Author: Steven James

Series: Blur Trilogy

Publisher: Skyscape

Release Date: May 2014

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fast paced thriller for teens by a master story teller. James knows how to tell a great story.

Daniel Byers is an all American kid living in a small isolated town in Wisconsin. When the body of a high school freshman is found in Lake Algonquin Daniel is shocked by how he is affected by her death.  Then he starts seeing things.  Everyone believes that Emily Jackson’s death was an accident but before long things start looking differently for Daniel.  At her funeral he has a vision of her and his world starts to come apart.  He is convinced that her appearance to him is more than just a dream or hallucination, Daniel begins to look carefully into her death and the more he looks the harder it is to distinguish what is real and what is fantasy.  Daniel confides in his friends but even that isn’t enough to keep him from questioning his sanity.  What is real and what is a Blur and how can he tell the difference?

Steven James is a master story teller. It doesn’t matter what story he is telling, it is always worth the time to read it.  When I heard he was doing a Young adult series I was excited, there are not nearly enough YA books out there that are worth the time it takes to read them.  James weaves a compelling story that will keep even reluctant readers turning the page.  The chapters are short which helps quicken the pace.  Every time you are ready to put it down you see how short the next chapter is and think it wouldn’t hurt to read just one more, which always turns into more than just that one.  There is no tricky language or anything that makes it confusing to keep going.  The main character Daniel is one of those kids that in high school everyone wants to be friends with but unless you are in with that group it rarely happens.  But here, James made Daniel popular yet relatable.  A little unbelievable at times but something nice to strive for.

With all the books out there it is hard to find a clean good read to recommend to kids but this one can be recommended without thinking twice about it. Even though you are dealing with finding who murdered a young girl there is never anything graphic or any harsh language that would be inappropriate.  Wish there were more writers like Steven James.

 

Author: Mary DeMuth

Publisher: Baker Books

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Feeling worthy is a feeling we all struggle with, which is one of the strongest arguments I can give for reading this book.

Mary DeMuth shares her heart and soul in this book about how all women want to feel they matter and are worth something. We can all feel joy knowing we are secure in God’s love for us and how he has placed us in the world to do amazing things.  This God that has given us life wants us to fulfill out potential.  Demuth dares women to believe that we as women are daughters of the King, always welcome in his presence.  In doing this she helps women discover a future where they know they are loved, feel strong, and are able to make an impact in this world.  Either with many or just one, it is an impact that needs to be felt.

I don’t normally read a lot of non-fiction. I decided to give Mary Demuth’s book a try.  I was fortunate enough to meet her at a conference and felt compelled to read this after listening to her speak.  I am glad I did!  So many points she wrote about resonated with me on a deep level.  The feeling of not being worthy is something I have struggled with at times and still do.  I want to feel good enough, I want to feel like what I have to write or say will mean something to someone, but that isn’t always easy.  That doubt niggles at me and makes me feel unworthy to say or write much of anything.  After reading Worth Living, I have a different way of looking at what I say or write.  It may not impact many but I can still have an impact on someone.  And if I don’t feel worthy to say what God is wanting me to say, then the impact I could have had on someone will go unheard or felt, which is not what God has planned.  I may never know how I will impact someone, but I still have to feel worthy to try.  Mary writes so honestly about her feelings; how she has tried, and is still trying, to overcome the feeling of being unworthy in a way that makes it feel as though I can really learn from this and relate to her struggles and use this to overcome my own.  The most important thing to remember is we are all loved by the Father and worthy in his eyes.

Author: A. H. Gabhart

Publisher: Revell Books

Series: Hidden Springs Mystery

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fun, cozy mystery that kept a smile on my face with the turn of every page!

Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane enjoys the quiet town of Hidden Springs and doesn’t want things to change. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens when he saves a man from jumping from the bridge into the lake.  The man tells him he is going to wish he would have let him jump, and they haunt him in the coming days.  He becomes the town hero and things only get worse from there.  Photos of a dead girl come to him in the mail and Michael becomes convinced she was killed by the same man he saved.  Hidden Springs is no longer the quiet town it once was with a killer now on the loose and one step ahead.  Everyone Michael cares about becomes a target and he knows he can’t protect them all.

