The Souls of Lost Lake - A Review

                                    

The Souls of Lost Lake

by

Jaime Jo Wright

A Review

Two women living 90 years apart are searching for their past. They both reside in Tempter’s Creek, a rural community located near Lost Lake in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Both are victims of serious crimes and almost become victims of a more serious crime except for the grace of God.

This faith-based novel intertwines two mysteries, two romances, and two complex lives, into a interest-holding story that was difficult to put down. We see God working in the lives of broken people and the results when those people rely on God and they reject that grace and mercy offered to them during the dark times of their lives. The reader also sees the cost that people will pay for making difficult choices.

The result is a book that is perfect summer reading around the campfire or in the days leading up to Halloween. Though Ava Coons may still be roaming the woods around Lost Lake (as the rumors say), the book receives 5-stars from this reader.
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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 mine alone.

Lethal Target - A Review

Lethal Target

by

Janice Cantore

A Review

Janice Cantore has written a powerful sequel to her earlier book, Crisis Shot. Tess O’ourke has now been the Chief of Police of Rogue’s Hollow, OR, for just about a year. The community has accepted her and she feels a part of the community she has made her home. At least until the body is literally found at the doorstep of her home. Oregon’s new legal pot trade has made itself at home in her community – but, surprisingly, there has been an uptick in the number of opioid overdoses during that same time. Suspicions run high that there is a connection between the pot farms and the increasing drug crisis – but Tess, the County Sheriff, nor the Federal DEA can find a connection between the two.

The book has enough suspense to keep this reader’s nose in the book for the four or five nights it took to read. Written by a former police officer, the book has the sound of truth from the first page to the last. Though probably classified as a romantic suspense, the romance is relatively light and does not overwhelm the plot as is sometimes happens in books of this genre. The role of faith is also present – a bit more than romance – but not overwhelmingly so. The book could easily find a home in the public library, the church library, or in the home of anybody looking for a well-written suspense novel.
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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 are mine alone.

Still Life - A Review

Still Life

by

Dani Pettrey

A Review

The second book in a series started by the author last year, Still Life focuses on the lives of a team of private forensic scientists as they seek to solve the murder of a new and upcoming artist and his new model. Things are complicated by a variety of relationships within the team.

The book holds the reader's interest as it takes him or her from art galleries to abandoned mental hospitals. Baltimore and environs provide an interesting setting for this fast moving story. Relationships may be disruptive to some readers - though I did not find them to be too obnoxious.

I have enjoyed other series by this author, with many of the same characteristics. This series grows on the reader as he or she becomes familiar with the characters. This second book can be read as a stand alone novel; however, having read the previous book in the series just about a year ago, I felt a bit lost as I started this book. It might have helped to have a short synopsis of that first book as a prelude to this newest book.

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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.

Deadly Encounter - A Review

Deadly Encounter

by

DiAnn Mills

A Review

There are a number of things that draw me into a fiction book.  A number of them are obvious: the quality of writing, the realism of the characters, the well designed setting of the story. One of the less obvious characteristics of a fictional story that I appreciate is its use of historical or real life settings that I call for me to search even deeper into the history or setting using Google or other internet resources.

Deadly Encounter was such a book.  My attention was drawn to a Google search before I finished page 1 of the book: “Who or what are the Houston Airport Rangers?” The book did answer the question a few pages in, but I found myself in Google within minutes of starting the book.  Sadly, Google provided little more details than the book - but enough to get me further into the book while I waited for the author to offer more own description.

The book dealt with themes that have attracted me in the past - Addiction/dysfunctional families, terrorism, and romance (but not too much). Mixing these themes with an underlying Christian faith, and we have a story that is both exciting and satisfying. We see individual’s faith being challenged and growing. We see faith being lived out. We also see the various conflicts that must be faced by modern law enforcement as they face the 21st century culture found in the USA.

Looking for a book with a positive Christian focus, with the right blend of suspense, danger, and romance? Deadly Encounter may be that book.   

