The Chase by DiAnn Mills

This suspenseful novel follows Kariss Walker, a former television reporter turned bestselling novelist, who decides to switch her writing focus from women's fiction to suspense.  Five years ago she covered a story about a little girl who was found starved to death.  No one ever discovered who she was or who had let her die and Kariss couldn't forget.  She uses her connections to get an in with the FBI and starts shadowing an agent named Tigo Harris to learn the lingo and procedures while trying to convince him to help reopen the case.  Tigo already has his hands full trying to take down the Arroyos, a cartel involved in drugs and guns and who don't hesitate to murder anyone who gets in their way.  He definitely doesn't want a shadow and Kariss immediately gets under his skin. 

Once the case is reopened, they finally get a lead and soon after she is caught in the middle of a shoot-out, involved in a car chase, and kidnapped not once, but twice!  Tigo splits his time between trying to solve both cases while doing his best to keep Kariss alive, though this is no damsel in distress.  I was impressed more than once with the way she's able to keep her wits about her and actually help with both cases.

I really liked both characters; they were well-rounded and had interesting back stories.  I also liked the minor characters; the good guys, not the bad guys!  The action was well-done, but I got a little bogged down in the day-to-day operations of the cases. I would have liked more romance between the characters; there was just a hint of feelings starting to percolate which I can see being developed more in the next book. Another interesting aspect is the case about the child is based on a real-life solved cold case. Some of the details in the book are true to the real story.  One thing I found odd is there often seemed to be a sentence inserted that didn't fit with a conversation or paragraph.  I found myself wondering if I wasn't understanding a regional difference or if it was an editing issue. I do plan on reading the next one and I think this is definitely a book men or women can appreciate. I also think it would be good for unbelievers since Tigo isn't a believer and Kariss has turned her back on God after a tragedy, and it's interesting to watch their journey.