I stumbled upon the first Hidden Springs Mystery and couldn’t have been happier with the book. When I found out there was going to be another mystery, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen.  The nice thing about this series is the stories are fun, cozy mysteries you can cuddle up with a blanket and enjoy the mystery.  There is nothing crazy, no gory scenes, no profanity and no graphic scenes to worry about, just the way this type of book should be written.  Hidden Springs is not your normal little town, it’s kind of like the town time forgot.  Up until the murder at the courthouse, nothing dramatic had occurred in the town, and that’s exactly how everyone in town liked it.  Gabhart does a terrific job of weaving the quirky characters together with the quant little town to make a fun read that is hard to put down.  I cruised through without thinking of much else.  The mystery of who the killer was and determining the motive never slowed the pace or the enjoyment.  Toward the very end as the identity of the killer was revealed, I had to smile at how well it was played out.  It wasn’t an out-of-the-blue revelation, I had it pegged before the reveal, but still enjoyed the characters reactions.  I’m not sure if there will be another in the series but I hope so.  It would be fun to see what else is in store for the little town.

Author: Anne Marie Miller

Publisher: Baker Books

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A hard topic to tackle, but done so with the best information possible to adequately prepare parents and children for this difficult issue.

One of the hardest thing a parent can do is talk to their children about sex. Anne Marie Miller has become quite good at this while sharing her personal story and talking about the gift of sex from God to almost half a million young people.  She doesn’t sweep the hard topic under the rug.  She wants to equip parents with the information they need to feel competent in talking about sex with their kids.  And not just sex, she deals with the issues of pornography and sexual abuse all in an age appropriate way.  The most important thing she says is to keep the lines of communication open so that children know they can trust their parents with this talk, the fear they feel, and the mistakes they might have already made.  Throughout everything, she offers hope to worried parents that their children can grow up with a healthy biblical view of sex as a gift from God.

I have to give props to Anne Miller. This is an incredibly difficult topic to tackle and she does it with grace. She not only gives the advice on how to talk to your kids about sex and the other hard topics, she gives her own story as well.  There is so much here I never knew and am thankful to now have this as a resource.  Before reading this, I didn’t think of having any kind of talk of this nature with my five-year-old boy, but now I realize there are age appropriate words and phrases I can go ahead and start using with him.  It’s crazy to think about starting this talk at such a young age, but with the world we live in and the technology available to even the youngest minds it has become necessary.  With smart phones, computers, and internet access readily available, it is easier than ever for young minds to be tainted.  We as parents need to be ready.  Miller has done an outstanding job of getting together resources and advice from experts.  I highly recommend this to all parents to read and reread as the years go by.

Author: Robert Dugoni

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Dugoni is at his best when writing about Tracy Crosswhite and her heroic adventures! In the Clearing is superb and a nonstop thrilling read!

Detective Tracy Crosswhite is back and ready to tackle her toughest case yet. Ever since her sister Sarah disappeared, she has geared herself more towards solving cases that seem unsolvable.  She wants to bring closure to the families and friends of the victims.  Being one of the only females to graduate from the police academy, she finds it hard to turn down a request from her former protégé, Jenny who asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl from almost forty years ago.  Jenny’s father was the officer who responded to the call and collected the evidence, which he knew didn’t lead to suicide but wasn’t able to prove it.  That didn’t stop him from continuing to collect more evidence and keep a file ready for the time justice would come for the family.  Tracy goes throughout the town and finds dark, well kept secrets hidden deep within the community.  Tracy wants to keep the promise she and Jenny’s father made to the victim’s family to find the truth, but as she digs deeper she worries she might just end up like the victim.

I have come to find there is not much better out there than Robert Dugoni, especially when he is writing about Tracy Crosswhite. These are so good that I went back and reread the My Sister’s Grave and Her Final Breath before I started on this one.  I don’t know how many more Crosswhite novels Dugoni plans to write but I hope there are many, many more to come. In the Clearing delves deep into the Native American ancestry in Washington State and Tracy finds herself out of her comfort zone.  In the first two novels, it was much more about her personal life, in one way or another, but not as much here.  There wasn’t much of a presence of Dan, her boyfriend in this book and I missed that.  I understand the lack of his presence, it really fit with the story, but I did miss the interaction between him and Tracy.  At times, the story was much more narrative driven than dialogue which for some stories would slow the pace, not with Dugoni.  No matter what the scene was, it went quickly and entertained to the fullest.  This is my kind of writing, fast, strong and full of characters that are believable in every action they take.  I have a very high standard for what I consider the best books and authors out there and Robert Dugoni is at the top of that list for good reason.  His lawyer series with David Sloane are good reads, but nothing compared to the Tracy Crosswhite series.  I await each new novel with great anticipation and devour it as soon as I can get my hands on it.  If you enjoy a good suspense thriller, this is one you need to read as soon and as often as possible!  I don’t often reread a book but can say with certainty I will be reading In the Clearing many more times.  Thank you Robert Dugoni for writing such excellent stories that keep me glued to the page and always wanting more.

For those that like a rating system, I give five stars for my favorite books. They have to be incredibly well written to get five stars.  I am thinking though of new category for the absolute best, which this falls into.

Author: Larry Bond

Publisher: Forge Books

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Mystery, suspense, and rogue nukes! A powerful combination that could easily be seen on the news tomorrow!

Even though the war with China is over, India is still fighting several battles against Pakistan. Out of nowhere, a nuclear bomb is suddenly set off at a terrorist headquarters in Pakistan.  The world quickly points the finger at India, who else would do it?  But why would India do it?  Dr. Joanna Patterson, the U.S. national security advisor, orders air and ground samples be taken and analyzed.  The results are staggering!  The fallout components aren’t typical of Indian nuclear weapons.  They appear to be manufactured by either Russia or China.  But this makes even less sense.  Dr. Patterson recalls a mission that was performed several years ago when she was aboard a submarine outside of Russia where they discovered a sunken barge that had several canisters.  Upon retrieving two of those canisters, she discovered they contained nuclear warheads.  After a conference with the Russian government, she learns that there are six missing warheads.  If one went off in Pakistan, where are the other five?  And what are their targets?

 

This book was packed with suspense and politics. This is the first book that I have read by Larry Bond and I know that there are other books that contain Jerry Mitchell.  However, for this to be a Jerry Mitchel Novel, I really felt that he was more in a supporting role for this particular story.  For the first 250 pages, he is only involved in a handful of chapters and it is more centered around his relationships with some of the other characters rather than on his line of duty.  Even when he does get more involved, he is still not the central character.  I’m guess I’m more used to characters such as Dirk Pitt, Jack Reacher, or Phillip Mercer, as they stay throughout the entire story.  Technically, there is not really a central character at all.  The story centers around four characters with some history in the previous books.  Even so, this book still read well on its own.  I mentioned that it was packed with politics.  I was grateful that it was include as it helped me catch up on the back story.  Had I been caught it, I believe it may have dragged on a bit.

I always enjoy finding new authors that intrigue me. I really enjoy naval stories and this is no exception.  I haven’t had much reading in the way of submarines, so this was a really good change.  Larry Bond has definitely interested me enough to find out more of what is happening in this series, as well as his other series.  I was very glad that he didn’t feel the need to lace the story with profanity or innuendo.

Go out and grab a copy! You won’t be disappointed.

Author: Robert Dugoni

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: September 2015

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The next Tracy Crosswhite story keeps you on your toes and aching for more.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to her post as homicide detective in Seattle after finding her sister’s remains and getting a retrial for her killer. Still reeling from the ordeal she is pulled into an investigation that almost ends her career and her life, a new serial killer now as the Cowboy is killing women in cheap motels in Seattle.  Tracy finds herself in the middle of the investigation as the killer leaves menacing messages for her. A task force is formed with Tracy taking point to try and solve the murders. Clues lead them to a decade-old homicide investigation that includes her captain Johnny Nolasco, who has never been on her side. The Cowboy is still on the hunt and Tracy wants to find the evidence to stop him before she becomes his next victim.