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

The Witnesses - A Review

The Witnesses

by

Robert Whitlow

A Review

Some authors catch a readers attention. Robert Whitlow has caught mine. I try to read as many of his books as I can, though I have missed a few. Here is an author that is trained as a lawyer, has the faith of a committed Christian, and has been compared, favorably. as an author to John Grisham. And he continues to succeed at his craft.

The Witnesses is proof of that fact.

Franz Haus, as he was called by his parents. or Frank House, as his family and friends know him now, has a long history.  He joined the German army near the start of World War II. He had a good intuition that often provided solid advice to General Berg, intuition that would allow him to meet and sit with some of the highest leaders in the German army, intuition that force him to see more atrocities committed in the name of Germany than he wanted to admit - to himself or to those who knew him best.

Frank House (nee Franz Haus) deserted the German Army  through  Switzerland (where he lived out the remaining months of the war) and eventually settled in New Bern, North Carolina; but when he did, he left with a secret that others were willing to kill for. A secret that would put both his own life and the life of his grandson in danger.

As always, Robert Whitlow has managed to draw together the brokeness of life, the drama of the legal system, and the role of faith into a readable novel that will appeal to both the believer and non-believer. It gives a glimpse of how faith can and does work in the life of men and women of faith.

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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.

Burning Proof - A Review

Burning Proof

by

Janice Cantore

A Review

Two cold cases present themselves to a couple of friends who are local private investigators. One is personal; the other professional. The latter case involves the death of relatives in a fire many years ago. Suspects are named, but no proof is available. The professional case involves a rapist and murderer that has been on the loose for ten years. As the statute of limitations for the rape approaches, it falls upon Luke Murphy and Robert “Woody” Woods to find the unsub before the clock ticks off.  However, unbeknownst to them, there is a connection between the two cases and by the time the reader makes it to the end of the book, one case will be solved and the other will be unsolved - ready to be picked up in the third book in this series. With the help of Abby Hart, LAPD Police Detective, progress will be made in both cases.

And that is the problem I had with Janice Cantore’s latest thriller. Though I had read the earlier volume, “Drawing Fire”, a year ago, it was difficult at first to fully connect to the current book without knowing or remembering the earlier story. The writing was well-done and held this reader’s interest. Whether the author was providing details of the newest cold case to hit the fire or the case that remained solved from the earlier book (and now remains to be solved in a third book), details were revealed bit by bit.

I would suggest waiting for book three of the “Cold Case Justice” series to be published and, then, purchasing all three books together and reading them in a single sitting. The individual stories work regardless, but the on going details of the unsolved cold case, the arson, will make more sense when read as a trilogy, one after the other.

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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.

Dressed for Death - A Review

Dressed for Death

by

Julianna Deering

A Review

It was three years ago that I was privileged to read Julianna Deering’s first book in this series. I remember writing, that it “was reading the most boring book that I could not put down.“ As I look back, I felt as if I eating chunky peanut butter. Now, I like chunky peanut butter; but something, the chunks, kept getting in the way of really enjoying the book. This newest book (of four in the series) is no longer chunky peanut butter, but is better compared to creamy peanut butter. The story starts out nicely and continues to roll along without any bumps or hindrances to get in the way. Thank you Julianna Deering.

It was scheduled to be a week long party celebrating the works of Jane Austen and the late 19th century of which she wrote. This would include the menus, the entertainment, and the wardrobes the guests were expected to wear. Most of the guests were long time friends of Drew Farthering and his family and friends (his new wife, Madeline and his friend/butler Nick Dennison and his girlfriend) - the major exception was Monsieur Laurent, the Frenchman who was a bit too friendly with the ladies.

The party had barely gotten started when the crimes began to be the major events of the week - murders, drug rings, smuggling, kidnapping would define the rest of the week. Because Scotland Yard had been following an active case at the time, they were involved, along with the local constabulary, Chief Inspector Birdsong, a close and personal (if not quite so professional) friend of Drew Farthering.

