Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Zondervan (September 21, 2010)
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
C. S. Lakin is a novelist and professional copyeditor and writing coach. She is currently working on her eleventh novel, a contemporary family saga drawn from the biblical story of Jacob. Someone to Blame(Zondervan), an intense relational drama and winner of the 2009 First Novel contest, released in October 2010, and she is also the author of the allegorical adult fantasy series The Gates of Heaven, featuring The Wolf of Tebron and the upcoming release The Map Across Time (March 2011). She is currently completing her tenth novel and developing a dog memoir of epic proportion.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the wake of heartrending family tragedies, Matt and Irene Moore move with their fourteen-year-old daughter, Casey, to a small town. Their goal is to get far away from the daily reminders that leave each of them raw and guilt-ridden. Their hope is to find redemption, repair, and renewal. Instead, the threads that hold them together unravel even more.
Breakers, a small community perched on the rocky coast of the Pacific Northwest, is draped with cold isolation that seems to mirror the hearts. As they settle into their new life, old grief settles with them. Matt is always on edge and easily angered, Irene is sad and pensive, and Casey is confused and defiant. They’ve once more set the stage for calamity. Into this mix comes Billy Thurber, a young drifter with his own conflicts, whose life unexpectedly entangles with the Moores’.
His arrival in Breakers parallels a rash of hateful and senseless crimes, and soon the whole town — eager for someone to blame — goes after Thurber with murderous intent. Out of this dangerous chaos, however, the Moores find unexpected grace and healing in a most unlikely way.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Someone To Blame, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
I didn’t get very far into Someone To Blame before I wanted to close it and not reopen it – not because it was badly written or uninteresting but because I could tell it might become emotionally painful. But being the dedicated reviewer that I am (or try to be), I persisted and found it to be a story that was both captivating and challenging.
The story is told from several points of view but is never confusing and helps the reader understand each character a bit better. The plot was set up perfectly with all evidence pointing toward one likely instigator. As the tale progressed, the evidence just seemed to get stronger. I will admit that I was surprised by the outcome and subsequent revelations.
Ms. Lakin definitely achieved her goal of getting across the message about how quickly we jump to conclusions and assign blame when things go wrong. There are many points to ponder throughout this book and excellent opportunities to examine ourselves. I am glad I decided to read the entire book and happily recommend it.