Robert Dugoni is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Last year’s My Sister’s Grave was by far my favorite book of the year. As soon as I knew there was going to be another Tracy Crosswhite story, I was anxious to get my hands on it. Dugoni has found a winning combination with Detective Crosswhite and her ability to solve horrific crimes. I have to say Her Final Breath was not as good as My Sister’s Grave but is still by favorite of the year so far. I think the thing that made this one not quite as good was it lacked the emotional aspect that made such an impact with the first. When Tracy was so consumed with finding her sister’s killer and getting justice, the story flew by without a second thought. At times this one brought a little of the emotional aspect when Tracy was being targeted but it didn’t hit as hard as looking for her sister’s killer.

Without a doubt, it is an excellent read and one that anyone who enjoys a good suspense thriller needs to add to their collection. The story flows smoothly without anything to take you away from the characters.  Several are easily liked while others are easy to despise.  I’m not sure if there will be another in the series, but I feel Tracy Crosswhite has more to say and more cases to solve and I for one would like to see her in action.

 

Author: Robert Dugoni

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: October 2014

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

In every book you want to get to that one part that keeps you turning the page till the end. That part started on page one and Dugoni kept cranking the tension all the way to the very end. By far, the best book I have read all year.

For Twenty years Tracy Crosswhite has felt something was off with the conviction of her sister’s killer. She let these feelings lead her all the way to becoming a detective with the Seattle homicide unit. At the time there was no body, but now her remains are uncovered and Tracy is determined to get the answers she has been searching for.

While Tracy works to uncover the secrets kept from her all these years, she finds that things went deeper than she ever could have imagined. Her home town of Cedar Grove was never the same after Sarah’s death, which was one of the reasons she couldn’t stay. Now, being back, she can’t help the feeling that is nagging at the back of her neck that something isn’t right. She doesn’t know if it has to do with trying to free the man convicted of killing her sister or just being home. Either way she knows she had better watch her back because things could get even worse very soon.

This has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. Even saying that doesn’t seem to do the book justice. I first heard about it last October at a conference with Robert Dugoni. He was telling me the premise of the book he was working on and I was very intrigued. I am happy to say the final product didn’t disappoint. My Sister’s Grave kept me turning the page, reading in the car (at stoplights), and not wanting to go to bed until I finished. The writing flowed at such a pace that was clear and easily understood keeping me engaged throughout. Dugoni knows his stuff. There are twist and turns throughout that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Dugoni has woven a tale that crosses between a police procedural and a legal thriller with a great cast of characters. The lead character, Tracy Crosswhite, is a very strong female that the readers get to see not only her strengths, but her weaknesses as well.

The only criticism I have is the language. There is some harsh language throughout, not a ton but more than needed. This is usually enough to turn me off a book very quickly. The difference here is the story was so good it made me over look the language for the first time. It takes a very strong, and incredibly talented author to do that. Dugoni is fast becoming one of my very favorite authors.

I wish that I could go above five stars for this rating as it deserves many more!

 

