Shadows of the Past

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While she’s stalking the truth…
Someone is stalking her.

Psychology professor and criminal profiler Taylor Martin prides herself on being able to solve any crime, except the one she wants most desperately to solve—the disappearance of her father twenty years ago.  When she finally has a lead on his whereabouts, Taylor returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi, to investigate.  But as she works to uncover the truth, someone else will do almost anything to keep her from it.

Nick Sinclair pens mystery novels for a living, but the biggest mystery to him is how he can ever get over the death of his wife—a tragedy he believes he could have prevented.  Now that his estranged brother is the only family he has left, Nick sets out to find him.  But when he crosses paths with Taylor, all he seems to find is trouble.

Join the chase as Taylor and Nick search the murky shadows of the past for the keys to unlocking the present—and moving into a future they never imagined.

Review

There are certain elements that I feel are needed in order to make a great mystery.  Of course, these elements are very subjective depending on the reader.  As I’m reading a novel, I mentally check off each thing in my mind (if it is there).  One of the first things I look for is the plot, for invariably, without the plot, the book dies a quick death.  For a mystery in particular, the plot has to be twisty, one that keeps you guessing, and leaves you completely surprised in the end. 

The next thing I look for is the suspense factor – the kind that leaves you staying up waaaay past bedtime in order to “finish the next chapter” because you just can’t put the book down and leave all these darned questions unanswered!

Finally, the characters – do they move the story along, are they likeable, are they unique (no generic, two-dimensional ones, please!), and do I feel invested in their lives (i.e. am I cheering for them?).

For Shadows of the Past, I felt that it had wonderful characters.  I loved the aspects of Taylor’s job, and it made me feel like I was in the middle of a Criminal Minds episode.  Nick was the perfect guy – strong, loyal.  However, the traumatic experience he endured with the death of his wife made my heart break for him.  And as this is a little bit of a romance novel, I have to comment that the chemistry between Nick and Taylor was, while tumultuous at first, became very sweet.

As far as the suspense, it had several dramatic and dangerous situations that amped up the story, but I felt there could have been more surprises and unexpected scenarios.  With the story, it was an excellent plot, but I found that there were too many clues scattered through the pages in that I had a pretty good suspicion of the guilty party before the big reveal, so that was a bit of a disappointment. 

In all, while it wasn’t the best mystery I’ve ever read, I found Shadows of the Past to be a solid novel, and I will be interested in reading book 2 in the “Logan Point” series.  Crossing my fingers that it’s about Taylor’s best friend, Livy! 


Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Prepared for a Purpose

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870 children waited in fear as their elementary school rushed into lockdown mode.  As the nation faced yet another Sandy Hook story of tragedy, one woman rewrote the ending.

Yet the story doesn’t start with those first steps Michael Hill took into that Atlanta elementary school.  It starts with Antoinette Tuff, a woman who faced her own pain, hurt, and rejection, yet held onto grace, faith, and hope.  A hope that anchored her in the most high-stakes moments, a grace that allowed her to empathize with a hurting young man, and a faith that gave her the courage to love him back from the brink.

This is more than just the amazing account of tragedy averted.  It’s the evidence of what we can do when we allow ourselves to be used by God.  And it’s a story of how God uses all of our life experiences—the good and the bad—to prepare us for our own moment of divine purpose.

Review

Antoinette Tuff did what many of us couldn’t.  She faced a man who was threatening the lives of hundreds of students and teachers with courage, poise, and calmness.   I know when I’m faced with tense and confrontational situations, my heart starts to race, thoughts sometimes turn cloudy, and my hands start to shake.  While I’ve never encountered situations with people wherein I felt physically in danger, I can only imagine what it would feel like to be in the position that Antoinette was in.

But Antoinette didn’t do it on her own power.  As she states, “…they weren’t my words.  It was God speaking through me.”  God was with her every step of the way, leading her, giving her the words to say, and telling her what to do.  Antoinette further illustrates that not only was God with her at that moment, but he was with her previously in her life, using her own circumstances – good and bad – to prepare her for this very moment.  She knew how to communicate with kids as she worked in a school and was a parent; she knew how to deal with difficult personalities and emotions through various people that filtered in and out of her life; and, she also had plenty of experience in soldiering through difficult, heart-rending circumstances, as she encountered many throughout her life.  I loved how she pointed out the key to it all - to trust God.  Antoinette started each day with her Bible and talking to Jesus.  When you set your day in a firm foundation, God will give you the strength to take whatever life throws at you.

An inspiring memoir, Prepared for a Purpose, is a story I will not easily forget.


Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Wildwood Creek

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With love and loss tangled together, how was she to know where her life would lead?

Allie Kirkland has always heard the call of her father’s unfinished destiny.  When she’s offered a production assistant’s job on a docudrama filming in the hills near Moses Lake, Texas, the dream of following in her director-father’s footsteps suddenly seems within reach.  The re-enactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step into the film industry.  A summer on set in the wilderness is a small price to pay for a dream.

But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities.  Town founder Harland Delavan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip.  Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the region’s folk songs.  Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned.

When filming begins, strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, and everyone in Wildwood—including Blake Fulton, Allie’s handsome neighbor on the film set—seems to be hiding secrets.  Allie doesn’t know whom she can trust.  If she can’t find the answers in time, history may repeat itself…with the most unthinkable results.

Review

What a fresh new novel from Lisa Wingate!  From the first page, the story is shrouded is an eerie mystery that mingles the past with the present.  Caught in the middle is Allie Kirkland, who just wants to work as a production assistant, but gets more than she bargains for when she is pulled into the intrigue surrounding the life of Bonnie Rose and the inhabitants of Wildwood.  Add to that her headstrong friend, Kim, who likes to overstep boundaries, and a handsome, albeit secretive, neighbour, Blake, (who Allie can’t help but be attracted to), Allie Kirkland is in for one crazy summer.

