Customer Reviews

Sworn to Protect (Call of Duty Series, Book 2)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A bullet-proof vest can protect Border Patrol Agent Danica Morales from a gunshot wound, but it can't protect her from grief. It's been two years since her husband was murdered and his killers are still at large. But she doesn't have time to grieve; she's dedicated her life to protecting the border from two-legged coyotes.

In Danica's world, coyotes are greedy criminals who prey on the desperate who long to leave their life of poverty in Mexico. Instead, the life their victims find is one enslaved to a grasping outlaw who takes all their earnings for the privilege of being "free" in the United States. The Border Patrol does their best to stop the coyotes, but someone has been tipping them off. Who has chosen money over the safety of the Border Patrol?

Early in the book, you can guess who Danica's love interest will be, but this is not your typical "happily ever after." Dr. Alex Price believes that everyone who comes into his ER should be treated equally, regardless of citizenship or ability to pay. Danica believes that everyone who crosses the border should do so legally, with papers. Both are dedicated to their beliefs on this issue, so there are a lot of sparks.

SWORN TO PROTECT gives us a strong, believable heroine with plenty of action and intrigue. This "can't-be-put-down" book has plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the very end.

Danika Morales is a Border Agent, patrolling along the Rio Grande and attempting, along with other agents, to do the impossible - stem the flood of illegal immigrants and the even more dangerous influx of Mexican drug cartel activity. Though she believes her job is for the good of the country, Danika is an agent because of a far more personal reason: her husband was murdered two years earlier and the case is yet to be solved. In spite of her own efforts to move on, the unanswered questions about her husband's murder and her Border Agent brother-in-law's growing instability and volatility stand in the way. When attempts are made on Danika's life and her niece disappears, the battle for America's security becomes something more, a battle for faith and family.

Sworn to Protect is a romantic suspense that deals with a difficult and often controversial subject. Di Ann Mills does a great job of keeping the entertainment value of the story and the weight of the subject matter in balance. Through the medium of a story, Mills reminds us of how complicated the issue of illegal immigration is. On the day her husband was murdered our heroine discovered he had been an illegal immigrant activist for some time. The doctor she finds herself falling far, though not an activist, regularly treats battered illegal women with the promise of not reporting them. And, unknown to Danika, her trusted housekeeper of years is working in the country under forged papers. Even the people who seem most upstanding and legitimate in this border town are in fact holding illegals in what amounts to virtual slavery for their own financial gain.

With over one million books in print and fifteen novels, Di Ann has changed directions in her writing career from cozy mysteries and romance to the arena of suspense with good success. Readers that love Terri Blackstock and Dee Henderson will find the Call of Duty series a welcomed addition to their reading library. It's refreshing to see seasoned authors like Robin Carroll, Vicki Hinze, and Di Ann Mills stretching their wings a bit and perhaps the wings of their readers as well. Hardcore suspense fans may find the emphasis on relationships a bit of a test but issues of family and loyalty are matters we all can relate to.

With solid characters, a convincing plot, and good story resolution, Sworn to Protect is a fine addition to the field of faith-based suspense. For those who go hay-wire when they discover a book they are reading has a hint of religion in it, be forewarned. Though far from preachy, this is definitely a novel that deals with matters of faith. Then again, when faced with the mysteries of life and death, most people in the real world struggle with what they do and do not believe about ultimate matters. Danika's journey illustrates this well. Just compare an opening sentence of this novel with its last ...

... for Danika, the depths meant death, and it didn't' discriminate among its victims.

... for Danika, the depths had brought back life and love.

This book was chosen for our book club, and I chose to download it onto my Kindle. I enjoyed the story line and the pace of the book kept me up late at night. I learned things I never thought about regarding the lives of the Border Patrol. Mills presented different opinions people have and never made you feel like you had to agree with either side. Characters were believable. You really felt for them and the difficulties their jobs forced them to go through. I would recommend this to others.

Thank you to CFBA and Tyndale House Publishers for my copy of this terrific suspense novel. I enjoyed this one, and I honestly hated to interrupt my reading to take time to eat or sleep.

