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Moonlighters #3
Twisted Innocence
When Holly’s secrets backfire, is the mess too big to unravel?
Holly Cramer has worked hard to keep the identity of her daughter’s father a secret, shamed and embarrassed by the one-night stand. But when the police knock on her door searching for Creed Kershaw, she realizes his identity isn’t as hidden as she thought. The fact that Creed is a person of interest in a recent drug-related murder only increases her humiliation.
When Holly’s and Creed’s paths cross, Holly is unsure whether to be terrified of him or trust him. His tenderness with their daughter makes her want to believe his story that he had nothing to do with the murder. Then she discovers that Creed has a connection to Leonard Miller—who killed both her sister’s fiancé and her brother-in-law, and kidnapped her nephews—and things only become more complicated.
Will Creed lead them to the man who has plagued her family, or become another of his victims?
Audible Audio
First published February 3, 2015
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About the author
Terri Blackstock
90 books5,551 followersTerri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over seven million books sold worldwide.. She has had over thirty years of success as a novelist.
Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in a U.S. Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.
In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them that they’re valued by God and that their trials have a purpose.
Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in a U.S. Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.
In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them that they’re valued by God and that their trials have a purpose.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 372 reviews
September 15, 2024
I had to reread this last book in the Moonlighters series. Now that her baby has arrived she is out to be the Mother she knows her baby deserves but when the father of her baby is being sought out for a murder she is on the lookout for him to protect her child. He didn't do it! He was only selling drugs but being accused of murder. When both get together both decide to find out who is responsible. Is it the man who has ruin their family happiness for years over the murder of a family member? Is it time for him to finally be brought to justice, but being involved will it resolve in another family member being murdered? I had so much fun reading this series today. Life is not perfect but with the love this family has for each other they can withstand anything!! Great series and a great time, recommend all of you to give the Moonlighters series a try!!
March 21, 2019
Oh, this one was good! I love some strong character development, and this story takes us though a hero and heroine who have made some major mistakes with their lives but have to work through them to defeat the daring bad guy who’s plagued the sister MCs through this entire trilogy. This one’s my favorite of the three!
November 9, 2018
Twisted Innocence was a great ending to the series. I liked how everything wrapped up and the author's note at the end was very good and true. I can't believe that I actually ended up liking Creed, but I did and I just wanted things to end up well for him.
Recommend this series -- especially in audio format.
Recommend this series -- especially in audio format.
March 6, 2015
I really enjoyed Twisted Innocence. It is the third book in a series, however, I had not read the first two books and I followed the storyline just fine. The author did a good job of catching me up to what had been going on in the previous books. I do think that my reading enjoyment would have been even greater had I read the whole series, but I still liked this book very much.
I really liked Holly Cramer. She has turned her life around for the sake of her new baby. She no longer runs with a wild crowd or parties her days and nights away. She is dedicated to this sweet baby girl and to doing the best she can for her. I sometimes found myself frustrated with Holly’s siblings, because they doubted that she had really changed her ways. But, truly, their reluctance to believe that she wasn’t going to fall back into her previous behavior makes complete sense. These siblings have known her the longest. The fact that she has made a permanent change is something hard to believe when they have seen her slip so many times before.
There is a continuing story throughout the three books that deals with a powerful drug lord. I did not have any trouble following this plot. Holly’s family and other people close to their family have been brutally targeted and have had many problems because of this man. The continuing battle against his evil hold on their city was thrilling.
This book flowed very smoothly and was a quick read for me. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and definitely recommend it for fans of suspense and romantic suspense.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through Litfuse Publicity, in exchange for an honest review.
You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
I really liked Holly Cramer. She has turned her life around for the sake of her new baby. She no longer runs with a wild crowd or parties her days and nights away. She is dedicated to this sweet baby girl and to doing the best she can for her. I sometimes found myself frustrated with Holly’s siblings, because they doubted that she had really changed her ways. But, truly, their reluctance to believe that she wasn’t going to fall back into her previous behavior makes complete sense. These siblings have known her the longest. The fact that she has made a permanent change is something hard to believe when they have seen her slip so many times before.
There is a continuing story throughout the three books that deals with a powerful drug lord. I did not have any trouble following this plot. Holly’s family and other people close to their family have been brutally targeted and have had many problems because of this man. The continuing battle against his evil hold on their city was thrilling.
This book flowed very smoothly and was a quick read for me. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and definitely recommend it for fans of suspense and romantic suspense.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through Litfuse Publicity, in exchange for an honest review.
