Category Archives: Fiction

Review: The Bitter End, by Linda Hall

The Bitter End, by Linda HallThe Bitter End, by Linda Hall (2015)

Most contracts see Captain Em Ridge delivering sailboats to wealthy owners who don’t like to do their own long-haul trips. This time, though, she’s ferrying an over-the-top TV host around the Bermuda Triangle looking for evidence of the bizarre.

It’s an uneventful assignment, until they discover an abandoned sailboat whose occupants seem to have vanished over dinner. Unlike the crew of the Mary Celeste, though, someone put out extra food and water for the ship’s cat before disappearing.

Em knows this boat – and the cat. They belong to her beloved Uncle Ferd, the family black sheep – and the one who taught her to sail.

At first she fears he’s been taken by pirates, but the truth may be worse: he’s wanted by the authorities in connection with a murder. In setting out to clear her childhood hero’s name, Em may discover Uncle Ferd isn’t the man she thought he was.

The Bitter End is the second Em Ridge mystery, and I’m looking forward to more in this series. You could start with this one, but book 1, Night Watch, is also a good read and it lets you meet Em at the start of her adventures.

As well as being satisfying mysteries, the books give readers a taste of the sailing life. Author Linda Hall does a stellar job of sharing the experience with readers in a way that feels natural and without confusing us with jargon. Having logged many hours on her own sailboat, she knows the best details to include.

She also knows how to write memorable, flawed characters, and vivid descriptions. My favourite in this book:

“Where the doorbell should have been, a few threads of twisted wire stuck out like the veins of a robot.” [Kindle location 1159]

In the past, Linda Hall has written for the Christian market, but her Em Ridge novels are mainstream. As such, she allows her characters the occasional mild profanity, and there isn’t an overtly Christian thread through the stories. Em’s mother has a rigid faith, which sounds like it has a lot to do with Em’s lack of relationship with her family as well as with God. While I don’t think we’ll see Em experience a dramatic conversion in the series, I do hope we’ll see some resolution in these areas. She’s not happy this way, and her mother’s not healthy her way either.

Em is a widow, and there’s a handsome detective who keeps crossing her path, however he has baggage of his own – including an estranged wife.

These ongoing threads tie the novels together and keep me looking forward to the next one even after the current mystery has been satisfactorily resolved.

Linda Hall is an award-winning writer of mystery and suspense. For more about the author and her books, visit writerhall.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Leopard’s Heart, by Kimberly A. Rogers

Leopard's Heart, by Kimberly A. RogersLeopard’s Heart, by Kimberly A. Rogers (2015)

In this Earth-based present-day urban fantasy, three species co-exist: Humans, Elves, and Therians. There are also assorted nasties held back by a mysterious barrier.

Humans know about the Elves, but they don’t know about the Therians, who work incognito for their protection. Therians are shape-shifters with three forms: humanoid, animal, and half-beast. Each Therian is born into one beast family and has only one beast form.

If this intrigues you and you haven’t read the prequel, Tiger’s Paw, don’t read any farther because there’s a spoiler to the prequel below. I highly recommend reading the prequel so you’ll be oriented in this complex world before starting book one, Leopard’s Heart.

I found Tiger’s Paw a bit of a hard read, partially because it’s from the point of view of General Baran (the tiger) and he’s, as the impudent leopard he’s assigned to work with says, “Tall, Dark, and oh-so-Serious.” The major difficulty in reading was simply absorbing the way the story world works: the hierarchies and relationships among the different species of beasts, and how they work unseen among the humans.

Now, if you’re still here, prepare to learn something about how Tiger’s Paw ends.

Raina (the leopard on the cover of Leopard’s Heart) is in an arranged marriage to Baran. Raina’s also half-Elven, exposing her to prejudice and attacks from those who want to keep the Therian race pure.

The novel is about the two of them working together to thwart a plot to expose the Therian race to the Humans. A subversive element among the Therians, the Fringe, is behind this and is also stirring up hate crimes against half-Elven Therians.

Among the unfamiliar circumstances, though, we find two strong and likeable characters in an arranged marriage: a classic romance situation that we’re comfortable with. We may not be able to relate to shape-shifters, but we can relate to hearts. And to danger and the need to stop the villains.

The story is mostly told in the first person, from either Raina’s or Baran’s point of view. I wish the chapters opened with the narrating character’s name, for easier reading, but it only took a few paragraphs to find out each time.

Leopard’s Heart is a compelling read, clean fiction with a Christian theme (the Therian Way is a code of honour based on faith in Yeshua). It’s violent in places, with more fighting and blood than I’m used to, but nothing is gratuitous. Still, by the end I was a little battle-weary.

I won a copy of Leopard’s Heart in a giveaway, and bought Tiger’s Paw so I could start at the beginning. I like Raina and Baran, and I’m glad to have come this far with them in the series.

Kimberley A. Rogers is a fantasy author and Masters in Religious Education student. For more about the author and her books, visit her website, So You Want to Write Christian Fantasy?

