A Three Book Problem - A Review

 

A Three Book Problem

by

Vicki Delany

A Review

Vicki Delany is quickly becoming a favorite cozy mystery writer, both with her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series and her Lighthouse Library series (written as Eva Gates). The Three Book Problem only adds to the collection.

Gemma Doyle and friends are chosen to cater the weekend Sherlockian retreat organized by David Masterson for his friends and acquaintances. It was a strange affair from the beginning. It became stranger when the host is shot with a dart and found to be nearly bankrupt. Luckily one of Gemma’s friends was New London MA lead police detective Ryan Ashburton. Gemma Doyle also had a knack for getting her nose into local murder cases. Together, the pair gather enough evidence to determine the guilty party and again bring justice to New London.

With the exception of spending too much time discussing the wardrobes of the various characters (especially in the first 20% of the book), the story was enjoyable and entertaining. The late Fall New England scenery in which the book is set is beautiful and inviting. The collection of characters range from obnoxious to inviting. I give the book 4-stars.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Need To Know - A Review

Need To Know

by

Karen Cleveland

A Review

A great plot has to also be told by a great writer. I think the writing of the book distracts from the plot’s telling. I found too much repetition, too many simple sentences, and too little character development. I expect that there may be a second outing from this author in which I hope she addresses some of these flaws.

As others have said, it very well could make a better movie than book. In the meantime, perhaps the reader willing to experiment with the work of a new author will be sufficiently drawn into the story to find it of interest and be able to hold their interest - I was some of the time, but just not enough of the time.

______________

This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

The Whole Bible Story - A Review

The Whole Bible Story

by

William H. Marty

A Review

The story, not the text, of scripture, is the focus of this book. The story is well-written and will assist the student to understand the events which provide the foundation upon which the Sacred Scriptures are built. The writing is terse, but clear. Presented as a history book rather than scripture, the story is easy to read and follow. This new edition of the text is supplemented with an assortment of images - both black and white and color images.  Here is a sample of the text from Genesis 1:

Creation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In its original state the earth was empty and dark. Like a bird watching over its young, the Spirit of God hovered over the watery surface of the earth. God created light on day one. On day two, he placed the sky between the earth and the heavens. He made land and vegetation on the third day, and on the fourth day, he put the stars, the sun, and the moon in place. On day five, God filled the sky with birds and the oceans with creatures of the sea. God created animals on the sixth day, and finally, last but not least, he made humankind in his image. (This means they were like God in certain ways.) God enriched their lives by providing them food to eat and giving them responsibility for the rest of creation. When God finished his work, he saw that everything he had made was perfect. There was absolutely no defect in his creation. He rested on the seventh day and set it apart as a day to rest and to remember that God is the creator of the universe.

The author’s stated purpose is, “that it will motivate people to read the Bible.” My major concern with the book is that it does not refer the reader back to the scriptures. Each chapter begins with a summary of the “Main Characters” and the “Settings” of the events detailed in that chapter - but no reference to the scriptures from which the story is being told. This is true for text found at the opening of chapters, footnotes, sidebars, or in an index.  

For the lay person, college student, or seminary student, this book would provide a useful tool to review the story of scripture; however, the lacking scripture references do reduce its value. This could be corrected with an online index or prepared insert to be downloaded by the reader.

______________

This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Counterfeit Conspiracies - A Review

Counterfeit Conspiracies

by

Ritter Ames

A Review

An okay book. Not great, but okay.

The book is a cosy mystery - enough murders to make things interesting, but all the suspects escape capture. Oddly, even the art that was stolen was questionable at best, and possible a fraud. All the good guys did get home safe.

Yet the reader never gets the satisfaction that all is done.

On the other hand, one can hope that Book 2 (being released simultaneously with this tome) or 3 (being released in Fall 2016) of this series will pull together threads that were left dangling in Book 1. (Hint: having started Book 2, it appears that some of those threads may be pulled together.) This reader felt like he was in the middle of a mystery centered soap opera (minus the sensuality) that might go on for quite some time.

