Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble - A Brief Book Review

     

     This was an interesting read. The theme of greed versus generosity isn't one I have come across often. Underlying themes of forgiveness and trust in God were also addressed. Sometimes forgiving is an act of generosity, and withholding it an act of greed.
     I have read many of Coble's mysteries, and am a big fan. I especially enjoyed the Rock Harbor series. This book, while enjoyable, is my least favorite of her books. It seemed less plausible, less realistic. I am beginning book two in this series today though; so I wouldn't say it was a wash.

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker - An Invitation to Journey

            

     A friend asked me recently if I ever savored a book by leaving it on a table just to look at before reading it. Immediately a mental image of The Choosing on my nightstand popped into my mind. I had rushed right out to by it the first week it was available, not waiting for a reduced e-book sales campaign.  Then it sat, calling to me, until I had time to truly immerse myself in its pages. I was not disappointed, not in the least, in spite of how I had built up the possibilities of this book in my mind. Throughout reading The Choosing I was anxious to review it, to pass the word on to my fellow readers about the depth of this story and the talent of this author. However, when it came time to sit and share my thoughts, I procrastinated.  Why? I just didn’t feel like there was any way my words could do this tale justice. So I am just going to simply share a brief description to help the readers decide if this book is for them, and welcome those who choose to join the journey.

     Rachelle Dekker’s debut novel falls within the dystopian genre. Washington D.C. is occupied by a group of people who were fortunate enough to survive immunizations which proved to be deadly for many. The Authority is in control of individual destinies, determining one’s place in society. Young women have once chance at being selected for marriage, not to be chosen would yield a cruel fate of their own making. Carrington Hale’s mother had prepared her for her Choosing Ceremony her whole life. She was confident in the outcome. How could things go so horribly wrong? Young men are placed in occupations for which The Authority finds them best suited. Remko had always been satisfied with his solitary life as a City Watch guard; that is, until he met Carrington. Then there is Aaron, a speaker of truth or a leader of rebellion, or both? The ideas he promotes are unsettling. Is there something more, Someone more, who determines individual worth, Someone greater than The Authority? What sacrifices are necessary to find the answer to those questions? What sacrifices are our protagonists, their friends, their family willing to make?

     I invite you to join me on the journey, the journey of seers. 

Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin - A Book Review

     

     A look at the book list on Sarah Sundin’s website indicates that Through Waters Deep is her eighth published book. In her acknowledgments section in the book she mentions that she is new to mystery writing. Well, I never would have guessed that while reading this book, and am glad that she has another mystery in this Waves of Freedom series in the works. While Ms Sundin is described as a World War II author, this was also her first book about the Navy. She was quite brave to take on a new genre and a new area of research simultaneously, and she pulled it off marvelously.

     Through Waters Deep is set in 1941, as America struggles in its decision as to whether to enter another war or to refrain unless directly attacked. Emotions run high on both sides of the argument. There are some who might take matters into their own hands, arranging circumstances to sway public opinion.  Mary Sterling, a secretary in the Boston Navy Yard, an unlikely detective, is pulled into the intrigue of identifying a saboteur who might be trying to do just that. Ensign Jim Avery, a high school friend of Mary’s, supports her investigation even though he is anxious about her safety, and wonders about the possibility of a budding romance; that is until the vibrant Quintessa , Mary’s best friend and Jim’s high school crush, arrives on the scene. Sabotage, mystery, and romance, all ingredients for a great read, are included in just the right combination.  

      I loved that the mystery is introduced on the first page of the story. Sundin’s pool of suspects is like the ripples from tossing a stone into a pond, every growing circles, with a bulls-eye forming in the center. The circumstances surrounding the mystery and the events that unfold are plausible, and there is no magically pulling out new facts or characters at the end in order to solve the mystery. Red herrings are seamlessly woven into the story. Sundin followswhat P.D. James refers to as the fair play rule. The information that is available to the detective is also available to the reader, but clues are provided with “deceptive cunning.”  

