The Survivor

Written by DiAnn Mills

Narrated by Jackie Schlicher

Is it her next bestseller . . . Or her last words?

In The Chase, award-winning author DiAnn Mills introduced you to the world of Kariss Walker, the bestselling suspense author with a nose for trouble. In The Survivor, Kariss gets the chance to tell her most powerful story yet. But will it revitalize her writing career? Or bring it to a violent end?

Kariss meets Dr. Amy Garrett, who survived a brutal childhood attack in which the assailant was never found. Now Dr. Garrett wants her story written in a novel. Kariss wishes she could seek the advice of Special Agent Tigo Harris, but she broke off the relationship a few months prior and seeing him again would be too painful. She interviews Amy and conducts her own research, stepping unaware into danger.

Tigo misses Kariss and wants her back, but he understands why she broke off their relationship. Instead, he concentrates on solving a car bombing and bringing the killer to justice. As Kariss’s new story attracts an onslaught of danger that she never expected, can Tigo save the woman he loves and find out who wants her dead for writing about an unsolved cold case?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Mar 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9780310333241

DiAnn Mills

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills is the author of Nebraska Legacy, the Texas Legacy series, and many other novels. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and lives in Houston, Texas.

Reviews for The Survivor

[everfresh1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good plot, good writing, well developed characters, the main character that you sympathize a lot with - if maybe a little bit slow sometimes. Depiction of Lou Gehrig disease deterioration - and an impact of knowledge of such coming deterioration on our actions - adds a totally new dimension to this thriller.

[gatorhater · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Roommates, Nate & Charles are going to UCLA through the US Army ROTC program an get sent overseas to serve their country upon graduation. A terrible event happens when Charles is killed and Nate has to deal with this emotional ride through life, trying to deal with the loss of his best friend and becoming diagnosis with PTSD. Shortly thereafter he's in the process of commiting suicide when he becomes the hero in stopping a bank robbery of the First Union Bank in Southern California. The robbers want revenge, they go after Nate's family, he shows the unconditional love for his daughter, but the attemped robbers want their demand delivered or life will never be the same.

[cherylefisher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While trying to commit suicide because of a terminal illness the main character witnesses a bank robbery in progress. He instinctively reacts and kills five of the six robbers. As the sixth person escapes he issues a threat that will literally touch all phases of his life. How he handles the threat leads to many pages of thrilling action.

[crazybatcow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a very pleasant surprise - it's an action packed action novel with a very human main character who has very human problems. He is not a superman out there to save the world (his world); he isn't even sure he can save himself... but he does it anyway. He is scarred and troubled, and haunted by his past. PTSD is in full flight here. And it's a destructive flight.

[mikedraper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not an author to shy away from difficult subjects, Gregg Hurwitz's latest thriller has heroism and suicide colliding in a revenge filled novel centering on two men and their love of their families.Nate Overbay has ALS. He's been told he only has about six good months left so was planning to commit suicde by jumping off a bank building in L.A. However, he hears a commotion and sees a bank robbery taking place. The robbers are in a frenzy and begin shooting the employees who aren't fast enough to obey their commands. Nate sees a gun on the floor and sneaks into the bank. Not caring if he's shot or not, he begins shooting the robbers, killing all but one. That man runs from the bank but tells Nate that he's just unleashed a vengence that is coming to his family.Nate becomes an overnight hero. When he returned home after having one wound treated at the hospital, the man who escaped and three others are waiting for him. They are Ukranians and believe in revenge. Nate is told that they need something in a safe deposit box at the bank. If he doesn't get it for them, his daughter will suffer in ways he couldn't imagine.Now, with his body showing the first signs of breaking down, he must figure a way to get the material in the safe deposit box. Then find a way to stop these men in a manner that will save his daughter from harm.This is an excellent novel with a message about honor and suicide. The characters are well described and Nate is a truly sympathetic figure who is easy to root for.

[twink_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Survivor is Gregg Hurwitz's latest book - following on the heels of his previous bestseller - You're Next. The Survivor is one of the thriller books I love to devour - everyday, little guy put into an untenable situation with everything on the line. Fun escapist reading, akin to watching movies such as Die Hard. In this case, Nate Overbay is our everyday guy. He had it all - a wife and daughter he loved dearly. Deployed to Afghanistan, he returned a changed man. Five years on, he suffers from PTSD, and is unable to be the husband and father he once was. He has separated from his wife Janie and daughter Cielle (who I did find more than a little annoying). And, just to add insult to injury, he's been diagnosed with ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease - a fatal pronouncement. The opening chapters find Nate on the ledge of a downtown bank, ready to end it all. He's got one foot over the edge, ready to leap when six masked men invade the bank. They're after something in the vault but don't care who they shoot to get to it. Nate's military training and conscience kick in - he can't watch this massacre and do nothing. Back into the bank he goes - and he manages to take down five of the six. But the sixth man promises he will regret his actions as he escapes. When his family is threatened, Nate vows to protect them at all costs. And there's nothing more dangerous than a man who is already carrying a death sentence. Hurwitz has crafted a page turning thriller that you'll end up devouring in no time flat. (I did!) The action is non-stop and the tension ratchets up as the stakes grow higher and higher. Over the top? Yes, in parts it is, but go with it, it's a heck of a good escapist piece of fiction. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, urging Nate on. Hurwitz does blend in enough emotional scenes to grab at our heartstrings on the way as well.

[bookdivasreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nate Overbay had the perfect life. He was married to the woman of his dreams, had a good job, a beautiful daughter, a nice home, and good friends. All of that changed after his return from his military service after 9/11. His best friend died, he's suffering from extreme PTSD, he's lost his job, and he doesn't know how to fix things with his wife, Janie, and daughter, Cielle. Fast forward ten years and Nate is estranged from his wife and daughter. The divorce is almost final and only requires his signature of the final papers. He has a new job as a Professional Crisis Responder with the LAPD, and he's been diagnosed with ALS. Nate decides that rather than have his wife, and he continues to think of Janie as his wife, and daughter Cielle watch his slow decline, he'd rather kill himself. So off he goes to the 11th floor of the First Union Bank and climbs out on a ledge, but just when he's ready to jump, six robbers enter the bank, killing several people. Nate goes out on a metaphorical ledge when he decides to stop the robbers as they antagonize a mother and threaten to kill a small child. His heroic efforts save the lives of the remaining bank customers and workers, but now Nate's life literally hangs by a thread as he has thwarted the wants of a notorious Eastern European mobster.Nate is in a race to beat the clock, as he's been allowed five days to retrieve the information he stopped the robbers from obtaining or he may be forced to see his family, Janie and Cielle, killed. Nate must be as unnoticed as possible while attempting this task because he has become a person-of-interest to the FBI. Agent Abara knows that there is more going on than Nate is telling him, and he isn't sure if the lies of omission and commission are directly or indirectly related to the bank robbery. Nate also has to deal with the watchful eye of Yuri, sent by Pavlo, to keep Nate in check. As Nate struggles with the task assigned by Pavlo, he decides to confront Janie and tell her everything that is going on. As time winds down on Nate's deadline, Pavlo decides to show Nate that he isn't joking about his threats to Janie and Cielle. After an attack on his family, Nate must decide how to proceed. Is it possible for him to outsmart not only the FBI but also Pavlo and his gang? Can he do all of this even though his ALS symptoms are getting worse?Mr. Hurwitz has provided a smart, suspense-thriller with The Survivor. It isn't possible to dislike Nate, even though he has pushed himself away from his family. There are times when I felt sorry for Nate and all of the things he has had to deal with: the death of his mother at a young age, an alcoholic and emotionally distant father, the Gulf War, the death of his best friend Charlie, his PTSD leading to the estrangement from his wife and child, and his diagnosis of ALS. Nate never sees himself as a hero and feels guilty for all of the harm he's brought to the people that he loves. Most of his guilt is centered on the fact that he did "nothing" when a bomb was left on the helicopter overseas. His buddy Charlie throws himself onto the bag containing the bomb and saves the lives of Nate and others. Even though Nate was able to free Charlie from the debris of the wreckage, Charlie dies from his injuries with Nate by his side. These moments provide the reader with glimpses of who Nate really is as a man. Even Janie and Cielle are able to forgive him from running away from them when the PTSD was really bad, and they are willing to work with Nate to thwart the bad guys.There's a lot of action, past and present, in The Survivor, and all are realistic. All of the characters, even the bad guys, are wholly believable. Nate may not consider himself to be a hero, but he's definitely one in the eyes of his family and to this reader. I felt sorrow, anger, and even fear while reading this story and never once did anything feel unrealistic or implausible. If you're looking for a well-crafted suspense thriller to read, then look no further. The Survivor is a great read and one that should be added to your to-be-read list as soon as possible. Just in case you couldn’t tell, I really enjoyed this story.

[she_climber · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book spins you around more than the tilt-a-whirl at the carnival but it so much more fun and you never want it to end. Hurwitz comes up with the most unlikely hero: Nate, a PSTD rattled war veteran with Lou Gehrig's disease who has lost everything on the ledge, literally, ready to jump and turns him into a gun smoking, gangster fighting man who defends the family he left behind beyond all comprehension. You can't help but root for Nate throughout the book and wish when it was all said and done you could sit and have a beer together. Not much more I can say without giving things away. After just a couple of books Greg Hurwitz is without a doubt on my list of all time favorite authors. You will not be disappointed in this book.

