Nightshade (Discarded Heroes, Book 1) by Ronie Kendig

Book Description:
Soldiers all across the globe are returning home to their families after brutal tours of duty. They are discharged from the service. . .and on their own. Meet Max Jacobs, one of these discarded heroes, as he faces a wall of failure—in his career, his friendships, and his marriage. Failing again—this time to end his life—he is offered a thread of hope. Are covert government operations the answer for him, or will they only bring more danger and dissension upon his broken family?

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Danger, torn relationships, secrets, murder, hostages... this book has enough stuff to keep you glued to your seat & the pages rapidly turning! I wasn't sure if this novel would be up my alley, but from the beginning Kendig grabbed me & held me captive through a wild and fast paced read. It was awesome! In fact, it was so good I had to stay up late to finish it! The suspense, interesting plot & characters all made for a great read. A nice touch of mystery at the end leads you to know there is danger ahead for this team in future books.

The one thing that I think readers may take issue with is how from time to time parts of the story are paced in the future & other parts the past... Then there is the present goings on. It wasn't clearly labeled as such but you figure it out as you read it. As people are discussed being saved that are at other parts of the novel still in captivity. Things at the end did wrap up a little too quickly for me but then again I wasn't ready for the story to be over.

Kendig was insightful & heartfelt as she wrote about PTSD & how what the soldiers go through & what they see affects them & their families. The elements of faith & struggle seemed both real & not pushy. This was a great faith based suspense/action novel with a touch of romance added in. All around a good read.