Blind Trust by Sandra Orchard – A Book Review

     Kate Adams is the Nancy Drew of pharmaceutical researchers, finding herself in increasing numbers of dangerous situations, some of her own making, some not.  Tom Parker would be the ideal person for her to develop a relationship with, a detective who is used to dealing with trouble, which seems to follow Kate everywhere she goes.  However both Kate and Tom have histories that complicate the matter. Sandra Orchard has also cast a large number of supporting characters who fall in and out of suspicion.  At one point in my reading, I thought I’d use an analogy of Ms Orchard and a tassel maker, someone who ties up all of the loose ends, but it wasn’t too many pages later when the ends began to unravel, and the mystery or should I say mysteries, took an unexpected turn.  Blind Trust will keep the reader up at night, and grabbing minutes whenever they can be found during the day, driven by a desire to know who is behind the counterfeiting that plagues this small town, who is behind the threats directed at Kate, and what is causing the erratic behavior displayed by Kate’s elderly neighbor.

     Ms Orchard has truly mastered the smooth flow of dialogue in her writing.  Conversations sound natural and not contrived, and her readers can easily immerse themselves into the scene being played out with this author’s skill. There is one drawback to Blind Trust, a significant one for me.  I am one of those readers who prefers book series in which the reader can enjoy getting more involved with a particular group of characters while feeling that each individual book comes to a conclusion.  This book does not fit that description.  If you are a reader who likes for the story to continue on throughout a series, lingering with the details of a particular storyline, then this book is for you.    

     Ms Orchard throws in a nice little bonus at the end of this book, a recipe for the muffins mentioned several times within the story.  Our three and a half year old granddaughter helped me to bake the muffins one Saturday afternoon because in her words she, “loves, Loves, LOVES muffins.”  These muffins were a big hit, but I will admit she talked me into doubling the cinnamon in the recipe so that they might taste “more like Daddy’s cinnamon rolls.”

     I received Blind Trust by Sandra Orchard compliments of Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.  I hope many of you will also enjoy this book, book 2, from the Port Aster Secrets series.  Happy Reading!

Summer of Joy by Ann H. Gabhart - A Book Review

     When I was working time to read for pleasure was in short supply, so I tended to play it safe with authors I knew and loved. One of the best things about retirement is having the time to meet and spend time with authors that are new to me.  I was thrilled to spend time with Ann Gabhart in the pages of her book, Summer of Joy.  Now I was a little concerned about reading book three of The Heart of Hollyhill series without having read books one and two, but there was no need to be.  The story was easy to follow and enjoy, with just enough references to the previous books to provide necessary information and to motivate me to read those books in the future. 

     Hollyhill, Kentucky, the setting of this story, is a small town where everyone knows what is going on with everyone else.  In the 1960s it is still a town where children can safely roam free (well most of the time).  It is also a town where emotions and secrets run deep, and where they can be brought to the surface by a returning former resident as well as some new characters in  town.  It is a town that protects and nurtures its own, and those it adopts as its own.  It is peopled by those who know how to forgive, and those who don’t, and by some who don’t even realize the need.  It is a town slowly changing as the world around it changes, beginning to see the similarities more than the differences among its people, but also experiencing the accompanying growing pains.  It is a town where people are working to get a right and accurate view of themselves and of God. 

     Character development is one of the things that Ann Gabhart does best.  She fills Hollyhill with a cast of quirky characters: those that are down to earth, those that have been earthed (You’ll have to read the book to understand that one.), those with their heads in the heavens, and those whose heads may be just a bit scrambled.  As I read the thought kept coming to mind that fans of Jan Karon’s Mitford series would love Summer of Joy. David, pastor of Mt. Pleasant church, and Leigh’s romance is reminiscent of Father Tim and Cynthia’s.  Wesley Green’s stories of life on Jupiter made me want to return to Mitford and visit with Uncle Billy and some of the other eccentric characters who reside there.  They also made me want to get the first two books in Gabhart’s Hollyhill series so that I could join Wes and his young friend and surrogate granddaughter, Josie, David’s teenage daughter, on their adventures.

