Danger in the Shadows (O'Malley, #0) by Dee Henderson

Danger in the Shadows (O'Malley, #0) Reviews

• 
  Amanda

  This is my kind of Christian Fiction. I love that this book has flawed characters who can own their mistakes and occasionally struggle with their faith in a very realistic way. The mystery/suspense elements are pretty good too. It was every bit as good on a second read through as it was the first.
• 
  Pauline

  My mom told me years ago that her friend's daughter wrote books and gave me one to read. Her friend's daughter was Dee Henderson. Over the years, I've read most of Dee's books and have decided to start rereading them. Her novels aren't the squeaky clean, perfect charactered, sugary, romance novels some Christian women authors write that I just can't stomach. They are in depth novels you want read almost in one setting, and yes, even reread. I like the fact that the romance thread is there but isn't the front line story, usually it comes in as the undercurrent to an intense story. In Danger in the Shadows, she takes the themes of a child's kidnapping & living in a life of fear and weaves in trusting the Lord and what it really means to do this when times are not smooth. I found heart-pounding moments, tearful moments, and joyful moments while walking through the lives of Sara, Dave and Adam. I wish I could sit down with Dee and ask about her motivation and interest in writing novels about people in law enforcement. I bet there is a good story there, as well. If you haven't read Henderson's books--start today. You'll thank me for the recommendation, won't want to put them down, and will keep reading until all her books are on your shelf.
• 
  Amanda Tero

  I’ve been told to read the O’Malley series for a while now. It will probably take me a few months/year to work through the entire series, but I’ve finally begun.
  
  I really liked the characters in this prequel. They were diverse and believable. Dave and Sarah were also Christians from the start, but they weren’t perfect. Sarah definitely had her difficulties and struggles and I admire Henderson for the vivid Christian lesson that Sarah learned.
  
  Now the romance… I’m sorry, I just don’t like kisses all around everywhere. So yeah, the romance was a little more than I prefer. It wasn’t necessarily inappropriate, just not my preference.
  
  For some reason, I didn’t find this one very intense. While I tried to understand the overreaction that Dave often gave, I didn’t understand it. The threat didn’t seem real to me because it was just vague from the beginning. It wasn’t until I “saw” a face to the antagonist that it actually felt like it was more than a shadow (which, I guess, could be what the author was going for…).
  
• 
  Kelly RAley

  Well, this book was fairly painful to read. I don't know what it is about "Christian" books that make them synonymous with "poor writing," but this book does nothing to break the stereotype. Here are some examples p 73 "The reception area was a profusion of flowers and fauna." Did the author not know that fauna refer to wildlife of which there was none in this particular office area? Or what about the tedious types of sentences like this one on page 170 "The oven timer went off. Sara helped set the table. The pizza was delicious." Really? Did her high school English teacher never talk to her about sentence length variation? What about the lessons where each sentence moves the story forward in some way? Ugh. This book could have used much tighter editing. There was so much repetition with no movement. Bleh. The romance was strange too. What about this character was attractive? She was crying for over half of the book. I get that she suffered trauma, etc, but the general premise that an entire team of FBI agents would be assigned to keep one citizen alive was silly. She should have been paying for private body guards or something. I hope my tax dollars aren't being wasted like this. Well, I read this because a co-worker suggested it, she is now off of my list of people who I trust for book recommendations.
• 
  Emily Wiebe

  “If you read this book,” he said, “you have to list it on Goodreads. Think long and hard about that.”
  
  So JD, here I am being transparent. But golly! I just needed something brainless that wasn’t the television.
• 
  ~Megan~

  I loved the O'Malley series by Dee Henderson so very much, but I never read the prequel about Sara (Dave's sister) and Adam. I'm so glad I chose this one for one of my challenges this month.
  
  Sometimes it's nice to read a story where I don't have to substitute words in my head for every bad word I read, and when people say God, they are actually talking to GOD. I love Dee Henderson's books because she takes Christian principles and places them so perfectly within really great stories about regular people going through intense situations. Faith is a big theme in her books and a big theme in every Christian's walk.
  
  Sara was tortured and hunted, and never believed she would have a normal life. Adam was a dream come true, and so wonderfully willing to do whatever he could to help Sara. He was unselfish enough to put her first, which can be a hard thing to do.
  
