As Directed - A Review

As Directed

by

Kathleen Valenti

Pharmacy Tech (nee Pharmacy Researcher) Maggie O’Malley was developing a bad habit of discovering unhealthy people on the pharmacy floor - some, dead; some, nearly so. This was not a part of her job description. And with four (or was it five) really good suspects, the police (who were only looking at one suspect) and Maggie would have a long week ahead of them.

But murder was not the only crime at play - the lives of children, of pharmacy staff and customers, and of community citizens were also on the line. Maggie had some help from her fiancé, Constantine. Two local detectives, Austin Reynolds and Gladys Wren, would occasionally listen to Maggie’s banter; but, sadly, would not always act on it - upping the level of danger.

I was feeling disappointed through the first half of the book. Much of the character development and some of the story depended on knowing the back story found in the two previous books of the series. This reader felt at a lose. The second half of the book developed a life of its own - knowing the back story may have helped, but was needed for the reader to enjoy and to be drawn into the larger story. It may have helped for the author to provide brief summaries of the earlier books, without destroying the story lines of previous books - this could have been done as brief advertisements inviting the reader to read the previous stories. Alas, only a list of all three books was included as an appendix.

For those looking for a nice (not great) Spring read, As Directed might fill that prescription - it may be just what the doctored ordered.
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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.

Delayed Justice - A Review

Delayed Justice

by

Cara Putman

A Review

We all carry pain. For some, it comes from the choices we make; for others, it is the result of war; and for some, it comes from abuse over which we had no control. We find all three in Cara Putman’s newest novel. 

Jaime Nichols abuse had occurred years ago, but she had told no one till now. Her Uncle Dane had first approached her when she was eight and had not stopped until she left for college. Chandler Bolton had been damaged by war – he was a survivor, but friends had died and been crippled. And he carried his baggage because of it. Late in October, their lives would collide. But the journey would not be easy.

Having spent the last 44+ years living in the shadow of abuse, it is easy to believe in the depth of pain exhibited by the characters penned by Cara Putnam in her newest novel. The story is well told and does not leave the reader with the false belief that coming to terms with psychological pain is easy. But the story does remind the reader that those of us who have lived with it have hope as we trust the process and learn to trust God to see us through 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 mine alone.

Imperfect Justice

Imperfect Justice

by

Cara C. Putman

A Review

What do you get when you mix spousal abuse, three murders, and an abused child, a stalker, a group of female lawyers, and a successful investment manager - you get Imperfect Justice.  The author did a great job of pulling together too many sub-stories into a very satisfying novel that left this reader wanting more.  

The case was closed when Emilie Wesley’s client did not show up for the Protective Order hearing. She knew it, her boss told her it was true, and the fact that the client had died made it very clear - the case was closed. It did not help that police were convinced that Kaylene Adams, her client, had killed her older daughter, seriously wounded her younger daughter, and then killed herself. The case was closed.

There were two reasons she could not let the case go. First, her own gut told her this young mother would not harm her children. And, then, there was Reid Billings. Reid was the client’s younger brother and, he, too, was convinced that something was amiss. But there was no proof - never was, never would be. Yet, if Emily did nothing, Kaylene’s younger daughter, Kinley, might be left living with a murderer.

Cara Putnam’s experience as a courtroom lawyer has allowed her to write a novel as intriguing as anything coming from the pen of John Grisham or Robert Whitlow. As in her previous book, Beyond Justice, the author weaves in just enough faith and romance with the law to make this book of interest to an assortment of readers. Though not a direct sequel to the earlier work, a number of characters do cross over and help flesh out this newest work. The connection between the two books does not detract from the current story.

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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.

