Relative Silence - A Review

Relative Silence

By
Carrie Stuart Parks

In the words of Corrie Ten Boom,
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future
to a known God.”
              [Carrie Stuart Parks]

Carrie Parks' latest book started off slow, feeling like I was reading a high schooler’s stilted initial attempts at storytelling rather than a work coming from an experienced and accomplished writer. The book ended on a different note - I could not put it down as Piper Boone and her group of close friends managed to survive the night living through a Cat-4 or -5 hurricane. The author came through with a winning romantic, faith-based, suspense, thriller.

The prologue opens with Piper sending her three-year-old daughter off with her father to spend the day boating and visiting the South Carolina mainland; by the end of the day, her daughter was missing; and by the end of the week, she was declared dead. Chapter one opens 15 years later with a serial killer shooting the patrons of a small South Carolina café, killing Piper’s high school friend and two other lunch diners. From there the story introduces the reader to other participants in Piper’s life and history. We are introduced to a dysfunctional family that can only begin to recover with the unmerited grace of God. Forgiveness will need to be asked and to be given if healing is to be part of this family’s future.

The book has a great deal to teach about those themes of grace and forgiveness - both human and divine. It was well worth my time, and I was glad to be able to read it.
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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.

Collateral Damage - A Review

Collateral Damage

by

Lynette Eason

The first two chapters gave the appearance that I was reading a military thriller - a genre I tend to avoid. I was wrong.

Chapter three opens in a South Carolina field with the discovery of a mass grave. That grave would lead to the involvement of the FBI, the CIA, the Army CID, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and numerous local authorities, into an international manhunt for men so evil even those accustomed to various crimes would be offended. As a reader, I wanted these people caught before they could bring more pain into their world - only the cooperation of the various agencies would bring the guilty to justice.

Though the focus was on the crime, it also presented the reader with a better understanding of PTSD as experienced by those in the military. As I have said before, a book that deals with serious topics (even books of fiction) should also provide pointers for those dealing with these issues either directly or indirectly to additional help. Sadly it did not. Hints that help exists, yes; but no links to websites or phone numbers to reach out for support.

Though coming from a faith-based publisher, I had a hard time calling the book a faith-based thriller. It certainly was not anti-faith but did not weave an underlying theme of faith into the book. Even with that said, the book may find a place in some church libraries. It will also belong in most public libraries serving the general population and on the shelves interested in the unintended casualties of war. It serves as a stark reminder that we need to pray for those living in war-torn areas, whether they are directly fighting or merely trying to live in areas affected by war.
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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.

Bad Pick - A Review

Bad Pick

by

Linda Lovely

A goat farm, goat milk, goat cheese, and goat yoga (yep, it is a real thing: http://bit.ly/Goat-Yoga), along with a right-wing Christian cult that met near the Udderly Goat Farm, are combined to make the foundation for a lively cozy mystery. A series of murders appear at first glance to implicate Brie Hooker, the owner and operator of the Udderly Goat Farm, and the real culprit must be discovered before Brie becomes the next victim.

The story is readable and enjoyable - making for a great Spring read. As expected, Henery Press has commissioned another winner - glad I was able to read this ARC prior to publication.
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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 of Valor - A Review

Code of Valor

by

Lynette Eason

A stolen boat and a missing friend lead to a case human trafficking involving law enforcement at many levels — local, state, and national. Emily Chastain would put her life on the line to find both the perpetrators and the victims. But in the process her own faith and the faith of those around her would be tested and proved. Lynette Eason has written a dramatic and intense thriller that will hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end. I would easily give the book a 5-star rating, except for one problem.

There is a “but” however. The book dealt with a major theme in law enforcement in the 21st century, human trafficking. The book does not provide resources for the average reader to find additional help. No web sites allowing the reader to learn more. No way to determine the size of the problem in local communities or within individual states. No signs or symptoms to suggest where help may found by somebody in trouble. No phone numbers to call for help if seen. The resources are there (see https://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/ for one site.)

Yes, this is a work of fiction, but the problems are real. It would make sense to add a list of resources as an appendix or addendum or even a single website where this information could found if needed, especially from a book coming with a Christian imprint. But there was nothing. I was disappointed.

I have no problem recommending the book for reading, having written a good story. I, however, would expect the author or publisher to take the initiative to assist the reader in understanding the larger issues involved.
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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.

Bones To Pick - A Review

Bones To Pick

by

Linda Lovely

A Review

Brie Hooker is a vegan, not a vegetarian, a vegan. And she has just inherited her family's goat (from which they got meat and cheese) and chicken (meat and eggs) farm. All of which are verboten to the vegan appetite. And that does not include the newest member of the family, Tammy, a Vietnamese potbellied pig. And as the reader moves from chapter one to chapter two, we find that Tammy has opened a barrel of worms - except the worms were gone and now all we had were human bones.  

Now to find the killer - the victim had probably been killed forty years or so in the past.  Even then, he was not well liked. Any number of people could have involved in the murder forty years ago, but now there were questions to be addressed in the present.

We get to meet the people of Ardon County, South Carolina. There seems to be as much love in this county as there was between the Hatfields and McCoys a bit further to the northwest. Families are convinced that they have been defrauded, others are accused of stealing land, and the legal paperwork is covered with forged signatures that might make any check writer proud.

Like most of the cozy mysteries coming from Henery Press, the story combines suspense, humor, and a smattering of romance (hey, Brie is being courted by two great, but very different guys). What is there not to like. To quote the last sentence in the book, “Holy ham hocks. Life [on the farm] was going to be interesting.”

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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.