book review

When Dr. Mark Baker and Nurse Kelly Atkinson are held at the mercy of a dangerous gunman, the lives of every emergency room patient are at stake. At the end of the evening three men are dead. One of them is a police officer who couldn’t be saved despite Mark’s best efforts. The other two are members of the feared Zeta drug cartel.

Though the standoff is over, the killing is not, because when the drug cartel loses its members, revenge is not far behind. Facing an adversary whose desires are dark and efforts are ruthless, Mark finds himself under suspicion as a killer, yet still a potential victim. When he turns to his high school sweetheart, attorney Gwen Woodruff, for help, Kelly helplessly looks on, as she hides her own feelings for the good doctor.

At the height of the conflict, three questions remain: Who is the shooter? Who will the next victim be? And can Mark prove his innocence before the gun turns on him?

Fatal Trauma is a fast-paced ride through a medical mystery, and as usual, it’s a twisty, turny ride.  Every time I figured out who the villain was, Mabry quickly proved me wrong.  With medical issues, a drug cartel, and romance all on the table, there are new developments on every page.

Like many of Mabry’s characters, Dr. Baker has a weak faith and his experiences challenge this throughout the story.  He evaluates his decisions and grows his faith as well as his relationships with Nurse Atkinson.

If there’s anything I’d like to change about the book, it’s the depth of the characters.  Information abounds about their actions and about their faith changes, but I’d like more personal information about them.  My favorite characters are the ones that feel as if we could be friends, but I don’t feel that way about these.  Not because I dislike them, but because I feel as if I don’t know them well enough.  I’d just like to know more – more background, more likes and dislikes, more details.

On the other hand, I love the suspense and the surprises that Mabry builds into the plot.  I haven’t been able to guess the ending of any of his books yet before he reveals it, and those types of surprises just make a mystery.  Mabry continues to rank high on my list of favorite mystery authors.

I received a free copy of Fatal Trauma in exchange for an honest review.

It’s not every day you see your childhood friend and one-time crush on national news. Jackie Sellers just wishes it were under different circumstances. She can’t believe that Ian Lockwood is wanted in connection with a terrorist plot, and she’s determined to find him and help him clear his name. But she’s not the only one looking. The FBI wants him captured. The bad guys want him dead. Ian just wants to stay alive long enough to save thousands of innocent lives.

Eason knocks it out of the park with this suspenseful new thriller.  With twists and turns every few pages, Ian and Jackie can never be sure who they can trust – and they desperately need someone.  The stakes couldn’t be higher, both personally and nationally, and Eason highlights the severity of their plight well.

I loved this story because of the high suspense level and the likeability of the characters.  They were honorable and smart and determined to uncover the truth, yet they couldn’t stop their own feelings from entering the picture, either.  I like that Eason allowed glimpses of their weaknesses to break through, yet presented them as people determined to fight for justice.

Eason has moved onto my short list of favorite authorswith No Place to Hide..  If you like Dani Pettrey, Terri Blackstock, or Dee Henderson, you’ll want to read this.

I received a free copy of No Place to Hide in exchange for an honest review.

An investigator who knows tragic loss firsthand,
and his new client, missing far too long…

Abducted at the age of sixteen and coerced into assisting the Jacoby crime family, Shannon Bliss has finally found a way out. She desperately wants to resume some semblance of normal life, but she also knows she has some unfinished business to attend to. She might have enough evidence to put her captors behind bars for a very long time.

When Shannon contacts private investigator Matthew Dane, a former cop, to help her navigate her reentry into society, he quickly discovers that gaining her freedom doesn’t mean her troubles are over. If the Jacoby family learns she is still alive, they’ll stop at nothing to silence her.

If justice is to be done, and if Shannon’s life is ever to get on track again, Matthew will need to discover exactly what happened to her–even if it means stirring up a hornet’s nest of secrets.

Dee Henderson delves into organized crime with her latest high-suspense drama!  

That’s one big reason I liked it.  Despite being in a horrific situation for years, Shannon’s trying hard to do the right thing.  She’s strong and forward-thinking.  She doesn’t want to let the past win, even when she’s not sure who’s behind it.  I love a strong female lead.

Henderson has written many books with great female leads, and since this book was set primarily in Chicago, where so many of her other books were, some of her other characters had minor roles in his one.  I enjoyed meeting up with Rachel O’Malley and Ann Falcon again.  It made the wide cast of characters necessary feel less intimidating.  Not all of the characters were familiar to me, though, which makes me wonder if I missed them or if they’ll star in an upcoming book.  Several have piqued my interest.

