Janice Cantore is a former Long Beach, California, police officer of twenty-two years. She lives in Florida, where she enjoys ocean swimming, golfing, spending time on the beach, and going on long walks with her Labrador retrievers, Abbie and Tilly. Janice writes suspense novels designed to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired. She has penned more than a dozen novels including the Line of Duty Series, the Cold Case Justice Series, Breach of Honor, Code of Courage, and One Final Target.
In this interview, Janice shares some of her thoughts behind her latest novel, Every Deadly Suspicion.
FF: What inspired Every Deadly Suspicion?
I have always been fascinated with the rich gold-rush history in California. On YouTube there’s a channel called History Hunters, which has done several pieces on different towns and mines in northern California. They’ve visited both ghost towns and towns that have survived. They’ve also visited graveyards and shared stories of many men and women who died chasing the dream of finding gold. The episodes sparked my imagination and led to me asking a lot of what-if questions. Gold-rush history lends itself to hidden secrets. Hidden secrets make good suspense novels. These questions led me to develop the fictional town of Dry Oaks and this story.
FF: Why do you enjoy writing suspense novels?
I enjoy reading them. I love a mystery. I love exciting characters who can puzzle their way out of any struggle.
FF: What messages or themes do you focus on in this book, and why did you want them to be a part of this story?
One message is that the truth always works its way to the surface, no matter how people try to hide it. And holding on to a grudge, or withholding forgiveness from someone who has wronged you, damages you, not the other way around.
FF: Are the themes connected to particular Bible verses? If so, what are they?
Forgiveness is a big theme, as is letting go of bitterness. Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (ESV). Hanna saw her mother torn apart by bitterness and had to learn to let go of past hurts so that she was not bitter and angry like her mother.
FF: What was most challenging about writing this book?
Setting up the timing of everything. Sticking to a timeline is always difficult for me. When I start writing, sometimes I get carried away and just write. Then when I go back to edit, I’m amazed at how messed up the timing got.
FF: Do you have a favorite character in the book? If so, why are they your favorite?
Hanna Keyes is my favorite. She’s a take-charge person who is not afraid to tackle any challenge.
FF: What do you hope readers will take away from Every Deadly Suspicion?
I hope they will enjoy the mystery and suspense, and that they will see the damage long-covered-up lies and unforgiveness can do.
FF: Do you have any new projects that you’d like for our audience to know about?
My next book will take readers on a journey with Lanie Jensen. She struggles to catch a criminal who has evaded justice for years. When her quest results in the bad guy hurting her family, she is tempted to throw away the rule book and administer her own justice.
Every Deadly Suspicion
Janice Cantore
Tyndale Fiction
Genres: Suspense, Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN-10: 1496487931
ISBN-13: 978-1496487933
Book Summary:
Thirty years after a federal agent and two suspects disappeared in the wilderness, the case is cold, and they’ve never been found. Now their suspected killer is about to go free. But is the truth really what it seems?
In Dry Oaks, California, Chief of Police Hanna Keyes has long believed her father, Joe, is a murderer, justly imprisoned. When she’s told he’s dying and is being given compassionate release from prison, she wants nothing to do with him. But taking him in might be Hanna’s one shot at cracking the cold case, so she reluctantly agrees to oversee his care.
Joe’s arrival in Dry Oaks seems to set off a chain reaction of crimes. Then an infamous true-crime podcaster comes sniffing for information, and Hanna’s first love, Jared, shows up just when she least needs the distraction. As Hanna tries to convince Joe to reveal what he knows about the missing persons, evidence in the cold case surfaces at a suspiciously rapid pace…suggesting there’s more to the murders than people thought.
With Joe’s strength failing, Hanna and her colleagues look for answers, not only about the past but also about recent criminal dealings in Dry Oaks. As the puzzle pieces start to fit together, it becomes clear that there’s a sinister plot at work, far more wide-reaching than anyone suspected, and that someone is desperate to silence the truth at any cost.
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