     I believe that Summer of Joy will appeal to a wide audience.  Young adult readers will identify with Jocie and her coming of age story.  Young wives and mothers will be touched by Tabitha and Leigh’s stories, and the love they have for those they nurture along with the insecurities they feel.  Older readers will enjoy reminiscing about a time gone by, and will be touched by the wisdom as well as the frailties that come with age.  All will enjoy the ebb and flow as Gabhart builds and releases tension as her story unfolds.  Tensions are bound to be present when the first wife, who abandoned her husband and young daughter, is headed back to town, as her former husband and his fiancé make plans.  They are bound to be present when a teacher takes an immediate dislike to one of his students, and when that same teacher sets his sights on her father’s fiancé.  Tensions mount when someone oversteps her bounds and sets off a series of events related to a past her co-worker prefers to forget.  Tensions will mount as you read this book, the kind that readers love, the kind that keep them reading. 

Thank you to Revell, the publisher, for sending me a copy of Summer Joy for my honest opinion of the book.    

Thread of Suspicion by Susan Sleeman – A Book Review

     The continued saga of the Justice Agency, a private detection/protection agency run by adopted siblings, proved to be an engaging read.  I have read books three and four in the series, and am interested in going back to read books 1 and 2.  I believe the books can be enjoyed in any order.  Book 5 comes out in March of this year. 

      In Thread of Suspicion the youngest Justice sibling, Dani, struggles to exert her independence, and to be viewed as a capable adult by both her family and their current client, Luke Baldwin.  In trying to prove Luke’s innocence in the sabotage of his company’s software, designed to protect our soldiers in harm’s way, Dani meets her nemesis, Echo, once again.  Both she and Luke’s sister are in Echo’s crosshairs, and both must rely on each of their siblings for protection.  Dani fights off the attraction she feels for Luke as she works to be in control of the situation they all have found themselves in.  Luke also struggles with these feelings as his company and his livelihood are under attack, and as he is haunted by his past. 

     Susan Sleeman keeps the romance tense, but clean.  The romance and the mystery in her books play well together, neither dominating the other.  The pace of the story keeps the reader turning pages, and not wanting to put the book down.  I would definitely recommend her books to romance and mystery lovers alike. 

     I won this book in a contest, and was under no obligation to review it.  I am grateful to Ms Sleeman for sending me the copy, and am pleased to have the opportunity to write a favorable review.  

Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley – A Book Review

Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley – A Book Review

     This book has more twists and turns in the first chapter than many books do between their covers.  It has been a long time since I was so quickly and completely hooked.  Shadows of the Past is classified as a romantic suspense story.  However, I greatly appreciated that the romance served the suspense plot rather than dominate it.  This is the first book I’ve read by Patricia Bradley, but I cannot wait to get my hands on other books by this author.  Although I may need to get some sleep first since I lost the better parts of two night’s sleep to this one. 

     Taylor Martin, an expert victim and criminal profiler and college professor, suffers from nightmares rooted in a childhood defined by her father’s disappearance.  Mystery writer, Nick Sinclair, is just beginning to heal from the grief and guilt of not being able to protect his wife from a murderous assault while attempting to understand and assist his troubled stepbrother.  Their lives, initially drawn together as Taylor searches for her stalker and Nick seeks to clear his brother of the crime, become intertwined as Nick seeks to assist Taylor in solving the mystery behind her father’s disappearance while protecting her from the person trying to kill her, and as they are unable to ignore the attraction they feel for one another. 

     Bradley is a master of writing believable, naturally sounding dialogue.  Her character and plot development are well paced, and subtle.  The reader is able to enjoy many unexpected plot twists that bring the mystery to a logical conclusion rather than having new characters or events inserted in the last chapter that almost feel like a “gotcha” in which the author made it impossible for the reader to solve the crime along with the story’s detective.  As I finished the last chapter it felt good to have some of my deductions confirmed, and at the same time have some unexpected elements as well. 

