Tag Archives: fiction

Hope’s Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer – A Lovely, Enjoyable and Inspirational Read

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Hope’s Enduring Echo is Kim Vogel Sawyer’s new book.  I have only read one other book by this author.  So glad I found this novel it was a lovely read, even with some weighty issues it addressed. 

Hope’s Enduring Echo takes place in Canon City, Colorado in 1915.  The story is about the Ward family, Claude, Edda, and their daughter Jennie.  Claude’s job was to do a daily inspection of the wooden pipeline that brings water to the town of Canon City.  The family live in a remote cabin near the pipeline and they have no neighbors.  Other than their monthly trip to town and seeing the train passengers and crew, they do not see too many people.  Claude had always taken pride in providing for his family.  Thing changed two years ago when he sustained a serious injury to his leg.  He was not able to do the inspections since then.  His daughter Jennie has taken over the daily inspection of the pipeline.  Claude’s leg was not the only wound, daily he seems to be losing the battle to melancholia. 

Jennie has been homeschooled since the Wards moved to the cabin.  She has missed being in school and having friends.  That is why Jennie prayed that God would bring her a friend.  Every day when the train passed by Jennie waved to the crew and passengers.  One day a college student, Leo Day, got off at their stop.  He had seen this girl waving what looked like a bone.  Could it be a bone from a dinosaur?  As a paleontologist, Leo wanted to take a closer look and find out where it came from.  Could this young man be the answer to Jennie’s prayer for a friend?

I absolutely loved reading Hope’s Enduring Echo.  It was such a change of pace from so many other books.  Instead of being action packed, the story focused on the characters and their relationships and how they develop, grow, and change. 

The best part of this book was the characters’ Christian faith.  The characters strived to live out their faith, to apply the Scriptures to their daily life, choices, and how they responded to situations.  I loved that when characters realized that they had acted unkindly or impatiently they showed repentance and strove to apologize and make amends. 

When I think of Christian fiction, Hope’s Enduring Echo is a wonderful example of what I am looking for.  The characters’ faith was integrated into who they were and how they lived their lives.  Faith was an integral part of the storyline. 

I also enjoyed the different characters, especially Jennie, Edda, and Leo.  Claude struggled with depression it was painful to see him stuck in that cycle.  I appreciate the tender and caring response his wife and daughter displayed.  It was nice seeing the relationship between Jennie and Leo develop.  I found Leo’s quest to locate dinosaur bones and the study of paleontology interesting.

I enjoyed reading Hope’s Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer and I highly recommend this book.  I look forward to reading more of this author’s novels, past and future books.  Kim writes in a manner that takes me back to what Christian fiction was like when I was a new believer.  Seeing the Christian faith as essential in the characters lives. 

I would like to thank Waterbrook Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Hope’s Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

The House of Cross by James Patterson – Action-packed Thriller

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The House of Cross by James Patteson is the first book that I have read by this author.  I did not know what to expect, but it really lived up to its description, An Alex Cross Thriller. 

Following the election, the people in Washington, D.C. are getting ready for the Inauguration of the President-Elect Jackie Johnson.  After the murder of three prospective judicial candidates for the Supreme Court, law enforcement is on high alert.  Security of the existing Supreme Court Justices is of grave concern.  Who is murdering these people and for what purpose?  Could it be the work of Maestro?  Time to call in the finest FBI investigators and consultant Alex Cross. 

Alex Cross will be working on this case with his wife Bree Stone and friend John Sampson.  They will be traveling across the country and into Canada to pursue their suspects.  Will they be able find and stop them on time? 

The House of Cross is filled with non-stop action from beginning to end.  Alex’s family and friendships were my favorite part.  I especially like his grandmother Nana Mama.  Alex is a family man and good friend.  Another character that I liked was Canadian Mounted Police officer Molly Fagan.  She is the kind of gal you want by your side when trouble hits.  She is prepared and ready for a fight. 

The House of Cross is an action pack thriller.  While action takes up most of the story, there is also some character and relationship development.  I liked the characters.  The plot did stretch the imagination, but I liked the story.  

There is some profanity in the book, less than I expect.  Also, violence due to the nature of the story.  Thankfully, the author did not go into detail on the violence that movies often show. 

