Nun as a Private Detective

Sister Eve and the Blue Nun by Lynne Hinton

This book is the third in a series of the Divine Private Detective Agency mystery.  Because of that, there were some inferences that I didn’t understand.  Sister Eve, the main character frequently corrects the other characters on the pronunciation of her name, but never explains how the reader should pronounce it, which was confusing to me.  She doesn’t give much background information on Eve’s relationship to her father or why he was called Captain.

 

The other item which made it difficult to understand was the part about her being a nun and life in the monastery.  I have little familiarity with the monastic life and that made it harder to enjoy the story.

I found the characters, mainly Sister Eve, interesting.  The author included enough details about her that I felt connected to her, even if her dilemma and background was difficult to understand.

I was not mesmerized by this book, but did find myself wondering about the potential relationship she might develop with Detective Lujan.  The author did leave some possibilities open at the conclusion of the book.

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In short, the book was okay, but not one of my favorites.  I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it were the first in the series and I had had the opportunity to be filled in on Sister Eve’s background.  The idea of a nun as a private detective is appealing to me, but the book did not quite meet my expectations.  The last few chapters of the book were exciting and fast paced, but the beginning and middle moved a little too slowly for my liking

I received this book free from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, and this is my honest review.

Thomas Nelson fiction

Sister Dear by Laura McNeill

Convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Allie Marshall watches a decade of her life disappear.  Now she is out on parole, back in her home town.  All she wants is a fresh start … and a chance to prove her innocence.

McNeill writes a story which jumps forward and backward in time, allowing the reader to see the events that lead up to the present.  Not necessarily a nail-biter, but more like a step by step revelation of the plot keeps the reader somewhat engaged

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I can’t say this story held any great surprises, nor did it make a great impression on me.  It was a pleasant read, but not a compelling one.

I found the sisters’ relationship to be interesting.  Emma seemed to be the “good” sister who held the family together during Allie’s absence.  As the story continued, Emma’s character was revealed and I was horrified by the secret life she lead.

Although published by Thomas Nelson, this story has very few elements of Christian fiction, which surprised me.  This has been true of a few of the books I have read from them lately.  There is a clear sense of good and evil, but no mention of God or Jesus.  It is a fairly clean book, but not one I would recommend for anyone other than adults due to some of the content.

I am grateful to Thomas Nelson, who gave me this free copy to read for my honest review, however, it did not give me the desire to read any more of McNeill’s work.

Biblical Fiction with a Twist

Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette

This book was a great read.  I knew the Exodus story from the Bible, but the author gave the story from a totally different perspective.  Kiya, an Egyptian slave, gives her account of the plague in Egypt and the ensuing exodus and journey in the wilderness.

The twist in perspective had me pondering the story of the exodus and enabled me to see it more from the light of an ordinary Hebrew slave or in Kiya’s case, a recently freed Egyptian slave.  It was somewhat surprising to have the plagues happen without any preparation or foreknowledge like the Exodus account.

The characters captured my imagination.  I enjoyed seeing the growth in Kiya, her slow turning to Yaweh and her attraction to a Hebrew man.  Her friend Shira, amazed me with her forgiveness and love.  The developing relationship between Kiya and her mother added to the depth of the story.  My curiosity was satisfied with the author’s revelation of Kiya’s mother’s past.

I would love to read the next book in the series—or at least, I will be very disappointed if there is not another book.  The publisher gave me a free copy in exchange for my honest review and I appreciate being able to read this great book.

You'll- Ignore- Everything- Else Suspense

If I Run by Terri Blackstock

  Casey Cox is running because she left lots of dna evidence at the   crime scene where her best friend was killed. She claims innocence but there is no chance that the truth will set her free.  Kill her?  Perhaps.

  

Dylan Roberts, friend of the murdered man, is hired to hunt Casey down.  As he gets closer, he learns more about Casey and begins to question what he has been told about her.  But why did she run if she isn’t the killer?

This book was very well-written.  The characters were well-drawn.  Blackstock fleshes out their personalities with innumerable details and made them feel like friends.  I found myself thinking about them after the book was done.