You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
April 10, 2025
This final book in the Moonlighters series focuses on Holly, and a new character named Creed. Creed is in trouble when Holly connects with him, and gets pulled into a dark web of danger he's tangled up in. I really enjoyed how strong the faith based threads were in this book. I could just be me, but there seemed to be more action in this book than the other two. Although the story line and character development were strong, this book was my least favorite of the series, because I just wasn't a huge fan of it seeming to be mostly action. I did appreciate that this book wrapped up any lose ends from the previous books. I really enjoy this author and will move on to another series from her at some point!
February 23, 2015
A special thank you to Zondervan and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Talented Christian and crime writer, Terri Blackstock returns with the thrilling complex suspense Moonlighter trilogy, with an action filled, fast-paced thriller, TWISTED INNOCENCE (Moonlighters Series #3), focused on sister, Holly and her baby daughter. Of course, the sisters and other familiar characters are back for a novel of mistakes, love, and redemption.
If you read Blackstock's last book Distortion (Moonlighters Series #2), focused on Juliet, and Truth Stained Lies (Moonlighters Series #1), focused on Cathy; you will be familiar with the characters introduced, as we have been anxiously awaiting their fate. In previous books we met Juliet, her husband, children, and sisters Holly and Cathy who all team up with PI Michael Hogan.
Set in Panama City, Florida-wild child biker chick-like, Holly is trying to settle down. Now a mother of beautiful daughter Lily. As a single mom, she is working two jobs, trying to make ends meet with the PI business with her sisters, and a cab driver.
However, as the book opens, the cab driver job becomes dangerous, when she is robbed by two meth druggies and wrecks her cab. Her sister Juliet is worried about her and wants her off the streets. She decides to get rid of the pink streaks in her hair and cover her tattoos, to be a responsible mother and give up loser boyfriends.
The worst possible timing-- the father of her daughter, is back. Creed has a past and he happened to be a one-night stand (something she is not proud of and has not told anyone the identity). She does not want her family to know, as she is trying to live life on the straight and narrow, and she does not need the complications or a reminder of her past poor choices.
To further complicate things, Michael is in jail (on a technicality and the girls are working hard to get him released, before Cathy’s wedding – blogger sister Cats Curious, from Book #1). And their worst nightmares come to life with Leonard Miller. The drug kingpin and murderer responsible for Cathy’s husband’s death, and Michael’s brother, kidnapping, among other horrific acts. He is back in town.
Due to a woman’s testimony and the defense attorney’s focus, the jury had reasonable doubt about the police department’s integrity and found Leonard not guilty. After the trial, Michael was convicted of lying under oath. He lost his job at the police department since as a convicted felon, he could no longer carry a weapon.
Needless to say, Miller went on to kill other as he climbed the ladder of his deadly drug trafficking ring. When Michael Hogan later took up arms to save Juliet and her children from Miller’s murderous cruelty, he violated probation. The hero did not fight the charges and his marriage proposal to Cathy came as they hauled him off to jail. Of course, due to all this injustice, Cathy quit practicing law.
While Cathy and Michael are planning the wedding, they have bigger fears. She is praying Michael will be released as they need him to help track down Miller before he kills again. He lost his police career trying to save them last time.
Miller is wanted for drug trafficking, distribution, conspiracy, kidnapping and murder and he would be insane to show his face; however, as Michael’s mentions, these guys are not so smart. Plus Holly has to worry about Creed and now Holly’s baby is caught in the crossfire-a bomb, a shooting, drug dealers, and lives are on the line as the intensity, tensions, and emotions are high. Is Creed connected to Miller? Will Creed save the day?
Many twists and turns keeping you guessing the good guys from the bad. For fans of mystery, crime thrillers, suspense, romance, women's and Christian fiction.
Even through Terri has been around for quite some time as a successful novelist, I only recently discovered her when I started reading this series. I was amazed how she seamlessly weaves many genres in one book, using flawed characters, highly charged subjects of drugs and crime and strong Christian faith.
Well-developed characters and excellent writing, grabbing you from beginning to end. She demonstrates how all of us experience trials and are led astray, and how God uses the hard times for a bigger plan and purpose. God knows where we started and how we got there.