  A must-read for anyone who enjoys Christian romance.
• 
  Celestria

  The whole FBI protection thing had me intrigued, but this book just wasn't very exciting or suspensful. I kept waiting for stuff to happen, but hardly anything did and then the end was a bit anticlimactic. Adam rubbed me the wrong way a few times. I found him bossy and demanding, especially considering he hadn't known Sara for very long. Sara's brother Dave was definitely my favorite Character. I loved how protective he was (even though that's also his job) and seeing him and Sara together was sweet.
• 
  Andrea Cox

  by Andrea Renee Cox
  
  Fear. It’s a driving force that freezes us in our tracks. I’ve experienced it in several different ways in my life, and I’m guessing you have too. But what would it be like to live in constant fear for your life?
  
  Danger in the Shadows tells the story of a woman who was held captive for years by the fear that her sister’s killer would come back for her. Sara longs for freedom, but her past demands tight security surround her at all times. When she finds herself stuck in an elevator with a high-profile former football player, her world gets rocked in more than one way. She expected the increase in her protective detail, as stifling as it is, but she didn’t expect love to come knocking on her door. The only problem is this love comes with the limelight and media attention she’s skirted around her entire life. Will she be willing to risk her safety to pursue a future she had given up hope of having?
  
  This book is the prequel (one of two prequels now; Jennifer is the second) to Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Chronicles, my favorite book series. This is the third time I’ve read this one, and it never gets old. Oh sure, writing has changed over the years. The book is dated by its style and word choices. But a story about a woman trying to overcome fear is pretty timeless, if you ask me. Almost every woman in every generation faces it at one point or another. I love Sara’s journey to finding peace and learning to trust in God. It’s not an easy one, given what her past is (and you’ll have to read the book to learn all the details). But it just goes to show you how much God cares about all the intricacies of our lives and how He’s with us especially in our darkest days. I love that. And I long to grow closer and closer to Him each day He blesses me with.
  
  If you haven’t yet read the O’Malley Chronicles, I highly recommend them, and you should begin with Danger in the Shadows. Come fall in love with some of my favorite literary characters.
• 
  Amanda Nemec

  This book was painful to get through. The characters were completely unbelievable (a totally chaste former NFL superstar? a woman with a stalker who gets the highest of FBI security her whole life, including her brother who is the head of her detail? as if the FBI would do that.), and so are their interactions with each other, which were a snooze fest. The book is one long whine by the main character about how restricted her life is, and it's full of repeated conversations between her and her love interest about how they shouldn't be together. The book is so full of awkward religious references that are in no way seamlessly integrated into the story. I believe this is my fault, though, as I didn't realize it was labeled as Christian Fiction or I would have expected it. That said, I think the references should have been integrated much more skillfully for them to work.
  
  By halfway through I was skipping whole pages just to get to the end. And then the end was ridiculous. If a friend of mine completely hijacked the wedding that I dreamed about and planned so that she could get married at the SAME TIME, I would be LIVID. That's not a happy ending in my book. Also, the main character seems to find it charming that her love interest is completely pushing her to have kids, when she has a perfectly good, well thought-out reason for not having them. Ridiculous, the whole thing. I'm pissed it cost me $10 on my Kindle. Wish I could return it.
• 
  Sarah Grace Grzy

  This one is so emotional but so good.
• 
  Kate

  I read the O'Malley series a long time ago (pre GoodReads), but loved it so much, I knew I wanted to read it again. A friend's challenge in a group here on GoodReads was the perfect 'excuse' to begin the series again!
  It has been long enough since I've read the series, that while I had slight memories of the main characters, I'd forgotten enough of the plot to make it as exciting as the first time I read Sara and Adam's story. I really liked how the suspense played out, though it was hard to read what especially Sara had to go through in order to catch the culprit.
  I appreciated the reminders that God numbers our days and that we can safely trust in His goodness, no matter the outcome.
  4.5 stars
• 
  Tiffany PSquared

  I read all the other books in this series years and years ago. While visiting my local bookstore, I noticed that Henderson had written a sequel. Of course I had to get it.
  
  Reading the prequel now was a bit nostalgic. I appreciate these books for their clean romance, their faith-filled characters, and easy-reading style.
  
