Review – Smoke Screen

From the back cover: One father was murdered. Another was convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love. Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too. Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.   My take: Smoke Screen was a very good suspense read from Terri Blackstock. I've read and loved several of her previous novels, so I was eager to read this one. It didn't disappoint. While I didn't certain aspects of the story (not a fan of stories with divorce), I did enjoy the story overall. I liked how the main characters were sweethearts in their youth, so they had a second chance at love...that was cute. Also, the mystery was entertaining and held my interest. I didn't expect everything that happened.       All in all, Smoke Screen was a great read and I recommend it to fans of Christian thrillers. The book does deal with alcoholism.