If you like an action-packed thriller and intrigue, I recommend The House of Cross by James Patterson.  It will keep you on the edge of your seat until you get to the last page. 

I would like to thank publisher Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of The House of Cross by James Patterson.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

Over the Edge by Irene Hannon – Filled with Mystery and Suspense

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Over the Edge is Irene Hannon’s second book in the Undaunted Courage series.

Lindsey Barnes recently moved St. Louis.  She made the move following traumatic incident that she desperately wants to put behind her.  Her business as a person chef is doing good.  But a chef without her knives is not going to be very productive.  So, Lindsey makes plans to stop at the home where she left her equipment. 

The homeowner is not there, only a construction worker is in another area.  Lindsey spots her knife roll on the kitchen counter.  As she come around the island, she encounters a man dead on the floor surrounded by blood.  Before she can react, she hears someone in the guest bathroom and she quickly hides under the island countertop.  Soon after the suspect leaves, Lindsey calls 911.  Another nightmare has begun.  Even though she is the only witness, Lindsey does not want to go through this again!

I liked the mystery and suspense in the book, it kept me guessing right up to the end.  Most of all, I liked the characters.  Especially Detective Jack Tucker and the relationship he had with his sisters Bri and Cara, they are a very caring and closeknit family.  Bri was featured in the first book of the series, Into the Fire.  I appreciated how Jack and Lindsey worked through issues, and opened-up with one another.  Jack was willing to investigate Lindsey’s claims that someone was might be targeting her because she was the only witness.  I appreciated that the novel was clean and faith was included in the storyline. 

One of the things that did not make a lot sense was Lindsey repeatedly talking to her friends about the developments in the case.  Police standard procedure is to caution the witness to not speak about the case with anyone.  When a character does something that does not make sense, it seems like it was included to add an element of danger. 

If you like a good whodunnit, filled with mystery and suspense with a little romance, you may want to read Irene Hannon’s newest book Over the Edge. 

I would like to thank Revell Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Over the Edge by Irene Hannon!  I was provided a complimentary copy of the eBook, but was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly – Intrigue and Mystery During WWII

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If you enjoy a good story with mystery and intrigue, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly may be the book for you.  This is the second book in the Evelyne Redfern Mystery series.

Evelyne Redfern completed her training at the finishing school for the Special Investigations Unit.  She has been summoned to headquarters to receive her first assignment.  On her way, Evelyne encounters David Pool whom she had previously worked with.  Evelyne is assigned to investigate an anonymous report that things have gone missing at Blackthorn Park, a facility that develops weapons.  David has also been assigned.  This time he will be Evelyne’s handler and not a field agent. 

Under the cover of night, Evelyne makes her way through the grounds to the manor house.  After picking the lock Evelyne hears a gunshot.  She dashes up the stairs and enters Sir Nigel’s office and finds the man dead of what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Or is it?  Is it connected to the report of missing supplies?

I love reading historical fiction, especially from the timeframe of WWII.  Betrayal at Blackthorn Park was filled with mystery and intrigue. 

I enjoyed reading this book because of the main characters Evelyne and David.  Both characters were very likable and had an interesting relationship.  There was some attraction between the two.  But they were both professional and respected one another.  The author did a good job in describing the scenes and characters so the reader can visualize them.  There were lot of characters and many twists and turns.  I was trying to guess whodunit based on the evidence and possible suspects.  The book kept me guessing to the end. 

I really enjoyed reading Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly and recommend it.  This was the second book in the Evelyne Redfern Mystery series, but it worked well as a standalone book.  Now I want to go back and read the first book in the series, A Traitor in Whitehall, and look forward to reading more of Julia Kelly’s books.  If you like historical fiction, mysteries, intrigue, and WWII history, be sure to read this book. 

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley – Interesting Plot, But the Story Got Bogged Down

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I enjoy suspense and mystery novels and was excited to read Patricia Bradley’s newest book Fatal Witness, the second book in the Pearl River Novel series.  A cold case, family secrets, a repressed memory, and a family seeking justice makes for an interesting mystery. 

