i had just read! This book kept me hooked from start to finish. Believe it or not, i was able to finish this read in a couple hours. Personally i think the book ended to soon and i was literally wanting to read more! I love when an author leaves you with unanswered questions about the novel, it makes you eager for the sequel which is exactly what Mrs.Wagner was able to convey.

[Maureen Bordeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seemed like the average thriller book to me, but somewhere in the middle of the book I found myself not want to put the book down. At the beginning of the book I kept trying to guess where it was going to led me, but every time I made a guess it went the other direction. I felt like I was stuck into the book and become a character worrying about the other characters in the book. I will admit that there was one part of the book where I did not think the main character of the book was making the correct decisions, but at the end it kind of made sense. Overall it was a good book, I would recommend this book for a teenager who is into thriller movies. I think that teenagers can relate to this book more than someone in their 50’s, because the main character is struggling with the difficulties of life like most teenagers are. Also the main character is trying to find themselves and as do a lot of teenagers try to do also. I liked this book and it was not a long read at all, I finished the book in two days and I am a slow reader.

[Fernando S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book I believe everyone should take the time to read would be the novel Intent. It is a well written novel and I enjoyed reading it because of all the descriptive detail to all the events that occurred. It felt as if the “reader” is in the story itself. The book is memorable because of all the exciting unexpected events that occur in the novel. It keeps one on their toes because the scenes that happen are exciting to read about. For example, when a death suddenly happens it evokes the reader to relate if there were ever a tragic event that happened in their lives and how they would possibly cope with it. If one enjoys a thrilling book Intent is definitely a novel to consider as it is full of detailed writing as well as much twists and turns. One will learn from the characters their strengths and weaknesses and elicit the reader to attempt to solve the mystery before the book reveals the truth. This book is never dull and has a perfect message that makes one wonder about life. I enjoyed how the book focuses on the topic that if one suddenly faces adversity it is still possible for them to find happiness in their future lives. It sends a well thought out message to the reader on difficult times and that anything is possible to overcome with the help of friends and family. The tone of the book is a family and mystery type of feel because of the descriptive narrative throughout the novel. All in all, it is an amazing novel that is written very seamlessly to make the reader feel like they are in the story. It is in one’s best interest to read this roll coaster of a book that will keep one on the edge of their seats.

[Stephanie]

Intent by Wagner is way more than your typical romance story but mystery and thriller. You can describe this book as a teen book. Start of with a summary about Raylee and her life in childhood until now. She seem to be undecided on what she wants to do in life. Raylee’s life seem to have a few bumps on the road but took a turn when an old friend came to town. It captured my attention right away with the first two characters. I enjoyed reading this book overall. I never got bored reading it because it well detailed and it leave you wanting more. I took a liking to Raylee because I can see myself through her from time to time. Raylee is a character that anyone can relate to at one point through the book .

[Bernie Quinones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed reading this book. I don't really read occasionally, mostly only when a teacher signs me. I really liked it, in many ways I can relate to the main character. This book was an emotional rollercoaster. In a way it made feel sad, happy, and surprised. Once you start to get into this story, it becomes addicting. Also there were many details shown here making you imagine this scene in your head.

[Juriz Sison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Intent. Now, I will be honest - when I first started reading, I thought to myself "Oh, Great another teeny bopper hopeless romantic type scenario where the girl's going to end up defeated by some cliché" but with the help of Wagner's writing style, relatable character types, and strong use of literary elements, I found myself fighting to put the book down, and my impression of the book changed completely. I was able to find that I was hooked by Chapter 2 - mind you, way before the climax. The protagonist in the story is someone who I, as a female young adult, can relate to. Coming out of high school, and not knowing where to go, or what to do with myself, and even how to feel at times can be difficult - Because I have been there! The twist in itself was something I was not expecting. The only problem with this book is that it's too short. I want more of it! I was able to immerse myself into her work completely, and I definitely give this book 5 stars.

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm torn how to review this book. When I selected to read it the genre it was being advertised under was a Christian Psychological Thriller. So while I appreciate it is going for a little more wholesome and clean feel the characters really didn't have a lot of depth to them that you would expect from a Psychological Thriller, so it was quite hard for me to become emotionally invested in the story.

I would like to thank netgalley and the author for the free copies in exchange for an honest review

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Interconnected YA Psychological Thriller TBC

Must be read in order. This book continues her life 4 years later. Her life is not what she thought it would be. When tragedy strikes her life is thrown for a loop and her faith is tested. Then some former classmates show up and are acting completely different from what she remembers. Have they grown up and changed or is something else going on? Who can she trust to believe her?

