by admin | Aug 25, 2012 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Mystery
MY REVIEW:
“Dying to Read” is a clever and whimsical cozy mystery featuring Cate Kincaid. Cate is a pretty smart girl but is baffled by the fact that she can’t seem to hold on to a job. Could it be that disaster seems to follow just a step or two behind her? Out of compassion, her uncle Joe, a private investigator, has hired Cate to be his assistant. Her first simple assignment is to locate a young woman for an out-of-town relative. Cate arrives at Willow’s last know address to find Willow missing and her employer dead. Although the police have ruled the death an accident, Cate believes otherwise.
With its zany cast of characters, several laugh-out-loud scenes, a good mystery with several possible suspects, and a little romance thrown in for good measure, “Dying to Read” is just the right book to lift your spirits. Cate is a great heroine – down to earth, a bit quirky and klutzy, but just stubborn and bold enough to follow her instincts. Even though there was a real possibility that Mitch could be the guilty party, I liked him well enough to hope that it wasn’t him. I truly enjoyed “Dying to Read” and look forward to future installments featuring Cate Kincaid. So glad I had a chance to read this book.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lorena McCourtney has spun a fast-paced and witty romantic mystery in her new book, Dying to Read. From the very first chapter, she grabs your attention and keeps you hooked until the very end.
Cate Kinkaid is just dipping her toe into the world of private investigating until one of the many résumés she has floating around lands her a real job. All she has to do is determine that a particular woman lives at a particular address. Simple, right? When the big and brooding house happens to contain a dead body, this routine PI job turns out to be anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?
Endorsements for Dying to Read & Lorena McCourtney
“With each new mystery series Lorena McCourtney skillfully creates a unique sleuth—and Cate Kinkaid is no exception in Dying to Read. I loved all the witty prose and the laugh-out-loud moments I’ve come to expect when reading McCourtney’s mysteries. Seasoned with romance and a fascinating collection of peculiar characters, this clever tale will keep you guessing about more than murder. Never a dull moment, Dying to Read is a winner!”
—Elizabeth Goddard, author of Carol Award–winning The Camera Never Lies
“Lorena McCourtney has fashioned a fun and engaging mystery that begs to be solved. And just when I thought I had figured it out, I realized she had added another layer. Mystery lovers, kick off your shoes, curl up somewhere comfortable, and prepare to be entertained! Dying to Read will keep you fully engrossed and guessing.”
—Kathy Herman, author of The Baxter series, Seaport Suspense series, and Secrets of Roux River Bayou series
“I adore Lorena McCourtney books. She’s one of my favorite authors. Dying to Read adds a delightful new tale to her stack of engrossing and entertaining mysteries seasoned with her signature wry humor. The fun and intriguing plot is populated by interesting characters with fascinating quirks, foibles, and challenges. McCourtney keeps the pages turning with fresh developments in a case that lures rookie PI Cate Kinkaid ever deeper into skin-tingling danger. I can hardly wait for the next book in this exciting new series!”
—Jill Elizabeth Nelson, award-winning author of Reluctant Burglar
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lorena McCourtney is the award-winning author of dozens of novels, including Invisible (which won the Daphne du Maurier Award from Romance Writers of America), In Plain Sight, On the Run, and Stranded. She resides in Oregon.
by admin | Aug 11, 2012 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Law Enforcement, Mystery, Romance, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Although I enjoy most good Christian fiction in general, I find myself drawn to certain genres more than others and romantic suspense is one that I particularly like. I have found that Irene Hannon is one author I can depend on to provide me with a page turning plot that I can’t put down.
As the final installment of Hannon’s Guardians of Justice series, “Lethal Legacy” includes familiar characters from the previous books, especially its hero Cole Taylor who reluctantly agrees to take another look at a closed case for heroine Kelly Warren. Although the death of Kelly’s father was ruled a suicide, she remains unconvinced that he killed himself. New clues persuade Cole that Kelly may be right, especially when suspicious circumstances indicate that Kelly may be in danger herself. When Cole realizes that his interest in the case has become personal, his need to solve it quickly becomes even more important to him.
