If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock

• Series: If I Run Series
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (March 21, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310332486
• ISBN-13: 978-0310332480

About the Book:

In this riveting sequel to the USA TODAY bestseller If I Run, evil lurks, drawing Casey out of the shadows . . . but there is light shining in the darkness.

Casey Cox is still on the run, fleeing prosecution for a murder she didn’t commit. Dylan Roberts—her most relentless pursuer—is still on her trail, but his secret emails insist he knows the truth and wants to help her. He’s let her escape before when he had her in his grasp, but trust doesn’t come easily.

As Casey works to collect evidence about the real murderers, she stumbles on another unbearable injustice: an abused child and a suicidal man who’s also been falsely accused. Casey risks her own safety to right this wrong and protect the little girl from her tormentors. But doing so is risky and may result in her capture—and if she’s captured, she has no doubt she’ll be murdered before she ever steps foot in a jail cell.

My Thoughts:

Wow!  What a wild ride of a story!  "If I'm Found" is the second book in a stellar new series by mystery maven Terri Blackstock, and I could easily see this story turned into a movie or even a springboard for a criminal procedural television show.

I still remember the day I discovered Terri Blackstock's novels.  My mother and I were huge fans of Mary Higgins Clark because her stories were intense but also clean of graphic language, sexual content and extreme violence.  Plus, we couldn't figure out the culprit within the first few pages.

I was browsing the shelves of the bookstore where I was working and I saw "Evidence of Mercy", and someone had called her the Christian Mary Higgins Clark.  That recommendation was wrong, because Blackstock's novels were far superior to Ms. Higgins Clark's.  And we became life long readers.

In fact, my mom was in the middle of one of Terri Blackstock's novels when she passed away.  I haven't moved the bookmark from her place, and that was when I began writing book reviews, to share my love of reading with a new audience.

Mystery/suspense in the inspirational marketplace has changed dramatically over the past decade, but one constant remains: Terri Blackstock is still the queen of the whodunit, and her faith is rock solid and always included in her books.

The "If I Run" series is a bit of a departure from Blackstock's usual storytelling.  The story bounces POV, and we see much of the tale through the eyes of Casey Cox.  Casey is a multi-layered heroine, running from the law and evading capture for something she didn't do, but also being a hidden hero to those she crosses paths with.

In my own very humble opinion, Terri Blackstock is once again changing the definition of inspirational mystery/suspense by raising the bar even higher.  Just telling a captivation story of whodunit will no longer suffice.  There is a much higher calling for an author who is a Christ follower, and that calling is more urgent today than ever before.

Terri Blackstock has the gift of pointing out the criminal while also pointing the way to The Nazarene (Jesus Christ) and His redemptive power.  She isn't the only author gifted in this manner, but she is by far one of the best.  If you're looking for a great thriller with a twist, pick up both "If I Run" and "If I'm Found" and buckle up for the third novel--it's going to be a rush to read!

And if you're looking for more than just a good story, check out Terri Blackstock's entire list of novels.  I think you'll be glad you did.  I received a complimentary copy of "If I'm Found" from my friends at Zondervan, with no services or obligation promised in return.

That's why I'm giving "If I'm Found" my "For Such a Time" mark of high approval.

So, until Terri's next novel is in my hands and I'm whipping through its pages...

Mark Your Place, 

Deena