Highly recommend this series for an engaging and satisfying read and looking forward to reading more from Blackstock. As a fellow Floridan, loved the setting!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
Talented Christian and crime writer, Terri Blackstock returns with the thrilling complex suspense Moonlighter trilogy, with an action filled, fast-paced thriller, TWISTED INNOCENCE (Moonlighters Series #3), focused on sister, Holly and her baby daughter. Of course, the sisters and other familiar characters are back for a novel of mistakes, love, and redemption.
If you read Blackstock's last book Distortion (Moonlighters Series #2), focused on Juliet, and Truth Stained Lies (Moonlighters Series #1), focused on Cathy; you will be familiar with the characters introduced, as we have been anxiously awaiting their fate. In previous books we met Juliet, her husband, children, and sisters Holly and Cathy who all team up with PI Michael Hogan.
Set in Panama City, Florida-wild child biker chick-like, Holly is trying to settle down. Now a mother of beautiful daughter Lily. As a single mom, she is working two jobs, trying to make ends meet with the PI business with her sisters, and a cab driver.
However, as the book opens, the cab driver job becomes dangerous, when she is robbed by two meth druggies and wrecks her cab. Her sister Juliet is worried about her and wants her off the streets. She decides to get rid of the pink streaks in her hair and cover her tattoos, to be a responsible mother and give up loser boyfriends.
The worst possible timing-- the father of her daughter, is back. Creed has a past and he happened to be a one-night stand (something she is not proud of and has not told anyone the identity). She does not want her family to know, as she is trying to live life on the straight and narrow, and she does not need the complications or a reminder of her past poor choices.
To further complicate things, Michael is in jail (on a technicality and the girls are working hard to get him released, before Cathy’s wedding – blogger sister Cats Curious, from Book #1). And their worst nightmares come to life with Leonard Miller. The drug kingpin and murderer responsible for Cathy’s husband’s death, and Michael’s brother, kidnapping, among other horrific acts. He is back in town.
Due to a woman’s testimony and the defense attorney’s focus, the jury had reasonable doubt about the police department’s integrity and found Leonard not guilty. After the trial, Michael was convicted of lying under oath. He lost his job at the police department since as a convicted felon, he could no longer carry a weapon.
Needless to say, Miller went on to kill other as he climbed the ladder of his deadly drug trafficking ring. When Michael Hogan later took up arms to save Juliet and her children from Miller’s murderous cruelty, he violated probation. The hero did not fight the charges and his marriage proposal to Cathy came as they hauled him off to jail. Of course, due to all this injustice, Cathy quit practicing law.
While Cathy and Michael are planning the wedding, they have bigger fears. She is praying Michael will be released as they need him to help track down Miller before he kills again. He lost his police career trying to save them last time.
Miller is wanted for drug trafficking, distribution, conspiracy, kidnapping and murder and he would be insane to show his face; however, as Michael’s mentions, these guys are not so smart. Plus Holly has to worry about Creed and now Holly’s baby is caught in the crossfire-a bomb, a shooting, drug dealers, and lives are on the line as the intensity, tensions, and emotions are high. Is Creed connected to Miller? Will Creed save the day?
Many twists and turns keeping you guessing the good guys from the bad. For fans of mystery, crime thrillers, suspense, romance, women's and Christian fiction.
Even through Terri has been around for quite some time as a successful novelist, I only recently discovered her when I started reading this series. I was amazed how she seamlessly weaves many genres in one book, using flawed characters, highly charged subjects of drugs and crime and strong Christian faith.
Well-developed characters and excellent writing, grabbing you from beginning to end. She demonstrates how all of us experience trials and are led astray, and how God uses the hard times for a bigger plan and purpose. God knows where we started and how we got there.
Highly recommend this series for an engaging and satisfying read and looking forward to reading more from Blackstock. As a fellow Floridan, loved the setting!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
December 31, 2015
Another great book by Terri Blackstock. This book again confirmed why she is one of my favourite Christian suspense writers. The book was so fast paced I flew through it!
This is book 3 of the Moonlighters series and what a great conclusion. In this book we get to know the youngest sister, Holly, as she struggles through accepting decisions she made in the past, and to realise it is only in the past, as well as getting to know Creed, the father of Holly's baby. Leonard Miller is also back and Cathy, Micheal and Max is committed to find him and get justice for Joe's murder.
What I loved about this book, except for the suspense which was page-turning and not predictable at all, was the way the author showed another character trade of God, which is also probably the most important one and difficult one to grasp = God's grace and forgiveness to us as sinners. I loved how Holly grew from the first book to the woman she is now in book 3. I also realised how we often are fast to judge people on past knowledge through Cathy and Julie's reaction to something that happened.