Of course one murder would not do. Bodies kept adding up - and it would take Drew and his family and friends most of the week and a bit further to put all the pieces together. A puzzle that almost ended in more lost lives - till … well, the reader will need to read to the final pages to find how the puzzle was solved.

Like that first book, three years ago, I could not put the book down. I literally found myself falling asleep in bed trying to make an extra chapter or two before closing its covers for the night. I did not always make it, but I tried. Relationships were made and grown during the week. Emotions were stirred (both for the characters and for the reader) as the book was read during the past week. Likewise, the faith of both the story’s characters and the reader were challenged - topics such as finding God’s will, saving faith, and obedience are addressed as the story moves through its telling. Julianna Deering has produced a story worthy of the telling for the believer the simple lover of cozy mysteries.    

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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.

Code 13 - A Review

Code 13

by

Don Brown

A Review

For the reader who is a fan of Jag (NBC and CBS, 1995-2005) or NCIS (CBS, 2003-Present) Code 13 is the perfect summer read. Mixing the political with the criminal with the military-industrial complex that seems to have defined much of our American culture, this book held this reader’s attention from beginning to end.

Opening in San Diego, Lieutenant Commander Caroline McCormick, assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, United State Navy, finds herself unexplicitly promoted to join Code 13 - a “secret” branch of Jag headquartered in the Pentagon. But just as she arrives, before beginning her new tour, friends begin to die. The focus seems to be the new U.S. Navy Drone Force that will serve to monitor the borders of our country. Though not an official task, the Drone Force would also be called on to monitor the 100 mile Fourth Amendment-Free Zone, aka the Constitution Free Zone.

But who was responsible for the deaths - was it the billionaire industrialist that would be charged with building the new drone fleet or the Captain who would be responsible for commanding this new arm of Navy power, both of whom would see their jobs diminish if the Drone Force were to disappear. Or was it the criminal element that could not afford to have the Navy monitoring their profitable import business. And it would be the men and women of JAG and NCIS to put the pieces of the mystery together - without there being more deaths.

The author brings his own experience within JAG to bear on the story. At the same time faith plays a major part in the life of Lt. Commander McCormick as she seeks to come to grips with the death of dear friends.

I normally do not enjoy military drama, but my enjoyment of NCIS and JAG prepared me to engage with this story. It will serve as an excellent spring or summer read as one remembers the dedication of our military to our country and its values. And the reader should look for more from this 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.

Whispers in the Reading Room - A Review

Whispers in the
Reading Room

by

Shelley Bray

A Review

I don’t think I have ever read a book that left me with such mixed emotions. The author presents a beautiful picture of how God can take broken lives from a variety of backgrounds and transform them into something of value and worth. At the same time, the author reminds us that we cannot judge a book by its cover or a man by his coat.

The story takes place in the weeks and months following the closing of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Lydia has the responsibility of running a local “Reading Room” in the Chicago community. Thus begins this mystery. I would call this a “mystery embedded in a romance” (which I find a bit uncomfortable reading), rather than a “romance embedded in a mystery” (which is more to my liking). But the four main characters have all strayed from their faith - when fate (i.e. God) brings them together.

Though Sebastian Marks is a man of mystery, the true mystery does not begin until the 50% point (using Kindle’s measurement) of the book. The death of Lydia’s ex-fiance will force each member of their small group to rethink friendships, beliefs, and behaviors. And because of this, the book is much more about relationships than about the mystery.

The book is well-written, by a skilled writer. Her ability to weave the history of the era (and forcing this reader to search Google to discover more) is always a sign of a good book. Though the author seems to confuse the three fires that destroyed the remains of the World’s Fair site over a year’s time into a single event, the story was alive and real.

Bottom line - I enjoyed the book. I wish there had been less romance, but then i am male and thrive more on the excitement than on the romance. Would I recommend the book? Yes - for everyone, but for some more than others. If you like a mix of history, mystery, and romance, you will enjoy “Whispers in the Reading Room.”

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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 are mine alone.

