Vengeance in the Mist by Robin Patchen - A Book Review

  

This is the nineteenth of Robin Patchen's books that I have read and reviewed. I've given most of them five stars and none less than four, but this is my favorite of her works thus far. Misty Lake has led a difficult life and has seen more than her share of danger, leaving her with a strong desire to put bad guys away as an attorney with Boston's District Attorney's office. Who else had that desire as strongly as she did, certainly not ambitious Tate Steele who cared only for climbing the ladder at the DA's office, or could she have misjudged her colleague of several years? Misty's drive once again places her in the crosshairs of some really bad actors. Might Tate be more of an ally than she would have ever imagined? Could she trust him, possibly even with her life? Robin Patchen leads readers on a quest for the answers to these questions, and what a great ride that becomes! Robin is at the top of her game in plotting great suspense with believable relationship development in Vengeance in the Mist. Of course, as always, I recommend reading all of the Coventry Saga books in order even though each works well as a stand-alone read. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from the author without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar - A Book Review

  

I learn so much from reading Mario Escobar's books, especially about the history of Spain. The Swiss Nurse begins during a civil war in Spain in the late 1930s and continues into Germany's occupation of France and the United States entering World War II. Hundreds of thousands of Spanish refugees fled into southern France during the civil war creating a severe humanitarian crisis. Elisabeth Eidenbenz, a Swiss teacher, along with members of the Association to Aid Children in War worked diligently to aid as many orphaned children as possible. Elisabeth soon recognized that there was also a great need to assist pregnant women and newborn babies. Her persistence in seeking permission and funding led to Elisabeth's opening the Elne maternity hospital. The Swiss Nurse is the story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz and a couple who benefited from her care and compassion. While Elisabeth is a real character, the couple is fictional.

I really enjoyed reading The Swiss Nurse, but was keenly aware of my emotional response to the story based on the author's writing style employed in crafting this book. While I felt moved and empathetic to the characters' plight, I also felt somewhat removed. It was like the difference between speaking with someone who was involved in a situation vs only hearing about it on the nightly news. While this is not my typical response to war time historical fiction, it did not diminish my enjoyment in reading the story, nor does it make me the least bit hesitant in recommending it to other historical fiction fans. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Swiss Nurse from Harper Muse via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Year of Jubilee by Cindy Morgan - A Book Review

  

Cindy Morgan has won thirteen Dove awards, including Songwriter of the Year. She has written two adult non-fiction books, and one children's picture book. The Year of Jubilee is her debut adult fiction novel, but it reads like the work of a seasoned author. This coming-of-age story is told through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Grace Mockingbird who is growing up in the small town of Jubilee, Kentucky in 1963. Her story focuses on challenges to the relationships within her family and among different parts of her community. Those having grown up in the south during the civil rights movement will identify with the struggles, as unfortunately will some who still see or live with disparities. Morgan deals with the theme of the purpose of suffering within both of these storylines, doing so with great wisdom and empathy. Her character development for both primary and secondary characters is skillfully accomplished resulting in strong emotional reactions on the part of the reader.

Even though we are only a third of the way through the year, I believe The Year of Jubilee will be one of my top five book at year's end. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer - A Book Review

  

Set in 1897, The Tapestry of Grace is a multi-themed story following the lives of three Mennonite Church families. Augusta Dyck, is a widow with an eleven-year old daughter. She works as a teacher for the youngest grades in Alexandertol's school. Konrad Rempel is a widower with eight-year-old twin boys. Looking after them during the school harvest-time break while working in his blacksmith shop poses quite a challenge. Martina and Gerhard Krahn's marriage is in trouble, at least until Martina comes up with a plan that will impact the lives of each of these families. Their stories demonstrate the great importance of clear, honest communication, the importance of living in community, and that God can and often does use situations we may view as negative to bring good into someone's life. Kim Vogel Sawyer has developed characters in whom readers quickly become invested. She places them in realistic situations that bring about moral dilemmas. Readers will feel the tension created as characters wrestle with decisions which will be far reaching.

I highly recommend The Tapestry of Grace, and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from WaterBrook via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Blind Trust by Natalie Walters - A Book Review

  

Agents at the SNAP Agency find themselves in the position of investigating threats made against one of their own, Agent Lyla Fox. Lyla's impulsive nature and her high tolerance of risk make protecting her difficult, and especially stressful to Agent Nicolás Garcia. Tensions between the two increase as does their awareness of the attraction between them. Natalie Walters has penned a romantic suspense with international intrigue, danger, family drama, and romance with just a bit of sizzle. Suspicions are planted and surprises spring at just the right times to keep readers thoroughly engaged with the story. The humor provided by the team's self-proclaimed IT genius is well played providing the needed break when tensions reach the breaking point. Blind Trust is a very enjoyable read.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary of this book from Revell through LibraryThing without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese - A Book Review

  

I am not sure why I find it easy to write reviews for good books, or even some great books, but struggle to write reviews for books that touch me to my very core, books whose characters have so much to teach me about living a life fully relying on the love of God. The Words We Lost is just such a book. Nicole Deese is no stranger to grief, and unselfishly shares from the root of her experience. Her characters aren't limited to the experience of grief; their relationships with God are also impacted by feelings of abandonment, addiction, and anxiety. Readers will be blessed to wade through and sometimes plunge into troubled waters with them, and even more so to surface on the other side with the One who calms the waters.

The Words We Lost is one of those rare finds that is finely crafted and leaves its mark on the reader for its beauty and the truths it reveals. I am very grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Broker of Lies by Steven James - A Book Review

  

On several of the pages for bookish Facebook groups that I follow, I frequently see requests for recommendations for books of interest to male readers. Broker of Lies would definitely be at the top of my list, along with other books by Steven James, in response to these requests. That would be true whether it was related to general fiction or Christian fiction. Females will love this book as well.

Broker of Lies focuses on the main character's struggle in differentiating between justice, retribution, and vengeance. It puts the reader in a position to ponder the justifying of one's actions based on the concept of the greater good. Both of these weighty themes are explored against the backdrop of a storyline that brings the safety of nuclear energy into question. The author, who lives with his family in the Smokey Mountains, sets this novel in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home of the US Department of Energy's largest multi-disciplinary laboratory whose goal, according to their website, is to protect nuclear materials and to enable their secure, peaceful use for energy production, medical applications, and scientific discovery around the world. Tensions run high in this fast-paced, multi-faceted story. While the main storyline does come to a satisfying conclusion, readers will definitely be left anxious for the second book in James' Travis Brock Thriller series as there are many questions left to be answered.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright - A Book Review

  

Women have been vanishing at Castle Moreau for over one hundred fifty years, never to be seen or heard from again. Obviously the same person could not be responsible for them all. Was it a generational curse that led to the Moreau-Tremblay family's involvement in these disappearances or was someone or something else lurking in the hidden passages of Castle Moreau?

As always Jaime Jo Wright takes us through a haunting tale, one that makes the hairs rise on the back of our necks, one that leads us near the supernatural, and ends at the foot of the throne of God. The Vanishing at Castle Moreau may not lead quite as far down that supernatural path as some of Wright's past books, but it does have its fair share of spookiness, and it does leave us with a significant message of God's strength to conquer fear and evil, and His desire to use us to care for one another.

I highly recommend this book as well as any among Wrights' oeuvre. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.