Concrete Evidence

Author: Diann Mills

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: October 4, 2022

I am happy to say this is one of the best DiAnn Mills books I have read in a long time!

Avery Elliot lives on her family’s ranch in Texas and helps run her grandfather’s commercial construction company. She has a very close relationship with her grandfather and has always seen him as a man of integrity until she finds him standing over the body of a dead man. While going through the books of her grandfather’s company, she finds things aren’t adding up as they should leading her to call the FBI. Special Agent Marc Wilkins is assigned the case and tries to keep Avery safe after she receives threats, which becomes harder as a hurricane comes close to the Texas coast. Marc must work with Avery to protect her and the community from a great danger.

I have read DiAnn Mills books for several years now and they tend to be hit or miss. She is a great writer when she is on point with her stories, but the last few haven’t been up to par with what her writing can be. This one is back to what I expect from a great like DiAnn Mills. I love a great suspense novel and this one hit all the right buttons for me. I love the characters, setting, and pace of the story. Avery is a great female protagonist for this story; her relationship with her grandfather and all she is involved because of him brings so much tension to the story, which kept me engaged with the characters and what they were trying to get through. Reading a book like this can either be great or flop, this one was far from flopping, and I am so happy with the way this one played out and ended. I recommend this book to fans of DiAnn Mills writing and suspense novels in general.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Where the Blue Sky Begins

Author: Katie Powner

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 11, 2022

If you are looking for a book that will make you feel connected to the characters in a way few authors can, this is the book for you!

Small towns have a vibe all their own. When Eric Larson leaves Seattle to help in his uncle’s financial company in a small town in Montana, he wants nothing to do with the town, only to return to the big city. Eunice Parker has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and wants to make amends with anyone she has wronged before the illness takes her. When Eric and Eunice are brought together through an unlikely set of events and try to work to determine what is most important, especially when there isn’t much time left.

Katie Powner has a way of very different way of writing than most, which is very refreshing. So many of the books published the same version of each other with different names and settings, making reading very monotonous at times. Katie Powner is a breath of fresh air with her books about everyday people and the struggles they face. Readers will be able to relate and enjoy seeing the struggles these characters go through and how they overcome. This story takes characters in hard times and real moments that so many of us go through and helps us relate. Lately I have been in a slump of not wanting to read after reading so many books that seem like the same ole thing. Fortunately, I came across this book at just the right moment. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy a great contemporary read.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Premonition at Withers Farm

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 11, 2022

What’s better than a new Jaime Jo Wright book? How about a new mystery releasing right before Halloween!!!

Perliett Van Hilton is a healer; it’s 1910 in Michigan and her healing practices leave the local doctor frustrated. She has grown up in an unconventional household with her mother working as a spiritualist. Perliett ends up the target of a superstitious killer and to avoid the killer she must seek help from the local doctor who doesn’t care for her and a newcomer to town. Jump to Present day, the life of Molly Wasziak is anything but the life she dreamed it would be. She has had several miscarriages leading her down a spiral of depression when her husband buys an old farmhouse. Here she finds clues to a very old murder and as she digs deeper, mysterious things around the house make it even more ominous as she finds a purpose for her life once again.

Wow, wow, wow! Jaime Jo Wright has outdone herself. Every time I pick up one of her books, I know I am in for a fantastic read and this newest one releasing right before Halloween gives all the chills and thrills. Each new book always proves me wrong in thinking she can’t top the last one; somehow, they get better and better. The feel of this one hit me hard, Molly was such a fantastic character and once she was at the farmhouse, the story enveloped me in such a tight hold there was no way I was getting out of it. I sat down and devoured this book in a weekend, had I not had responsibilities like taking care of my two children, it probably would have been read in a single sitting. There are a lot of authors out there that are just mediocre, the more I read the more I realize this and have gotten to the point of being disappointed more often than not when picking up a book to read lately. This book and this author will not disappoint you! Grab her books, any of them, and escape into the wonderful world of fiction and suspense that is a glorious getaway from the world we live in. I foresee this being one of my top books of the year!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Under the Starry Skies

Author: Tracie Peterson

Series: Love on the Santa Fe #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 4, 2022

Great conclusion to the Santa Fe love series!