It’s hard to know how to categorize this book.  There’s definitely an undertone of romance, but it’s not a major theme.  There’s drama, but it’s not on every page.  There’s lots of science, of the forensic and biologic type, and there are murderous bad guys – but since most of the crime is historical, it’s not quite a thriller.  It fits all of those categories and none at the same time.  Maybe you should read it for yourself to decide.

As usual, I couldn’t put Taken down.  I finished it in an afternoon and an evening, keeping my nose buried and the pages turning until I flipped the last one.  I loved Shannon’s spirit and Matthew’s determination to help her transition.  I loved the underlying ‘who-started-it’ mystery and ‘how-can-we-catch’em-all’ determination.

Basically, I just loved it.

I received a free copy of Taken from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville, Kansas will ever fully accept her. Her family roots here aren’t what anyone thought when she first arrived, but she is hopeful that her culinary and hospitality skills will win the skeptics over. The bed-and-breakfast she’s operating needs to succeed so Alexa agrees to allow Briley Forrester, the hotshot reporter from Chicago, to stay as a long-term boarder not knowing his real motives for being amongst the Plain folk.
 
But when Alexa agrees to host her cousin Anna-Grace Braun, the presence of extended family brings out Alexa’s insecurities and sets Briley on the trail to uncovering a web of hidden truths.
 
Plans for a secure future and the sweetness of young romance hang in the balance when Alexa and Anna-Grace have to face that their secrets are interconnected, binding the two in ways they could not have imagined. They must trust in a loving, heavenly Father and His plan for their futures.

Kim Vogel Sawyer writes like never before in When Grace Sings.  Her usually sweet overtones lighten the mood and keep serious topics from becoming overwhelming.  While Grace is fully present in this newest work, Sawyer brings a higher level of suspense than in any of her other stories and rivals O. Henry for and ending that will keep you guessing.

With several characters who have only good intentions but are facing pain and familial drama, Sawyer definitely includes the sweet factor.  Somehow she has a way of making the reader understand their deepest intentions and sympathize heartily for the character, even when the character is less than sugary.  Each one has realistic faults, however, and so they come across as the kid next door.

Having grown up near several Old-Order Amish and Mennonite communities, I’m pretty picky about the setting – but Sawyer gets the details right.  She makes these peaceful people feel all-inclusive and yet is careful to describe their differences accurately.  Despite the variety of religious beliefs in the story, she highlights their similarities.

When Grace Sings is full of high drama and emotional angst.  It’s a page turner for sure – until you get to the ending.  Unfortunately, the pages stop long before the reader’s desire for them do, and there are not nearly enough loose ends wrapped up.  That both makes for a fascinating story and a frustrating one, because I hope that Sawyer has the next book written, finished, and at the printer’s.  I don’t think I can wait long for the sequel.

I received a free copy of When Grace Sings from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who could help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing forever.
 
An Irishman far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He’s come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and begin farming, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he’d wagered, especially when Maggie Linden’s father makes him an offer he shouldn’t accept yet cannot possibly refuse.

Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance–and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder–Maggie’s father, aging, yet wily as ever, makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail–Maggie must marry a man she’s never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.

I loved this story.  It has many fantastic elements that keep the plot advancing and deepen the relationships within the story.  It’s unfair to say that it’s simply about horse racing, because that’s just the exciting vehicle that Alexander uses to strengthen the lead characters.  This story is really about loving other people the way that Jesus loves us.  It’s about not seeing superficial things like color or class or station.  It’s about not being bound by society standards and about learning from your mistakes.  It’s about growing spiritually and emotionally as a person and not resting on tradition.  It’s about doing the right thing, even when it’s scary or hard.

And that’s why I liked it.  Maggie, and especially Cullen, are not spiritual lightweights – but they’re not missionaries, either.  They’re regular people who’ve faced battles, overcome them, and have more still coming.  They don’t give up when life is hard, which is often, and they keep their word.  I liked reading the story of their journeys.  I liked rooting for them when they were coming out on top and when they were fighting hard to break the surface of new troubles.  They’re the best kind of underdogs because they have right on their side.

The setting was spectacular.  The beauty of the Old South coupled with the destruction of the war makes for a vivid backdrop, and Alexander describes it in full technicolor – not just with scenic descriptions, but by bringing the attitude and atmosphere of that time to life.  It’s perfect for the story and lessons she wants to share.

If you have any interest at all in historical fiction, read this one.  It’s definitely a top book of the year so far.

I received a free copy of To Win Her Favor from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Can a young widow find love again with her husband’s reflection?

