Ambush by Colleen Coble - A Book Review

  

Ambush is the first in Colleen Coble's Sanctuary Novel series. It has the bonus of including appearances from her Pelican Harbor series and the Tupelo Grove series she co-wrote with Rick Acker. The novel is written in a similar style to these two series. Her protagonists are people who have had great challenges in life, survived, and are now ready to thrive. Unfortunately, obstacles abound, unlike answers which are elusive. A series of unexplained events from break-ins to possible murder place Blake Lawson in Deputy Creed Greene's crosshairs, in spite of the fact that it appears that Blake is actually the victim rather than the perpetrator. Blake, along with his high school girlfriend, who has recently returned to solve a mystery from her own past, must work to solve the mystery of who is after Blake before he finds himself in jail for the crimes.

Ambush has all the elements necessary for a great romantic suspense story: a wonderful plot, well-planted clues and red herrings, romantic tension, high stakes for the protagonists, and several likely suspects. Coble has pulled them all together to create a story readers won't be able to put down, and she has left a bit of a cliffhanger originating from the case Paradise Alden originally came to investigate to prepare us for the next book in the series. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Ambush from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma

  

We have all heard of the Great Chicago Fire, a conflagration that began on October 8, 1871, but few of us are likely to be familiar with the fire that consumed the village of Peshtigo in northeastern Wisconsin on that same day. Approximately three hundred people died in the Great Chicago Fire. Between twelve hundred and twenty-five hundred were killed in the Peshtigo fire. Exact numbers were impossible to ascertain as the extremely hot fires reduced many bodies to ash.

The fire in Peshtigo, Wisconsin is the focus of the latest addition to Barbour Publishing's A Day to Remember series. It is written by Liz Tolsma. While the main characters are fictional, the details of the disaster are well-researched and accurately yet sensitively described. Mariah Randolph suffers great loss during the fire, loss beyond material possessions, and even beyond loss of loved ones. The story becomes one of reconciling faith and the hope and joy found in choosing to see God's blessings even in times of hardship.

Seeds of this story were planted in the author's heart and mind years ago. Now, readers will be blessed with the fully mature product of those seeds. When the Sky Burned is a story whose encouragement will linger on for some time. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this novel from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.