     The setting of this story was another element that drew me to this book.  Having been born in and having lots of family who still reside in northern Mississippi, I enjoyed the references to things unique to the southern lifestyle.  Living in Corinth, Mississippi, Bradley was able to represent people from the northern Mississippi, southern Tennessee area without the typical stereotypes.  Shadows of the Past is book one in the Logan Point series, and I look forward to other books in the series set in this location.  I am also anxious to see which characters will have recurring roles. 

     I highly recommend this book to fans of the genre, you will enjoy a real treat.  I also recommend it to those who might not normally read in this genre, you will be pleasantly surprised.  Thank you to Revell, the publisher, for sending me a copy of Shadows of the Past for my honest opinion of the book. 

Dare to Love Again by Julie Lessman – A Book Review

     When I read a book I usually form an impression of characters, and the opinions typically hold true until possibly a surprise is revealed near the book’s end.  That was not the case in Dare to Love Again.  Having read the first book in The Heart of San Francisco series, I had met the lead character in this book, Allison McClare, and remembered her as a compassionate, high spirited young lady of great faith.  In this, the second book of the series, Allison is multi-faceted.  One moment she is emotionally wounded and defensive, provoking sympathy from the reader; the next she is a spoiled, temper tantruming brat that the reader would like to take by the shoulders and shake!  There are times when she is a bright young educator, totally devoted to her job and her students, a young women yearning for independence and self-reliance.  Yet she is also capable of being manipulative, self-serving, and at times even cruel (although she eventually becomes remorseful and apologetic).  Her male counterpart possesses equally diverse character traits: handsome, harsh, humorous, easily perturbed, petulant, aggressive, honest, shady, compassionate, loving, angry, … I stayed engaged with the story in order to find out these two characters’ true character.

     One thing that I love about Julie Lessman’s books is the degree of research that goes into their historical accuracy.  Lessman is a master of weaving in interesting historical information that helps place her readers in the story’s setting. Allison’s excitement over the sites as she takes her first cable car ride causes her to take on the role of tour guide for the handsome policeman recently arrived in the city, allowing us a lens for viewing 1903 San Francisco. The horrors of life on the Barbary Coast are made evident as Allison, her mother, and her cousin work to improve the lives of the young girls who make their homes there.  By contrast Lessman paints a clear vision of the much different life among the residents of Nob Hill, the home of San Francisco’s elite.  Even the fine points of the dress and hairstyles of the day have been carefully researched and described.  The demands of morality during this time in the city’s history are clearly viewed in the lives of the McClare family, some who find them more easily met than others. The depths of debauchery, not so much different from today, are also evident in the circumstances found on the Barbary Coast, from which some in the McClare family may be profiting.  

     Trust is one of the major themes in this series of books.  The McClare women seem to be destined to having their hearts broken before finding true romance.  In the midst of these trials and heartaches, they learn the importance of trusting in God’s love, mercy and sovereignty.  They also learn the importance of trusting their hearts to men who also trust God.  I was reminded of the blessing of a husband who embraces the role of spiritual head of the household, a blessing I enjoy daily. 

      Julie Lessman is known for her ability to create sexual tension between characters while maintaining a storyline that does not compromise and using vocabulary that does not embarrass.  She has demonstrated that ability in Dare to Love Again.  While reading this book I also learned of a non-fiction book that Lessman has written in which she shares her secrests, and hopes to teach others as well.  Those reading this review who are interested in writing as well may want to check out [Romance-ology 101] Writing Romantic Tension for the Inspirational and Sweet Markets. 

In my review of Love at Any Cost I had expressed an interest in the continuing story of Caitlynn (Allison’s widowed mother) and Logan.  I was not disappointed in the way Lessman continued to develop their love story.  One of the nice things about this series is that the love story of each book’s main character is a stand-alone read with closure at the book’s end, but the story of Cait and Logan is a continuing thread throughout the series. 

     Thank you to Revell, the publisher, for sending me a copy of Dare to Love Again  for my honest opinion of the book. 