Haley’s three-year marriage to Sam, an army medic, ends tragically when he’s killed in Afghanistan. Her attempts to create a new life for herself are ambushed when she arrives home one evening—and finds her husband waiting for her. Did the military make an unimaginable mistake when they told her Sam was killed?

Too late to make things right with his estranged twin brother, Stephen discovers Sam never told Haley about him. As Haley and Stephen navigate their fragile relation­ship, they are inexorably drawn to each other. How can they honor the memory of a man whose death brought them together—and whose ghost could drive them apart?

Be prepared for high drama with Somebody Like You!  You know when guns and dead men show up in the first two pages that there’s excitement ahead, and Vogt nailed it with this beginning.  She writes about spiritual and emotional drama with kindness and clarity and does so in such a way that you love the characters from the very beginning.  You’re cheering them on despite their unusual situation and can’t wait to see what happens next.

I appreciate Vogt’s perspective on this story.  It seems like a fine line to walk – one that honors the grief of those involved and their close relationships while still allowing them to deal with the ramifications of a possible new connection to someone else so closely related to the deceased.  It’s not overly dark, but neither does she approach this dilemma with humor.  The emotional tone is respectful and … well, perfect.

Because of that respect, and because of the journey to healing that both Haley and  Stephan are on, there are many spiritual lessons to be learned within the pages of Somebody Like You.  I appreciated their work to forgive past hurts, to come to terms with their own talents and personalities, and to let go of dreams when their time has passed. 

Somebody Like You is a moving and sweet emotional drama that highlights the sacrifices made by our troops.  It’s not to be missed.

I received a free copy of Somebody Like You in exchange for an honest review.

  The minute she steps inside the grand Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Claire Dellamare knows something terrible happened there. She feels it in her bones. Her ensuing panic attack causes a scene, upsetting her parents. Claire attempts to quiet her nerves with a walk on the beach, to no avail. She’s at too great a distance to make out details, but she believes she witnesses a murder on a nearby cliff. When local police find no evidence of foul play, they quickly write off the “nervous” woman’s testimony as less than credible.

But Luke Elwell, home on leave from the Coast Guard, has reason to believe Claire. Years ago when his mother went missing, Luke’s father suspected she’d been murdered. He died never having convinced the police to investigate. So when an employee of the grand hotel doesn’t show up for work, Luke steps in to help Claire track down the missing woman.

As Claire and Luke put together the pieces of a decades-old mystery, they discover that some family secrets refuse to stay buried. And some passions are worth killing for.

Colleen Coble has penned her best story ever!  The Inn at Ocean’s Edge will have you on the edge of your seat as you race to unravel each mystery in turn.  With a tightly written, multi-faceted plot, Coble will keep you guessing at each twist and turn. 

I loved the way that the historical mystery intertwined with it’s modern day consequences.  The action was high and the suspense throbbing as you couldn’t wait to find out what would happen to Claire next.  With a continuous series of accidents and flashbacks, she raced to find answers before she could be killed.

Claire Dellamare is a fantastic leading lady.  With a determined spirit, strong faith, and fierce courage, she didn’t let anything stop her – and it’s not for lack of trying.  With someone set on quieting her permanently, she had to be strong in order to survive, and that included the strength to make romantic decisions, too. 

The high action didn’t stop the drama, though, and I love the way that Coble included that into the mix.  With so much action, it’s possible to get caught up in the fast pace and forget the emotional toll that these events would have on a person, but Coble carefully includes that for each character. 

The setting is no less vivid than the action.  I’ve spent time on the coast of Maine, and even visited a fancy inn on one of it’s islands, and the scenery is beautiful – and yet it’s distinctly different from other Atlantic beaches or coastal areas.  Coble paints these pictures in stunning detail.  Having the rocky – not sandy – beaches and ferry rides described so accurately adds another layer of depth and awesomeness to this book.

I love Coble’s historical fiction, her drama, and her faith lessons, but the edgy Inn at Ocean’s Edge has it all.  I can’t wait to read it again – it’s that good – and it’s earned a permanent home on my bookshelves.  You’ll want it on yours, too.

USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. Her romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com Twitter: @colleencoble Facebook: colleencoblebooks

I received a free copy of The Inn at Ocean’s Edge from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor’s story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

Present Day—With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairytale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels she’s stumbled into a charmed life—until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy the perfectly planned future she’s planned before it even begins. Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future.

1942—Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped occupied Prague in 1939, and was forced to leave her half-Jewish family behind. Now a reporter for the Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, Kája has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

I read A Sparrow in Terezin today, and I couldn’t put it down.  The second book in the Hidden Masterpiece series, I loved reading about how these two families, generates apart, were connected by the same faith – and by the same desire for a future full of hope.  My life has never contained the kind of large-scale desperation that either Kaja or Sera faced, but no matter the measure, we all need hope.

