The past several weeks, I've been blessed by reading "Ask. Seek, Knock," a Devotional by Josh Stone. This volume comprises of 48 devotionals and 4 poems, allowing you to either make it a weekly reading for the next year or be like me and spend seven weeks reading it.
Friends Of The Prophets
This blog was formally titled Faith, Facts and Fiction. The focus is on dealing with the Christian Faith in both Facts (Biblical Teaching, Apologetics) and Fiction (or in other words, the arts including music, novels, and visual arts.) Posts will include interviews and reviews.
Saturday, August 16, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "ASK. SEEK. KNOCK.: A DEVOTIONAL OF REST AND MOVEMENT" BY JOSH STONE.
The past several weeks, I've been blessed by reading "Ask. Seek, Knock," a Devotional by Josh Stone. This volume comprises of 48 devotionals and 4 poems, allowing you to either make it a weekly reading for the next year or be like me and spend seven weeks reading it.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "CASE FILES VOL. 1: MURDER AND MEANING," BY J. WARNER WALLACE & JIMMY WALLACE
What connection is there between 25 year veteran detective Michael "Murph" Murphy and the serial killer who bashes his victims' heads in and then brands them? Is there a method to the murderer's madness, or is it better put "a message to his madness?" And since he does it the same day of the week, can Murph and his "A-Team" find out who it is and stop him before he strikes again?
"Case Files Vol. 1: Murder and Meaning" is a graphic novel written by Homicide Detective/Christian apologist/Author J. Warner Wallace and his son Jimmy Wallace (also in law enforcement), with great illustrations by Steve Crespo and Dario Formisani. The plot follows seasoned detective Murph, easy going Pete Leota, hard-working young mother Ashley Perez, and self-proclaimed hot shot Marco Russo as they try to catch a serial killer who keeps calling to talk to Murph.
This story gives me a realistic view of what police-work is like. For example, Leota asked Murph if they used chalk like on TV in the old days, and the fact that the members of a team may have other cases to work on besides the main one. I'll admit that it wasn't the most joyful and enjoyable novel I've read, but the writers did a great job with the plotting and with the character development. And since this is Volume 1 and having read the ending, I'm sure there will at least be a volume 2. And I'm looking forward to it.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT (2024)
- "Baby Protection Mission" by Laura Scott.
- "Her Duty Bound Defender" by Sharee Stover.
- "Chasing Justice" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Crime Scene Secrets" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Montana Abduction Rescue" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Trail of Threats" by Jessica Patch.
- "Tracing a Killer" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Search and Detect" by Terri Reed.
- "Christmas K-9 Guardians" by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee.
- What is the difference between Mountain Country and Rocky Mountain? Both are separate series with no overlaps, but it is the same geography, with one story in New Mexico but mostly staying north. By the way, the two series ends with the respective K-9 units becoming permanent, though via different roads (Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit earned it in spite of sabotage by overcoming the various battles; permanence was not a goal of the Mountain Country K-9 Unit, but they received it by being successful in their main purpose.)
- While this series has three good covers ("Crime Scene Secrets," "Montana Abduction Rescue," "Search and Detect," the infant on the cover of "Baby Protection Mission" doesn't look realistic to me. By the way, neutral rather than negative, Laura Scott starting this series with the threat of kidnapping is not the first series she kicked things off with that plot - she did the same with Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit's "Shielding the Baby", the immediately previous series - nor the last - she's launching the next series, Dakota K-9 Unit, with "Chasing a Kidnapper. How long a streak will this be?
- Some of the individual stories had twists that I didn't care for. I never care for stalker stories, where the victim has to play along to keep alive, as in the climax of "Trail of Threats" (otherwise one of my favorites). Then in "Search and Detect," Chief Chase Ralston three or four times made a good case on why he felt one of the two main suspects was the killer. Surprise, surprise, he guessed wrong. Sorry, but I thought that could have been done better.
- The top reason I was disappointed in Mountain Country K-9 Unit was what I sensed as a greater than normal dose of sadness mixed in with the happy endings. The rookie ended her story on desk duty after shooting the villain (who survived that shooting). One male lead started the story handcuffed being transported to where he'd face trial, and he was temporarily in custody at the end until they officially recognized his innocence. The cousin of another female lead's cousin found out the woman he loved and was going to marry was a serial killer and a thief. And one of the other heroines learned that her brother was the RMK and hade to deal with that.
Friday, August 8, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - PACIFIC NORTHWEST K-9 UNIT (2023)
- "Shielding the Baby" by Laura Scott.
- "Scent of Truth" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Explosive Trail" by Terri Reed.
- "Olympic Mountain Pursuit" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Threat Detection" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Cold Case Revenge" by Jessica Patch.
- "Undercover Operation" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Snowbound Escape" by Dana Mentink.
- "K-9 National Park Defenders" by Katy Lee and Sharee Stover.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - ROCKY MOUNTAIN K-9 UNIT (2022)
- "Detection Detail" by Terri Reed.
- "Ready to Protect" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Hiding in Montana" by Laura Scott.
- "Undercover Assignment" by Dana Mentink.
- "Defending From Danger" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Tracking a Killer" by Elizabeth Goddard.
- "Explosive Revenge" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Rescue Mission" by Lynette Eason.
- "Christmas K-9 Unit Heroes" by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - ALASKA K-9 UNIT (2021)
The series includes:
- "Alaskan Rescue" by Terri Reed.
- "Wilderness Defender" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Undercover Mission" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Tracking Stolen Secrets" by Laura Scott.
- "Deadly Cargo" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Arctic Witness" by Heather Woodhaven.
- "Yukon Justice" by Dana Mentink.
- "Blizzard Showdown" by Shirlee McCoy.
- "K-9 Christmas Protectors" by Maggie K. Black and Lenora Worth.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - TRUE BLUE K-9 UNIT BROOKLYN (2020)
- "Copycat Killer" by Laura Scott.
- "Chasing Secrets" by Heather Woodhaven.*
- "Deadly Connection" by Lenora Worth.
- "Explosive Situation" by Terri Reed.
- "Tracking a Kidnapper" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Scene of the Crime" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Cold Case Pursuit" by Dana Mentink.
- "Delayed Justice" by Shirley McCoy.
- "Brooklyn Christmas" by Laura Scott and Maggie K. Black.*
Needless to say, there are two killers. Penelope McGregor solves the case where her parents were killed twenty years earlier in "Cold Case Pursuit", and "Delayed Justice" reveals who the modern day killer is, with an exciting rescue of the heroine.