Highly recommend it to anyone who loves Christian suspense.
This is book 3 of the Moonlighters series and what a great conclusion. In this book we get to know the youngest sister, Holly, as she struggles through accepting decisions she made in the past, and to realise it is only in the past, as well as getting to know Creed, the father of Holly's baby. Leonard Miller is also back and Cathy, Micheal and Max is committed to find him and get justice for Joe's murder.
What I loved about this book, except for the suspense which was page-turning and not predictable at all, was the way the author showed another character trade of God, which is also probably the most important one and difficult one to grasp = God's grace and forgiveness to us as sinners. I loved how Holly grew from the first book to the woman she is now in book 3. I also realised how we often are fast to judge people on past knowledge through Cathy and Julie's reaction to something that happened.
Highly recommend it to anyone who loves Christian suspense.
February 10, 2020
That. Was. Beautiful. Enough said.
September 12, 2020
Unfortunately my least favourite of the series. Holly annoyed me in this one and so did her sisters. I wish Jay was in it more.
May 26, 2020
Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock is the third book in the Moonlighters crime fiction trilogy. It is not only a really interesting and gripping mystery, but also a powerful story due to its message of faith and forgiveness. Additionally, it was an impactful conclusion to the series.
I have enjoyed this whole trilogy immensely and found it to be entertaining and engaging. I really like the characters and their family bonds, real life struggles, and growth singularly and with one another. I truly appreciate the positive, realistic, uplifting message of faith and truth portrayed throughout the series, as well as the poignant author notes after each book’s conclusion.
This story tells not only a heart-pounding, cautionary tale of murder, drug abuse and corruption, but also a hopeful message of unconditional love and second (and third and fourth) chances. It is refreshing and exactly what I needed.
I have enjoyed this whole trilogy immensely and found it to be entertaining and engaging. I really like the characters and their family bonds, real life struggles, and growth singularly and with one another. I truly appreciate the positive, realistic, uplifting message of faith and truth portrayed throughout the series, as well as the poignant author notes after each book’s conclusion.
This story tells not only a heart-pounding, cautionary tale of murder, drug abuse and corruption, but also a hopeful message of unconditional love and second (and third and fourth) chances. It is refreshing and exactly what I needed.
May 2, 2015
Twisted Innocence is the final book in a trilogy, and the three books do need to be read in order, and (I believe) in quick succession, because Twisted Innocence builds on and concludes the overall series story arc. While I have read the previous two books, it was several months ago, and I had forgotten most of the details. As a result, I found the first quarter of Twisted Innocence slow, as though it was trying to tell new readers what had gone before without falling into an excess of backstory that those who did remember the earlier novels would find tedious and unnecessary.
Twisted Innocence focuses on Holly Cramer, the once-irresponsible younger sister of Cathy, Juliet and Jay. She’s now a more responsible woman: a single mother to five-week-old Lily who is working two jobs to try and earn enough money to cover her bills. She is mugged one night, and then finds out that one-night-stand Creed Kershaw knows he is Lily’s father, and is wanted in relation to a drug-related murder. And it seems Leonard Miller, the man who murdered Cathy’s fiance, is back in town …
There were good parts and bad parts to the story. The pace picked up once I got past the first quarter, which made it easier to read. The whole subplot about Michael in prison seemed unnecessary, as though he was only there so someone could observe one specific incident (the scenes where Cathy was petitioning to have Michael released were particularly tedious).
Overall, while Twisted Innocence was a good finish to the series, it would be better if I’d read all three books in quick succession, as it didn’t work well as a standalone thriller. Thankfully, now you can, and for the same price as buying one of the books: Zondervan has released a three-in-one volume, and I'd recommend that rather than the single title.
Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
Twisted Innocence focuses on Holly Cramer, the once-irresponsible younger sister of Cathy, Juliet and Jay. She’s now a more responsible woman: a single mother to five-week-old Lily who is working two jobs to try and earn enough money to cover her bills. She is mugged one night, and then finds out that one-night-stand Creed Kershaw knows he is Lily’s father, and is wanted in relation to a drug-related murder. And it seems Leonard Miller, the man who murdered Cathy’s fiance, is back in town …
There were good parts and bad parts to the story. The pace picked up once I got past the first quarter, which made it easier to read. The whole subplot about Michael in prison seemed unnecessary, as though he was only there so someone could observe one specific incident (the scenes where Cathy was petitioning to have Michael released were particularly tedious).