Kaja’s story was fascinating.  She was strong but often out of her element, and this characteristic showcased just how terrifying the events of World War II must have been to those who saw them firsthand.  Kaja was afraid on so many levels – to trust personally, of the bombings and brutal war danger, and for those whom she loved – but she faced each fear in turn.  She makes a fantastic heroine.

Her hero’s not half bad, either.  Liam Marshall is serious, smart, faithful, and honorable, his mysterious intentions lend the perfect air of suspense to Kaja’s romantic life.  It’s subtle enough not to overpower the story but sincere enough to keep you rooting for them both.

I didn’t quite get the connection between Liam and Katie Hanover, though, and I know there must be one.  I have suspicions, but I would love to have that firmed up in my mind.  Perhaps in the next book?

I would enjoy knowing Sera and William more, too, but I have a feeling I missed out on that by not reading the first book.  I’ll remedy that problem immediately.  This is one storyline for which I want to chase down every word.

It is rare that one can write about unspeakable tragedy and yet instill a feeling of hope in the reader, but that is exactly what Kristy Cambron has done.  Although not skimping on the horrors inflicted on the Jewish people by the Nazis, Cambron focuses on the bits of beauty found amidst the pain. It’s the beauty for ashes concept at it’s very best, and Cambron is a master.

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On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home–assuming she survives. She’s heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known.

Ship’s carpenter Bairn resents the somber people–dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands–who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.

Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?

There can’t be a more exciting account of an ocean crossing by a bunch of Amish people than Anna’s Crossing.  It’s fascinating on so many levels – historically, romantically, faithfully,  dangerously.  I thought that a travel story about the Amish could only be so exciting, and while I was interested in their history when I received the book, I admit to putting off the reading of it for a it – but not for long.  Shortly after reading the first page, I read the final one – and all of the other pages in between.  I couldn’t put it down.  I predicted a few pieces accurately, but there were always twists amidst the details that caught me off guard.

The sea story was a dramatic one, and the suspense of the dangerous voyage was exciting, but my favorite part was the personal story between Anna and Bairn.  I enjoyed the emotional journey that Anna was experiencing and the faith journey of Bairn.  He had quite a lot of baggage to unpack, and he did so in admirable ways.  Their romance increased the interest level of every other aspect of the story.  It wasn’t just a fluffy lust story, but instead it went much, much deeper.  Their multiple connections, tangled faith, and mutual trust just made the book.

Fisher has definitely written another winner with Anna’s Crossing – each book just keeps getting better.

I received a free copy of Anna’s Crossing from Revell Reads in exchange for an honest review.

A young Amish woman finds herself torn between the man she’s pledged to wed and the man her heart desires in this heartwarming story of chance, duty, and choice in the face of love—the first volume in the beloved New York Times bestselling author’s new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.

Amish bride-to-be Leona is thrilled to be in Florida, on a mini-vacation in the pretty town of Pinecraft. Her girlfriends think she’s happy because she’s away from the stress of wedding planning. They have no idea that Leona’s real joy is in being away from her fiancé.

Edmund is a good man, and will make a decent husband . . . just not for Leona. The more time she spends with him and his overbearing ways, the less she wants to be his wife. Her cousins are sure Edmund is the right man for her—and their certainty makes Leona begin to doubt herself. But when a chance encounter with a wayward cat brings her face-to-face with a handsome, fun-loving Amish man named Zachary Kauffman, Leona’s faced with two vastly different futures.

Shelley Shepard Gray can spin a yarn with the best of them, and this one is particularly sweet.  Gray knows just how to keep the romantic tension strong while encouraging the reader to believe in pure, innocent love.  The feelings between Leona and Zach are just that:  sweet, innocent, and full of the bloom of love.  You can’t read this story and not hope for a happy ending for this pair.

It doesn’t look easy for them in the beginning, though. They both have difficult obstacles in their path towards each other, and I enjoyed how they persevered and tried to figure out whether a relationship would be right, both for themselves and for the other person.  Leona’s decisions are not always opportune, and they teach that the best decision possible must be made, even when difficult and uncomfortable.

I loved Leona’s parents.  Their support not only adds a new dimension to the story, but it also speaks volumes to the kind of parents who have strong relationships with their children.  They are great examples of loving parents.

The Promise of Palm Grove may be full of emotional drama, but it’s also long on fun. It has enough fluff and flip-flops to balance the tears, leaving a solid, full-on fun story behind.

Another winner for Gray.

Read other reviews in this bloggy hop here or buy your own copy now.

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.