  I have several series that I'm dedicated to and this is one that I'll look back on with fondness.
• 
  TC

  This was a recommendation from a good friend. The protagonist is basically in constant hiding as in a sort of witness protection because she and her twin were abducted as children and held for ransom. Her sister died. The man who took them has hunted her since childhood, leaving notes and presents on holidays and birthdays. Her brother works for the FBI or something, so they have a ton of secret service men at their disposal all the time. A little into the book you learn that she is an ambassador's daughter, which explains all the special attention. She is also a gifted artist, a children's book author and illustrator, and a believer in Jesus. Of course, she's also wealthy if not rich. She gets stuck on the elevator with an ex-pro football player whose office is in the same downtown Chicago building hers are in and the stage is set for romance because she has a very bad panic attack/flashback to her days of being held hostage by her abductor.
  
  I read this book while in the hospital and enjoyed having something else to think about, but I can't say it was a life-changer. This is a Christian Romance, and everything went well for everyone: 1. Private jets when needed. 2. Instant, fresh, change of clothes on demand. 3. Fancy surprise wedding at the end of the book.
  
  It was hard to believe, but I do appreciate that it didn't trash talk and wasn't violent.
• 
  Lydia

  It was simply boring and ridiculous. I think the protagonist is supposed to be Sara, but Dave and Adam make all the decisions about her life, and we get very little insight from Sara herself. It seems like the novel inadvertently perpetuated stereotypes about men and women relationships, and about men and women in general, stereotypes that are not close to reality or empowering. Sara's relationship with God seemed completely forced - it wasn't until 4/5 of the way through the book that it even gets mentioned in any depth. The relationship between Adam and Sarah also seems skimpy - he met her in an elevator and basically stalks her just like the creepy guy does, pursuing her until she gives in. Nothing about the relationship between Sarah and Adam show any depth - they watched movies on a couch? they put their head on each other's shoulders? It is not long before they jump to assumptions about marriage and having babies. This novel lacks the dialogue to make these exchanges believable; the reader gets a lot of "this character is thinking this" and plot narration, but no real believable interaction between the characters at the most important and crucial parts.
  I don't usually write reviews, but this novel was just that bad - I've read over 400, and only about 5 earn a score of 1 star. I really hope this was a starter novel for this writer.
• 
  Sarah

  It has been to long since I read a Deen Henderson book. I picked this one up last night, telling myself I would only read the first couple of chapters...
  
  I finished the book and 12:30 a.m. if you were wondering.
• 
  Emilie Chase

  This book was slow at the beginning but was an enjoyable read as I got into it. The lesson it taught was a very beautiful one: God loves you in spite of your fears that you may have. This book was really sad but got better as it progressed. Wasn’t my favorite book in the whole world but it was still good. Recommend this author to anyone who likes romantic suspense. 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• 
  UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish

  Review of the audio book
  
  Dee Henderson has been one of my daughter's favorite authors for a very long time, but I had never had any interest in reading her stories. A few days ago I noticed I had this book on my audible shelves and decided to give it a listen.
  
  I'm glad I did!
  
  Ms. Henderson is a popular Christian Romantic Suspense author whose stories are part thriller, part mystery, part romance, and always inspirational. She takes the readers deep inside the minds of the "victim" and/or the lead characters, allowing us to watch them rely on their faith in God to help them through whatever it is they're facing.
  
  Danger in the Shadows is a poignant tale of one woman's life in hiding, running from a deranged man who killed her twin sister when they were just little girls. The memories of that time, the survivors' guilt, and putting her trust in God to see her through is a huge part of the story, along with her fighting her growing feelings for Adam, a man who refuses to let her battle her demons alone.
  
  All in all this is a great story! The narrator's voice is rich, deep, and captivating. I'm often thrown off kilter by a male giving voice to a female character. Even though Tom Stechschulte's deep voice did take a bit of time getting used to, I'll definitely be looking for more audio books by this talented narrator, as well as more stories by Dee Henderson.
• 
  Maria

