Dana Mentink

It started with a crash, a trail gone cold… and a search that would uncover more than just evidence. This story unveiled what can never be concealed: the strength of prayer and the unshakable presence of God.

As panic and pain bled into the story’s opening scene, danger pressed close, and faith pressed closer still. Chase, Pilar, and Tank are drawn into a perilous search. For me, the heart of this story was how prayer marked the path. These weren’t characters simply reacting to chaos show more … they were leaning into the Lord with every uncertain step.

One line especially hit me: “Well, this time, I prayed about it. Night and day. I asked others to pray about it, and you know what? This is the right thing … God’s in it, that’s how I know.” Those words held weight because they revealed a dependence on God that truly reflects real, lived-in surrender and obedience to our sovereign God.

And this promise: “God first, and that firm foundation would sustain them through any challenge the world could throw their way.” What a beautiful statement and reminder for us, the readers, that our foundation must be God and His Word. When the world around us trembles, our Rock and Cornerstone is secure and powerful.

I not only read the digital book, I also listened to the audiobook. Abby Craden gave the story a richness that words on the page alone could not hold. She voiced the danger with sharp intensity and the faith with warmth, shaping each character so distinctly that it felt like listening to real lives unfolding.

Dana Mentink has given us more than suspense and romance — she has written a story where danger sharpens faith, prayer becomes breath, and hope stands firm.

I received a digital ARC from Celebrate Lit Tour Publicity Group and digital audio ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book and audiobook review are my own. My review focuses on the writing, the story’s content, and the narration ensuring transparency and reliability. show less

“Panic crawled along Pilar Alonso’s nerves like an army of ants.”

And so best-selling author Dana Mentink begins another taut romantic suspense novel, Detecting Concealed Evidence. Somebody help me! I feel like I may be becoming a romantic suspense fiction junkie! I swear that’s not my fave genre, but I sure am getting more and more drawn into it, and expert writers like Mentink are largely responsible!😊

How can one not like a novel that deals with a clueless courier ( Pilar) who show more only wants to protect her father, whose personality has drastically changed, becoming more paranoid and unreasonable. Indeed, “…each week, he seemed to be floating away from her, like a boat improperly anchored.” Score one point for Mentink. Readers who deal with a loved one with dementia will identify with Pilar’s lonely journey.

Dogs. Put dogs in romantic suspense, and I believe many readers’ ears perk up. I know I sit up and take notice. Each hound in this series, Security Houndd Investigations, is a valued member of the Wolfe family business. But Mentink infuses new life into these hounds. Each hound also has special personality quirks. Detecting Concealed Evidence presents Chase’s dog, Tank. With a heart as big as his name and a floppy body to match, just imagining Tank and his attempts at heroic rescues are enough to set me into gales of laughter.

Unfortunately, Chase, Tank’s human and Pilar’s irritating neighbor, has a great desire to help people, but he tends to be controlling. He runs roughshod over others’ abilities to think or plan. His sister Stephanie tells Chase one time he has run Pilar off, “Your heart’s always in the right place, but you have to let people make their decisions, even if they might get hurt.” Can Chase step back enough to allow God room to direct people’s paths?

Can Pilar, running from several different people, with no idea why, trust both Chase and God to take care of her and her unpredictable father? When Pilar feels beholden to Chase, he shows his best side: “…this is what people do who care about each other. There’s no price tag on that. We’re helping.”

I enjoyed this mystery, with its humor, character growth, dementia moments, mystery, faith, and twists! I am sad that there is only one more book in the series left.

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via BookFunnel. I also pre-ordered my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Seems like you’re ready to step into a real big-boy relationship. This one’s about character and being who you were meant to be, and sometimes that isn’t all roses and laughter. It’s about how you move together through this life with God, regardless of the feels.”
- Garrett

“Perhaps the one thing about having memory issues that might be at all positive was you could forget the scary stuff too.”😢🙂

“being strong didn’t mean a person didn’t feel overwhelmed and sad and frustrated and the millions of daunting emotions that came along too.”

“Her emotions were a cascading bunch of dissonant notes without any rhythm or cadence.” -Pilar

“Unscarred meant you were untested. He didn’t want to go through life not giving his all. He suspected Pilar felt the same way with her music.”- Chase show less

“…when people become parents, they acquire this inner quality they didn’t have before, a part that’s tougher than diamonds, ferocious almost. ..It’s this part that’s made to love and believe and hope and endure, and forgive, no matter what.”

