BOOK REVIEW - "GAZING INTO DARKNESS" (QUEEN CITY HEROES, BOOK 1) BY HEIDI GLICK

Why did someone try to burn down EPA CID agent Stacey Sanderson's apartment ... with her in it? Will her partner Chance McPherson ever see her as his equal? Or could there be darkness in his past that is haunting him?

"Gazing Into Darkness," Book 1 of Queen City Heroes by Heidi Glick, is an exciting romantic suspense novel. Chance McPherson is one of my all time favorite fiction characters. Also, while I'm used to the usual suspects of law enforcement, I learned getting to see characters in the EPA CID. 

One honor I had was working as a critique partner of Heidi's while I was a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) from 2011-2014, which is my first introduction to Chance and Stacey. I'm very excited to finally see it in book form.

I highly recommend this book.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "A DANGEROUS PAST" BY SUSAN GEE HEINO

 

Should Gabe Elliot respond like the hospital chaplain he is and keep a 50 year old secret shared by a patient? Or should he as the police officer he is investigate this possible murder in spite of the ghosts and skeletons he'll dig up? And should Brinna Jenson trust the man who promised to marry her but didn't to keep from stirring up accusations against her grandfather that were currently in the distant past?

"A Dangerous Past" is the first story I've had the honor of reading by Susan Gee Heino, and I have no intention of it being the last. She did an excellent job developing Gabe and Brinna, and the plot kept me guessing how it would turn out.

Would you permit me to pretend to be a literary critic here? Having read 85 Love Inspired Suspense prior to this, I'm used to having a car chase, an attempted abduction, or someone taking target practice at one of the main characters before the first chapter's halfway done. With those earned expectations, "A Dangerous Past" might seem slow-moving. My opinion? This book has more of a mystery story arc than a suspense one. If you seem to think this book might be dragging - as I did early on - don't give up on it! It is an inspiring read, and as I implied above, it's a first class mystery, with plenty of suspects and surprises.

BOOK REVIEW - DEADLY BURDEN: A GREEN DORY MYSTERY BOOK 4 BY JANET SKETCHLEY

Who murdered the keeper of everybody's secrets that everybody stopped and visited the day of her demise? Should amateur sleuth Landon Smith take Police Detective Dylan Tremblay's advice to leave the case to the professionals, or should she grant a friend's request to discover who killed their eccentric neighbor's mother? Let me rephrase that last sentence - can she solve the murder while dealing with story-lines involving her family, friends, and neighbors that rival a soap opera?

"Deadly Burden," the fourth installment of Janet Sketchley's Green Dory Mysteries, is a perfect read for the extended Christmas season - that is, within 6 months either direction of Christmas. The stories keep getting better and better. 

Some of the storylines of this novel (and the rest of the series) deal with disturbing topics, such as human trafficking. Other than that, I would say this novel is appropriate for teens as well as adults. 

Of course, since it's part of a series, the question arises: should you start the series at the beginning, or can you read this book out of order without either feeling lost or spoiling a previous mystery?  In this case, I would lean to the former. The name of one of the previous villains is identified, but more so it helps to get to know the characters and part of their backstory.

I absolutely loved this book, and am looking forward to the next books. Also, I trust I'm not spoiling too much to mention that I could see a spin-off mystery series with one of the characters from this tale.

 

BOOK REVIEW - TEXAS COLD CASE THREAT (QUANTICO PROFILERS, BOOK 1) BY JESSICA PATCH

After learning her profile sent an innocent man to prison several years earlier, should Chelsey Banks trust her abilities as a behavioral analyst for the FBI? Is the killer she caught choking a housekeeper the same person who is writing her taunting notes? Can she help her long-time friend Tack Holliday stop the villain dubbed "The Outlaw" before he or another serial killer adds her to his body-count?

Jessica Patch has written another excellent romantic suspense novel in "Texas Cold Case Threat," the first of her Quantico Profilers series.  As typical for her, she has great character studies with a mystery to solve and nail-biting plot twists along the way.

I highly recommend this psychological thriller.

BOOK REVIEW - A TINCTURE OF MURDER (LORD DANVERS INVESTIGATES, VOL. 4) BY DONNA FLETCHER CROW

 

 Was the fire at the Danvers' home accidentally started by an unextinguished candle? Who is killing the clients of the mission Lord Danver's brother is running? And is the man accused of poisoning his wife a murderer or an insane lunatic?

A Tincture of Murder is the fourth volume of Donna Fletcher's "Lord Danvers Investigates" series (there are currently five installments). As in the rest of the series, Donna tells a story of a true Victorian era crime, as well as a mystery Lord and Lady Danvers solve. 

As stated, this is part of a series. While I would recommend reading the stories in order, that is not a necessity to feel like you know what is going on in the story line. Likewise, reading later stories first won't spoil the surprises of the earlier tales.

I highly recommend the full series, but my personal favorites in it are the first book (A Most Inconvenient Death) and this book. 

BOOK REVIEW - HER DARKEST SECRET BY JESSICA PATCH

Will Fiona Kelley be able to finally catch the Nursery Rhyme Killer, the serial-killer who started his two decade spree by murdering Fiona's sister? Will she be able to work alongside her ex-husband, Asa Kodiak, who is known for his bear-like anger? And can she do it without revealing a secret only known to her ... and the Nursery Rhyme Killer?

I have read several of Jessica Patch's Love Inspired Suspense novels. This one is more of a Psychological Thriller, and is more of a full novel (this one is 335 pages, while her others were about 220 pages). This one is a little darker than her others, but it is still filled with great plot twists and deep characters, which is typical for Ms. Patch.