At age nine, Danielle witnessed her parents’ murders and was whisked away by her uncle Keith.  It has been twenty-five years and Dani has no memory of the events that changed her life.  Her uncle has protected and insulated her from all possible danger.  While she has no memory of her family, she inherited the natural artistic talents of her grandmother Mae.  The subject of a recent magazine article, Dani has been invited to attend an artist workshop in Cincinnati.  Though Dani has no memory of her early life, her grandmother has never forgotten her, nor stopped looking for her.  Seeing the article in the pottery magazine, Mae is certain that Dani may be her long-lost granddaughter. 

I found the storyline intriguing.  I liked Dani and was curious about her uncle Keith and how he would react to Dani venturing out on her own.  I liked her grandmother Mae who was willing to press law enforcement to investigate this cold case and find her granddaughter.  Law enforcement officers in the remote area of Tennessee were stretched thin and had a lot of area to cover.  But Mark Lassiter with his K-9 companion Gem, along with Alex Stone and her team would do what they could investigate this cold case and protect those in danger. 

Once Dani is back in Tennessee, things heat up and it appears the murderer will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.  At this point in the story, it seemed to get bogged down.  I struggled with the last half of the story. There were a lot of characters and potential suspects to weed through.  There were some strategic errors made by law enforcement several times.  Some risks and decisions that were made were not logical.  As a former military sharp shooter, I found it interesting that Mark allowed himself to be distracted. 

Faith was a small part of the story and a Bible verse was focused on in times of danger.  I would like to have seen Mark’s faith more fully developed and part of the story. 

I liked the storyline and characters in Fatal Witness, but found the story dragged in the last half of the novel. 

I would to thank NetGalley and Revell Publishing for the opportunity to read Patricia Bradley’s book Fatal Witness.  If you enjoy Patricia Bradley’s writing and like mysteries and intrigue, you may enjoy this book.  I was provided with a complimentary copy of Fatal Witness.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey – Interesting Storyline, Likeable Characters, But Too Many Characters and Subplots

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I enjoy reading mystery and suspense books and was excited to read Dani Pettrey’s newest novel One Wrong Move, the first book in the Jeopardy Falls series. 

Christian O’Brady’s received a frantic phone call from his client Tad Gaiman about a break-in and theft at his art gallery in Jeopardy Falls.  Christian had installed state of the art security system at all three of Gaiman’s art galleries.  When Christian arrived on the scene, he learned that the impenetrable system was compromised by his client and a mystery-women he had met the night before.  Christian will be working with Sheriff Brunswick and insurance investigator Andi Forester to find out what happened.  When news comes out about break-ins at Tad’s other art galleries, this case just got a lot more complicated.

The premise of this storyline is interesting and many characters were likeable.  There was a lot going on in this story.  There were a lot of characters, Christian’s brother and sister worked with him, along with a work associate.  Christian’s brother Deckard knew of Andi, but under a different name, and what he knew about her was not good.  Andi had a lot of baggage and had left her last job with the FBI under a cloud of suspicion.  Not a lot of people believed in her innocence, except for friend Harper. 

Andi was not the only person with personal baggage.  Christian, Deckard, and their sister Riley had a rough start and had battled putting their past and the memories behind them.  It seems like everyone’s past was coming back to haunt them.

I had some problems with this book from the start.  At the beginning there are two brutal murders that take place and were told from the point of view of the bad guys.  It seemed over the top and especially ugly which surprised me in a book from a Christian writer and publisher.  It did not make the story better and I thought about putting the book down.  There were multiple bad guys and keeping track of them was challenging. 

There was a whole lot of past baggage with the main characters, almost everyone of them.  They were likeable, but it was a lot of issues to get through.  Perhaps the volume of issues took away from the storyline. 

The Christian faith was somewhat included, but was not deeply developed.  The physical attraction between some of the character could have been toned down some.  There were some illogical decisions or risks that were taken that did not make sense.  I didn’t quite believe the ending.  With two brutal murders and other violence in addition to major high end art theft, it did not seem logical that law enforcement would be on site to get the bad guys. 

There were elements that I liked in One Wrong Move, likeable characters, and an interesting storyline.  But it was overwhelmed by the number of characters with lots of baggage and details.  I like Dani Pettrey’s writing, but this story kind of detracted from itself by the volume of characters and subplots. 

I would like to thank Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.