A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas

This book is set in WV, my home state.  Her other books take place there also. Beside the setting, her writing style and the way she gently unwraps a character’s past made me want to read more of her books.

Her characters are lovable and relatable, even with their flaws.  She drew me into the Phillips family.

The ending wasn’t easy to figure out, but it was satisfying.  She writes of mistakes that people make, but also of the grace offered to continue and make a fresh start.    She made me want to read the next book

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This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  I loved it and think that other readers will, too.

Robert Whitlow Legal Thriller

The Witnesses by Robert Whitlow

Robert Whitlow’s book The Witnesses, takes the reader back and forth between World War II and the present.  It centers on a young lawyer and his grandfather, and the special gift that they share.

 

The legal details of this book were often over my head and the author didn’t waste much time trying to explain them. I thought that they really didn’t play too much of a main part in the story.

The characters were interesting and I especially enjoyed getting to know Franz and figuring out his story.  I found Parker and Layla interesting as well. Tom Blocker’s actions seemed a bit far-fetched at the end of the book.

The plot was well-paced and kept my attention by switching between Franz’s past and the present.  The ending did have some surprises, too.

The author took an interesting approach to Franz and Parker’s gift and how it could be used selfishly.  It wasn’t as obvious how he thought it should be used positively.

If you enjoy legal thrillers, this book should be on your to-be-read list.  The publisher gave me a free copy in return for my honest review.

Excellent Biblical Fiction

Delilah by Angela Hunt

Angela Hunt is one of my favorite authors.  I find her novels to be thought-provoking, well-researched, and well-written.  Delilah is no exception.

 

Hunt made me want to re-read the Biblical account of Samson and Delilah.  She did a good job of filling in the literary details that knit the story together.  It made perfect sense.

  

It was obvious that she had done research on the time period when Samson lived.  The details regarding the loom, growing flax, and the Philistine oppression of the Israelites added credibility to the tale.  I felt that I went away with a greater understanding of what life would have been like then.

The story was well-written.  The story line kept my attention and moved the story along at a nice pace.  Her characters were fleshed-out with complicated motivations.  She definitely cast Samson and Delilah, despite their faults, in a positive light.  Though I was familiar with the tragic ending, Hunt managed to put it in a positive light.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Biblical fiction.  It was not only entertaining, but educational.  I received a free copy from the publisher in return for my honest opinion.     

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.