Vendetta - A Review

Vendetta

by

Lisa Harris

A Review

The book begins with Nikki Boyd hanging off the edge of the cliff she and her friend Tyler were attempting to rappel down. Easy enough, except that her rope was caught on a sharpened rock and she was 150 feet below the rock hanging onto the rope that was in danger of being sawed in two by that same rock. That opening scene sets the tone for the remainder of the book.

With the help of her friend, Nikki was able to work her way down the cliff, but no sooner did they begin to relax and the call came that would dangle another rope in her life - a rope that had roots going back years when her sister had been kidnapped and disappeared from the map. A rope that had led her into Law Enforcement generally, and into state’s Missing Person Task Force specifically. Now, another young teen had been kidnapped and the similarities to her sister’s case were too close to ignore.

The author draws the reader into Nikki’s adventure and into the beauty of the surrounding Smoky Mountains, the Obed River, and the rapids which bring tourists each year. Though scheduled for a fall release, the events take place during the early days of spring. The writer also introduces the reader to the (fictional) people that they might meet if they were to visit the area.  With the exception of the kidnapping, the book makes a compelling argument for a visit to the area to enjoy the scenery and the portion of the Appalachian Trail which runs through the area.  

The story will hold the reader’s attention - as the law enforcement team, rangers, and volunteers, attempt to locate the missing child and the person who kidnapped her. Nikki also hopes, really hopes, she might discover what became of her sister so many years ago. With a hint of faith and a very light hint of romance, Vendetta may satisfy many readers of modern thrillers. Be warned, before the reader is through with the book, he or she may miss a few nights of sleep to more quickly find the answers. And expect, as does this reviewer, to be wanting more from Lisa Harris and Nikki Boyd.

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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 Fruitcake Murders - A Reviews

The Fruitcake Murders

by

Ace Collins

A Review

The first murder occurred in December 1926 - and they convicted and executed the man caught with the murder weapon in his hand.

But then the murders started again in December 1946.  They were connected - the victims had been drugged and then clobbered with a heavy, full fruitcake can. But there were differences - they came from different cultural groups: the district attorney, the homeless, a hooker. And it would take a newspaper reporter, a police detective, and a private eye to collect the pieces of the puzzle that would bring all the pieces together into a complete picture that gave meaning to the deaths that spanned two decades.

The book brings together the right amount of mystery, history, romance, and a bit of faith, to make an interesting story that had to be read quickly to maximize its enjoyment. I wanted to pick the book up every free moment I had - I had to finish it.

For the reader looking for an early winter read, The Fruitcake Murders might just fill the need.  

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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.

Deadlock - A Review

Deadlock

by

DiAnn Mills

A Review

DiAnn Mills is a good author - I have enjoyed her earlier books. However, though definitely Christian, the current book seems more like a Harlequin Romance than an FBI thriller. FBI Special Agent Bethany Sanchez and her new partner, FBI Special Agent Thatcher Graves, would need to work together to find the Scorpion Murderer and those accomplices that made his crimes so brutal.  The mystery, thriller was very much there and held my interest - especially as it moved further into the book.

The book did seem, as I said earlier, more like a Harlequin Romance, than the usual FBI thriller I had come to expect from the author. For example, in the first chapter alone, we find the following:

On this gray morning, she was beginning a violent crime assignment and would meet her new partner, Special Agent Thatcher Graves, the man who’d sent her brother to jail. …

Beyond there she’d find Special Agent Thatcher Graves. Her gaze pulled ahead. She wanted the partnership to work so badly that her blood pressure flared at the thought of it. She moved through the room to the kitchen. Thatcher bent behind the crime scene tape, where the body had been found. He glanced up, his earth-colored eyes stormy.

Neither the mystery nor the romance slows down for the remainder of the book. I recognize that many readers will want this somewhat fairytale style of romance, but this pastor felt that the picture painted by the author in this book was an unrealistic and unhealthy picture of a growing relationship between two believers. The book was not written to provide advice to the lovelorn, but it sets an unhelpful example for believers young in their faith.