I guess I will need to wait to be satisfied.

______________

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.

God's Justice Study Bible

God’s Justice
Study Bible

by

Tim Stafford
General Editor

A Review

Justice has long been a theme of the Christian Church, but with few exceptions we hear little about it from those who speak most loudly for the church. Tim Stafford and his team of 56 writers plus additional staff have put together a useful tool for perceiving and understanding the place justice has in God’s economy.  

There is much to excite the Christian leader or layperson as he picks up this volume for the first time. I was pleased that the editor chose to use the NIV (2011) to use as a foundation for the printed version of the Justice Bible. Though some ma have preferred an earlier NIV version, by choosing the NIV this Study Bible does have a well-respected foundation upon which to build.

However, having noted the translation, the first thing I noticed (and confirmed by reading the introduction) was the international flavor of the book. Book notes are written by scholars and leaders from all over the world. There are very few pages without notes - demonstrating that, to these authors, God’s justice is pervasive throughout time and the scriptures. I was also glad to see each book concludes with “Questions for Reflection” - these are brief but to the point.

That does not mean that this Study Bible is perfect (but what is?).  First, the notes do not stand out - the font is small and and the notes brief compared to the text they discuss. There are no formal cross references which would allow the reader to see how individual themes continue throughout the scriptures. There are some references within the notes, but these are scattered throughout the text and follow no strict pattern.

Though the notes do have an international authorship, the notes for each book are still the work of a single author from a single country. I don’t know if having a team of authors from two or more countries work on each Bible book would have made a difference, but it would have better expressed the “international” flavor of the book

Also, with so many notes, spread out through the whole text of scripture, an index is required - sadly, there is none. This makes finding notes and Bible texts which address a particular theme difficult (if not impossible) to find.  With no index, this Bible could be helped by making a searchable digital version of the book. As in the past, I would like to see WordSearch or LOGOS add this to their digital libraries for easier use by the reader. With no index, it also may mean that this Bible is more suitable for reading than for studying. As I have noted in the past, accessibility is as important, if not more important, than content. This Bible falls short on accessibility.

I would recommend this Bible be made available to all pastors - we each work in justice ministries in one way or another. The same could be true of missionaries and those called to work among the world’s hurting and abused. Though this Bible does not need to be in every teacher’s home, it would find a place in the church library where teachers and others would have access to its contents for personal use.  

______________

This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Airwolf: Airstrikes - A Review

Airwolf: Airstrikes

by

Mike Baron, Jeff Mariotte, Marc Andreyko, Barbara Kesel,

Rob Worley, Marc Bernardin, and Adam Freeman

A Review

Airwolf was on TV in the midst of the Cold War - and it served to stir up the worries of world that faced a big red enemy half a world away. Now, in the 21st century, Airwolf returns; but fighting different enemies.

Today the enemies are in the Mideast, the far east, and in the midst of our own CIA. Hawke, Santini and other are again joined together to use the one-of-a-kind helicopter to fight these new enemies while being just as cryptic and dangerous to the very ones who would destroy those finding their way in the new century.

Having enjoyed the old Airwolf, I found the half-dozen or so stories found in this collection inviting - though occasionally a bit uneven (given the multiple authors), as a whole the stories are still exciting and fun. Danger is always around the corner. And like any good soap opera, the story ends with a cliffhanger. It may not be the cold war, but we still live in a dangerous world and Airwolf and the men who support her are there to fight that war.  

______________

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.

I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible - A Review

I Dare You Not to
Bore Me With the Bible

by

Michael S. Heiser

A Review

The current volume seems like a book that seems to have no purpose, but that I found extremely interesting.

