Night Fall

 

Back Cover

For any little boy or girl who hears the Train Man speak,

Who feels his rancid breath caress their pretty cheek,

Must close their eyes, pretend to sleep, and very softly pray,

Or else the evil Train Man may carry them away.

Finally free of her troubled upbringing, Alex Donovan is able to live out her childhood dream of working for the FBI. But soon after she becomes a member of FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, authorities in Missouri contact them about bodies found on freight trains - all killed in the same way.

Alex never expected to be forced to confront her past in this new job, but she immediately recognizes the graffiti messages the killer is leaving on the train cars.  When the BAU sends her to gather information about the messages from her aunt in Wichita, Kansas, Alex is haunted by the struggles she thought she'd left behind forever.

In a race against time to solve4 the case and recover a deadly virus sample the killer intends to spread, Alex must face how far she'll go - and what she's willing to risk - to put a stop to the Train Man.

Review

Night Fall is...certifiably creepy. I was super excited for a new Christian crime novel - a chance to cheer on the good guys while they chase down the bad ones while also showing growth in faith. But I struggled with this one. I had picked up this book many times to start it, but had to put it back down for something different as I couldn't get past the first few pages. While I'm a huge fan of suspense novels, this one set me on edge, and not in a thrill-seeking way. By diving in deep into the depraved Train Man's mind, you learn more of his story of growing up in a perverted cult and having absolutely terrible parents. It creates somewhat of an understanding of how he came to be, but the double-edged sword is that you have to read through a whole lot of darkness to get to that point. This certainly isn't a lighter police procedural drama like "Castle", but a dark and twisted ride without a whole lot of light at the end of the tunnel. 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  

Come Back to Me

 

Back Cover

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? 

Crazy.

That's exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father's quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them.  But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions.  He's left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he's crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight, comes to Marian's rescue and offers her protection...as his wife.  The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund is your guide down the twisting waters of time to a volatile era of superstition, revolts, and chivalry in this suspenseful story.

Review

The year 2021 keeps getting better and better when it comes to good reads.  Come Back to Me has vaulted itself to the top of my "Favourites" list for this year! It has everything you could possible want in a time-travel novel: rich historical detail, swoon-worthy romance, multi-faceted characters, and a fully engaging story that caused me to stay up waaay too late one night in order to finish! I love, love this novel. Marian is a worthy heroine: strong, independent, and stubborn, who works tirelessly seeking only for the good of her family. Will is handsome and broody, a chivalrous knight with a dark and troubled past. Together, they set each other's hearts on fire as they fall head over heels in love. However, Marion finds herself faced with an unbearable choice: save her sister who is suffering from an incurable disease, or stay with Will, her one heart's desire?

I'm so happy to see this book is the first part in a series!  I cannot wait for the next instalment to arrive in January 2022!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.