Yay for Dana Mentink and her explosive (literally) Desert Justice series! Christmas Crime Cover-Up, the fifth book (which can be a stand-alone) introduces us to Nora Duke and her co-worker Felicia. Both young women work for a wild horse and show more donkey rescue and are back in their hometown tracking a jenny. Seth Castillo, a ranch co-owner, has volunteered to house the renegade donkey until she is released to travel back to CO.
And then the fun, I mean, terror, begins. Suddenly, Nora and Felicia are targeted by a person bent on killing them, but can they discover why they are in the crosshairs before it’s too late? Will the Duke family rally around one of its own, or reject Nora for her past?

As always, Mentink’s romantic suspense is compelling and puzzling. I quickly got invested in the lives of Nora, Felicia, Seth, and others. The novel has just the right amount of tension, romance, and faith interspersed.

Solving this desert novel was like trying to unknot a big bunch of tightly drawn, mixed-up strings. I made a little progress in my mind but finally had to hand it back over to the author to untangle. Very well-written, evenly paced, and believable. I can’t wait for Jude’s story!

One real-life truth I saw: when a father figure is messy, so is an individual’s perception of the Heavenly Father. It’s a huge responsibility for Christian fathers to carefully lead their families in godly ways. Thankfully, the true Father is always present to help!

With thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of the book through Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. show less

Raging Waters, an Inspirational Romantic Suspense novel by Dana Mentink is the second book in the Elements of Danger series set in small-town Washington.

When Justice Collides with the Flood: A Pulse-Pounding Tale of Danger and Redemption

What happens when the past you can’t escape collides with a danger you never saw coming? This gripping romantic suspense plunges readers into a relentless race for justice, survival, and healing.

Mackenzie Bardine has spent years haunted by the murder of her show more brother, Aaron. Determined to bring the man responsible to light, she pours her heart into a true crime podcast focused on exposing the mysterious drug kingpin known as “Bullseye.” But beneath her fierce determination lies a heavy burden of guilt—one that keeps her from truly moving forward. Mackenzie believes she failed her brother…and she’s never quite forgiven his best friend, Gideon Landry, either.

Following a new lead, Mackenzie heads deep into the rugged wilderness of Washington state. What she doesn’t expect is to come face-to-face with Gideon himself—the very man she blames for Aaron’s downfall.

Gideon Landry has done everything he can to leave the past behind. Now a wilderness survival instructor, he spends his days teaching others how to endure the harsh beauty of the outdoors. When Mackenzie suddenly appears chasing dangerous leads for her podcast, Gideon wants nothing to do with her investigation—or the painful memories she brings with her. But the truth about Aaron’s death is more complicated than Mackenzie realizes, and Gideon carries his own secrets.

When ruthless criminals begin circling Mackenzie like predators, Gideon knows she’s stepped into something far more dangerous than a podcast investigation. Despite the tension and unresolved anger between them, he can’t turn his back on her when her life is clearly at risk.

Then disaster strikes.

A dam collapses, unleashing a violent torrent of water across the terrain and throwing the entire town into chaos. Suddenly, Mackenzie and Gideon are fighting on two fronts—escaping the deadly floodwaters and staying one step ahead of a powerful criminal determined to silence them forever.

The tension in this story is relentless. Between the high-stakes investigation, the growing threat from dangerous enemies, and the natural disaster bearing down on them, the pacing rarely slows. The rugged Washington wilderness becomes the perfect backdrop for a story filled with survival, suspense, and heart-stopping danger.

What truly elevates this novel, however, is the emotional journey between Mackenzie and Gideon. Their enemies-to-love dynamic is layered with grief, guilt, and long-buried truths. Watching them confront their past and learn to trust again brings a powerful depth to the story. Their journey is not only about solving a crime—it’s about forgiveness, redemption, and letting God heal wounds that once seemed impossible to mend.

Fans of clean romantic suspense will find so much to love here: a determined heroine seeking justice, a protective hero with a complicated past, forced proximity in life-threatening circumstances, and a storyline packed with twists and adrenaline.

With its compelling characters, thrilling plot, and meaningful themes of grace and second chances, this story is a captivating read from beginning to end. If you enjoy suspense that keeps your heart racing while reminding you that hope and healing are never out of reach, this book will leave you breathless.

So if you enjoy Inspirational Suspense novels, check out Raging Waters by Dana Mentink along with the rest of the Elements of Danger series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. show less