Overall, while Twisted Innocence was a good finish to the series, it would be better if I’d read all three books in quick succession, as it didn’t work well as a standalone thriller. Thankfully, now you can, and for the same price as buying one of the books: Zondervan has released a three-in-one volume, and I'd recommend that rather than the single title.
Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
December 10, 2017
Na drie delen even genoeg aan christelijke woorden.
April 21, 2020
As always, Terri Blackstock continues to amaze me. Twisted Innocence was the perfect mix of mystery, thrill, adventure, Jesus, and, of course, romance! My heart raced at every moment and I absolutely loved it! I also loved the different points of view from each character. Blackstock is incredible at POV! There were definitely plot twists I was not expecting at all and personality changes. My favorite part was probably the baby shower for Holly's baby and how Holly stereotyped her sister's church friends, but in the end really liked them. Sometimes I feel like a lot of people stereotype christians without even knowing what they believe and why they do it. But not even just that, without even know who they are. You have to be willing to look past the cross necklace and the bible. Christianity is apart of christian's, definitely, but that's not all we are. There's more to us than Jesus's love, we all are different in our own special way. We all spread Jesus' message in different ways. That's why God loves us, because we are all beautiful. Not just because we were created in his own image, but because we're....us. God carefully designed each of us and he is proud of it. So, when you look at a christian, don't think about the perfect happy lives they have. I challenge you to look deeper inside them and get to know the person that God crafted. Twisted Innocence has gotten me looking at myself and other's in a brand new way, and I hope that it will do the same to you.
August 17, 2022
Like the first two books in this series, this one was filled with page turning suspense. I especially liked that the series thread was wrapped up with the family finally getting the justice they wanted as well as a happy ending.
I received this book complimentary from a giveaway. I was not required to give a review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and my own.
I received this book complimentary from a giveaway. I was not required to give a review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and my own.
November 3, 2024
It was pretty good! I liked it but it wasn’t like my favorite book ever….
March 5, 2015
3.5 Stars
I had heard good things about this author and so jumped at the chance to review her newest, Twisted Innocence. I liked that even though this is the third book in the series and it would definitely be beneficial to read the first two books, I still followed the story just fine not having read them. It also had some romance, lots of family involved in the story (which I always like), and some decent suspense. I also liked seeing the different storylines come together as various characters found that their situations intersected.
There were a few things that I didn't like in the story, unfortunately, since I really wanted to love this one. Holly does some things very uncharacteristically of a mother and, I felt, for her character. Then there were other pieces that didn't quite work for me. The love between two of the characters was much too fast and I also felt unlikely under the situation.
Let me also talk about what I did like. I liked the characters. I loved how close Holly and her sisters and brothers were. They had each others' backs for the most part and had a lot to deal with between their past and current situations. There's a scene where one of the sisters who is raising her three children on her own and watching her sister's four or five-week-old baby and just about has a meltdown. It was completely crazy, but so realistic and it cracked me up. You see how great these women really are and the good men as well through some pretty tense situations. The story got fairly intense towards the end, as you would expect. Lot's going on there too. It also had a great message about change and wiping the slate clean in reference to starting over and letting go of past mistakes.
If you've read Blackstock's other books or enjoy reading Christian suspense then I'd give this series a try. I wanted to connect more with the story, but still enjoyed reading it.
Content: Some violence, as would be expected for the genre, but not overly graphic and I would consider this clean.
Source: I would like to thank Zondervan for my complimentary review copy through Litfuse for this tour, which did not affect my review in any way.
I had heard good things about this author and so jumped at the chance to review her newest, Twisted Innocence. I liked that even though this is the third book in the series and it would definitely be beneficial to read the first two books, I still followed the story just fine not having read them. It also had some romance, lots of family involved in the story (which I always like), and some decent suspense. I also liked seeing the different storylines come together as various characters found that their situations intersected.
There were a few things that I didn't like in the story, unfortunately, since I really wanted to love this one. Holly does some things very uncharacteristically of a mother and, I felt, for her character. Then there were other pieces that didn't quite work for me. The love between two of the characters was much too fast and I also felt unlikely under the situation.