Those familiar with Harlequin's Love Inspired (like this one) and Love Inspired Suspense are aware these books have Christian themes organic to the story. This one goes deeper, showing both the lives of those Christ transforms as well as hypocrites who pretend their faith and acting just as bad as anyone else.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, this superb novel is one I'd recommend.

BOOK REVIEW - TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN BY DONNA FLETCHER CROW

Who murdered an elderly woman and cut the throat of her maid? Is the artist interested in Lord Danvers' younger sister a good match or is the distrust of other family members deserved? And what secret is his wife Antonia keeping from him?

To Dust You Shall Return is the third installment of Lord Danvers Investigates by Donna Fletcher Crow, which not only is set in Victorian England, but has the main characters help solve a true crime story from that era. In this case, it is the above mentioned death of elderly Catherine Bacon.

The mystery is well written. There is some edge of the seat excitement in this tale. The characters are interesting as well: I enjoy the appearances of Lord Danvers' butler Hardy and the Dowager Duchess. My only squabble, and it is a small one, is if the main character of the Lord Danvers Investigates series is Lord Danvers or Lady Antonia?  And I mean it when I say it's a minor squabble. I have enjoyed this series (as well as Crow's other mystery series Elizabeth and Richard Literary Suspense and the Monastery Murders), and am looking forward to the next one.

BOOK REVIEW - COLD CASE TAKEDOWN BY JESSICA PATCH

 It was bad enough for the High School quarterback to be murdered a decade ago. But is that the only problem with the football program? Reporter Georgia Maxwell and cold case detective Colt McCoy want to find out the answers. Others in the town don't, and they're willing to kill to keep the answers buried.

I absolutely loved "Cold Case Takedown," the first of the three part Cold Case Investigators series by Jessica Patch. It has the suspense (and romance) you'd expect from a Love Inspired Suspense (LIS) novel. It also has the great characters I find in Patch's novels (my all-time favorite male LIS lead was Wilder Flynn from Patch's "Dangerous Obsession;" my favorite LIS female lead is Georgia Maxwell of this story). This also has a mystery in it that is more like Agatha Christy than a typical LIS story.

One thing I liked in this story was Georgia's battles with anxiety. To me, that helped the story stand out.

As stated, this is the first part of a trilogy. I have a hunch that I've been introduced to the leading ladies and one of the male protagonists of the following installments. I haven't read the plot description of the other two, so I'm looking forward to seeing if I guessed correctly.

This is one of my favorite novels I've read this year, and Jessica Patch is already one of my all-time favorite authors. In other words, I highly recommend it.

RANDY SINGER BOOK REVIEW TRILOGY PART 2 OF 3 - THE CROSS EXAMINATION OF OLIVER FINNEY

 

In 2006, Randy Singer released two books in connection with each other: one fiction and one non-fiction. Yesterday, I reviewed the non-fiction book, The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ. Both dealt with the issue of apologetics, but in different way. In the Non-fiction book, Singer focused on who Jesus is. This one deals more with comparative religions.  

The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney was Singer's sixth, and the next to the last to be published by Waterbrook Press. When he switched to Tyndale, his first seven were re-released with the new publisher. While six of them retained their original titles, this one was renamed The Judge.

This book was published before I started writing my novel (which is now finished and in the process of finding a publisher), but I have just read it. I found it interesting because there are some similarities: both this book and my novel are mysteries and both deal with the field of apologetics. Both also have a lot of speaking by the characters in the process of the story, with most of the speaking in both cases "edited out" by the author. That is where the similarities end -- we took completely different tracks on how we dealt with apologetics.

How did this novel fare on both accounts? I might subjectively say that Singer could have been stronger on apologetics but I think he accomplished his point -- please read this to make up your own mind. As far as being a mystery, this is superb, a story that will keep you guessing. I thought I had figured part of it out, and was wrong -- and Singer gave enough hints for me to feel one could figure it out.

As usual, Singer has memorable characters. Singer has hints of being a fan of reality TV (which is also hinted at in his fourth novel, "Self-Incrimination) and of solving ciphers.

I highly recommend this book. Since it's my favorite book by my favorite author ... you bet I recommend it!

BOOK REVIEW: AGAINST ALL FIERCE HOSTILITY (MONASTARY MURDERS BOOK 6) BY DONNA FLETCHER CROW

 

This is a well-written murder mystery that also expands one's knowledge of church history, as one would expect in this series.

The story is not as fast paced as other mysteries and suspense tales, but it is well worth your patience. When it gets going, it's like a train traveling from one end of the continent to the other. There are plenty of mysterious occurrences starting in England and through out a train trip across Canada. As far as the mystery, you have no idea who to trust. No, let me rephrase that. With the exception of the lead characters, there is no one above suspicion. In addition to the main story, you also hear several stories of church history - enough for you to know it's not a boring subject.

This is the sixth part in a series, but if you haven't read the other books, you can still enjoy this one. Likewise, if you read this first and want to read the earlier stories, this novel doesn't spoil its predecessors.

There are books that I enjoy sitting back with a warm cup of coffee (though Father Antony and Felicity might recommend tea instead), and this is one of them. I highly recommend it.

One thing I'm going to do on this blog in my reviews is to look at the value of the book apologetics wise. One theme developed in this book is the balance between a unity of the whole body of Christ and standing firm on its convictions. A regular feature in this series is Father Antony sharing stories of church history, and included this are illustrations of standing in the face of death and not being willing to renounce one's faith.

I received a copy of the book from the author for my unbiased review.