Review: Severed Trust by Margaret Daley

Exciting Christian Romantic Suspense

High school football star Jared Montgomery is found drowned in his car, and it looks like foul play. Texas Ranger Ethan Stone joins local chief of police Cord Thompson in unravelling a case that involves prescription drug abuse at teenage ‘pill parties’ and an attempted murder in a case that is too close for comfort for Ethan and Cord, especially when it becomes apparent that Ethan’s niece and Cord’s sister might be at risk.


Severed Trust was a fast-paced and exciting read, and once I’d started reading I didn’t want to put it down (always a good sign). There was a complex plot, with a combination of suspense (prescription drug abuse and murder), relationship issues (between friends, and father-daughter), and a little romance. The Christian aspect was understated and not at all preachy. There were a good set of characters, all of whom felt very real and not at all stereotypical.

Despite all these good things, I had two problems with Severed Trust. First, there were a lot of characters, and I had trouble keeping them all straight at times. This is partly my own fault. I read fast anyway, and I read especially quickly when the book is as fast-paced and exciting as this. My second problem was at the end, when it seemed that a character was added out of nowhere.

Severed Trust is the fourth book in Margaret Daley’s Texas Ranger series, and can easily be read as a standalone as the series is related by theme rather than by characters. Each story features a Texas Ranger (surprise!) facing a challenging criminal case, and hopefully finding a little love. The other similarity is the cases: each book deals with an issue facing modern teens, and I think this is a particular strength of the series. Well worth reading.

Thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Margaret Daley at her website.

If you’d like to buy the book or Kindle edition, you can follow the links above to purchase at Severed Trust. Those Down Under can buy from Koorong (Australia) or Soul Inspirationz (New Zealand). Koorong also sells epub editions.