Cassie Barton lives alone in the bustling town of San Marcial, New Mexico after her father was killed in a train derailment accident suspected to the be work of Pancho Villa and his gang. Her sister left years ago after their mother died and has since become married and lives in Denver. Now over 30, Cassie feels that she may never marry and has settled into work as a seamstress until she is knocked down by a group of young railway works and breaks her hand. Her longtime friend, Brandon DuBarko, arranges for his workers to pay her wages while she is out of commission, but she hopes that maybe he has more in mind than just helping her out.

Brandon DuBarko is one of the most respected railway foremen in the Santa Fe’s employment, but he has a past that he has been trying to forget for years. When his friend Cassie is hurt, he plans to help her get back on her feet and begins to enjoy time with her as he did with her dad for years. What he never counted on were the feelings that he would develop for her. Can she love him if she discovers his past?

For the final story of Love on the Santa Fe, readers meet the likely couple of Cassie and Brandon. I say likely, because they have known each other for several years through Cassie’s father, but never really had a quality connection until he was gone. The romance never really felt forced, just more like it was expected to happen, which it eventually did. There are a couple of common characters between books with the Pastor and his wife, but I really wish that the main characters between the books would have made random appearances to pull the series together a little more. All that said, this also makes it very easy to have three standalone novels with no connection other than the Santa Fe railway through New Mexico. Fans of Peterson will continue to enjoy her writing.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Livid

Author: Cai Emmons

Publisher: Red Hen Press

Release Date: September 27, 2022

Another interesting book by Cai Emmons that held my interest better than Unleashed by crafting characters that are deep and interesting.

After living in Boston, Sybil White Brown returns to the small town she lived in long ago and hoped to never be in again and see the man she once loved. Now, she is called to jury duty and selected for a murder trial right with her ex-husband. She tries to keep her distance from him but the longer the trial goes, the closer they become trying to figure out the fate of the one they are sent to judge. Mixed feelings come out for Sybil as the jury deliberates and things become more and more heated.

Livid held my interest in a better way than Unleashed. These characters were engaging and the plot intriguing. I found myself engaged very quickly with what was going on and kept the pages turning. Sybil was a great female protagonist and the strained dynamic between her and her ex kept my attention. As the trial continued, the tension mounted and made the story that much better. I was pleased with this story and how it developed. Overall, it was an interesting story to enjoy for a weekend read. I recommend this book to those that enjoy legal thrillers with good characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Love, Pray, Listen

Author: Mary DeMuth

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 6, 2022

A great book looking at the parent/child relationship in a different light as we age and dynamics change.

Mary DeMuth takes readers on a journey of learning how things can become drastically different as children get older. I only have young children now, but picked up this book wanting to see what it held for me as an adult daughter for my parents and to better prepare myself for when my children do grow up. I found many of the chapters eye opening with how to cope with dealing with the hard times of when communication becomes harder, and realizing this is the stage I am in with my own mother. Trying to prepare for when I want to overstep in my grown kids’ lives and when it is best to just sit back, pray, love and listen to them.

As a parent we never wan to our kids to make mistakes or go through hard times that could have been avoided if they just listen to us, but we are here to love them no matter what. Mary DeMuth does a fabulous job of putting together a book that has so many tools to help us in dealing with these hard times and making them a little less difficult and trying. I would recommend this book to parents as their kids are getting older to keep from struggling as they age and want to live their own lives.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Range

Author: Ronie Kendig

Series: Metcalfes #3

Publisher: Task Force Press

Release Date: September 30, 2022

This series has far surpassed my expectations and I am in love with the whole Metcalfe family!

Range Metcalfe set out on his own after a fight with his brother over a girl and hasn’t been back in over 10 years. He’s spent his time and energy tacking down bad guys and now he has his eyes set on taking down Kasra Jazani, the Madam of Kandahar, a human trafficker. As Range and his team capture Kasra Jazani, he quickly learns that not everything is as it seems. It has been ten years since Kasra was abducted and after years of abuse, she worked her way up to overseeing the compound and using her position to help others. When Range and his team take her captive, they quickly become the hunted and dark secrets come to light along with danger to them and everyone around them.