Let me begin with a disclaimer - I am a regular user of LOGOS Bible software, but I do not subscribe to Bible Study magazine published by the same company. Having said that, it should be noted that the route that this book took toward publication included a stop in Bible Study magazine. The essays collected here began as a series of lectures (or parts of lectures) in the author’s classroom. From there, they were transformed into essays published in Bible Study magazine. The essays were then collected and reprinted in the book form found here. I appreciated the broad range of topics discussed from the Old Testament and the New Testament. In addition, the author often throws in a few interesting tidbits of information (“Quickbits”) to whet the reader’s appetite for more details.

Other than the author’s lectures and essays, there is little that connects the various pieces of this book together. But that does not mean that the pieces are not of interest. Each essay forced this reader to think and evaluate his own understanding. I could get no further than the second essay and I was forced to rethink the meaning and purpose inerrancy - a major proponent of both my seminary training and my denominational choice. I found the anecdotes and background material fascinating as I read.

The essays have been rearranged Biblically, rather than in the order originally written - in fact, other than a short statement in the preface, there is no indication of the exact location where the original essays are located or the order in which they were produced.  In addition, each of the author’s main points are well documented from scripture, but there is little other secondary or primary sources for the reader to assist in further study. This lack of bibliographic detail is the major flaw in the book. There are some, but most of the independent essays lack the needed supporting material.

The electronic version of the book I received had no indexing - it would be hoped that a paper edition would include a thorough Biblical index. This should include both an index of the passages discussed and of the Biblical material referenced throughout the book. These missing elements are not significant in an e-book as searching can reproduce many of the needed references. Scripture is so important to the author’s arguments, that would be a significant hole in a paper edition.

Though not designed as a devotional book, the design and layout of the book might allow some readers to use it as such. Others would want to use it as a reference book for the variety of problems and issues addressed. The book would be a welcome addition to the supplemental reading used in a Bible survey course for the Bible College or Seminary student. The pastor may find it of some use as a source of sermon illustrations and teaching resources.  For some the young Christian, the essays may present a challenge to their faith.

______________

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.

Church History (Volumes I and II) - A Review

Church History Volume One From Christ to Pre-Reformation by Everett Ferguson (Vol I)

Church History Volume Two From Pre-Reformation to the Present Day by John Woodbridge (Vol II) Frank A. James III (Vol II)

A Review

The two volumes represent nearly 1400 pages of history written primarily as a textbook. Not though they may certainly have some devotional use, they have their primary role in the college or graduate school classroom. These books do not present a gentle introduction to church history, but are designed for the academic environment of a upper division college classroom or seminary. Given that the books are 550 and 850 pages each, it is expected that such a course would be offered over a two semester sequence.

A couple of things stood out as I perused the book. The book is a well-documented description of church history – quoting primary sources when needed to help the reader understand the historical events being described. I appreciated the details included – many of which I had not heard before. The other standout feature of these texts is the wide margins they present – perfect for making notes or outlining as they are being read. Some of this space is taken up with quotations and images (all black and white), but there is plenty of space for personal comments as well. Electronic copies each have their own way of saving notes.

Forty years ago I was privileged to sit under the teaching of John Woodbridge at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School – it was fun to again, virtually, sit under his tutelage as I made my way through Volume II of these texts. Actually, it was fun to sit under the tutelage of all three authors as I read through these texts.

I had two concerns as I prepared this review.

1. As I noted earlier, all images in both volumes were black and white (except for the book covers). Without hard copies, it is difficult to determine whether the PDFs that were provided for review represented the final copy (without color images?) or not. Color images would make the books more inviting to students and other readers.
2. The indexes had not been completed prior to the preparation of the PDFs provided for review. Given the number of pages allocated for the index, this reviewer would expect that they might be thorough; but this cannot be verified with the material provided to me.

Though not designed for the general reader, these two volumes would be a welcome addition to the collection of any student of church history – whether in or out of a classroom. It would be a privilege to have these works sitting on the shelf next to those of the church fathers, Luther, Calvin, and Wesley. With a completed index and color images, there would great value in having these two reference books available.

______________

This review is based on free electronic copies provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.