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this suspense story, that starts as a slow burn, but intensifies quickly. The characters are believable and relatable. The suspense is heart pounding and the twists are unexpected. I would definitely recommend it. I received a free copy of this book via BookSprout and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent twist-in-the-tale❣️Well worth reading. However, I have to warn you to read "Intent: The Beginning" first, as this prequel was written later and was not so good as it would have been had I not read Deadly Secrets first😝

[paulette sarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thriller

This story kept you guessing until the end. Lots of twist and turns. The main characters were really in need of therapy. Still can't wait to read the next book and see where it takes her.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great continuation from the previous book and it is not too hard to get started with the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hilda Baard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. Full of suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Kareh Wiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intent by Krista Wagner is an excellent book. Buckle your seat belt and hang on tight as this novel twists and turns through suspense filled pages. I loved it!

Intent by Krista Wagner is a great read. The element of surprise and intrigue are utilized throughout this entire book. As the protagonist, Raylee Johnson, pushes through a seemingly monotonous dead end job and begins to reach the conclusion that her life is without meaning, she is catapulted into a maze of events that leave her reeling. The courage and strength that Raylee finds during this tumultuous and precarious period of her life unfold with dramatic flare.

The reader is led astray several times as the plot unravels down narrow paths of apprehensive action. Clues are scattered like finely sifted granules of sand across the grand canyon. As with any good mystery novel, the reader is never quite sure who's behind it all until the very end.

Wagner's ability to infuse the reader with hope and encouragement through a relationship with Christ is worked into the story in a clear manner without being intrusively overboard. There is not a "preachy" feel to this read, as the author takes advantage of her talent for subtlety and cohesively delivers sound Christian doctrine through some of the lives of the minor characters. This book is sure to help the reader effortlessly transfer some healthy prospective into their life.

If you enjoy reading a good mystery that has an element of reality without creating nightmares, I highly recommend that you read, Intent by Krista Wagner!

[Jessica Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Intent by Krista Wagner. It’s a mystery, whodunit-style story about a small town girl who feels her life has no purpose. She gets embroiled in a weird situation with her high school crush, and her life changes dramatically.

Oops! Almost forgot my little disclaimer! Here is it: *I was sent this book free of charge so I could read it and create this review* Better late than never, right? On with the review.

Raylee, the heroine (for lack of a better word) of this book, is a very relateable character. She felt like she didn’t belong anywhere in high school, and she had a huge crush on “Mr. Popular.” I’m sure many of us were like her in our younger days. It’s an interesting approach, using her past as the basis for what happens in this book.

I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, so I’ll just say there’s good suspense in this novel. The story does follow a pretty logical path – I figured out who did it quite early on. But the process of Raylee uncovering all the clues is well done. There were a few formatting errors through the book but no actual spelling or grammar errors. Also the chapters were short enough that I could read the book in short spurts of time (between all the other things I try to get done in a day!)

I would recommend Intent by Krista Wagner to anyone who enjoys an easy-to-read mystery story. It’s fairly short, there aren’t a ton of characters to get confused with, and it has a satisfying resolution. Give it a read!

[Derrika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intent by Krista Wagner was extremely by FAR one of the best books I have encountered. This book is a perfect combination of suspenseful situations, emotional feelings, with a great storyline of various tragedies. In the synopsis, Wagner states “an introverted young woman sets out to uncover a deceptive killer” and “ Can she expose the truth before it's too late?”. With just those two specific lines, I was already intrigued to find out if this deceptive killer will be after her if the “truth” is not exposed in just enough time. In particular, I enjoyed how simplistic the sentence structure and word choices were designed for all readers of different levels to be able to read. My personal reaction to this reading was surprisingly amazed of the obstacles the main character, Rylee, not only endured but conquered ! It somewhat made me wonder if the author herself was expressing herself through Rylee’s actions or if it this entire storyline was actually fiction. Now what makes this novel memorable, is for me personally from someone who despises reading any genre, I extremely was well entertained and amused how it not only got my attention…...BUT kept my attention the entire novel.This is the perfect novel to read, especially in a day or two with a substantial amount of plot twists that will have the book glued to your hand.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intent: Deadly Secrets
A Psychological Thriller ( Book #1) (Small Town Secrets)
by Krista Wagner
BooksGoSocial
Christian | Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 21 Sep 2020


I am reviewing a copy of Intent: Deadly Secrets through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:



The once peaceful small town of Silver Canyon drastically changes from familiar to terrifying when Rylee finds herself being thrust into a nightmare when her life is turned into a nightmare by a stalker.