The plot kept me reading, especially the way she switched between Casey’s viewpoint and Dylan’s viewpoint.  I could tell that a collision was coming between the two of them, but was surprised at the outcome.

The relationship between this crime and Casey’s past added another layer of suspense.  The author slowly peeled back events revealing more details to pique the reader’s curiosity.

I loved this book and was very happy to learn that it is the first in a trilogy.  Blackstock leaves too many questions unanswered and doors opened to quit now!  Besides, I really liked Casey and wanted to know what the rest of her story was.  If you love suspense, you will relish this book.  I received a free copy for the publisher and this is my honest review. 

Christian fiction on art and forgiveness and second chances

Driftwoood Tides by Gina Holmes

Driftwood artist Holton Creary’s life is shattered.  His wife is dead and he feels he is to blame.  He descends into alcoholism and is in danger of losing everything he once loved.  His assistant Tess stays by his side, but she is powerless to help him.

A few hours away, Libby Slater struggles against her socialite mother to take back control of her upcoming wedding to Rob.  While getting some genetic counseling, she discovers that she is related to neither of her parents and her mother reveals that she has been adopted by her mother and father, and then abandoned by her father.  The adoption paperwork leads her to Holton Creary, the husband of her birth mother.

She tracks down Holton and passes herself off as a summer intern.  While she is there, she wants to learn as much as she can about her birth mother, without telling Holton who she really is.  She watches as his alcoholism spirals out of control and works with Tess to save him from himself.

Author Gina Holmes explores issues of life, love, forgiveness and second chances.  Her flawed characters grow and change as the story progresses. The story’s plot leaves the reader guessing what will happen next.  Her message of hope and possible change inspire the reader.  The artist’s vocation of one of her main characters gives the story depth and adds important details to her characters’ personalities.  I found this story kept my interest and the conclusion was unexpected and yet satisfying.  I would recommend this book to my fellow readers of Christian fiction.

Surprising Biblical Fiction on Bathsheba

Bathsheba by Angela Hunt

This novel is part of Hunt’s Dangerous Beauty Novels, which include Esther, Bathsheba and the upcoming one on Delilah.  Hunt is careful to handle one of the most delicate challenges in writing about Bible characters:  keeping her story true to the scriptural account, but filling in details with logical feelings, conversations and settings.  To my way of thinking, a Bible story novelization can be dangerous to read because it can put ideas or motives into the reader’s heart that are  not in line with scripture.  It seems that Hunt has avoided that pitfall with a plethora of research, which she includes in the references.

I found this book to be very engaging.  Even though I knew the story, it was the details that the author added that kept me reading.  I was fascinated by the motivation she gave the characters, especially Michal, David and Nathan.  And for the most part they were logical.

The book changed my opinion of Bathsheba as a woman of the Bible.  I credit Hunt with doing the research that allowed me to see Bathsheba in a new light.  The way that Bathsheba dealt with her lot in life was very encouraging.  She is a good example of growing in trust in God and allowing Him to be sovereign, even in life’s most difficult moments. 

This book is definitely worth the read.  I think that readers will be encouraged by the story of how God used a woman in a way she would not have expected. Be prepared to think about Bathsheba in a totally new light. This review is my honest opinion.  I received a free copy from Bethany House publishers.

 

Authentic crime suspense fiction

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks

In this authentic novel, Parks continues the story of her heroine, Gwen Marcey.  Gwen stumbles into a murder investigation by finding a girl who has been tortured and temporarily abandoned.  The eerie thing about the victim is that she so closely resembles Marcey’s own daughter.  After putting some clues together, Gwen realizes that she is being stalked by a serial killer who is somehow related to the Christian identity movement.  Can she outwit the killer to save many lives including her daughter’s and her own?

The things I most enjoyed about this book were the flawed but unassuming main character, the unique job she held, and her courage.  The way Parks teased the reader along kept me guessing until the killer was revealed.  The ending of the book was rollercoaster fast and just as suspenseful.  Those readers who enjoy crime fiction with lots of suspense will find this book keeps them awake late into the night.  I really enjoyed it.