Let me also talk about what I did like. I liked the characters. I loved how close Holly and her sisters and brothers were. They had each others' backs for the most part and had a lot to deal with between their past and current situations. There's a scene where one of the sisters who is raising her three children on her own and watching her sister's four or five-week-old baby and just about has a meltdown. It was completely crazy, but so realistic and it cracked me up. You see how great these women really are and the good men as well through some pretty tense situations. The story got fairly intense towards the end, as you would expect. Lot's going on there too. It also had a great message about change and wiping the slate clean in reference to starting over and letting go of past mistakes.
If you've read Blackstock's other books or enjoy reading Christian suspense then I'd give this series a try. I wanted to connect more with the story, but still enjoyed reading it.
Content: Some violence, as would be expected for the genre, but not overly graphic and I would consider this clean.
Source: I would like to thank Zondervan for my complimentary review copy through Litfuse for this tour, which did not affect my review in any way.
February 3, 2015
This is the 3rd book in the Moonlighters series. Holly Cramer is trying to get her life together. It is time to grow up and take responsibility for her actions. Being a single mom is hard, but Holly has no desire for the father of her baby to be involved in the picture.
Creed has no idea he is a father until someone tells him about Holly having a baby. Framed for murder Creed is on the run. Hiding from the police and from the drug dealers that are out to kill him, Creed only wants one look at his baby.
In the meantime Cathy is still petitioning the governor to pardon Michael. Cathy and her sisters are working to keep Michael's private detective business open. Cathy is also busy planning their wedding for when Michael is let out of jail. When they finally catch up with Creed he has information that could lead them to find the man that killed Michael's brother Joe.
Leonard Miller has no intention of being caught. With fingers reaching even into the police department lives are in danger and he is determined that Creed never speak to the police.
I always enjoy a Terri Blackstock novel. Romance and suspense abound! Throughout the Moonlighters series Cathy, Juliet and Holly have grown as characters. Each one has struggled with their faith after their pastor father had an affair. Holly was a young child when he left the family and spent the years acting out. Now that she has a daughter of her own it is good to see her claiming responsibility and learning that she has a Savior who forgives and is waiting with open arms for her. Creed, coming from a Christian home, has also gone his own way. It is good to see Holly explaining to Creed about the forgiveness that she has experienced. Twisted Innocence does not hold back on the gritty suspense that Terri Blackstock is known for. Page after page of suspense kept my heartbeat racing and fingers turning to the pulse-pounding conclusion. Terri Blackstock does not disappoint!
Creed has no idea he is a father until someone tells him about Holly having a baby. Framed for murder Creed is on the run. Hiding from the police and from the drug dealers that are out to kill him, Creed only wants one look at his baby.
In the meantime Cathy is still petitioning the governor to pardon Michael. Cathy and her sisters are working to keep Michael's private detective business open. Cathy is also busy planning their wedding for when Michael is let out of jail. When they finally catch up with Creed he has information that could lead them to find the man that killed Michael's brother Joe.
Leonard Miller has no intention of being caught. With fingers reaching even into the police department lives are in danger and he is determined that Creed never speak to the police.
I always enjoy a Terri Blackstock novel. Romance and suspense abound! Throughout the Moonlighters series Cathy, Juliet and Holly have grown as characters. Each one has struggled with their faith after their pastor father had an affair. Holly was a young child when he left the family and spent the years acting out. Now that she has a daughter of her own it is good to see her claiming responsibility and learning that she has a Savior who forgives and is waiting with open arms for her. Creed, coming from a Christian home, has also gone his own way. It is good to see Holly explaining to Creed about the forgiveness that she has experienced. Twisted Innocence does not hold back on the gritty suspense that Terri Blackstock is known for. Page after page of suspense kept my heartbeat racing and fingers turning to the pulse-pounding conclusion. Terri Blackstock does not disappoint!
July 23, 2015
Holly has made mistakes, one of which has left her with bills to pay and a new baby to support. Her sisters rally around to help, but it’s hard to trust they’re not blaming her with every incautious word. Then she gets mugged.
So starts Terri Blackstock’s Christian romantic suspense, Twisted Innocence. Holly’s feelings for her child are achingly real – ”Holding her daughter was the biggest endorphin rush Holly had ever known.” Her doubts about her own self-worth will be familiar to anyone who’s ever made mistakes—which must surely be all of us. But her eagerness to load her gun in self-defense is purely American, which might seem odd to an English reader like me. It makes sense though, since this is an American novel set in a world of private investigators, wrongly accused cops, drug gangs and murder.
