{Book Review} "Deadlock" by DiAnn Mills

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Rating: 4/5

Deadlock is a riveting suspense novel that intertwines romance and faith. FBI Special Agent Bethany Sanchez has left her job in the civil crimes unit to join the violent crimes unit, which means teaming up with Special Agent Thatcher Graves, a veteran violent crimes agent. From day one, it is obvious the partnership will be a difficult one--Sanchez prefers logic and following the rules, and Graves is more of a go-with-your-guy kind of guy, often forgetting to think about rules and logic. 

When a serial killer strikes in Houston, the pair must learn to work together in order to catch the dangerous criminal. Along the way, Sanchez must deal with her younger brother, Lucas, harassing her with threatening texts from the moment he is released from jail. She ignores his texts and assumes he is all talk until things begin to escalate. Will Sanchez be able to stay focused on the serial killer case while her family life is in shambles?

While working on their relationship as partners, the two of them begin to realize they care for each other as more than just FBI partners. For rule follower Sanchez, acting on these feelings would go completely against her nature as it would mean breaking FBI regulations. Graves wonders if a relationship could ever work between them given their obvious differences. Will their feelings for each other end up putting them both in danger as they search for the serial killer haunting their city?

Mills has crafted a wonderfully complex plot within the pages of Deadlock. The story line leaves readers questioning what will happen next and nothing about the story is predictable. The characters had great potential to be beautifully complex, but unfortunately, Mills fails to really dig into each of them deeply enough to really make readers able to connect with them.The plot is intriguing and entertaining, and the characters are developed well enough that readers can see them grow throughout the story, but the novel could have been taken to a new level if the characters had been developed deeply. Overall, Deadlock is a fantastic read for anyone wanting a clean suspense story.