Thus, the mystery was enjoyed, the romance less so. If the reader can set aside the fairy tale romance as a fairy tale, he or she might just enjoy this FBI thriller.

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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 Bones Will Speak - A Review

The Bones Will Speak

by

Carrie Stuart Parks

A Review

Gwen Marcey could have any number of titles on her business card:

Talented Painter

Successful Forensic Artist

Wanna Be Criminal Profiler

Amatuer Consulting Detective

Rookie Sleuth

But unless she, her best friend Beth Noble, and Sheriff Dave Moore can catch the “sociopath”, “slimebag”, “scumbag”, “tweeker”, “meth-maggot” ... “perpetrator” who was trying to destroy her life, she would not need a business card tomorrow or at all.

It started with the dog finding a skull.  That was followed by the almost dead body of Mattie and the other bodies found on the rural Montana county’s farms. The crimes had roots in Waco, Idaho, Seattle, and Portland.  And the first hard piece of evidence pointed to a possibly guilty sheriff. It was going to be a long week.

Given the author and her husband’s backgrounds, it makes sense that the plot reads more like Criminal Minds than the lighter Bones.  With a hint of faith, the book has value as it pictures the need for forgiveness - in a variety of circumstances. Given the author’s background as a practicing forensic artist, the story seemed somewhat credible - even given that it is fiction. I particularly enjoyed the author’s use of color throughout the book.

Though there were times I found it hard to pick up the book, the last six or seven chapters were difficult to put down this sophomore look at Gwen Marcey’s life after I prepared for bed - I had to get it finished; and it was well worth it. I have ordered the first book in the series (at my own expense) - this second book was that good.

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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.

A House Divided - A Review

A House Divided

by

Robert Whitlow

A Review

The book focuses on a family of lawyers. Lawyers, yes; family, not so much.

The book opens with the funeral of Corbin Gage’s ex-wife, Kitty - ex, because they had divorced ten years earlier. The split was based, as most are, on many factors; but each had its root in Corbin’s drinking. He “wasn’t an alcoholic”, but his wife and family needed distance from the uncertainty that alcohol brought to their relationship.

Corbin’s law practice was still there - but it was shrinking. He could barely afford to keep his administrative assistant on the payroll. It was the light workload that kept Janelle Griffin around the office.

It was the first day of work after the funeral that things began hopping. A new client walks in, Corbin’s son, Ray (also a lawyer), is seeking to move into private practice law after serving in the DA’s office for six years, and Corbin’s daughter, Roxy (also a lawyer), has a boyfriend that is becoming increasingly serious. The catch, the new client’s case will become the reason Ray is forced from his new job in private practice and the reason Roxy loses her promotion at the large firm where she works. Oh, did I tell you Corbin is an alcoholic.

I have long been a fan of Robert Whitlow - having read most (all?) of his books - legal thrillers occasionally compared to John Grisham. This newest book fills the bill. Combining the damage of industrial waste, the effects of alcoholism on a broken family, and God’s grace, Whitlow has woven a story that held this reader’s attention from the first chapter to the end of the book. Along with this captivating legal drama, the author also introduces his audience to the principles and attitudes which have allowed Alcoholics Anonymous to be successful in supporting the recovering alcoholic and their families. This former aspect is not done in a forceful way but is carefully intertwined into the story as it unfolds in the Gage family.  

My only concern, if that is the right word, is that I want more. There are questions still to be answered if the entire picture is to be seen:

• Where will Roxy work now that she has lost her job?
• Where will Roxy and her new husband live?
• How do Roxy, Ray, and their families work through the effects of a lifetime of living with an alcoholic (could Al-Anon help)?
• Will Corbin Gage’s small, struggling law practice survive into the future?

Robert Whitlow has had both stand alone novels and series of books with shared characters.  My hope is that this current book falls into the latter category. In the meantime, the potential reader will not be disappointed as he or she chooses to pick up this book and read another story of God’s grace working in the hearts of broken people.

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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.