Many of the characters have been introduced in previous novels of the series, but the author brings her readers smoothly up to speed on what they’ve missed, while leaving enough details hidden to entice us to read more. Holly’s family has certainly had more than its fair share of troubles, but everything’s connected, and everything’s heading for an exciting conclusion in this tale. Christians are flawed but believable. Wounds, both spiritual and physical, hurt. And the scene where good sister Juliet declares she can’t sit at a bar—“What if someone from my church sees me?”—is delightfully fun, even as danger draws close.
Unexpected love, unwilling trust … perhaps they mirror the love God wants from us. The author makes faith as real as the danger in this tale, and both are tested and well-described, over and over again, before the end’s in sight. As an English Christian reader, I struggle with the unquestioning approach to guns and punishment, but I really enjoyed the story.
Disclosure: I won a copy and I offer my honest review.
So starts Terri Blackstock’s Christian romantic suspense, Twisted Innocence. Holly’s feelings for her child are achingly real – ”Holding her daughter was the biggest endorphin rush Holly had ever known.” Her doubts about her own self-worth will be familiar to anyone who’s ever made mistakes—which must surely be all of us. But her eagerness to load her gun in self-defense is purely American, which might seem odd to an English reader like me. It makes sense though, since this is an American novel set in a world of private investigators, wrongly accused cops, drug gangs and murder.
Many of the characters have been introduced in previous novels of the series, but the author brings her readers smoothly up to speed on what they’ve missed, while leaving enough details hidden to entice us to read more. Holly’s family has certainly had more than its fair share of troubles, but everything’s connected, and everything’s heading for an exciting conclusion in this tale. Christians are flawed but believable. Wounds, both spiritual and physical, hurt. And the scene where good sister Juliet declares she can’t sit at a bar—“What if someone from my church sees me?”—is delightfully fun, even as danger draws close.
Unexpected love, unwilling trust … perhaps they mirror the love God wants from us. The author makes faith as real as the danger in this tale, and both are tested and well-described, over and over again, before the end’s in sight. As an English Christian reader, I struggle with the unquestioning approach to guns and punishment, but I really enjoyed the story.
Disclosure: I won a copy and I offer my honest review.
February 23, 2015
This book was ace! pure ace! I started it last night and finished it this morning. I finished it whilst eating my breakfast, I just had to see what happened at the end.
I've not read the books in this series previous to this, did it matter? nope, not one bit. I will go back over them though and see as I loved this book so very much.
Holly seemed to have been a bit wayward, but since she had a one night stand with Creed Kershaw, a man that she was introduced to one night, drunk, and totally out of character, slept with him. She comes from a religious background, its not something she would uphold, and the consequences to this is, she finds herself pregnant.
She's tried hard, and succeeded in keeping the Father of her child a secret.......until...
I am deliberately leaving out some bits and I don't want to give out any spoilers other that what you read via the blurb.
Her path crosses with Creed again, under very unusual circumstances and she is forced to spend some time with the Father of her child, during this time, she sees a tender side to him when he is "fathering" and caring for their daughter.....but its HER child.
This is one awesome read, when I got passed 20% I just couldn't leave the book laying there, I had to pick it up AGAIN and continue to read just one more chapter........just one more.......one more........THE END......
All you avid readers will know where I am coming from, when you have a 'good book' in your hand you just can't put it down. Now can you!
I would like to thank the author Terri Blackstock for keeping me entertained and for Zondervan Fiction for allowing me my copy of this book for review via Net Galley
February 7, 2018
Holly Cramer's past choices have finally caught up to her, but she never expected them to endanger her baby.
Though Holly's stumbled through most of her adult life as a party girl, she longs to live a more stable life for her daughter. Then police show up to question her about the whereabouts of Creed Kershaw, Lily's father. She has kept his identity a secret from friends and family—she never even told him about the pregnancy. Now he's a person of interest in a drug-related murder case.
Determined to keep him out of their lives and turn him over to police, Holly uses her private investigating skills to search for him. But her bravado backfires when he turns the tables and takes her and the baby hostage. As desperate hours tick by, Holly realizes his connection to Leonard Miller—the man who has gunned down several members of her family. Creed claims he's innocent and that Miller is after him too. His gentleness with Lily moves her, but she can't trust a man who has held her at gunpoint . . . even if he reminds her so much of herself.
Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby, and lives are demanded as sacrifices for love. Through a complex web of mistakes and regret, redemption is the one hope Holly has left to hold on to.