No Way Out by Susan Sleeman - A Book Review

No Way Out by Susan Sleeman – A Book Review

     “We can’t control things around us.  Not a single one of us can.  God is in charge.”  Who could not benefit from this reminder from Dani Justice?  Most of us have struggled with guilt about things that happened that were in actuality out of our control.  Susan Sleeman tells a tale filled with suspense and surprises that not only entertains, but also illustrates the damage we can do to ourselves and our relationships when we allow pseudo guilt, the guilt we feel even when we were not responsible or when sin was not involved in an undesired outcome or tragedy.  (For more on this you may want to read Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall.)  Readers are reminded of the perfect peace that is available to us through trusting in the Lord and accepting His sovereignty. 

     I will confess to being a bit of a book snob.  When I first received No Way Out as part of a prize package from a Christian fiction scavenger hunt, it was not among my first reads of the thirty books that arrived in the mail.  Why?  The size and the shape, what if I took it to the doctor’s office waiting room?  Why, someone might mistakenly think I was reading a Harlequin romance!  Such reasoning will never again stop me from enjoying a truly Love Inspired story.  Thanks to the scavenger hunt I am now a Susan Sleeman fan, and look forward to reading more of her books.  I am very grateful that I just won a second of Susan’s books, Thread of Suspicion, and can’t wait to continue the saga of the Justice Agency. 

     What elements of Susan’s writing made this book such an enjoyable read aside from the valuable message?  Susan had a way of placing me in a setting, engaging all of my senses, without lengthy descriptions that cause my attention to waver.  My emotions were engaged with the characters of the story: fear, hope, disappointment, new love, doubt, relief.  The story was a roller coaster of emotions with frequent bends and curves caused by unexpected plot twists.  Surprises were still to come even in the final chapter.  The story had a mix of easily anticipated events to make prior knowledge of the genre provide a comfortable read and of unanticipated events to maintain a high level of engagement with the story.  A nice read indeed.

No One to Trust by Lynette Eason – A Book Review

No One to Trust by Lynette Eason – A Book Review

     This was the first book I have read by author Lynette Eason, but I will definitely be reading more. Why, at one particularly tense moment in the story something happened that actually made me jump!  I appreciate being drawn into a story so completely, and I appreciate that jarring type of surprise.  There were several plot twists that I had not seen coming, events that kept me reading on into the night. 

     In No One to Trust, book one of The Hidden Identity series, protagonist Summer Abernathy is thrust into the world of organized crime, specifically that of a mafia family led by a true psychopath.  Repeatedly betrayed by those who should have her best interest at heart, Summer learns to rely on the One who will never betray.  David Hackett struggles with doing the right thing while doing what is necessary to keep himself and his wife alive.  His new found faith is fanned into full flame by the winds of adversity.  While maintaining focus on the internal and external conflicts in the lives of Summer and David, Eason is able to flesh out the moral conflicts in the lives of her secondary characters as well, and is able to do so without interrupting the smooth flow of the story or sounding preachy.  The central themes of No One to Trust appear to be drawn from James 1:2 – 4, persevering through trials to develop spiritual maturity, and Colossians 3:13, forgiving as the Lord forgave you.  Eason successfully weaves valuable Kingdom insights into a suspenseful, action packed story filled with intrigue. 

     This review would not be complete without mention of the antagonist, Alessandro Raimondi, a portrait of pure evil.  This character was not your typical mafia don as portrayed in the movies.  It was easier to identify him with a psychopath become serial killer, possibly due to his obsession with snakes and the way he used them to inflict terror.  Eason’s clearest mental images are drawn around this character, and are the things of which nightmares are made. 

     The book contained a sneak peak at the first chapter of the second book in the Hidden Identity series, Nowhere to Turn.  It would appear Eason’s readers are in for another spine tingling treat, fraught with the pains of broken promises and broken relationships.  It does not reveal, however, whether Eason will take advantage of the opportunity provided in the closing chapter of the first book to bring Summer, David and others forward into other books in the series.  A reader may only hope. 

     I have more of Eason’s works waiting for me on my shelves and on my Kindle among the books I’ve collected anticipating more time to read during my retirement. I look forward to immersing myself in her attention grabbing, fast-paced tales of suspense. 

Thank you to Revell, the publisher, for sending me a copy of No One to Trust for my honest opinion of the book.