Relative Justice - A Review

 

Relative Justice

by

Robert Whitlow

A Review

To those who are willing to look beneath the

surface in the search for truth.

Your perseverance will be rewarded.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

(Proverbs 25:2)

Robert Whitlow’s latest faith-based legal thriller is also a medical thriller. David Cobb and his father, Carter Cobb, have a small law practice in Raleigh NC. David’s sister-in-law, Katelyn Martin-Cobb, joined a large DC law firm after graduating from law school. She finds herself in the midst of a major career change at the same time as Carter’s health takes a turn for the worse. Arriving home to support her father-in-law, the Cobb family of lawyers find themselves handling a medical patent suit.

David and Katelyn are exploring the place faith will have in their lives - both personally and professionally. Emerson Chappelle, the antagonist in the story, will be facing similar decisions before the story ends.

This reader found the story intriguing - worthy of my time. The author weaves in themes of spiritual obedience, grace, forgiveness, and family; and he does it well. Robert Whitlow lives up to his reputation in this 5-star 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 mine alone.

The Catch - A Review

 

The Catch

by

Lisa Harris

A Review

The judge’s wife has been killed, a courtroom has been ambushed, a protected WITSEC witness has disappeared. And it is all connected.

Madison James and Jonas Quinn, US Marshals, are assigned to one case, but find that they are working on all three. The plot takes us from Seattle’s inner city to the rural forests surrounding the ciTy to the waterways that define the city’s western boundary. Murders, kidnappings, and chase  scenes define the crimes - even as we learn to appreciate the courage and strengths of the Marshals and the victims.

The result is a satisfying faith-based thriller that will hold the reader’s attention from the beginning to the end. Speaking to faith, courage, and grief, the book will be of value to many readers. Though not the author’s best work, it was worth the time I spent reading it. I give the book 4-½ stars.
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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.

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.

The Heart of American Poetry - A Review

 

The Heart of
American Poetry

by

Edward Hirsch

A Review

Edward Hirsch has compiled an eclectic collection of poetry written by Americans, some well-known and some less so. The poems are accompanied with essays which help the reader understand the environment within which the authors were writing.

Though I only recently found a new appreciation for poetry, I think if this book had been the first I had stumbled upon to refresh my exposure to this genre, I would have said, “No, thank you.” There is little to unite the pieces included except (as indicated in the title) it is American Poetry. As I read, I felt as if I were back in my very unsatisfying freshman literature class. As I did, so many years ago, I would walk away and say, “No more!”

Some of the poems were engaging, but many were not. The result is a collection, a book, that receives only three 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.

Mining for Murder - A Review

 

Mining for Murder

by

Mary Angela

A Review

Spirit Canyon SD was located in the middle of a tourist destination surrounded by Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Devil’s Tower. It was also an antique hunter's dream. That is what brought Zo (aka Zoelle) to Mountain View Manor and Vera Dalrymaple’s estate sale. Vera had been a professor at Black Mountain College before her passing. Zo’s interest was in the trinkets she had collected over the years, but the most exciting item was an extremely rare book, My Journey West. Though it sold for $16,000 at the estate sale, it was worth so much more - maybe even a man’s life.

Zo’s interest in the book was two-fold. First, she did want to find the person responsible for the murder. She also wanted to see what the book might say about her own heritage. But with the murder, the book had disappeared.

The result is a nice cozy mystery that occasionally had this reader searching for the very real history that lay beneath the legends that provided a foundation for this work of fiction. I give the book 4-½ stars.
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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.

Quest 52 - A Review

 

Quest 52

by

Mark E. Moore

A Review

Quest 52 is a year-long look at the person of Jesus using a set of 52 devotions including daily readings for throughout the year. The book divides itself four groups of 13 studies based on four different themes:

1. The Person of Jesus
2. The Power of Jesus
3. The Preaching of Jesus
4. The Passion of Jesus

Each of the 52 studies consists of an extended essay (ca. 10 pages), 5 daily devotional exercises, and a collection of “bonus material” available on-lkine. These include videos and PDFs of helpful resources.

The book stands out for a variety of reasons. it is fully grounded in scripture. Scripture permeates both the essays, the daily devotions, and the bonus material. The reader will find himself or herself seeing Jesus in the Old and New Testament. This reader was also appreciative of the interactive nature of the study. The reader is guided as he or she takes a journey through the person and work of Christ - though the author does provide some explicit lessons, the reader is provided questions and material to work through on their own. Finally, the author recognizes that different people learn in different ways. There are plenty of opportunities for the reader to practice visual, aural, and tactile learning styles during each weeks study.

The book could be used as a stand alone study by an individual or as the basis of a small group or classroom study. The resulting volume is well worth the five-stars I am awarding 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.  

Dark Angel - A Review

 

Dark Angel

by

Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson

A Review

Andrews & Wilson have taken the common concept of spiritual warfare and embedded it into the physical realm where demons are fought by former military special forces and adolescent “watchers” who have the unique ability to enter into the minds of humans and/or demons, The result is a faith-based fantasy that weaves the world’s spiritual life into a real-world context.

Though the genre is not one I especially appreciate, I did find myself increasingly wanting to see how the story ended the further I read. Not coming to this story with a military background, I appreciated the appendix that included a glossary of terms used within the book. This may not have been my favorite book; but I did find it hard to put down, wanting more and more. The book ends with a brief glimpse of what future volumes hold as the authors continue to write pieces of this story.

I give this book 4-stars while looking forward to what is to come.
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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.