I didn’t think it was possible for Ronie Kendig to make me like a book in this series more than I did Willow, but she just might have done it with Range. These stories are tough, gritty, and sometimes hard to read with the storyline but so well written they are also hard to put down. I picked this one up when I was in a slump of not wanting to read and having a hard time enjoying something I love. This story was so well crafted that it pulled me right out of that slump and had me turning the pages well into the night. This is the kind of book that if enough time allowed, could be finished in a single sitting. There is so much tension that the story flies by making it easy to get lost in the wonderful world of fiction. This series is very different from the others I have read by Ronie Kendig and I have loved seeing this different side of her writing. Fans of Romantic Suspense will love this new edition to the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A Man of the World

Author: Gilbert M. Grosvenor

Publisher: National Geographic

Release Date: September 13, 2022

Very interesting and informative! Fun read overall!

At some point, you’ve likely interacted with the Grosvenor family legacy. Through a book, network series, or just by picking up a yellow bordered magazine, you’ve probably had some experience with National Geographic. But what about the editor of the magazine? You likely have no idea about him or the adventures that he has been on with the magazine. From artic diving to mountain climbing, he’s not only published about it, but he has also experienced it. With generations of experience before him, he truly is a man of the world.

I love reading memoirs and this was no different. Learning about the man and the family that has been at the helm of National Geographic for generations was eye opening and entertaining. From learning about family experiences to seeing what goes on behind the camera and the printing press. I think my favorite parts may have been the decisions behind the cover photos that have built legacies for the magazine. If you have been a fan of National Geographic, I highly recommend this book for you!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

What She Found

Author: Robert Dugoni

Series: Tracy Crosswhite #9

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: August 23, 2022

The next installment in the Tracy Crosswhite is another great read that fans of the series will love.

Now that she oversees the cold case division, Tracy Crosswhite just solved a major case and is looking to solve another. She is asked to investigate the disappearance of investigative reporter Lisa Childress who went missing almost 25 years ago. Lisa’s daughter, Anita, has asked Tracy to help find the truth no matter where it leads. As soon as Tracy starts digging into the past with this case, she finds evidence that proves there is much more to the case than anyone could have imagined. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Tracy is going to be pushed to her limit and her loyalties.

The Tracy Crosswhite series has been one of my favorites since the very first book. This newest edition was a fun look at Tracy in her new role overseeing the cold cases which brings her all the way back to the disappearance of her sister. Each of the characters in this series are great to see grow and develop. Traci is one of my all-time favorite female leads to read about. This book had a good premise, good characters, and an overall good flow, until the end, which felt a little rushed. It was the ending that should have played out but for this kind of novel it left me feeling a little underwhelmed. Dugoni is a fantastic writer but this addition to the series fell a little flat. I still give it at least 4 stars but it is hard for anything to stack up to My Sister’s Grave. I will for sure be reading the next in the series and recommend this to fans of the series and those that enjoy suspense thrillers.

The Clutter Fix

Author: Shannon Acheson

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 13, 2022

A super quick and easy guide to getting rid of excess and living by the mindset of “less is more.”

We live in a world of stuff; everywhere we look there is more and better stuff to have in our lives and in our homes. But does that stuff really make us happy? The short answer is no; we think it will make us happy but if we have too much we end up with chaos and disorganized clutter all around that can leave us feeling anxious and depressed.

Shannon Acheson uses the tools throughout this book to help readers learn to get rid of what they don’t need and how to organize what they do keep. Step by step instructions along with helpful checklists will give readers the tools they need to start down the path of having less so they can enjoy what they do have more. One of the nicest things about the book is it doesn’t just deal with the physical stuff, it also talks about emotional clutter and cleaning out email inboxes and such that can get over run and overlooked. I always enjoy a good cleanout and purge and using the checklists throughout this book will make for a great tool to make it so much easier. I recommend this book to everyone, even if you feel like you don’t have much to get rid of this list will show you there is more to declutter than you would think.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.