[rita_h-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(excerpt from my blog: My Home of Books)
In a word, intense. Another word could also describe it, thrilling. I loved this book! I am known as a reader of all things suspenseful, and this is like chocolate cake for me--yummy. If you are a fan of the genre, and don't mind staying up late to read the last few chapters (and you know you will) make sure you get this book. I have read two of Mr. Hurwitz's previous books (newer books are all stand-alone). I liked them but did not have this reaction to them. He has a new book out this year Tell No Lies and I am keeping fingers crossed that it is as good as this one.

I really liked Nate, the hero of the book, and he truly is a hero, as he saves many lives in a bank robbery gone wrong. The unique spin on this is that he is dying from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) so he feels he has nothing to lose by getting involved, since he was just about to jump from the bank building ledge anyway. I am not disclosing anything here--you will find out right off, on the first page. That's one of the reasons I so enjoyed this book; the first chapter is one of the more interesting ones I have read...ever. In my mind I was seeing the action played out while I read, and envisioned this as a great movie. It was (almost) worth the price just for the first two chapters-wow! I kept thinking of the authors Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay as I read this novel, and that is very high praise indeed coming from me.

Highly recommended for fans of Harlan Coben, Linwood Barclay and Gregg Hurwitz. For fans of suspense and thrillers, even if you have never read any of these authors (and you really should)! five stars

Already on my ten best list for books I read in year 2013

[bhabeck-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. (It made me late leaving for work twice because I just wanted to finish the chapter…)The book opens with Nate Overbay standing on a building ledge contemplating the 11-story drop to his death. Witnessing a bank robbery taking place in the building behind him, he decides to help as people are being gunned down. He steps into the bank and begins taking out the robbers without any thought to his own safety – after all, he was just going to kill himself. After his handgun clicks on an empty chamber, he comes face-to-face with the crew boss and is told that “he will make you pay.” Nate was on the verge of jumping because his life has fallen apart. He suffers from PTSD from his time with the military in Iraq, is estranged from the love-of-his-life who he met and married in college, has a teenage daughter who hates him and has now been diagnosed with ALS. If that wasn’t enough to bring him to suicide, he has now become the target of a Ukrainian mob boss, Pavlo Shevchenko, the man who hired the bank crew. Shevchenko threatens to kill Nate’s daughter if he doesn’t get the item that is kept in the safe deposit box at the bank and bring it to him by the end of the week.The race is on as Nate attempts to keeps his family safe from Shevchenko, retrieve the item and outwit the authorities.Rating: 4 Stars

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like to accompany my daily walk with a fast-paced, suspense-filled book. Diann Mills book The Survivor, book 2 in the Crime Scene: Houston series, fit the bill nicely. I had read The Chase, book 1 in the series, some months back so was familiar with the main characters. While it is not necessary to read the first book to enjoy The Survivor, I recommend reading it in order to see the development of the characters’ relationship with each other and with God.Kariss is contacted by crime victim, now counselor, Amy Garrett, about writing a novel to chronicle her ordeal and to help others face their fears. Kariss has vowed that she will not again put herself in harms way while researching a novel, but Amy’s story seems to have made the wrong people mad. Her relationship with Tigo Harris, an FBI agent, has ended, but when the story research and a high profile car bombing/murder intersect, they are put together again to discover who is threatening Kariss and his connection with Tigo’s case.Mills has written a puzzling suspense novel well suited to the audiobook format. The reader did a good job of narration without intruding on the story. The characters are likable, although Kariss is a frustrating character. She wavers back and forth about her safety and her desire to defy the threats on her life. There is a romantic thread in the story as well and it develops very nicely.All in all, I would recommend The Survivor in whatever format you may choose.Recommended.

[mbarkman_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In The Survivor DiAnn Mills actually gives the reader two stories in one...and though it could be confusing, she manages to use this method to increase the tension, the drama and your adrenaline. I have so far not read book one in the series, The Chase, and yet I did not find it at all detrimental. When I do go back and read the first one, I will likely have some spaces filled that I was not aware of being empty. That is the trade mark of a good author, I believe. This is really an edge of your seat page turner, and I found it difficult to come back to the real world, or even to have time to breathe. The characters are human, complete with flaws and strengths, the evil believable, yet conquered. Though at time the story seems dark and forbidding, there is hope and light at the end of it. Not all of the people were loveable, but that gives the story a deeper context.More and more I am thinking that things are not what they seem, and the things I see, remember or read, as in this novel, I will do so in the light of my own experiences, dreams and life. In case you are not sure, The Survivor has found a place on my Keeper Shelf!I received this novel free from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan through their Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions stated are my own.