  AMAZING! What a fantastic novel!! Words can't convey how much I enjoyed Sara and Adam's story! Where can I start...
  The characters: fabulous! The way that Henderson has created them and then developed them is phenomenal and really well written. I immediately fell in love with Sara and Adam. They're a couple that bring out the best in each other and you can't help but root for them. I was crying alongside them and cheering for them as the book came to a close. I was so sad to finish this book, I went and re-read it! Adam is so sweet and Sara has just the right amounts of strength and vulnerability!
  The plot: fascinating! Henderson wove together the story so well with a few unexpected twists and turns. It is super interesting and gripping. I normally don't enjoy romantic suspense because it's just too... well... suspenseful. Henderson's novels are one of the few suspense novels that I truly enjoy! Henderson manages to weave in faith elements very realistically and her topics always make me think. I've read the whole O'Malley series more than three times, but I have to say that 'Danger in the Shadows' is actually my favourite!! If you haven't read this novel, you have no idea what you're missing out on!! I give this novel 6 out of 5 stars!!!
  (sorry for using so many exclamation marks... that's how good this novel was!!!)
• 
  Deidra

  Quick side note before I begin this review: I'm taking this month to reread some books that I read a long time ago. Sometimes I wish I could reread my favorites from the past, but I never have enough time. I'm taking it this month, so I read this book for the first time years ago. This was my reread review.
  
  I love Dee Henderson's books. I have mainly read the O'Malley Series because I love the family dynamics in it. I forget that this one is before any of them, but centers around Sara, Dave, and Adam. I know Dave shows up in the first book of the series.
  
  Sara was kidnapped with her twin sister at the age of 6. She was found, but her twin sister didn't make it. The guilt that she feels overwhelms her at times. One of the men that kidnapped her has never been caught and has been taunting her for years. She has a life inside a cage of security and protocol. She just wants to escape.
  
  Then she meets retired professional football player Adam Black. She likes him, but she can't risk having a relationship because of his public reputation. Sara and Adam have to truly learn what it means to place your life and fears in God's hands.
  
  It's an intense story because of the heartbreak she endures. I love this series!
• 
  Ebos Aifuobhokhan

  It's Dee Henderson and I don't know what my reading journey would be without her books.
• 
  Abigail Harris

  RTC
• 
  Notbagels

  I really liked this book, but I have one SERIOUS qualm with it. The author must have done a lot of research about childhood trauma and PTSD, because Sara's response to her situation seems relatively realistic. BUT! Near the beginning of the book, Adam--a man she just met a day or two ago--tries to comfort her with a hug, she recoils, and he HOLDS ON. When she says, "I don't want this," he says, "Tough. You need this," and holds her until she relaxes. THIS IS NOT OKAY. Maybe it's the hyper-awareness of PTSD and trauma vicitms these days (Henderson is writing in the late 90s and cultural attitudes have changed quite a bit since then). But. No. It's not okay to touch a trauma victim without permission. It's not okay to disregard her verbal expression of discomfort. It's not okay with any woman, but it was especially glaring in that situation. Henderson wanted us to see Adam as chivalrous and breaking down her walls and all of that, but all I saw was a well-intentioned but heavy-handed jerk. The rest of the book is fine, and he's a good guy otherwise--very attentive and considerate. So I'm thinking this is the author's misunderstanding of trauma, not an actual character flaw.
  
  Other than that very small scene, the book was excellent and I enjoyed it a lot.
• 
  Jamie Lapeyrolerie

  My first experience with Henderson was with one of her more recent novels (from 2012) and then a couple other recent ones. I have to admit, I haven't been a fan. But. So many people have mentioned the O'Malley series and that they are her best. A friend from book club let me borrow her copies, so I thought I would give it a try, but y'all, I'm thinking Dee's books are just not be for me. This one had too many unbelievable pieces to make it believable, many things that happened were a bit much and while I do enjoy a faith thread, this wasn't natural to me.
  
  Since this is the sequel, I'm still going to give #1 in the series a try.
  
• 
  Aerykah

  This may seem crazy, but yes... I did just drop my rating from 5 to 2 (maybe 2.5?) stars with this re-read. And I promise I will do my best to explain why soon.
• 
  Angela R. Watts

  AHH! I love this author I love these characters I'M GETTIN' TEARY EYED WITH HAPPINESS. ♥
• 
  Oceana

  Wow this one was really intense!
• 
  Gracious Akande

  It was an interesting read considering it is the prequel. I would have ranked it 5 stars if the grand reveal didn’t feel rushed and not as thrilling as the suspense prior led us to believe. However, it is still a sweet story with great lessons.