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She’s keeping secrets. He must keep her safe.

An Special Crimes Unit page-turner

Were it not for Tessa Carlson, Special Agent Henry Miller’s daughter would have been abducted. But rescuing the little girl has thrust Tessa—a woman in hiding—into the media’s spotlight…and into a criminal’s crosshairs. Now her survival depends on putting her faith in widowed single father Henry if she wants to live to see another day.

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

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129 people want to read

About the author

Shirlee McCoy

158 books439 followers

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5 stars
162 (52%)
4 stars
98 (31%)
3 stars
45 (14%)
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4 (1%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for Linda Strong.
3,878 reviews1,712 followers
June 1, 2019
3.5 Stars

Tessa Carlson happens to be in the right place at the right time. There have been a series of very young girls taken from their homes and later found wandering in isolated places after having been drugged. Almost by accident she prevents the kidnapping of yet another young girl.

This girl is the child of FBI Special Agent Henry Miller .. and he's extremely grateful to Tessa. Having lost his wife several years earlier, he cannot fathom the pain of losing a child.

Tessa is keeping secrets .... she's actually been in hiding for 3 years ... hiding from a violent abusive boyfriend. And her name is not Tessa. She's happy that she saved a child ... but absolutely wants nothing to do with the media. What if her picture goes out and her ex should see it?

Henry knows she's hiding something, and until she wants to confide in him, all he can do is protect her as she is the lone witness to the attempted kidnapping.

This is a short, easy to read Christian Mystery/Romantic Suspense. There's lot of action .. several suspects to watch especially when Tessa starts receiving threatening notes.

Many thanks to the author / Harlequin Romance / Netgalley for the digital copy of LONE WITNESS. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Profile Image for Maureen Timerman.
3,247 reviews493 followers
May 23, 2019
What a great read the author gives us, and it starts with the main character, sacrificing her own life for the sake of an unknown child. This selfless act leads to a lot of heartache and danger, but you will wonder almost to the end of the book who the perpetrator is.
We are also given an FBI agent who has suffered the loss of his beloved wife, and is now raising his twin daughters alone.
I kept hoping that this poor abused and valiant woman would find a family, maybe my wish not hers, but she touched so many lives since she arrived in Massachusetts.
The story has non-stop action from beginning to end, and when it is over, I loved the epilogue!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.
Profile Image for Cathy.
1,244 reviews79 followers
May 10, 2019
One of the best LIS! So good! Loved the characters and the storyline. Loved how friendship developed first and though a shorter story as all LIS are, still a well developed romance. Excellent!!
Profile Image for Susan Snodgrass.
2,002 reviews273 followers
June 4, 2019
'I spent nine years living in a graveyard of dead dreams, pretending it was Cinderella's castle. If that's not sad enough to cry over, I don't know what it.'

I only discovered Shirlee McCoy's books recently and now I get the pleasure of reading a lot of them without waiting for new releases. The lady knows how to write inspirational suspense well. I loved this from page one. Bravo!
Profile Image for Melanie.
2,215 reviews599 followers
January 14, 2024
2.5 stars

Lone Witness is the 4th book in the FBI: Special Crimes Unit and it was an okay read for me. I don't know why, but I struggled to connect with the characters/romance.

The book had a lot of suspense/danger, which made it a quick read. I didn't understand some of the characters' actions at times or why they let certain things happen.

All in all, this was an okay read for me.

*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.*
Profile Image for Elaine - Splashes Into Books.
3,895 reviews137 followers
May 30, 2019
Rating 4.5/5*

This is an enthralling romantic suspense with a heroine who has escaped an abusive relationship by running away and keeping herself under the radar being thrust into the lime light when she thwarts an attempt to kidnap a young girl, the daughter of Special Agent, Henry Miller who is a widower. This not only introduces her to the girl's father, but also places herself in danger. Dare she trust him with her secrets? Can he keep her safe and catch the serial kidnapper?

This is a story from the Love Inspired series and lives up to that genre. It is a suspense filled, heartwarming romance with well developed characters, plenty of twists and turns and lots of love! The romance is a slow build as Henry and Tessa slowly learn to trust each other and she reveals her secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading further books in this series and by this author in future. I have no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
Profile Image for Jessica.
2,216 reviews51 followers
June 3, 2019
Tessa just wants a quiet life and now is faced with the decision of her life remaining quiet walking away from a strange situation or stop the man from walking away with the child who doesn't seem to be his. Now it seems like someone is trying to scare her away and the father of the child FBI agent Henry will do everything to protect her.

I you like mystery novels you'll like this book. I loved seeing how everything played out in this book. There was plenty going on and it was clear someone wanted her out of the picture. It was just a matter of time with finding out who and why. I did like there was a sublet romance going on between the two and that things remained clean in the book which I appreciate. Overall this was a pretty good book I ended up binge reading this book because I enjoyed it that much.
Profile Image for Faith.
2,234 reviews
June 2, 2019
Tessa Carlson prevents the abduction of FBI Agent Henry Miller's daughter, but her act of bravery has thrust her into the sights of the would-be abductors.



Tessa has kept a low profile since getting out of an abusive relationship, but preventing the kidnapping puts everything that she has worked so hard for at risk. Henry offers his protection and his family welcomes her with open arms, as they work to catch the kidnapper on the loose. But Tessa has a secret that may put them at risk.