Before the stalker Raylee always felt safe in her small town, but lately she senses she is being watched by menacing eyes that seem to be lurking in the shadows! When tragedy strikes at her heart, she finds comfort in an old crush even as the sinister presence continues to pursue her.



Raylee finds herself having to find her way out of the murky haze that envelops her, unsure whom she can trust as the clues firmly point to a stalker who is close to her. She is determined to find the truth no matter what the cost and expose evil in its purest form delivers Raylee from the brink of danger into the heart of a deadly nightmare.




If you are looking for a fast paced, spine chilling, Psychological thriller, then
Intent Deadly Secrets is definitely the book for you!



I give Intent Deadly Secrets five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Jerrye Tellmeagreatstorylove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intent: Deadly Secrets by Krista Wagner

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
__________________________________________________________________
Story Notes

A good thriller with plenty of action, tension and suspense. Raylee was a great character and I loved watching her go from hopeless to confident in herself. While all the tragedy surrounding her was terrible, it did build her into a better and stronger person. The elements of faith and the crisis of faith that Raylee faced made the story more real and gave it depth. I wish Paul had been given a bit more page time and that the romance between them would have been developed more as this part of the book was a little lacking. My only two other issues with this story were that there were some cuss words included that were not necessary and that the story was a bit rushed. If it had been given a little more page time, I think I would have liked it better. I will still recommend this story as a good read as it was well plotted and fairly well fleshed out.
I received this temporary complimentary E-book from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Aubrey
Book provided by Touchpoint Press
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

It is always nice to read books out of your comfort zone and by new authors that you have not read before. Intent by Krista Wagner was one of those books for me. I had a hard time getting into it but once the action started it read fairly easily.

Raylee was an interesting character but she lamenting a tad too much about how awful her life was and that she wanted more out of her life. I tend to like my female characters to be more spunky with bigger back bones. Her character seems to have a few moments where she shows strength and redeems herself.

I was kind of shocked with the ending and who the killer was. The second half of the book was very fast paced and very enjoyable to read because I really wanted to know what happened. The fact that the first half was kind of slow and sluggish is why I did not give the book higher ratings. The ending was the kind of ending that I like where everything is neatly wrapped up and you feel satisfied with the book. I did like how the second half made me think and realize how fragile life is.

[Brenda M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intent by Krista Wagner is a suspense and mystery novel. I’ll personally would give it a 4.5 stars out of five rating. As I started reading, I had an assumption of it being the usual and typical mystery murderer that everyone could suspect in the beginning, but it was quite the opposite. Intent exploits the protagonist tragedies one after the other, shows pathos all the way through the novel, not just from the main character but others around her. Once the protagonist starts recovering from a catastrophe event, another unexpected situation occurs and gets the reader thinking why are these sinister events happening around her. The thought that the protagonist elucidate the antagonist identity was surprising because it is rare for the leading character to uncover the antagonist, it is mostly found out when the villain reveals themself to the protagonist. Highly Recommend reading this novel because personally it’s shows the hardships and the feel of being lost and isolated from the world.

[Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by this author. I found the first half of the book a little slow, but the second half made up for it, as it was pretty fast-paced and came to a quick resolution. Raylee spends a lot of time at the beginning of the book whining about how she thought she would be doing more with her life than she is doing. She is completely unsatisfied with anything, except maybe her friendship with her best friend. She is so caught up in self-pity that she forgets her own birthday. After that she experiences several tragedies that would rock anyone's world, but she bounces back pretty quickly, relatively speaking, only to end up in danger and then facing a huge betrayal. Raylee shows exactly what she is made of once these things happen, and she really seems to change her perspective about life, realizing what is important. I would recommend this book to those who love physiological thrillers. As a warning since this book is marked "Christian" fiction, there is a little bit of language toward the end. That and the slow start is why I am giving this book a 3/5.

[Artemisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this title two thumbs up. The main character is likeable and you hope that she finds what she is looking for. In my opinion this book calls out to a lot of people, and they are able to relate to this book in the sense that sometimes we feel that we don’t belong in our own skin. There are many great characters in this story, and some of them will definitely surprise you. I look forward to reading more books by this author, I really enjoyed the way she used such descriptive language when describing places, people and situations.
The way that the main character, Raylee handles the situations she finds herself in are admirable, especially considering how young she is. This story is not what you expect, there are some surprises along the way. I love a story with a good plot twist! I definitely recommend this book, especially if you like mystery, suspense, and a story that has silver linings.