Review: Traces of Guilt

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson was a better read than the last few I read. Actually, I took a break from her books since the recent ones were all so dry and boring to me, but this latest one was an improvement. It still had some boring, disjointed sections, but not nearly as bad or as long.

Evie Blackwell is the head of a new task force in Illinois to solve cold cases. Her first stop is in Carin, Illinois where she must figure out two cases within two weeks. With the help of Sheriff Thane, she gets to work solving the cases.

The author's new style of writing is still strange to me. The conversations didn't always flow well, but again, it was much better than the previous books. Also, this story seems to be the first in an Evie Blackwell series so be aware and read them in order for the whole picture. Honestly, something I really dislike from Dee Henderson's recent books is that they are all interconnected. It irritates me since they aren't marketed as a series. They should have something to let us know because if you miss a couple of books you are left wondering who some of the characters are.

But anyway, back to this book. The cases in the story were solved, but Evie didn't move forward in her relationships which made it feel unfinished. But since it's a series I was comforted that the loose ends would be wrapped up eventually. The brothers in the story were the best characters in the book. They felt the most real, and for that reason the book pulled me in. I was intrigued by the mystery and couldn't wait to see how it would be solved. But then more and more characters came in making me feel not as invested in the book as I originally was. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story, but it could have been better.

One thing I love about Dee Henderson's writing is that she doesn't give too much detail about the hard cases. She gives just enough so you know what's going on, but she doesn't revel in giving lots of gory details so you can't help but imagine all the awfulness. She really has a good balance with the info she releases, and I really appreciate that about her books. It's a skill, and she does it well.

Overall, I really did enjoy this story. I will be reading her next one since the characters were well written, and I want to see where they will go.

I was given this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Reluctant Duchess

The Reluctant Duchess is the second book in The Ladies of The Manor series by Roseanna M. White. I don't know how she does it, but her style, characters, and plots are never dull or skim worthy. I recommend that you read the first book in this series otherwise you will be confused since it's basically one long story even though the main characters are different in each book since it's all interconnected.

Lady Rowena Kinnaird wants to leave her father's castle. She has suffered enough abuse under him and now with Malcolm, the man she is supposed to marry. Is she always destined to be unhappy?

Brice Myerston has recently become the Duke of Nottingham following his father's death. While he stays in his home in Scotland with his mother and sister, he figures out a way to hide the Fire Eyes in plain sight. Meanwhile, Brice's mother invites the Kinnaird has she does every year to come to the castle and socialize. She is shocked when Rowena and her stepmother show up. They are all surprised when they in turn are invited to the Kinnaird's for dinner. They all go and enjoy an evening of fun, but then the Kinnaird's plot comes out when they realize he is trying to force Brice to marry Rowena by manipulating events in his favor.

This story was fascinating from beginning to end. Rowena was an interesting character and Brice definitely met his match with her. They were so different but managed to find common ground and even learned from each other. I liked how Brice wasn't the perfect guy like he was portrayed to be in the first book. They faced some hard things but kept God the focus making their struggles surmountable. I can't wait to read the next one!!

I was given this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Cold Shot

Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey is the first book in the Chesapeake Bay series. For some reason, I really had a hard time getting past the first four pages, but once I did I was quickly drawn in. All I could think about was finding time to read so I could see some resolution from the many different conflicts. This series is promising to be as good or better than the author's first series.

Griffin McCray, the Gettysburg park ranger, discovers a skeleton partially unburied that looks to be a relatively recent murder. When Finley Scott, a forensic anthropologist, shows up she confirms his assessment, and they begin the process of notifying the proper authorities so they can get the person identified. But when the body is almost stolen from the lab, they begin to realize there is something important about this case. Who is their Jane Doe?

This book was a suspenseful thrill ride with realistic characters battling their personal struggles while also trying to solve this mystery. Everyone involved hates cold cases which makes them all the more determined to find out what really happened. The author weaves the reason why Griff and his "brothers" dislike the term, cold case, seamlessly into the story and integrated the meaning of forgiveness throughout it all. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful, a clean read, and had hard issues for the characters to work through. I highly recommend this book!

