Well, this book jumped right into the action. No worries about a slow book if you pick up Closer Than She Knows. However, it did seem a tiny bit abrupt to me.

While this was a good book, it was not for me. A large part of that had to do with the characters. It was difficult for me to relate to them. (It was just a personality thing between me and the characters.)

The writing was typical of Kelly Irvan and I enjoyed getting to read it again.

I do NOT ship Teagan and Max. Don't ask me why, it is difficult to explain. I think it may have to do with the different opinions of the characters. Some different opinions are good but they had a lot of differences with political stuff.

Since I mentioned politics, I might as well mention it more. There was A LOT of talk about guns and the Second Amendment. The talk did show both sides, which was good, but still, a lot of political talk.



Rating: 3/5

Language: n/a

Romance: one kiss (very non-detailed)

Spiritual: Max is a paster

Violence: a book about a serial killer, need I say more?



*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

This is a well-written, complex police drama that reminded me of the show Law & Order with its wonderful blend of police procedural and courtroom drama. As the main character, Teagan is a court reporter. It also reminded me of the show Blue Bloods as the whole Reagan family is involved in fighting crime in different capacities from Police Commissioner, detective, police officer etc, This is similar to Teagan’s family.

This novel literally starts out with a bang as Teagan is heading to court. Things soon get complicated. I like the beautiful job the author does in naturally blending an unexpected spiritual thread throughout the story. The author does not shy away from talking about some tough topics without being preachy, having cookie cutter answers and/or sugar-coating things. Here is a peek at Max a young youth Pastor who suffers from PTSD. He says this to someone who questions his background and his role in church (as the Pastor knows his past) ….”This church operates under the assumption that when God pardons sin, they should do the same. When He does not stay angry forever but delights to show mercy, they should do the same. When He has compassion on us, they should do the same.”

Justin says, “I get it. They’re good Christians. I spend my share of time in church, but I’m also a cop. I see human nature as it is in this messed-up world.”

The author talks about guns and using them to defend yourself. Teagan says to Max (former military man),…”lend me a gun….I won’t. Why” Max explains, “Because you fall in the category of people who will hesitate at the last moment. You won’t be able to pull the trigger. You think you can, to protect yourself or the people you love, but you can’t.”…If you didn’t pull the trigger, the guy would take it away from you and use it on you. He’d kill you with your own gun.”

I like that the author shows a couple of sides to things allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions. The plot moves along as people that know Teagon turn up dead all the while putting more pressure on Teagon and her family to find the serial killer. They had to dig deeper. It has to be someone they are overlooking.

There are some surprises along this journey to find the killer. Would they get to him before he took out Teagon? This would make a good book club pick as there is so much to discuss in this complex scenario.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org ( )

Title: Closer Than She Knows
Author: Kelly Irvin
Pages: e-book
Year: 2020
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Teagan O’Rourke is a court reporter who runs a free library from her front yard. She lives in San Antonio, TX. Her father is a retired policeman, and her friend is Max who is a part-time youth minister. Teagan and Max both have feelings for each other that have turned from friendship to romance but they each have pasts that cause them to hesitate or doubt themselves or the viability of a relationship.
Teagan becomes the focus of a serial killer, but why? Is it something she has done to someone? Is it a former criminal her father knows? Did one of her siblings antagonize someone? Teagan and Max along with her father follow clues the killer leaves at the scene of each murder in the form of a note signed by a literary killer. However, as time advances, the killer murders those closer and closer to Teagan. Will she end up a victim too? Not if Max has anything to say about it!
This is a great suspense novel! The action moves the story along quickly. I was glued to my seat from beginning to end. The two main characters, Teagan and Max, are strong people of faith and not afraid to show it. Teagan perhaps initially has a weaker relationship with God, but that is soon grown stronger with the trial she undergoes. The author’s research is evident in the text, making the story more believable. The intensity was full-on throughout the book, building until the final scene. The ending was satisfying and wrapped everything up nicely. Suspense lovers will definitely want to check this one out!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

Closer Than She Knows is a suspenseful read that kept me guessing. This book would be considered Christian fiction which is something that some readers would definitely want to know beforehand in case that isn't their thing. The characters beliefs do play a major part of this book at times which is why I felt like it was important to mention. I found myself instantly intrigued by the setup of this book. Teagan finds herself in the sights of a serial killer at the very beginning of this book which really started this book off with a bang. I found myself trying to figure out who the killer could be right along with all of the other characters. I liked that the author also hit on some other heavier issues within this book. For example, Max is a former alcoholic. This isn't something that is just glossed over but is something that he deals with throughout the book. The need for foster parents is another issue that was also brought up within the pages of this book. I thought that the way that the author brought these things into this book added to the mystery without distracting from it. It made the book feel more like real life as these are issues that are faced by so many all of the time. I spent the entirety of this book trying to figure out who the killer was and the why's behind it all. While I did end up suspecting the correct person at one point, I wasn't for sure until the very end when everything is revealed. I thought that this book was a page turner - especially with that ending!

Overall, I liked this one and would be open to reading more by this author in the future. I thought that the author did a good job of writing a suspenseful read that kept me guessing. I really liked Teagan's family and would love to read more of them in future books. I also enjoyed the fact that the author's love of mysteries was interspersed throughout this book. The killer would leave Teagan notes signed as the killer from different mystery novels that Teagan had read and loved. I just thought it was a fun way to pay homage to the mystery genre and the author's love of books. I think that readers who enjoy suspenseful reads, Christian fiction, or just mysteries in general would enjoy this book.

Bottom Line: A suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher as part of a PICT book tour. Honest thoughts are my own. ( )

Teagan’s career as a court report gives her an inside look at the evil and horrors humans can commit. When she and her friends and family become targets of a serial killer, she often views the situation through the lens of her job. And since the rest of her family are law enforcement, she gets plenty of opinions.

By far, my favorite character in this book is Max. He’s made some mistakes in his past and is trying to let them go but he’s human and falters sometimes. His affection for Teagan is obvious as is his hesitancy to push for more than their friendship.

While the suspense is ratcheted up with each new discovery and a few red herrings are thrown at the reader, I figured out who the culprit was early on and his motivation became clear upon meeting a certain character.

I’ve watched Kelly Irvin’s growth as a suspense writer over the past few books, and Closer Than She Knows raises that bar a little higher.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )