Point of No Return

Missions of Mercy #1

by Susan May Warren

An American boy and a warlord's engaged daughter have disappeared—together—in an Eastern European border country. Only one man can find them in time to prevent an international meltdown—Chet Stryker. But Chet is taken aback when he realizes the boy is the nephew of Mae Lund, Chet's former flame. When Mae insists on rescuing her relative herself, Chet knows he has to protect her from the enemy on their trail. Yet can he protect himself from falling for Mae again?

Genres: Romance, Christian Fiction, Love Inspired Suspense, Christian, Suspense, Love Inspired, Romantic Suspense

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 21, 2010

About the author

I can't help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with - a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him.

I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.

Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.

Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.

Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.

Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.

I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.

I'd love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. Write to me at susan@susanmaywarren.com. And, if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.

God Bless and Happy Reading!

In His Grip,
Susan May Warren

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book. I found Mae to annoying.

[Wendy Sparkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mae's sister Lissa has called Mae in a panic. Lissa's son Josh has disappeared. He was working with a clinic in Georgia (the country) but has now vanished.

Mae drops everything to find her nephew.

First though, she needs to call the one person she vowed she would never speak to again...Chet Stryker of Chet Stryker International Securities.

Chet has nightmares of Georgia that haunt him. Turning up in Georgia, when he has a price on his head there, is a really bad idea. But this is Mae asking. The girl he loved, & lost. The one he would do anything for. Even if it means getting out alive is not going to be likely.

I enjoyed this suspense filled mission, complete with all the insecurities both Mae & Chet faced, and how, despite it all, they both still "held on to grace".

The book is advertised as the 1st in the Missions of Mercy series by Love Inspired Suspense, so I thought I was getting the 1st book in the series. Yes, it's the start of a new series, but actually it follows straight on from another series - confused yet?

I got my 1st clue when a lot of people were mentioned & a few things were mentioned, & I began to think that maybe a lot has actually gone on before this story in other stories. I hasten to add that I the background information was good, & provided enough detail for this story so that I didn't need to have read the previous ones, but it has definitely got me interested in tracking the others down. Fortunately Susan May Warren mentioned in the discussion questions at the end of the book about something that happened to Chet in Wiser than Serpents that he is still dealing with now. At least that gave me a title to start looking & discovered that 3 books in the Mission:Russia series had been published by Steeple Hill, all including minor characters from this book Point of No Return

So, here they all are:

Mission: Russia
#1
#2
#3

Missions of Mercy
#1
#2
#3

[Nora St Laurent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy several books I’ve read by Susan May Warren so I anxiously awaited the arrival of a review copy of this book. I read the first page from Point of No Return and was hooked. Susan’s family was in Russia living as missionaries for several years. Because of her experience there she’s able to bring the readers an insight and realism that brings the story to life.

Chet Stryker the main character wants to start a security business. Mae Lund wants to fly for Chets new company, but he refuses to let her fly - He cared too much for Mae to send her on any dangerous mission. He wouldn’t let another person he loved die on his watch!
Because of his decision not to hire Mae they separate never know if their relationship would lead to the marriage. Chet struggles to find anyone that could take on the tough jobs he wants to be involved in; so he accepts security jobs from rich people. They want security at their children’s birthday parties. It’s not what he had envisioned his company to be doing, but he had to pay his bills some how.

Mae gets news her nephew needs help. Mae finds out her nephew Josh’s team went to Europe on a mission trip and he hasn’t returned. He’s reported missing. Chet Stryker is the last person on the planet she wants’ to ask for help but she’d do anything to find her nephew Josh! His life is in danger and her sister was coming unglued. Chet says he’ll see what he can do. Mae can’t believe he’s so aloof. She’d get this thing done by herself. She definitely didn’t need him or his attitude.

Chet rethinks his position and his feelings for Mae. Maybe he can help Mae find Josh! He knew Mae would do this job with or without him. She wasn’t afraid to do what needed to be done to get accomplish the goal of a mission. He knew she was born to fly and regretted not having her on his team, but how could he help?

I liked Susan’s note to the reader, “I love Chet because he struggled with his mistakes. Just like Jacob, who wrestled with God on his return to the place of his sins (Gen 32) Chet wants to be forgiven, but doesn’t know how to hold onto grace. When God returns him to the land of failure, he sets Chet free, just as He did Jacob. God longs to help us hold onto grace and set us free, too!!”

This story captivated my mind and heart from the start. I was amazed at how much Susan packed into such a small book! Wow! What a great, powerful read! I highly recommend it!

Nora St.Laurent
The Book club Network www.bookfun.org
Finding Hope Through Fiction www.psalm516.blogspot.com

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: POINT OF NO RETURN
Author: Susan May Warren
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
January 2011
ISBN: 978-0-373-44434-3
Genre: Inspirational/romantic suspense

Mae Lund would do anything for two things. One is the opportunity to fly. The other is her nephew, Josh. When she’s leaving her hated job of flying tourists (too calm) she gets a phone call from her sister, stating that Josh had gone missing. In Georgia. The country. Mae calls the first person who comes to mind, her ex-boyfriend, Chet Striker.

Chet is surprised to hear from Mae after so long. After all, they hadn’t parted in good terms. He needed a pilot, she was the best of the best, but he hadn’t wanted her to fly into the heart of danger. Mae had never quite forgiven him for refusing to offer her the job. Chet is hesitant to help her with Josh though, because the Georgian officials had a price on his head. If he enters the country again, he’s dead.

But Mae is insistent, she is going to Georgia. And the next thing she knows is Chet is there too, taking a risk on his life to help her find Josh. Or is he there to find the missing Princess that Josh had allegedly run away with? It didn’t matter. Chet and Mae together were like mixing oil and water. The sparks flew. The anger grew. And they had no idea where to look for Josh. Plus the very people that want Chet dead are also on their trail.

POINT OF NO RETURN is the first book in Ms. Warren’s new series Missions of Mercy. I was looking forward to reading this book since I heard that it was coming out since I liked Ms. Warren’s previous books set in the former Soviet Union. Filled with danger, intrigue, and romance, they can’t be beat.

Mae and Chet are both strong willed characters suffering from the back-lash of bad decisions they’d made in their lives. I hoped they’d be able to find their peace, find Josh (and the Princess), and love. Once I started the book, I had to keep reading. Mae is the queen of sarcasm and her witty comebacks were funny. Plus the action and suspense were non-stop. Discussion questions were included at the back of the book. $5.50. 220 pages.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a romantic suspense enthusiast from way back when, I jumped at the chance to check out Susan May Warren’s Love Inspired Suspense Series: Missions of Mercy. Susan’s a prolific author, but I’ve only read one of her books. So I was eager to see what she would bring to the table for the romantic suspense genre. Here are the pros and cons of what her LI series has to offer . . .

First, the pros:

Exotic locations: check
Heart-stopping suspense: check
Plucky, resourceful heroines: check
Tough heroes with big hearts: check
Just the right amount of romance and humor as befits the danger: check
Perfect length for me to finish while proctoring exams: check
Strong inspirational themes: check
For a bonus, these guys are ex-military: Two checks!

Now, the cons:

As far as I could discover, she’s only published three in this series.
Which definitely left me wanting more!

My favorite aspect of the Missions of Mercy Series is that the books are written from a Christian worldview. Kudos to Susan May Warren for making faith an integral part of her characters’ lives. And the spiritual issues they wrestle with are not superficial. They matter in the real world. The way I see it, when the man with the gun facing down a relentless physical enemy can also operate in the spiritual realm–now that’s a great story!

The first book, Point of No Return, features Chet Stryker. Chet’s just your ordinary former Delta Force operative now running his own international security company, with a price on his head in Georgia—the country. His beautiful ex-flame Mae, a former military pilot, asks for his help rescuing her teenage nephew who’s been kidnapped in . . . Georgia, of course. And since Chet had been the one to dump Mae—totally to protect her from the dangers life at his side might hold—sparks fly when he decides to join her on her mission of mercy.

By the end of this book, Chet Stryker had become one of my favorite male characters. I loved his inner voice, sense of humor, and heroic spirit. Mae came across as both vulnerable and brave, a fascinating combination for a heroine. I truly enjoyed this story!

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Overall, this was a good read, and very different from most of what I encounter. For starters, it's set in Georgia and it's obvioua that this author is familiar with the region and with some of the political issues that plague parts of the former Soviet republics. In this particular story, a former military pilot(Mae Lund) in need of a second chance has travelled to Georgia to try to find her nephew who has disappeared while on an aid mission. The nephew is believed to have run off with the daughter of a warlord. Since said daughter is engaged to another man, this is a very delicate situation.

And who ends up helping Mae? Her former boyfriend, Chet Stryker. Chet owns a small security company based out of the Czech Republic and he is called in to help keep this situation from turning into an international incident.

I liked the suspense plotting, and I appreciated the author's knowledge of the setting. I also liked that she showed some of the real challenges Chet faces in getting a small security contracting business off the ground. In so many romantic suspense books, these types of businesses are often shown as being super successful and having all the latest toys. I've worked with enough contractors to know that Chet's business is a little closer to reality.

So what irked me? Well, the relationship between Mae and Chet drove me nuts at times. Chet takes an almost paternalistic view toward Mae. The woman is a trained military pilot, but Chet just doesn't like the idea of her flying missions and throughout this story, he keeps trying to take her away from the action and sideline her while he goes off to save the day alone. He eventually changes his tune, but it took much too long for me.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Point of No Return is an exciting romantic suspense novel that has great pacing and intrigue. I read the book straight through and it held my interest the entire time. I loved the twists and turns and the international setting. The hero was complex and his history fit his current issues and behavior. The same went for the heroine.

The romantic tension sizzled between the hero and heroine and I found myself wanting them to work through their insecurities and find a way to make a long-term relationship work. The author did a great job providing barriers, then allowing the characters to apply faith and hard work to see things through and overcome obstacles to success.

Bottom line... this was a well-rounded book with suspense and intrigue that contained characters who learned from past mistakes and how to take calculated risks, and sometimes risks that didn't make much sense, but were the right thing to do. I loved the sacrificial love theme in the story, too. That always gets my heart pounding. Great read!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story from Susan May Warren! Chet Stryker has already lost one woman that he loved and is not willing to take that chance again. He however is not prepared for the fact that his decision will nearly cost him that love. Mae Lund is a pilot who is a risk taker, willing to fly dangerous missions, and she wants a job with his new security company. Their attraction to each other makes her hopeful that the job will be hers, but Chet's protective nature is not having any of it. A call out of the blue from Mae asking him to return to a war ridden nation, where he has been banned and has a price on his head, for his help to find her nephew. He refuses to help her and he tells her that she should not go to that country, he should have known that would not stop a determined Mae.

A fast paced story, filled with danger and romance. Susan May Warren does a great job telling this action packed story. A really quick read, that is very enjoyable, make sure to get your copy today!! 216 pages US $5.50 4 stars. A discussion guide is included.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the three books in this series, Point of No Return was my favorite. Why? Because it was the perfect combination of high action suspense, faith and romance. Plus, how can you not love a strong willed female lead like Mae? She’s a hot shot helicopter pilot, after all. It doesn’t gets much cooler than that. :) I also feel that this was the most action-packed of the three. Mae is trying to save her nephew, Chet is trying to save her, all in a country where he is public enemy #1. Throw in a couple of explosions, a daughter that Chet never knew he had, an understanding of God’s love and forgiveness for both Mae and Chet, followed up by an intense final battle scene… I loved it!

[John Hanscom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading these "love inspired suspense" novels for a long time, and this was the best one I've read. I wish there were a 4 1/2 stat category, as there were minor things here (sort of a deus ex machina at the end) and there, but, all in all, a great read, and not like the others "I've read in many ways. For example, in others, EVERYTHING always woks out by the final chapter. In this one, it does not. No other book I've read has been set in somewhere other than the US.

[Lyndalou · Rating 3 out of 5]

An American boy and a warlord's "engaged" daughter have disappeared--together--in an Eastern European border country. Only one man can find them in time to prevent an international meltdown--Chet Stryker. But Chet is taken aback when he realizes the boy is the nephew of Mae Lund, Chet's former flame. When Mae insists on rescuing her relative herself, Chet knows he has to protect her from the enemy on their trail. Yet can he protect "himself" from falling for Mae again?

[Sfk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absoultely hated it. Point of No Return is like Mack Bolan decided to get saved and do a miniseries on the Hallmark Channel. This book has no true action, no true adventure, and is not even insprational. In a word: Awful. When the apocalypse comes, this will be the first book burned for warmth.

[Tressa (Wishful Endings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Christian suspense novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. There weren't many religious references and they didn't interfere with the story. I liked the main characters and I like these type of stories where it's a military operation or such.

[Judine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a while for me to get into this book because I wasn't completely familiar with the military terms being used. Once I got past that, it was engaging, especially since Chet and Mae had a relationship before the book started.

[Keekee Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love it and i didn't hate it. You can't relate to it. All in all II more then likely will never reread it.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this story line. I reccommend it to everyone.

[Dora Hiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

[Charity U · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a new favorite, unfortunately. :( But it was a good book, nothing wrong with it (IMHO) and good for a one time read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story about 'round the world romance' and the importance of doing the right things for those you love.

[Carolyn E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. There was a lot of action and the requisite love/hate relationship with a happy ending.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the spin off series idea, from the Russia series.

[Teresa Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as eBook.

[Debra]

very good

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Andge (Down the Rabbit Hole) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

[Paula Shreckhise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting suspense story .

[TheModestMillennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5 stars

Another one to put on your to be read pile, just like the rest if Susan May Warren's gripping epic romantic suspense adventures. Chet and Mae are great characters who have a hard time giving up control, just like many of us. Through the disappearance of a family member and the potential international incident that will probably result, they are thrown back into one another's worlds, forcing them to face their biggest struggles and emerge better or fail - risking not only their lives, but a potential war. Wonderful plot, well executed with beautifully flawed characters, this book was one I had a hard time putting down.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this enough to go back and find the trilogy that comes before this one, as well plan to finish the next two books in this one as well. But I don't love these international suspense romances enough to wholeheartedly recommend them as I would Susan May Warren's more recent books. The characters barely have time to take a breath, much less fall in love or make major life realizations as they seem to.

[Savannah Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I haven't read many of Susan's books but the ones I have a wonderful! She is a very talented writer. Chet was the best, he is like my favorite fictional crush (yes I have more than one ;) ever! And Mae! I just loved her. She was so strong and caring all in one. Love you Mae! Her and Chet were great together. I will definitely be reading more of Susan's work.
...and the other books of this series!!

[mike hammock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action!!

From the very first there is action. It continues throughout the book. There is also the back and forth between Chet and Mae ; sometimes in their minds and sometimes spoken aloud. Their”mission” is to rescue Mae’s nephew in the country of Georgia. Read it in two sittings.