I was given this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Taken

Taken by Dee Henderson is a stand alone novel with mentions of other characters from her last three books. This book was better than the last one I read, Unspoken, but was still a far cry from her earlier books. I do think I should read, Undetected because it sounds the most like how she used to write. I would like to compare that to others to really know if her writing has changed. What I do know is that the last couple of stories have been too long, drawn out and boring, and they repeat a lot - she is fragile, she is going to break, I have to protect her. Over and over and over again.

Shannon was kidnapped eleven years ago, endured awful circumstances, and somehow managed to escape. She found her way to Matthew Dane whose daughter was abducted and missing for eight years before he reunited with her. He is familiar with helping someone reintegrate into society. Shannon and Matthew start the journey of telling and listening, protecting and encouraging until she is ready to do what must be done. Tell everyone the facts without breaking.

At times the book didn't feel like a story; instead it was dry and factual without a spark of life to it. In those moments, I couldn't help but wonder why she couldn't blend it more naturally into the story. The story itself didn't feel engaging enough, but there were some good things in the book, too. I liked the big questions asked about God and her faith, and the answers given to it. They were tough questions, and the author answered them well which is why I recommend this book. The story may not be as good as her others, but the truths undergirding it are well worth it.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

     "It was men who hurt me, not God."
     "The sad thing about evil...we did this to ourselves...We chose the knowledge - the experience of good and evil - and we found out just how bitter and dark it really is. We experience it now... My faith survived because I realized God didn't want this for us, He never had."

Pretty powerful quotes, huh? Give this book a try and see if you enjoy it. :-)

I was given this book free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Sabotaged

Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey is the fifth and final book in the Alaskan Courage series. I have enjoyed every McKenna book even though a couple weren't as good as the others. I went in hopeful but nervous that the final story would fall short of the first book. But all my trepidation was for naught because Sabotaged ended up being one of my favorites in the series. To me, it was on par with Submerged.

Kirra Jacobs is helping at the Iditarod when her uncle goes missing from the race. Concerned that he hasn't shown up at their checkpoint, she sneaks out to find him. Reef notices Kirra leaving and follows her, but once he realizes he can't stop her he tags along, too. But a simple check on Frank's whereabouts turns into a much bigger problem. Chased, shot at, and frostbite are some of the things they battled when they finally make it back to the base. Once they are warmed up, they share the news of Kirra's uncle. Frank's daughter, Meg, is being held hostage, and the men holding her require Frank to do a mission for them in order for his daughter to live. Terrified, Frank complies, but he doesn't tell Kirra what his mission is.

Kirra and Reef go searching for clues of Meg's disappearance, but what they find is much more than they bargained for. Will they be able to find Meg before disaster strikes? And what about Frank's dubious past? Is everything she knew about him false?

Kirra and Reef's story was wonderfully done. I loved the different subplots all tangled up with the main mystery which added even more suspense and tension. Plus, this book flowed really well. There were no boring or slow parts, and it was fast paced right from the get-go. It kept me on the edge of my seat leaving me with no choice but to devour it in a couple days. I just had to know who did what, and how they were going to get out of it all safe and sound because obviously, they would, right? ;-) It was a thrilling read and a great ending to the McKenna clan even though I'm hoping for more stories about them! I can't wait for more books by Dani Pettrey!

I was given this book free in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Critical Condition

Critical Condition by Richard Mabry, M.D. is a suspense filled story with a host of interesting characters. Medical mysteries are some of my favorite novels to read so I was thrilled to get a chance to review this book!

Dr Shannon Frasier is enjoying some time off with some of her other surgeon friends when a shot is heard outside her house. They all run outside to see how they can help the injured man, but it is too late. All the memories come rushing back to Shannon of another fateful night years ago. Her fiance's death from a gunshot wound, her inability to help him, her fear of guns ever since, and her inability to be in a committed relationship with her boyfriend, Dr. Mark Gilbert.