Tess struggles to trust, after everything that she has been through, she doubts her judgement, but has a passion for helping others and can't stay silent in the face of wrong.



Henry is a devoted and dedicated FBI agent, he works hard to protect his daughters and is grateful to Tessa for what she did. He is a brave man of action, with a strong faith.



A riveting read, filled with intrigue and suspense. The danger grows and the clues don't add up, all coming together in a thrilling climax. A suspenseful read, great tension, with many secrets. Filled with action and great interaction.





I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
3,996 reviews1,764 followers
May 15, 2019
Another wonder of a read from Shirlee McCoy -- from the heart-in-throat opening scene to the deliciously romantical epilogue. Loved the longer time frame than we usually see in a suspense. It gave credence to the relationship that develops between Tessa and Henry and his family. She's so mysterious and guarded which both intrigues and frustrates him. But as the threats on Tess's life grow bolder, she has to place her trust in Henry and his team to keep her safe. An exhilarating rush of a read!
Profile Image for Books and Spoons.
1,612 reviews32 followers
June 10, 2019
I am a big fan of Love Inspired romantic suspense books, I love the three dimensions of the stories, the romance, the suspense, and the faith in God.
The Lone Witness has an arresting storyline. The whole set up of the story is intriguing, I was fascinated by the heroine and the fact that she was smudging the fine lines of law and order.
Tessa Carlson turns out to be an interesting heroine, she is smart, strong-minded yet resilient, kind, caring person, who has survived the unimaginable and did what she had to to survive. I liked her, I admired her spunk, and her determination to do the right thing while hiding in the shadows. Yes, a complex character, indeed.
Henry Miller is a grieving widow, father of twin girls, and as dedicated to his job as he is to his girls. He is determined to keep the twins and Tessa safe and sound while solving the crimes.
The danger seems to follow Tessa, yet Henry is not sure why she is so prone to the attacks, as Tessa is determined to keep her secrets.
The suspense is building up, it is intense and dangerous, and it takes both the local law enforcement as well as the FBI to solve the puzzling net of crimes.
I liked the suspense in the story, as well as the whole concept of the books. I wish Tessa and Henry wouldn't have gotten to know each other off the pages, it seemed that the whole romance and character development happen during the off time.
The other point that lowered the score in the story for me was the lack of showing the faith in God in the characters lives. Just going to church on Sundays does not make the case for me...
Despite the conflicted mind towards some of the aspects of the story, I read it at one sitting and found the tale to have a good ploy of tense suspense and action.
~ Three Spoons
Profile Image for Lynn Reynolds.
1,698 reviews39 followers
June 26, 2019
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Tessa Carlson decided to make a change in her life – especially because of her past. Sometimes I think about the ambiance as I’m reading a book – it helps to give the reader a connection to the story. It doesn’t hurt that I live in the same state as Tessa. Bad news, I live on the opposite end of the state. That just means planning a road trip for just the right time of year.

Henry Miller has a job that got a little close to home. It shows that in today’s world, no one is safe. You’re going to have to be very careful about your heart. If not, there are two secondary characters that are going to steal it. At the very least they’ll steal every scene they’re in. The author knows just the right moment to pull you back to the story at hand – the mystery/suspense that put our main characters in the same space at the same time.

I’ve been reading Harlequin’s for a very long time but this is my first in the Love Inspired Suspense line. Now I’m wondering what took me so long. This author made it very easy to lose myself into what was going on. It became all about finding out who created this mystery in the first place and then the suspense as to when we were going to find out the culprit so that we can get to a peaceful ending. But this ending wasn’t quite so peaceful because the author may just get you to laugh – or at the very least chuckle. One thing is certain; it had me looking forward to checking out more of her series.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
260 reviews2 followers
March 14, 2025
This is a quick Life inspired suspense mystery about Tessa who escaped a 9 yr abusive relationship to find peace but ends up saving a kidnapped child. Tessa’s abuser traces her and that is when all the action begins
236 reviews1 follower
June 6, 2019
Awesome

I love all Shirlee McCoy books. This book keeps your attention until the end. She is a great writer and one of my favorite authors.
1,567 reviews12 followers
June 21, 2019
Not sure what happened

I have read other books by this author which were awesome. Not sure what happened with this one it was very slow. It dragged, it was a bit boring. Sorry😞😞
666 reviews3 followers
July 13, 2019
AWESOME!!!!!!!

This was a really, really good book. It had plenty of suspense, mystery and faith in God. It had sweet romance, too. I really enjoyed the twins' antics.
5 reviews
September 6, 2019
Awesome book

This is a great book! It will keep you interested from the first word you read, until the end. Suspenseful and intriguing!
Profile Image for Erin.
2,144 reviews19 followers
April 21, 2020
Precocious twins

I loved getting to know Henry better but the precocious twins steal the show. Great book that I could not put down. Highly recommend it and the whole series.
Profile Image for Sherianne .
98 reviews9 followers
August 30, 2020
Suspenseful easy read. Definitely will check out her other books!
121 reviews
June 21, 2021
Rating was 4.5. My favorite book in the FBI special crimes unit series and enjoyed the story.
Profile Image for Tricia Cox garrett.
931 reviews4 followers
October 24, 2022
Lone Witness

A child is being abducted, should she come out of hiding to stop it? Tessa has been hiding for 3 years, but a child's life is at stake. Good clean romance.
80 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2025
Loving this series

I've read all of this series and I have to say I'm sad that I'm this close to the end
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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