Standoff - A Review

Standoff

by

Patricia Bradley

Patricia Bradley has wrapped together the best from several different genres. Standoff provides us a look at dirty Southern politics, a brief glimpse at a romantic suspense, and a walk through the workings of the U.S. National Park Investigative Services which Brooke Danvers has been training for and ready to be sworn in as a Law Enforcement Officer. Before that can occur two men are found dead - the son of the chief ranger and a Mississippi State Senator. Though barely ready to serve, Brooke is drawn into the midst of the investigations surrounding these deaths and puts her life on the line in finding the needed answers.

The first 30% (literally) of the book presented an overly complex mystery that was difficult to follow. After reading the first third of the story, the writing settled down and became the intense thriller the reader expected to find. The story is rooted along the Natchez Trace running between Natchez MS and Nashville TN. Originally used by the indigenous Indians, then by the traders moving slaves from the south to the north, it is now used by the illegal Mexican drug cartels moving their illegal goods further north. This provides the backdrop for Standoff.

Once started, the book was a good read that kept me up for several nights. Running over 400 pages, the reader will need to be patient as he or she tracks the settings and people found throughout the story. This reader was also glad to hear that there will be more in the series.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Faking of the President - A Review

Faking of the President 

Edited By

Peter Carlaftes

It sounded fun when I chose to review it, but I found it less so. The stories are darker than most cozy mysteries with the focus being on the commission of a crime, rather than the discovery of their perpetrators.

The Presidents are guilty of murder or planning the murders. What makes these stories interesting is that most are rooted in historical events - not the murders themselves but the circumstances and people involved. They forced the reader to review Google for historical events and people mentioned in the stories - always a pleasure when reading historical fiction.
______________This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

101 Important Words of the Bible - A Review

101

Important Words

of the

Bible

by

Len Woods

The author presents a set of 101 devotional readings based on keywords found in the Scriptures. The entries are listed in somewhat Biblical order based on the key verse for each word as chosen by the author. The first word is God. “In the beginning, God …” (Gen. 1:!). However, these are not in a logical order. For example, “Day” is word number 48 and is associated with Joel 2:31 “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Each devotional entry is two pages in length. They are devotional in nature - their purpose is not scholarship but discipleship. They are helpful and designed to help the believer’s faith to grow. Following the 101 devotionals are a group of discussion questions allowing the reader to apply the devotional in some way.

The major problem with the book is accessing the words. If the reader wants to see if something is said about a particular word, he or she will need to scan the entire list - not long, but time-consuming - particularly if the word does not exist. A quick scan might easily lead to missing an existing entry. An electronic copy would make searching the book a bit easier.

The book would easily serve as a daily devotional for three months and would fit well into a church library.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Dead End - A Review

Dead End

by

Nancy Mehl

Norman Webber had just received s new, and unwanted, birthday gift - a metal detector. He was surprised when, on his first day out, he discovered a large diamond ring. His wife was extremely happy with the discovery until he pointed out that it was attached to the finger of a dead woman.

Thus begins Dead End. The book is a faith-based, emotional, and romantic, thriller starring protagonists FBI Special Agent Kaely Quinn and FBI Special Agent Noah Hunter, first introduced in Nancy Mehl’s Mind Games and Fire Storm. Both Quinn and Hunter are based out of the St. Louis, MO, FBI Field Office, and were surprised to receive a call for help from Des Moines, IA, normally served by the Omaha, NE, FBI Field Office. First thinking it was a mistake, before finding there were very valid reasons for their involvement, they would be assigned to assist for a month in the case under the jurisdiction of the Des Moines, IA, Police Department.

The book held the reader’s attention as it wrapped together elements of an old case whose perpetrator is serving a life sentence in prison and a new case begun with the discovery of the diamond ring by Norman Webber. The reader will watch Quinn and Hunter as they seek to discover the new UNSUB and listen to the UNSUB’s twisted mind as he seeks to lead them astray. The climax is a mixed blessing as it ties together some threads seen in all three novels, but it also leaves some plot holes that the reader hopes might be answered in a fourth book. Alas, there is no hint that a fourth book is in the works.