Then Shannon's sister, Meghan, gets pulled into the mystery when her ex-boyfriend gets killed, too. Will they be able to get out from the scrutiny of the police or will one of them be arrested?

I really enjoy Dr. Mabry's mysteries. They are so well planned and thought out, and I never want to stop reading them. This book is no exception! It reeled me in right  from the beginning and kept get better and better. It wasn't too hard to figure out, but Shannon? She definitely kept me guessing. I wasn't sure if she would stay with her boyfriend or go out with the detective. I liked the uncertainty. :-) If you enjoy suspenseful fiction, you will definitely want to check this book out.

I was given this book free from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

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Here's the link if you would like to buy this book. :-)

Critical Condition

Review: Silenced

Silenced by Dani Pettrey is the fourth novel in the Alaskan Courage series. I've been waiting for Kayden's story and was excited to finally see what makes her the way she is. Plus, this story gives a glimpse into the next book about Reef. ;-)

While out climbing, Kayden McKenna comes upon a dead man. She is concerned that it wasn't just an accident so when Landon deputizes Jake Westin to investigate she goes with him because of her climbing knowledge. Pretty soon they both suspect foul play, but when Kayden starts getting targeted Jake is sure something more sinister is going on. What have they stumbled in to? Can Jake keep Kayden safe?

I enjoyed this story. It still couldn't beat the first two books, but it was a great read nonetheless. To me, it didn't have enough about Kayden and Jake's relationship. I would have liked more of them falling for each other and more dialogue of who they are and why they like the other person. It just seemed too matter of fact. Too expected and boring. There was no spice, I guess.

The story line was a little different from the other books because of a twist pretty early on that is kind of surprising. I liked the suspense and fast pace of the story, but like I said the love story could have used more depth to it.  :-) It is light on Christian emphasis, but it had some good points here and there. Overall it's a pretty good suspense read.

I was given this book free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

Check out these sites for more info. Her website even has an excerpt to read!

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Silenced (Alaskan Courage)

Review: Murder Simply Brewed

Murder Simply Brewed by Vannetta Chapman is the first book in an Amish Village Mystery. This story explores the lives of an older Englisch woman and a young Amish woman. As they try to solve the mystery surrounding the village shops, they become friends. I enjoyed reading this story, and I especially loved how you could read about the three main characters at different times during the story. It was well done and helped keep me glued to the book.

Amber Wright, the general manager of the Amish Artisan Village, is extremely happy and content with her life. Living in the little Dawdy Haus for the past twenty two years, she has everything she could ever want. Things changed one morning when she woke up to the news of a tragedy in the village. Ethan Gray, the coffee shop manager, was found dead in his store. The police ruled his death a heart attack brought on by the gunshots to his shop window. But when other small disturbances keep happening, Amber is convinced something more sinister is going on. As she teams up with young Amish employee, Hannah Troyer, she hopes that together they can find the answers before someone dies again.

Hannah Troyer loves her job at the quilt shop, but ever since Ethan's death she has had to take over at his coffee shop. Almost immediately, she starts hearing troubling news regarding Mr. Gray and begins to doubt his death was from natural causes. As Amber and her work to discover the murderer, things begin to go wrong all over the once peaceful village.

This was a simple, easy to solve mystery with great characters who learn and grow throughout the story. More than anything the writing captured my interest and had me wanting more from this author. My favorite part was the love story between Amber and Tate. It was so well written. I was surprised that the story was more about Amber than the Amish character, Hannah, because it's marketed like it is an Amish book. It was more like a regular mystery with a little Amish thrown in. It was a nice surprise, and I actually liked it more because of that. On the Christian front, it's pretty mild, but it was an enjoyable read without being too scary or dark like some suspense.

I was given this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

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Murder Simply Brewed (An Amish Village Mystery)