     The research that went into writing Through Waters Deep is well evident. Sundin’s care to use era appropriate vocabulary, especially in naming places in Boston, demonstrates her detailed research, as does her knowledge  and use of naval terminology. The feel she got from exploring ships, climbing inside naval gun mounts, and touring Boston, including historical Charlestown, comes through, heightening the reader’s senses as they are immersed in the story’s setting.

     Sundin’s protagonist, Mary Sterling, deals with the issue of pride; the reader will cheer her on as she learns to differentiate between using one’s God given gifts and talents to draw attention to self and using them to glorify the Giver. Ensign Jim Avery floats through life, fearful of making waves that might bring about undesired consequences. The reader will share his heartache and struggle alongside him as he learns to find balance in his life. Sundin develops the readers’ attachment to even her secondary characters by focusing on the underlying motivations for their actions, motivations that readers can identify with.  This novel, and others like it, make it clear why recent research has found evidence that literary fiction increases the readers ability to empathize.

     I thank Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for providing Through Waters Deep for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.      

The Lady Bornekova by Sara R. Turnquist – A Book Review

        

     I met Sara Turnquist at a recent writers’ conference, and was happy that she offered me the opportunity to read and review her debut novel. Life had a way of getting in the way of completing The Lady Bornekova as quickly as I would have liked, and appreciate Sara’s patience with me. I did enjoy this novel, as I have an interest in historical novels set in the Czech Republic. While I have not searched for books of this type, I have had the fortune to stumble upon them, and was indeed fortunate to receive a copy of this novel.

     The theme of this book, standing up for one’s beliefs even when doing so places one in extreme danger, continues to speak to Christians in this day and age of both political correctness and religious persecution throughout the world. The heroine, Karin Bornekova, and her friend, Pavel,  adhered to the ideas put forth by Jan Hus, an early Christian reformer and predecessor of the Protestant movement, something that threatened the nobility as well as the church. They had to make a choice, how far would they be willing to go, what risks would they be willing to take, in order to remain faithful to their faith, to their beliefs. We must also make that decision before trouble arrives.

     This author’s strengths, as displayed in her debut novel, include her ability to pace her story to maintain reader interest, her skill at creating mental images without lengthy descriptions that cause the story to drag, her placement of information that helps the reader to infer and desire to confirm these inferences without giving away too much too soon, and sentence structures and vocabulary that, for the most part, respect the reader’s intelligence.  As a debut author, we anticipate that there will be areas in which the author can hone her craft. In this case, that would be to avoid the trap of inserting current day, Western civilization vocabulary and phrasing (e.g. tough love, active cases, making real time notes) and social norms into other periods of time or cultures. Since Sara posed questions in the reader’s mind at the end of the story, she will likely have the opportunity in future books to demonstrate a closer adherence to the culture revealed in her research. This author’s talent makes her one to watch for in the future.  

To Capture Her Heart by Rebecca DeMarino – A Book Review

           

In this second book in The Southold Chronicles we once again enter the lives of the Horton family and their many friends, this time during the year of 1653.  Benjamin Horton, the second oldest son, is in love with his childhood friend, Heather Flower. Heather Flower, princess of the Montaukett tribe, struggles with her emotions following the rescue from her kidnappers who killed her groom on their wedding day.  Benjamin understands her need for time to heal, but worries about the intentions of her rescuer, Dutch Lieutenant Dirk Van Buren who also has eyes for the lovely princess.

     Through the telling of Benjamin’s story, DeMarino reveals the bond between the members of the Horton family and their dearest friends. She opens a window for her readers to see how the English and their native neighbors learned from, supported and depended upon one another. I found the descriptions of how daily chores and winter preparations were accomplished fascinating, and how bits of free time were spent inspirational. I am anxious to try Mrs. Horton’s recipe for pippin [apple] pie. 

     The story moves at a slow, relaxed pace, and will appeal to readers who like characters to be fully developed.  It will be less appealing to those who prefer being kept in suspense, steep climaxes and lots of action. The author was inspired by her own family’s history in the settling of what would become Long Island, and fans of historical fiction will appreciate the research behind her writing.