The book deserves a place in the church library as well in the public library. Readers enjoying books from this genre will have a difficult time putting the book down.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

100 Bible Verses That Made America - A Review

100 Bible Verses

That Made America

by

Robert J Morgan

Robert J. Morgan has a history of writing books that provide helpful additions to the preacher’s library. The current book does just that as he focuses on 100 texts that shaped the people that would shape America. He begins with a sermon preached on December 21, 1511, by Antonio de Montesinos (known as “the first defender of human rights in the Americas”) on Matthew 3:3. He concludes with quotes from Barack Obama made at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 13, 2015, focusing on II Timothy 1:7, and from Donald Trump’s comments made at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 7, 2019, drawing from John 16:24.

Each entry is three to four pages in length and demonstrates the Scripture’s place in a historical context with copious documentation at the end of the book from historical records or from critical scholarship discussing the people and events mentioned in the devotional.

Page Images From Amazon.com

Each devotional is insightful and practical. Given our current place in US history (Spring 2020), the book helps the reader appreciate the role the church and the Scripture had in our history. The book might serve as a devotional for the layperson or as sermon or teaching illustrations for the pastor or Sunday school teacher. It would also find a home in the church, the Bible School, or the Seminary, library.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Shake Down - A Review

Shake Down

by

Kendel Lynn

The fifth book in Lynn’s “Elliott Lisbon Mystery Series”, but the first that I have read. Elliott Lisbon is the Director of the billion-dollar Ballantyne Foundation. It is a week before the annual Ballantyne Beach BBQ and, the following day, Juliette Pete’s wedding. And, Daphne Fischer, her maid-of-honor, was missing.

It was going to be a long week.

Written and promoted as a cozy mystery, Shake Down is mostly that. It is a fun journey through the islands lining the Atlantic shores of South Carolina. But there is a BUT as the pieces come together; the book feels more like a thriller than a cozy. With more deaths and unfinished stories, it feels as the book is not quite done.

The book might feel comfortable to those who like a bit harsher tale than found in most cozy mysteries; it was less satisfying to this reader. Though I would not go looking for it in my public library, it might have a home there. Though I was a bit concerned with the conclusion of the book, it was well-written and I will be looking forward to more books from this author.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Alchemy of Us - A Review

The Alchemy of Us

by

Ainissa Ramirez

Ainissa Ramirez has written a fascinating book. Each chapter begins by looking at the need for a well-known invention, then at the steps leading to its creation, and finally, at the repercussions (both good and bad) the invention has had on 21st-century culture. It is a wonderful blending of history, science, and culture.

The book is very readable - written for a high school senior or the college-educated public. Anecdotes leading to the invention are interesting as they portray events less familiar than the invention itself. Details surrounding the invention expand on the facts most of us grew up learning. The author weaves stories of science, medicine, art, music, and literature, into the narrative as she explores the repercussions of each individual invention. A fun read.

My biggest concern is the style chosen by the author and publisher to present citations (at least as used in the ARC I was provided and as displayed on-line by Amazon). There are no footnotes or citations in the body of the text. An addendum to the book includes an extensive list of references. They are tied to the main text by quoting a four or five-word phrase just prior to each reference. These are not grouped by pages or by chapters - meaning that if the reader is looking for more information on a topic mention in the text, one will need to locate a quote from the passage that is also included in the list of references. It is all very inconvenient. This may be a valid way to create a list of citations, I found it confusing. Using Google was easier to trace references than using the addendum. It is this “flaw” that leads to a four-star review. NOTE: I do not have a copy of the published text. It may be that a better citation style was used in the final book.

Read the book - be prepared to consult Google to satisfy the curiosity it will generate.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.