No Child of Mine

Homicide Detective Deborah Smith fights to hang on to her new found sobriety despite the pressures of her job and her past, while Alex Luna fights to get a foothold in her life. Thrown together on related cases, they risk everything—even their lives—to bring a kidnapped boy home and unmask a child’s murderer.
“On a blazing South Texas day dozens of law enforcement officers, family, and friends gather to celebrate a wedding. Detective Deborah Smith is happy for the couple, but she’s fighting a loneliness that makes her long for her best friend—whiskey. Then the unthinkable happens. Colleague Daniel Martinez’s foster son, Benny, disappears during the reception. Deborah is assigned to team up with Detective Alex Luna to search for the missing boy. Instead of finding Benny, they make a horrifying discovery on the groom’s property: the skeletal remains of a small girl.

Torn between salvaging his marriage and trying to save a child he’s grown to love, Daniel fears both are slipping beyond his grasp; and Deborah struggles to hang on to her newfound sobriety in the face of the pressure of her job and her past, while Alex chips away at her resolve not to trust him—or any man.
The team of investigators travels from the seamy underside of San Antonio’s drug-dealing gang territory to the back roads of rural America where secrets fester in peaceful country homes. Their investigation rips off the Band-Aid that covers the cracks in an overburdened foster care system and reveals the painful reality that children are all too often are battered, terrified victims of the people who should love them the most.
As the two investigations become more and more entwined, Deborah, Alex, and Daniel must risk everything—even their lives—to bring a little boy home safely and unmask a child’s murderer.

– Reviews –

From Single Titles

“It was suppose to be a dream come true, celebrating a marriage, but it soon deteriorated into a nightmare. Detective Daniel Martinez’s foster son is kidnapped and while searching for him, the bones of a small child is found on the groom’s property where the wedding reception is taking place. Daniel’s partner, Deborah Smith, and Detective Alex Luna found the skeleton. Added to the frantic investigation of the two cases is the personal conflicts of the investigative team. Deborah is fighting alcoholism and her attraction to Daniel while Alex yearns to start a relationship with Deborah. Daniel is fighting to keep his own marriage together while he works desperately to find his foster son Benny.

Suspense writer Kelly Irvin immediately captures her readers’ attention on the first page, ratcheting up our adrenaline as a defenseless child is kidnapped. Emotions run the gambit from horror to apprehension to relief as we are drawn into the investigation of the crime, the terror of the kidnapped child, and the complexity of the personal lives involved. As in Kelly Irvin’s other novels, keeping the faith is a prime factor and one that helps her characters persevere and thrive. From the very beginning, tension builds and does not abate until the last page is turned of Irvin’s thrilling NO CHILD OF MINE.”

From Barnes & Noble
“A gritty police procedural”
“In San Antonio, U.S. Attorney’s Office Investigator Daniel Martinez and his estranged wife Nicole attend the wedding of Ray and Susana (see A Deadly Wilderness). The bride’s son Marco Acosta asks Police Detective Deborah Smith where his Tio Daniel is. The upset child explains to his Tio and Deborah that Daniel’s foster son, eight-year-old Benny, is missing. Evidence points to a kidnapping.While Daniel desperately searches for Benny before the lad is trafficked or killed, Deborah and her police partner Alex Luna find a child’s skeleton on Ray’s ranch. While the two cops try to find the child and to solve a cold case homicide that has become hot, Daniel, also investigating the abduction knows time is running out for his Benny.This sequel is a gritty police procedural that looks deep into the visible underbelly of the city and the more discrete but as ugly rural areas. Besides the urban gangbangers, there is also plenty of drug and other illegal trafficking on the back country roads. Although the romantic subplot seems out of place and rushed, the condemnation is for an under staffed overworked foster care system in which politicos only give a sh*t when a media incident occurs. Readers will enjoy this dark Texas thriller.”

From Romantic Times  Book Reviews
“A fast-paced novel with an underlying message of faith in God. The characters are believable and honest about their flawed and complex natures. The romance and suspense will hold readers’ attention, but the intricate relationships between family, friends and co-workers are the real draw. This sequel to A Deadly Wilderness can be read as a stand-alone.”

“Summary: Daniel Martinez’s foster son Benny is abducted at a wedding reception, and at the same time homicide detectives Deborah Smith and Alex Luna find a child’s skeleton on the groom’s property.In the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, the law enforcement team is determined to find Benny and a vicious killer. With courage and faith as their shields, can the agents protect the innocent?“-Keitha Hart

From “goodreads”  
“This book really ripped me up inside, with its depiction of child abuse. It made me cry. The writing was very good, and I liked the way she showed characters who were Christians and trying to live their lives and deal with some very dark aspects in their job and around them. I will definitely read more by this author.”

More Reviews from Readers

“[No Child of Mine] is a fast-paced, non-stop action suspense novel with very believable characters that have many layers. Some even hide dark secrets.”

“I loved the Christian message of faith and trust in God. The relationships between family and co-workers of the story were complicated and dealt with heartbreaking aspects of their jobs. I have to tell you to keep the tissues handy as your emotions will be all over the place. The ending wrapped up everything nicely. A great read.”

“. . . Hard to read. Even harder to put down. A kidnapped little boy. A totally dysfunctional family. An alcoholic trying to find her way. The plot twists, turns, and shines an unrelenting light on child abuse. Yet hope, compassion, and the unchangeable force of love shine even brighter. This is a gritty tale, not for the weak of heart. Kudos to the author for the telling it anyway.”

“. . . I really liked this book although it dealt with some tough and ugly issues regarding child abuse and the failures of the foster care system It is also an eye opener on alcohol abuse and neglect in our marriages. Daniel is a foster parent to Benny who is kidnapped at a wedding. This is a very fast paced book as he is not only trying to find Benny but trying to hold together his disintegrating marriage to Nicole. Alex is a Detective who is Deborah Smith’s new partner and is falling for her in spite of her problems with trying to stay sober. These are flawed characters who can teach us some life lessons and open our eyes to some things we probably never considered. Filled with suspense this book will keep you turning pages with all the twists and turns right up to the end.”

“After her captivating book, A Deadly Wilderness, Kelly Irvin has done it again with No Child of Mine. I’ve fallen in love with the characters, and the keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat storyline mixed with messages of God’s love and support is so well written. It is a facinating read. I look forward to the next one!”

“Life is sometimes pretty nasty, and for children that can be brutal; sometimes even fatal. Ms Irvin has woven several lives together in this exciting story of child abuse, murder, kidnapping, drugs and gangs. It’s hard to imagine a more complex combination of events and circumstances all packed into one novel. And yet, Ms Irvin pulls it off with the expertise of the accomplished author she is. . . . Readers of Christian suspense will enjoy this re-release of one of her early novels. Read this one, and be prepared to look for her other books in the genre.”