The writing is third-person point of view, with short chapters--which I prefer. The story seems to move along at a faster pace as I flip pages.

The characters are all quite believable, and even a bit of romance is included. Both viewpoints of immigration are presented in a balanced manner, allowing the reader to reach to her own opinion.

The plot is a smooth flow of heart-thumping action. I've learned such a good bit about the hard work of the Border Patrol and how our Texas borders are protected.

Discussion questions are included. This is a suspense novel I recommend.

First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt "Thank you" to DiAnn Mills and her publisher for sending me a copy of "Sworn To Protect" to review for them. I have always been grateful for this generosity, and I am trying to improve at being consistent in taking the time to thank these wonderfully giving individuals in a public forum. I really appreciate your time, effort and expense in making a reviewer copy available to me.

DiAnn Mills has put another winner of a novel on the shelf with her latest endeavor. The second novel in the Call of Duty series, "Sworn To Protect", is the story of Border Patrol agent Danika Morales. It's been two years since her husband was murdered, and she is no stranger to death threats in her line of work. But when the threats are accompanied by taunts that Agent Morales will never find her husband's killer, discomfort gets a bit too close. Still, Danika must raise her deaf four-year-old daughter and attempt to maintain good relations with the only family she has. But her husband's brother, also a BP agent, has never gotten over Toby's death and is making his wife and kids (and sister-in-law) suffer for it.

This electrifying novel has it all: excitement, suspense, action, romance, and a sub-plot seemingly ripped from today's headlines. Several aspects of illegal immigration are brought to light, making this issue appear much less black-and-white than I once believed. As a result, I am becoming more prayerful and compassionate when I hear the term. This is a must read for all fans of Christian romantic suspense novels.

This book was outstanding!! I read it in literally 24 hours. I could think about or do nothing else!
DiAnn Mills has done it again! I LOVED Breach of Trust and I LOVED Sworn to Protect even more! I can't wait to start the third in the trilogy!!!!

Diann has done it again. Her novel Sworn to Protect is compelling, informative and moving. Learning about the Border Patrol and all the various aspects of the immigration issue was far more interesting through the eyes of her characters then reading dry facts.

Just when you think you know how the mystery will be solve another twist is added to the plot. The ending leaves the reader satisfied and inspired.

The only criticism I have of this book is the cover. Our heroine, Danika Morales is blond yet the cover pictures a dark haired beauty. Go figure!

5 Stars

Sworn to Protect
By DiAnn Mills

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Reviewed by Diane A. Brown


Sometimes making the right choices gets the wrong results.

In a mans world of Border Patrol agents along the Rio Grande, Danika Mills faces more that just the illegals. When the past and the present intermingle the truth becomes harder and harder to decipher. Searching for clarity in her husband's death Danika's path leads into unexpected and perilous directions.

DiAnn's writing is strong, detailed and vivid. You can see the story unfold as you anticipate the next chapter and encounter surprises where you'd least expect them. There is plenty of action woven with just enough romance to make it a great read.

Sworn to Protect... Your heart or the Border.

Being from the midwest, I rarely have thought about the impacts of illegal immigration. This book really opened my eyes to the complexity of the issue. This book has a great combination of suspense, a little romance, social issues, as well as theology. Great read!

In Sworn to Protect, DiAnn Mills takes us inside the U.S. Border Patrol through Agent Danika Morales, a world of tension and suspense where each day men and women lay their lives on the line. Through her characters, Ms. Mills presents a well-researched and balanced view of the issue of illegal immigration with compassion, honesty and integrity for both sides through the characters and setting of her story.

The people in this book are fully developed, well-crafted and engaging. You care about them right from the beginning. You are pulled into their stories, their dreams, their struggles. The antagonists are complete people, not stereotypes. Their true natures are not revealed until the end.

The suspense, romantic and the Christian elements are very believable.

This book is a definite page turner as you follow Agent Morales on duty protecting our borders, at home dealing with widowhood and a handicapped child, tentatively exploring the possibility of a romantic relationship all while her career and life are threatened by forces and people out to kill her.

I highly recommend this book.