Author: Mary Volmer

Publisher: Soho Press

Release Date: May 10, 2016

Reviewer: Jen Roman

In 1874, thirteen-year-old Madelyn Branch and her mother, Rebecca, arrive in Reliance, Illinois from rural Kentucky so that Rebecca can meet and marry the man she chose via the Matrimonial Times.  Rebecca has not mentioned Madelyn to Mr. Dryfus, so when she meets him, she explains Madelyn as her orphaned sister.  Rebecca is beautiful and hardworking, so Mr. Dryfus decides to marry her despite her deception, and she persuades Mr. Dryfus to take in Madelyn as well.  Mr. Dryfus is the businessman he has claimed to be, but he does not make as much money as leads Rebecca to believe, and he leads a very frugal lifestyle.  Additionally, he has several friends and family members living with him.   Soon after Rebecca and Mr. Dryfus marry, Rebecca announces she is pregnant.  Knowing she will soon be replaced by a baby, Madelyn accepts a job caring for the failing town founder under his daughter’s supervision.  His daughter, the dynamic Miss Rose, is a feminist and an outspoken supporter of women’s suffrage and contraception.  In exchange for Madelyn caring for Mr. Werner, Miss Rose offers to educate Madelyn and to teach her social convention.

Without giving away too much of the story, I will say that there are a lot of plot twists and turns, most involving Madelyn learning secrets about her friends and neighbors. Some pertain to her own family, but most relate to the townsfolk and to Miss Rose’s family as well.  She becomes an excellent secret keeper while still maintaining relationships with these people.  Her own personal downfall is that she has fallen for William, a photographer who is haunted by his Civil War experience.  He is one of just a handful of people who don’t judge Madelyn by her port wine birthmark running halfway down her body, and she mistakes his kindness for interest in her.  Her close circle of acquaintances finds out about her feelings for William and uses them to their advantage.

This story is chock full of romance, adventure, murder, deception, mystery, and secrets. Living with Miss Rose gives Madelyn access to everyone’s state of affairs; somehow Madelyn has to keep them to herself.  The characters are spirited and fascinating; Mark Twain even makes a few appearances along with his signature humorous quips.  Volmer has clearly spent a lot of time developing the characters of the town, and it pays off for the reader. The large group of people takes time to get to know, but it is a pleasant reward when that happens.  Each character is someone who could be found in a small struggling town, and everybody has a story to tell.

The plot is so much more than what has been mentioned above; something different and interesting happens throughout the development of the book to keep the reader’s interest piqued. I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and the ending, although it may not be the happy ending that some may expect.  It is, however, satisfying and appropriate to the entire book.

Reliance, Illinois contains profanity and coarse language that may not be appropriate for younger readers.  Topics such as murder, abortion, domestic assault, and sexual themes come up several times.  These are not gratuitous; they definitely lend to the book’s credibility and help to develop the story, but may not be appropriate for all.  Because of this, I recommend this book for mature readers.

Author: Becky Wade

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fast paced romantic novel with just the right amount of suspense to keep the pages turning quickly.

Dru Porter is trying to redeem herself from her last protection assignment. It’s hard for people to take her seriously as a bodyguard, but that’s what she is.  A former Marine with a black belt and a better markswoman than most men, Dru has been assigned to protect Gray Fowler.  Gray is a star NFL tight end who is being pursued by a stalker.  His team hires Dru’s protection agency to keep a watch on Gray.  He doesn’t think much of his new bodyguard, after all she’s half his size.  How can she possibly protect him?  Dru is determined to uncover the identity of Gray’s stalker and keep the relationship between them strictly professional, which proves to be the more difficult of the two.  The closer they get to uncovering the stalker, the closer Gray and Dru grow to each other.  With each day, the danger grows and it is hard to keep their hearts and lives separate.

It can be hard to want to take Dru and what she does seriously. A woman being a bodyguard is not what would be expected.   But sometimes the unexpected is good.  Dru is able to look at situations differently than most, not only because she is a woman but also because of her training.  She proves to be very good at what she does and I really liked her as a character.  I enjoyed the fact that Gray wasn’t made to be the quarterback or the only reason the team was a success.  Yes he was a big part of that success, but it was shown that it was a team effort.  The attraction between Dru and Gray was obvious from their first encounter but was played out well.

It is clear this has more of the romance aspect than suspense, but the suspense moments were done well and at the right moments. I did not realize until reading this book that it is the fourth book in a series.  It makes me wonder what the others are like, but also shows that it can easily be read as a stand-alone without a problem.  Overall it was a very enjoyable read and I would recommend to those that enjoy romantic suspense, especially in the Christian genre.