Irene Hannon has a genuine gift for writing suspense. When the suspense reaches a certain point, she is adept at relieving the tension with a romantic scene or a little humor before ratcheting it up another level. “Lethal Legacy” had plenty of twists and turns and more than one surprise that kept me engaged for the entire novel. Everything was not tied up in a neat little package at the end that left me wondering but it had a satisfactory resolution.
I am a bit sad to reach the end of the Guardians of Justice series but I can rest assured that the next series from Hannon will be just as enjoyable.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Two-Time RITA Award-Winning Author Completes Critically-Acclaimed Romantic Suspense Series
Bestselling suspense author Irene Hannon completes the Guardians of Justice series with her much-anticipated novel Lethal Legacy, releasing in August 2012. Hannon’s signature high-intensity action and taut suspense combined with her talent for writing tender, heartwarming romance will have readers on the edge of their seats. A two-time RITA award winner, Hannon completes the critically acclaimed series with a story of old grudges and a budding romance.
Kelly Warren is on a mission to prove her father’s death wasn’t suicide, but Detective Cole Taylor doesn’t put much credence in her claim. Nothing in his case review suggests foul play until Kelly ends up in the emergency room with a suspicious life-threatening medical condition. The incident strikes him as more than just coincidence. Digging deeper, he discovers she’s linked to a long-ago crime. Is history repeating itself? And who wants Kelly silenced?
Hannon, a former communications executive for a Fortune 500 company, left the corporate world in 2003 to focus on her growing fiction brand. While continuing to write contemporary romance, she also delved into suspense. The result was her Heroes of Quantico series, which began in 2009 with Against All Odds. From the beginning, her suspense books have garnered rave reviews. Booklist named her last novel, Deadly Pursuit (Revell, 2011) one of the top ten inspirational fiction titles for 2011 saying Hannon crafted “compelling characters and an emotionally engaging plot powered by a surfeit of nail biting suspense.”
Each of her suspense titles, though part of a series, can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Irene Hannon is the author of more than 35 novels, including the bestselling Heroes of Quantico and Guardians of Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, a HOLT Medallion, a Daphne du Maurier Award and two Reviewers’ Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri.
For more information about her and her books, visit her web site at www.irenehannon.com and follow her on Twitter at @IreneHannon.
by admin | Aug 7, 2012 | Books, Historical, Mystery, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingChasing The WindB&H Books (August 1, 2012)byPamela Binnings EwenABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Until recently retiring to write full time, Pamela Binnings Ewen was a partner in the Houston office of the international law firm of Baker Botts, L.L.P., specializing in corporate finance. She now lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband, James Lott.
She has served on the Board of Directors of Inprint, Inc., a non-profit organization supporting the literary arts in Houston, Texas, as well as the Advisory Board for The New Orleans Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans; Pamela is a co-founder of the Northshore Literary Society in the Greater New Orleans area. She is also a member of the National League of American Pen Women.
Pamela’s first novel, Walk Back The Cat (Broadman & Holman. May, 2006) is the story of an embittered and powerful clergyman who learns an ancient secret, confronting him with truth and a choice that may destroy him.
She is also the best-selling author of the acclaimed non-fiction book Faith On Trial, published by Broadman & Holman in 1999, currently in its third printing.
Although it was written for non-lawyers, Faith On Trial was also chosen as a text for a course on law and religion at Yale Law School in the Spring of 2000, along with The Case For Christ by Lee Stroble. Continuing the apologetics begun in Faith On Trial, Pamela also appears with Gary Habermas, Josh McDowell, Darrell Bock, Lee Stroble, and others in the film Jesus: Fact or Fiction, a Campus Crusade for Christ production.
Pamela is the latest writer to emerge from a Louisiana family recognized for its statistically improbable number of successful authors. A cousin, James Lee Burke, who won the Edgar Award, wrote about the common ancestral grandfathers in his Civil War novel White Dove At Morning.
Among other writers in the family are Andre Dubus (Best Picture Oscar nomination for The Bedroom; his son, Andre Dubus III, author of The House of Sand and Fog, a Best Picture Oscar nomination and an Oprah pick; Elizabeth Nell Dubus (the Cajun trilogy); and Alafair Burke, just starting out with the well received Samantha Kincaid mystery series.
Learn more about Pamela and her books on her Website .