A thrilling escape book. Loved the way it flows. Keeps your interest. 5 stars.
Though Holly's stumbled through most of her adult life as a party girl, she longs to live a more stable life for her daughter. Then police show up to question her about the whereabouts of Creed Kershaw, Lily's father. She has kept his identity a secret from friends and family—she never even told him about the pregnancy. Now he's a person of interest in a drug-related murder case.
Determined to keep him out of their lives and turn him over to police, Holly uses her private investigating skills to search for him. But her bravado backfires when he turns the tables and takes her and the baby hostage. As desperate hours tick by, Holly realizes his connection to Leonard Miller—the man who has gunned down several members of her family. Creed claims he's innocent and that Miller is after him too. His gentleness with Lily moves her, but she can't trust a man who has held her at gunpoint . . . even if he reminds her so much of herself.
Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby, and lives are demanded as sacrifices for love. Through a complex web of mistakes and regret, redemption is the one hope Holly has left to hold on to.
A thrilling escape book. Loved the way it flows. Keeps your interest. 5 stars.
April 28, 2016
I hate to say it but this book was my least favorite in this series. The other two seemed more suspenseful and intriguing. This book does include the same characters from the previous stories, so I recommend reading them in order. Holly's character frustrated me at times but I liked Terri's portrayal of her life and situation raising a baby and being a cap driver. The most surprising person in this story was Creed who confused me at first and really completed the story line. Terri could have twisted the relationships up a bit but instead I think she made life more realistic and I liked it. I loved reading about all of the previous people and their continuing stories. I just didn't connect with this book much and for me it wasn't so much a page turner. I know so many people will love it though as I have the previous two.
Terri Blackstock is a great writer and I can't wait to read more!
Four stars.
"I received this book from Litfuse for free in exchange for an honest review."
Terri Blackstock is a great writer and I can't wait to read more!
Four stars.
"I received this book from Litfuse for free in exchange for an honest review."
March 14, 2020
This was the final book in the series. It focuses on the youngest sister and her daughter’s father. There’s so much action for one family. I am glad that everything is resolved with Leonard Miller in the end.
October 26, 2020
This was good, but not great. The If I Run trilogy is the only other series I've read by Terri Blackstock, but I don't know if it's fair to compare the two when If I Run is considered her best work by many. The great thing about that trilogy was that it got better with each book. I feel like the Moonlighters trilogy started really strong and then fizzled out a bit. By the end of the series, reading from all of the POVs was kind of confusing and I found myself not feeling very invested in what happened to the characters. That being said, this was still worth the read. Terri Blackstock really is good.
May 28, 2017
The story was enjoyable but not as well written as the first two books in the Moonlighters series. Some parts seemed choppy and there were a few parts that repeated the same information earlier in the book.
The writing seemed rushed (although it could have been me reading faster to see what happened the end).
If you read the first two books in the series, think about reading this one. It rounds out the family story and the ending gave me a sense of peace for the family, even though there are fictional characters.
The writing seemed rushed (although it could have been me reading faster to see what happened the end).
If you read the first two books in the series, think about reading this one. It rounds out the family story and the ending gave me a sense of peace for the family, even though there are fictional characters.
February 16, 2015
Very fast paced and easy read. I liked getting to know Holly better in this book.
July 26, 2017
Overall an excellent book. Wishing parts would have been a little more detailed and sad this was the last book in the series.
June 25, 2018
I raced through the final book and felt satisfied with the end.
December 6, 2019
Another “can’t-put-down” book!!! Be prepared for a hectic pace & gripping story.
February 2, 2023
This book/series really does a good job at keeping you interested and entertained. I’m always crying at the end of the series because as you’re reading you get to know the characters and what trials they are going through. It’s amazing to see that even though these people aren’t real, the author really expresses how God is working in their lives and as Christian’s we should take this as an example. Terri’s books remind me of a lot of people today, parents who are Christian’s and their children who have fallen into this world full of sin. A world full of influencers we shouldn’t get lost in. Something I took for myself out of this book is to be an example for others, and through any trials, to take onto the armor of God. Everything that happens in our lives is for a reason, we just need to trust. A quote I took from the authors note is “Satan can do nothing without God’s permission. Our Creator is in control”. This just goes to show how much power the Lord has and that these trials should only be bringing us closer to God rather than knocking us away from Him.
July 23, 2021
I really enjoy this book
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