"Book of Henry" - A Movie Review

Book of Henry

A Movie Review

So I am trying something new - rather than reviewing a book, I am going to review a movie. To be honest, this is not my first attempt at a movie review - though my earlier attempts date back to the early 1990’s. I was part of a CPE Unit being held at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Sioux City, IA. We had been given a writing assignment to evaluate what we learned about death in the books we had read that summer. However, it was not the books that I read that helped me think through this theme that year - the same year that “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “My Girl II” were released. Those two movies and probably a couple of others became part of my essay for that unit. So now, 25 years later, I will again take a stab at writing a movie review.

Earlier this afternoon, my wife and I walked into our local Cinemark theater wanting to see “Cars 3”,  “Megan Leavey”, or “Book of Henry”. The latter movie won for this afternoon as it fit into our schedule given when we arrived at the theater and when it was playing (i.e. we only had a 1-hour wait, rather than the two-hour wait that the other two would have required).

“The Book of Henry” reminded me, as I mentioned to my wife and confirmed by a second review I read after coming home from the theater, of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller. I and the other review both mentioned “Rear Window” as a comparable Hitchcock film.

Henry’s mom is an immature mother trying to parent a semi-genius son and his rather normal brother. Henry becomes aware that a neighborhood girl is being abused by her stepfather, but because of his role in the community, nobody takes the accusation seriously. While facing his own crisis, Henry devises a way to protect the neighbor’s daughter and prepares a script for his mom to follow to assure the daughter’s safety. The immature mother begins to follow the script - but finally grows up enough to tackle the problem

in other ways. But the mom is not the only one who is going to grow up, Henry’s younger brother challenges mom to not address problems like her genius son would, but like she would.

The movie brings together a number of important themes in the lives of several of the main characters. Though not specifically a Christian film, the movie addresses issues that are important to believers - child abuse, parenting, grace (including a child’s rendition of “Amazing Grace” at an appropriate point in the movie), and maturity.

The PG-13 rating and the selection of previews chosen (ranging from R- to PG-13 rated movies) to run prior to the beginning of our feature film left my wife and I with doubts as the movie began. Occasionally the movie included some inappropriate language. There is a discussion of child abuse, but nothing explicit is shown on the screen. Similarly, a suicide is committed off screen, but even that helps bring the film to a satisfying conclusion. The movie is not appropriate for children or young teens or the Christian that may be offended by foul language, but it does have something of value to teach each of us about the world in which we may find ourselves. I gave the movie 5/5 stars and would recommend it for most adults.

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This review is based on a paid admission to the theater. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Congregation - A Review

The Congregation

by

Desiree Bombenon

A Review

I almost did not read “The Congregation”; I found the first book in this series so disturbing that I felt that it might not be worth my time.  My concerns were only partially correct. I found this newest book starring Jake and Amanda Bannon to be less offensive and somewhat positive in its presentation.

The earlier book had so much graphic violence that I had to, at times, put it down and walk away before I could continue. The current book did have violence, but not to the extent that I had to walk away. The current book also avoided the use of unexpected explicit sex - the other fault I had with “The Offering”.

Two themes seemed to be driven home by Ms. Bombenon in “The Congregation”.  The first was the ultimate consequence of abuse - whether from parents to child, spouse to spouse, or church leaders toward congregants under their “care”.  Those who are abused are affected by that abuse - and it spreads until someone says, “Stop.” This does not mean people are not hurt, but the abuse does not need to continue being spread.

The other focus of the book is redemption - even the most abuse, the most damaged individuals may have something powerful and positive to offer to those around them. At the same time, abused and hurt individuals may not find redemption. They are so damaged, so wrapped in the life they have created, that they cannot see the good that could come from their lives.

Though wrapped in a package surrounded by religion and the church, the book is not a Christian book. Abuse occurs within the walls of the church; redemption comes not from the church, but in spite of it.  That faith is almost totally absent from the story does not mean there is no value within its pages.

The bottom line: read with care. Though the themes are ones with which my followers will be familiar, they are not presented in a typical fashion.  If this is done, you, like me, may find value in Desiree Bombenon’s latest work of fiction.

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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.