With rich characters, some of which appear to have “hidden agendas”, and a story full of twists and turns, Wildwood Creek is a great book with a little bit of everything to satisfy a wide range of readers.  I loved the fact that it is a continuation of Lisa’s "Moses Lake" series, as there are a few reappearances of the town’s most colourful residents.  As with her previous novels, Wildwood Creek shows off Lisa’s lyrical writing and beautiful prose.  I particularly enjoyed the heightened sense of mystery that kept a strong thread of intrigue throughout the chapters.  Lisa’s stories just keep getting better and better!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Dare to Love Again

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She’s a sassy socialite burned by love.  He’s a jaded cop burned by the upper class.  When sparks fly…will love catch fire again?

Spunky Allison McClare is determined to be a fearless, independent woman.  But when she takes a notion to explore the wild Barbary Coast, she quickly discovers she’s no match for the unsavory characters that haunt the dark streets.

Detective Nick Barone would rather do almost anything than teach this petite socialite self-defense, but it seems he has little choice.  Sparks fly every time the two meet until a grudging friendship develops into something deeper.  But is he just a fraud like all the rest of the men Allison’s cared for?  Or is he the one who will let her dare to love again?

Award-winning author Julie Lessman brings the glamour of Gilded Age San Francisco to vibrant life in this journey to find a love that never fails.

 

Review

Not since Jen Turano's novels have I read a more witty and laugh-out-loud story.  Dare to Love Again chronicles the "war" between Mr. Pinhead and Miss La-di-da, aka, Detective Barone (with a long "e") and Allison McClare (who is not a snob, thank you very much) as Allison battles for independence and Detective Barone just wants to do his job and prevent Allison from making foolhardy decisions regarding her safety. Needless to say, these two characters are full of personality and irresistibly engaging.  Combining that with the intriguing mystery surrounding Detective Barone, made this story a very fun and fast read.

I was first introduced to Julie Lessman in Love at Any Cost, the first book in this series, "The Heart of San Francisco".  I loved that novel, and equally enjoyed this one.  I can't wait for the next installment!

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Dancing Master

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Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over.  But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch’s daughter.  Though he’s initially wary of Julia Midwinter’s reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul—and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master—a man her mother would never approve of—but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London or why he evades questions about his past.  With Alec’s help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village…and to her mother’s tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a “good match” in Regency England.

Review

Julie Klassen loves Jane Austen and the Regency classics, and it shows throughout The Dancing Master.  Julie pays homage to the social classes, propriety, closeted scandals and arranged marriages that were a mark of that time of life.

While a tad slow at the beginning, the story eventually picks up the pace as many different intriguing revelations come to light throughout the novel.  The romance is sweet, the relationships complicated, and the story was full of many twists and turns.  Overall, The Dancing Master is a lovely period drama that would be enjoyed by the most ardent Regency fans.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

No One to Trust

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She doesn’t know who she’s running from—

And the man she loves may be someone else entirely.

Summer Abernathy wakes up one morning to find her husband missing, three men in her home intent on finding him, and the life she’s been living based on a lie.  Which Kyle Abernathy did she marry?  The computer programmer she met in line at the bank?  Or the one who was apparently using that image as a cover?

The search for her husband—and answers—takes Summer ever deeper into a world of organized crime where people are used one moment and discarded the next.  And with her deepest relationship of trust already shattered, Summer doesn’t know who to believe.

Always thrilling, bestselling author Lynette Eason outdoes herself in this taut, breakneck story of lies, loyalties, and love that will have you up all night to discover the truth hidden in the shadows.

Review

It was SO hard to book this down.  Non. Stop. Action!  It was a constant roller coaster: the first chapter, and practically every other one, starts off with a bang, and ended with another.  Bullets fly, brawls break out, car chases ensue, all of which are squished between lots of intrigue, and a double-shot of drama to make this a thrill-seeker’s dream.  Forget the latest action movies in the theatres – just pick up this book for crazy suspense experience!

I know this is a short review, but honestly, not much else needs to be said.  No One to Trust = a GREAT read!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

 

Orchard of Hope

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The smoldering embers of unrest are stirring—

And even Jocie’s sweet spirit can’t put them out.

It’s already been an eventful summer for Jocie Brooke.  Little does she know, things have only just begun to heat up.  Drought has gripped the quiet Kentucky town of Hollyhill and it seems as if everyone is waiting—for rain, for a fresh start, for the next step toward the future.

Into this tense haze of anticipation comes a new family, aiming to make a better life for themselves by planting an orchard on the outskirts of town.  Fresh off the freedom train, Alex and Myra Hearndon are sensitive to what the color of their skin may mean in the segregated South.  And even though Jocie quickly befriends the family, suspicion from both sides of the racial divide proves a formidable obstacle.  Can Jocie help bridge the gap?  Or will life in her quiet community fall apart at the seams?

Bestselling author Ann Gabhart invites you back to Hollyhill for a gripping tale of unexpected friendship, forgiveness, and the bright promise of a new beginning.

Review

Ann Gabhart is such a beautiful writer.  When it comes to quality of writing, Ann slides neatly into the same group as Lisa Wingate, as her words create clear pictures and a flow in the story that seems completely effortless.  Reading books by Ann is akin to taking a breath of clean air – fresh and utterly satisfying.

Orchard of Hope is the sequel to Scent of Lilacs, and I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation.  Jocie is as endearing as ever, viewing the world through her unique and introspective lens.  Not one to shy away from tough topics, Ann brings the issues of racial discrimination and cruel judgment to the forefront of this book, aptly showing how God’s love can change lives and bring people together even in the midst of such harsh adversity. 

Orchard of Hope is a wonderfully written novel that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.