Shades of Mercy

Shades of Mercy, by Anita Lustrea and Caryn Rivadeneira

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Someday

…her father will see Mercy for the young woman she has become.

…Mercy and Mick can move their relationship out from the shadows.

…Mercy will leave Maine’s Northwoods for the world outside.

Although other parts of the country were changing, the Maliseets of Maine’s Northwoods were still relegated to shanties on the local garbage dump.  Those who found work were farmhands, not bosses.  And, of course, a Maliseet boy could never date the farmer’s daughter.  Not ever.

All of that began to change in 1954.  As racial tensions escalate, Mercy and her Maliseet boyfriend find it nearly impossible to hold on to their someday dream…then disaster strikes, looking surprisingly like the grace of God.

Review

Shades of Mercy is set in a time not even a decade after World War II, where the world saw some of the worst evil man could ever be capable of with the attempt at the genocide of the Jews.  It was also a time of the beginning of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the days of Martin King Luther Jr., and when American was turned upside down (again) in a push for all men to be seen as equal.

But also during that time was a rising awareness of the harsh treatment of the Maliseet Indians of Maine.  This tribe lived in conditions not fit for any human being, and were forced to do menial labour for low wages.

It is within this setting that the story picks up, following a young farm girl, Mercy, as she navigates this minefield of human emotion and actions while she herself is on the cusp of adulthood.  She can’t completely understand why she and Mick, a Maliseet Indian, can’t openly be a couple.  To her, they were a boy and a girl who liked each other.  Why was it such a big deal?  But one thing leads to another, and soon Mercy finds herself having to fight her hardest to for her and Mick, and the future they want together.

A moving story, Shades of Mercy is a novel that packs a big punch.  Illustrating the suffering that is caused by racism – something that affects people of every race, whether they are rich or poor, young or old, single, married, etc. – it is, at times, a heartbreaking, yet sweet, story, of a budding, forbidden love between two young people. 

STAY TUNED: I will be hosting a giveaway for this novel.  More details to come!


River North provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for this review which I freely give.

For Such a Time

For Such a Time, by Kate Breslin

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In 1944, Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy.  Pressed into service by SS Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, her Aryan-like looks allow her to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller.  However, to maintain her cover as von Schmidt’s secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz.

Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths, Stella appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp.  Aric’s indulgence gives her hope even as she risks discovery with every attempt to help the prisoners.  When her bravery brings her to the point of ultimate sacrifice, she faces an excruciating choice.  God may have brought her to the camp for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she cannot save herself?

Review

I had such a hard time putting this book down!  With every life precariously hung in the balance and the tension thick and taut through each sentence, it kept me riveted to the pages, devouring each and every chapter until the final, dramatic end. 

My heart broke along with Hadassah, through every trial she had to go through, and the pain she had to endure.  While this is a fictional story, it is placed during World War II, so the circumstances the Jews faced were very real.  It is hard to imagine having your family torn away from you, and watching your friends, neighbours, and fellow human beings treated no better than a disease that had to be eradicated.  And as my heart was breaking, I also felt the righteous anger that rose up within Hadassah.  She could not, would not, stand by and allow these innocent people being led like sheep to the slaughter.  She had to do everything she could to save them. 

A moving and heart-pounding story, For Such a Time is certainly not forgettable.  And it is one that should not be missed.


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.

Distortion

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A husband’s lies can have deadly consequences.
 
When Juliet Cole’s husband of fifteen years is murdered before her eyes, she thinks it was a random shooting.  Devastated and traumatized, she answers hours of questioning, then returns home to break the tragic news to her sons.  But a threatening voicemail escalates this from a random shooting to a planned, deliberate attack.
 
Juliet realizes that she and her children are in danger too—unless she meets the killers’ demands.  But as she and her sisters untangle the clues, her husband’s dark secrets come to light.  The more she learns, the more her life is dismantled.  Was her husband an innocent victim or a hardened criminal?

Review

This book reminded me of the Nancy Drew novels I used to devour when I was younger.  Every chapter ended on a cliff-hanger, practically “forcing” me to read the next one to get a resolution, only to end up reading the next chapter, and the next…until before I knew it, the novel was over, and I could finally pry my tense fingers off the page and breathe normally again.
 
Distortion was very much like those Nancy Drew mysteries, where nearly every chapter ends on a climax, and it was so hard to stop reading!  The story was fast-paced, packed with action, and so many twists and turns to keep you guessing.  Even the last chapter ended on a climatic note, causing me to search the author’s website for the publication date for book #3 (March, 2015!).  I would highly recommend this read for the suspense lovers out there!


POSTSCRIPT: This book is actually #2 in the “Moonlighters” series.  I don’t normally read books out of order, but it just happened that way with Distortion.  Throughout this novel, there were a lot of references to what happened previously in the characters’ lives, and while I was able to navigate through the book with little difficulty, I would recommend reading book #1 (Truth Stained Lies) first as there are some plot spoilers in Distortion. 


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Death by the Book

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Drew Fathering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement.  Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.

Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl’s tearful confession point to the victim’s double life, but what does the solicitor’s murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course?  Nothing, it would seem—except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.

Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn’t at all certain they have the right suspect in custody.  And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?

Review

Reading a “Drew Farthering Mystery” feels like I literally stepped into 1932 England, with the dinner parties, housekeeping staff (including the butler!), accents (detectable even through the written word), and the dry, but witty British humour.  The teasing banter between Drew and his best friend, Nick, never ceases to crack me up.  I love the picture shown of a steadfast friendship between the two – it illustrates the way friends should be: honest, loyal, and always ready to help.

The story itself was awesome!  The murders and clues were so bizarre and had me completely befuddled until the culprit was finally revealed.  I love it when the story keeps me guessing and has me figuring out the story at the same pace as the character.  Nothing spoils a mystery novel more than knowing who the culprit is long before the “big reveal”.

A thread of romance was woven throughout the story, creating a nice balance with the dastardly crimes.

All in all, a smashing mystery novel, and I will be looking forward to the next instalment in this series!


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.

A Heart's Rebellion

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In a world governed by unspoken rules,

one young woman is about to break them all…

Dutiful Jessamine Barry is tired of waiting patiently for a man to decide her future.  So even though Lancelot Marfleet, second son of an aristocrat, is taking an interest in her during the London season, she refuses to consider him as a suitor.  Instead, she’s ready to take fashionable society by storm—and finds a rakish young man all too willing to help her do it.

Can Jessamine trust her heart to lead her to a love that proves true through thick and thin?  Or will her rash actions close the door on the life she really desires?

Review 

While it took me a couple chapters to get into this story, but once I was in, I was hooked.  The relationships, the drama, the romance weaved into a Regency style story made for a very entertaining story.  The character of Jessamine was very relatable – a girl who had her heart broken and feels very unwanted.  Feeling very inadequate, she decides to become someone else, someone presumably exciting, a person that everyone would want to know and be drawn to.  We’ve all felt at times unwanted or lacking, and feeling if we just flip that magic switch, to be like the “other person” who always appears to have friends and attention, then all our cares and worries would float away, and the fun would begin.  While it is always a good thing to strive to improve one’s character, when we stray from who we are, and become someone we are not – someone God did not create us to be – the end result is completely unsatisfying.  True friends will love you for who you are. 

Jessamine’s emotions provided the perfect backdrop to cause me to root for her in finding true acceptance, and true love.  A tense climax in the novel kept me flipping pages with bated breath, waiting and hoping for a Knight to burst into the scene.  A Heart’s Rebellion is a lovely story, and one of the best Regency novels I’ve ever 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.

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.