Latest Books LETHAL STANDOFF with DiAnn Mills

Justice can be elusive. Family secrets can be deadly. The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking in a volatile criminal case filled with unanswered questions. And Carrington Reed is running short on time to piece together clues that will solve the puzzle.

Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed is called to the scene when reports come in that fifteen hostages are being held by the Kendrix brothers in an abandoned house in south Texas. When she arrives on site, Carrington quickly learns that the brothers are armed and refuse to release their victims, a group of undocumented immigrants, until the local police identify their father’s murderer.

Working closely with Levi Ehrlich, a handsome investigative reporter who has covered some of Carrington’s negotiations in the past, she finds herself being undeniably drawn to him. Carrington digs deeper into the death of the Kendrixes’ father and begins to notice that some details surrounding his death aren’t adding up.

Bestselling author, DiAnn Mills recently sat down with The Big Thrill to discuss her latest religious thriller, LETHAL STANDOFF.

DiAnn Mills

Can you pinpoint a moment or incident that sparked the idea for this book?

I wanted to write a story about a professional negotiator who met her biggest challenge. My stories are set in South Texas, and the Houston area, which meant the ongoing debate about undocumented immigrants without showing a distinct opinion.

A novel is such a major undertaking; there’s the writing of it, of course, then you’re spending months and months revising, polishing, and then promoting it. How did you know this was the book you wanted to spend the next couple of years on?

Actually it was four months. My motivation was a real character who’d chosen a career in professional negotiation and how she faced her biggest challenge. That choice nearly gets her killed.

When you first created your protagonist for this book, did you see an empty space in crime lit that you wanted to fill? What can you share about the inspiration for that character?

I’d say those who work the southern borders of our country who struggle with the day to day questions surrounding undocumented immigrants. I wanted an unbiased story that shows the danger on both sides.

In addition to a great read, what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

Family secrets and violence must be exposed and dealt with in appropriate ways.

What can you share about what you’re working on next?

Another negotiator themed thriller in which the heroine finds herself thrown into the path of a Russian Organized Crime.