     While I don’t always read an author’s acknowledgements section, this time I did.  When reading the author’s comments about her father, Howard M. Worley, who authored his first book at the age of eighty-nine, I was reminded of an article I had recently read in Guideposts magazine.  Sure enough I flipped through and found Rebecca DeMarino’s article about her father’s writing and how it was impacted by a heart attack in the May, 2015 issue! The article demonstrates that Rebecca’s own family has a strong support system, maybe being what inspired the same among her fictional Horton family.

     I thank Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for providing To Capture Her Heart for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.      

Gone Without a Trace by Patricia Bradley - A Book Review

           

     Forgiving someone and accepting someone for who they are, even when that someone is you, those are the themes behind the story of Livy Reynolds and her cousin Robyn Martin. It had been almost three years since Robyn Martin had disappeared, leaving behind a husband and young daughter. Livy Reynolds, her cousin and a detective on the Memphis police force, had not been able to solve the mystery of Robyn’s disappearance. Livy now had her own problems as she struggled with having killed a robber armed with a very realistic toy gun. Could delving back into Robyn’s case along with private detective Alex Jennings, who was working on another case involving a missing woman, help heal her aching soul? 

     Patricia Bradley has filled Gone Without a Trace, book three in the Logan Point series, with a number of likely suspects. Mystery lovers will thoroughly enjoy sorting through carefully presented and timed clues, and attempting to narrow the list of suspects. Those who enjoy romance will not be disappointed either as new love blooms and dying embers of love are rekindled. While not romantic love, readers will also be moved by the difficulties as well as the ease with which family members express love for one another, and the horrors resulting from love withheld. 

     I enjoyed meeting Logan Point’s new characters and spending time with characters from the previous two books in the series. I must admit though, I did feel rather sorry for Charlie Martin, Robyn’s father,  who seemed to be a bit neglected and unappreciated, and am hoping he has the opportunity to come forth as a strong character in any future books in this series. I thank Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for providing Gone Without a Trace for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.           

The Innocent by Ann H. Gabhart - A Book Review

    

     Page 140, that is where this book came alive for me. Prior to that point, it was a pleasant read, but not compelling in any way. From that point, and through the remaining 242 pages, I could not put the book down. I am so glad that I had agreed to review the novel, otherwise I may not have continued reading, and I truly would have missed out. 

     While I have read a number of Amish fiction novels, this is the first Shaker novel I have read. I will be looking for other Shaker novels by Gabhart. I know that there are at least five more from which to choose. While I have visited the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Danville, Kentucky several times, I learned a great deal more about the Shakers while reading The Innocent. I did do an internet search on some of the information included in the text, and found it to be accurate every time.

     Carlyn Kearney, Gabhart’s main character, grew up under her pastor father’s legalistic thumb, cushioned only slightly by her mother’s teaching of God’s grace and love. After marrying Ambrose, Carlyn blossomed as she came to understand the joy of the Lord. That joy was difficult to sustain, however, due to Ambrose’s uncertain fate two years after the end of the Civil War. Being unable to support herself, let alone pay her debts, Carlyn seeks shelter and peace within the boundaries of the Shaker village of Harmony Hill. While thankful for food and shelter, Carlyn does not readily fit into the Shaker way of life.  Sheriff Mitchell Brodie cannot deny his attraction to Carlyn, but respects her faithfulness to her husband even though the townsfolk assume that she is indeed a widow. He longs to insure her safety as every instinct within him is on alert to something being very wrong in the Shaker village. It is at that page 140 mark that Carlyn herself becomes aware of dangerous undercurrents among the sisters and brethren. 

     One thing I really appreciate about Christian fiction is the lessons that one can take away. I hope that in the darkest and most difficult times, the times when hope seems lost or when my body is exhausted, I will remember the echo of Carlyn’s mother’s admonishment to, “Pray anyway.” When looking for the answers I desire, the good I want to come, I hope I recall her saying, “Assuredly. God is love. But he sees the whole woven fabric of our lives and not simply the few threads we are trying to twine together at the moment.  Good and bad weave into the pattern of our lives.  Together they make us strong and able to endure whatever must be endured.” God equips us in many ways, some easier than others.  

     I recommend this book to those who have the time and patience to allow the author to develop her characters before increasing the tension that drives the reader forward. It is my belief that readers will find it worth the wait; I certainly did.  I thank Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for providing The Innocent for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.