ABOUT THE BOOK:
At 8:47 A.M. on Wednesday, October 12, 1977, new-to-town businessman Bingham Murdock flew his small plane into New Orleans, banking it in such a way that a ray of sunshine shot through the city at light speed.
Amalise Catoir saw the flash from her sixteenth floor law office window. Finally feeling alive after the death of her abusive husband, she imagined seeing the plane was a fate for her eyes only; a special connection between the unknown giver and she, the recipient of light.
But someone else saw it, a six-year-old Cambodian refugee in foster care for whom a sudden burst of brightness reminds him of artillery fire.
Destined to cross paths with the man and the child, Amalise doesn’t yet know the deeper spiritual lesson she will learn: that we are responsible not only for the things we do, but also for the things that we don’t.
If you would like to read an excerpt of Chasing The Wind, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Chasing The Wind is a story filled with chance encounters that some might call “divine appointments” – encounters that connect the lives of perfect strangers in subtle ways that can affect their lives forever. Set in post Vietnam War New Orleans, the story focuses primarily on a high stakes real estate legal case and the people involved from the investors, to the lawyers, to the unsuspecting neighborhood residents who will be affected by the transaction. Expertly woven into the plot are also a romantic triangle, the story of a Cambodian refugee and his foster family, and a true life mystery that remains unsolved.
Although there were hints throughout the story, I thought it was brilliant that it wasn’t really evident until the end that the book was somewhat of a mystery. I also liked the way the author worked in the real life mystery by connecting it with one of her characters, offered a plausible explanation yet left it a question at the end.
Chasing The Wind is a strong character driven novel that left me wanting more. So far each book I have read by Ms. Ewen has been unique but I believe that Chasing The Wind has to be my favorite to date. For those who enjoy legal thrillers, this one is a must read.
by admin | Jul 10, 2012 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingInescapableBethany House Publishers (July 1, 2012)byNancy MehlABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband Norman and their dog, Watson. She’s authored thirteen books and is currently at work on her newest series for Bethany House Publishing.
All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”
She and her husband attend Believer’s Tabernacle in Wichita.
Learn more about Nancy and her books on her Website .
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, Kingdom, Kansas, with plans never to return.
But five years later, the new life she built is falling apart. Lizzie knows she’s being followed, and she’s certain the same mysterious stranger is behind the threatening letters she’s received. Realizing she’ll have to run again, the only escape Lizzie can manage is a return to the last place she wants to go.
Once she arrives in Kingdom, Lizzie is confident she’ll be safe until she comes up with a new plan. In reacquainting herself with the town and its people–especially her old friend, Noah Housler–she wonders if she judged her hometown and her Mennonite faith too harshly. However, just as she begins to come to terms with her roots, Lizzie is horrified to discover the danger she ran from is closer than ever.
No longer sure who to trust and fearful for her life and the lives of those around her, Lizzie finds she has only one place left to run–to the Father whose love is inescapable.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Inescapable, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Inescapable is a mystery/suspense set in the isolated old order Mennonite town of Kingdom, Kansas. Although the novel is a page turner with sufficient twists and surprises to keep most mystery lovers happy, I felt that its real strength was in its character development. The interaction between characters varied from loving and supportive to hostile which had a strong influence on decisions made by the primary characters.
As Lizzie faced various trials in her life. she was finally able to learn that the only way she could survive was by trusting God to take care of her situation. By letting go of her anger and unforgiveness toward her father and the people of Kingdom, she was finally able to find the peace she had been searching for in her life. Inescapable has a strong message of forgiveness and reconciliation and ended well. I found the details about the old order Mennonites to be interesting. They were an entirely different group than the Mennonites I encounter in our part of the country.
Inescapable was a satisfying read in all respects. I think that readers who enjoy Amish fiction and/or mystery suspense would find it to their taste.
by admin | Jun 27, 2012 | Amish, Books, Mystery, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe SearchAvon Inspire; Original edition (June 19, 2012)byShelley Shepard GrayABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Since 2000, Shelley Sabga has sold over thirty novels to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Harlequin, Abingdon Press, and Avon Inspire. She has been interviewed by NPR, and her books have been highlighted in numerous publications, including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.
Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for HarperCollins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. Her recent novel, The Protector, the final book in her “Families of Honor” series, hit the New York Times List, and her previous novel in the same series, The Survivor, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Shelley has won the prestigious Holt Medallion for her books, Forgiven and Grace, and her novels have been chosen as Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club. Her first novel with Avon Inspire, Hidden, was an Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two children in college, and is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and currently leads a Bible study group, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.
When she’s not writing, Shelley often attends conferences and reader retreats in order to give workshops and publicize her work. She’s attended RWA’s national conference six times, the ACFW conference and Romantic Times Magazine’s annual conference as well as traveled to New Jersey, Birmingham, and Tennessee to attend local conferences.
Check out Shelley’s Facebook Fan page
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the second book in her Secrets of Crittenden County series, New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray delivers another page-turning romance set in Amish country
The serenity of the quiet Amish community of Crittenden, Kentucky is disrupted when Abby Anderson discovers the body of Perry Borntrager in an abandoned well. Perry had been missing for months. Everyone figured he had left the order during his rumspringa. As friends and family reel from this news, and are faced with the first death by mysterious circumstance to occur in their small town in over 20 years, a homicide detective arrives to help solve the crime
Before Perry disappeared, Frannie Eicher and Perry had been secretly courting. Now that it’s common knowledge that he was murdered, it’s up to Fannie to decide whether or not to tell everyone about the secrets he told her.
After much deliberation, she decides to tell Luke Reynolds, the visiting police officer, what she knows. At first, the two meet only on the context of discussing Perry’s death. Then, Luke begins to feel more and more at home, both with Frannie, and in Marion. The only problem is that he feels a romantic pull toward Frannie. Frannie feels that same attraction toward Luke, but is afraid to give her heart to him. After all, she doesn’t want to leave her faith.
As Luke uncovers more secrets about Perry and the case draws out, his time in Marion runs out. He has to decide whether to go back to his job with the Cincinnati Police Department…or stay in Marion.
If you would like to read the Prologue of The Search, go HERE.
by admin | Jun 12, 2012 | Books, Historical, Mystery, Romance, Western
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingLove in DisguiseBethany House Publishers (June 1, 2012)byCarol CoxABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Native Arizonan Carol Cox has an abiding love for history, mystery, and romance. The author of more than 25 books, she believes in the power of story to convey spiritual truths. Carol lives with her husband and daughter in northern Arizona, where deer and antelope really do play–within view of the family’s front porch.
A word from Carol:
As a native of Arizona, I have a longtime interest in the Southwest and its history. My family shares my love of the Old West, as evidenced by this photo taken back in the halcyon days before my son turned to a life of crime and started robbing trains for a living…
Learn more about Carol and her books on her Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When costume-maker Ellie Moore suddenly finds herself out of a job in the middle of a bleak Chicago winter, she uses her knowledge of theatrical disguise to secure a position as an undercover operative with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Her assignment: find the culprit behind the theft of silver shipped from the mines near Pickford, Arizona.
Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie begins her investigation. Soon she finds she must also pose as the dazzling young Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Love in Disguise, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Love in Disguise is a historical novel set in Arizona that is jam packed with action, adventure, drama, mystery and suspense plus a generous dose of humor and romance. After losing her job as an assistant to a stage actress, Ellie found herself left with very little money and a trunk full of stage props and costumes. Using her knowledge of using clothing and other items to change a person’s appearance, Ellie secured a trial job as a Pinkerton agent. When her assigned partner backed out, it was left up to Ellie to track down the men responsible for stealing silver from the miners in Pickford. The real fun began with Ellie’s two different roles – as a middle-aged widow, and as her young, attractive niece, especially as she tried to keep her roles straight and coming up with good explanations for why Lavinia and Jessie were never seen together. To further complicate matters, Ellie found herself quite attracted to Steven, one of the mine owners but couldn’t reveal her secrets to him.
Not only was Love in Disguise entertaining and enjoyable, but it raised some pertinent questions such as “Is there any situation that really justifies deception?” – an issue that Ellie grappled with throughout the book. I enjoyed everything about this story and particularly liked that even though at first Ellie’s faith was just for show, it soon became a reality in her life.
I am struggling with trying to avoid spoilers so I will conclude by saying that if you enjoy historical western romance novels as well as some humor and suspense, then Love in Disguise is the book for you.