Review: Her Deadly Inheritance, by Beth Ann Ziarnik

Her Deadly Inheritance, by Beth ZiarnikHer Deadly Inheritance, by Beth Ann Ziarnik (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, 2016)

Runaway Jill Shepherd comes home just before she’s declared her legally dead – which blocks her Aunt Lenore’s dream of finally owning Windtop, the historic family mansion.

Jill’s only living family is hostile, dysfunctional… and possibly dangerous. Was her mother’s death really a suicide, or could it have been murder?

Resident handyman Clay Merrick is searching for evidence of murder, and he’s afraid Jill has walked into danger. The problem is, Jill believes God told her to return and reconcile with her family. Despite their behaviour, she won’t leave.

The inheritance in question is a gorgeous old home on Lake Superior, which Clay has nearly finished restoring. Jill doesn’t want it, not at the expense of relationship with her aunt and uncle, but her offer to share the house only makes things worse.

The characters are appealing, the mystery intriguing, and the romance well-balanced to not overshadow the suspense. Jill is a very caring person, and the way she reaches out to people she’s angry with isn’t typical. She still struggles, though, when it seems God wants her to forgive her mother’s murderer.

The novel includes significant talk of faith, which flows naturally from the characters involved. God is part of the story, making His will known in a variety of ways that Christian readers will recognize. As such, He’s part of the solution, but not in a deus-ex-machina-ruining-the-story way. The believing characters still have choices to make: will they obey God, or choose their own way? The unbelieving characters don’t even know He’s speaking.

Certain questions left unanswered at the end point the way to a sequel, and it’s one I’ll want to read.

Her Deadly Inheritance is author Beth Ann Ziarnik’s debut novel. She’s also active on her website, bethziarnik.com, and her blog, bethziarnik.wordpress.com. You can read my interview with the author here: Interview: Beth Ziarnik.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Two From Isaac’s House, by Normandie Fischer

Two From Isaac's House, by Normandie FischerTwo From Isaac’s House, by Normandie Fischer (Sleepy Creek Press, 2015)

Rina Lynne’s father insisted they had to live on limited funds, but she inherited a fortune when he died. She’d always lived a safe, predictable life, so now, before she marries her fiancé, Jason, and settles down, she’s off to see the world.

First stop: a small town in Italy, for a month of language school. But a passenger on the train is murdered, and the man she shared a carriage with looks like a terrorist.

Favourite line, from when she spots the man’s gun. Can’t you feel this?

She tried to smile as she recovered, but her upper lip caught on too-dry teeth. [Kindle location 134]

Rina blossoms in Italy, away from the restrictions of home. She makes new friends, including the handsome Tony Rasad, who seems to have connections with the same Palestinian group which may be behind the death on the train.

From chapters in Tony’s point of view, we learn that he’s a reluctant spy for Israel, trying to infiltrate the terrorists’ ranks. He’s torn between desire to get to know Rina despite her distant fiancé and the need to stay away from her for her own safety.

Danger chases Rina from Italy to Jordan to Israel, where she tries to find her Uncle Adam.

Two From Isaac’s House is an intriguing romantic suspense with a strong sense of place. The title refers to Rina’s and Tony’s heritage: he’s a Jew, and she’s half-Jewish. The danger they face draws them both to depend on the God of their people. Rina’s uncle is seriously considering the claims of some friends who are Messianic Jews (believing Jesus is the Messiah). The spiritual thread is low-key, and shouldn’t be a barrier to non-believing readers.

Author Normandie Fischer writes women’s fiction and romantic suspense. She’s also an avid sailor. For more about the author and her books (and boats!) visit normandiefischer.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Legacy, by Mary Hosmar

Legacy, by Mary HosmarLegacy, by Mary Hosmar (2014)

What 15-year-old boy wants to tag along with his mother, visiting relatives in the Netherlands over Christmas, when he’d been planning a ski adventure with his buddies?

Not Jake Thompson. But it’s a condition of his late great-uncle’s will. So Jake, his attitude, and his mother fly from Canada to meet the strangers who are their extended family.

Bit by bit, they discover family history – and secrets – that neither of them had known, wrapped up in the fallout from World War 2.

Jake’s point of view makes Legacy an easy read, and I enjoyed watching him try to deny his grief for his great-uncle and his growing interest in his heritage. Although his relatives tell him the stories from the past, much of those tales are written from the point of view of the characters who experienced them, making the memories come alive.

Favourite line:

If this was Bert’s idea of a good time, no wonder he hadn’t married. [Kindle location 1166]

The book offers an interesting insight into the early days of the liberation of the Netherlands and the after-effects of the war. I’d recommend it for young adult readers, especially those interested in history, but also for adults.

The subject matter makes it appropriate for reading at Remembrance Day (Veterans’ Day) or Christmas, but it would be a good read at any time of year.

Canadian author Mary Hosmar has also written A Matter of Conscience, another young adult historical novel, set in Canada. For more about the author and her books, visit maryhosmar.weebly.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Storming, by K.M. Weiland

Storming, by K.M. WeilandStorming, by K.M. Weiland (PenForASword Publishing, 2015)

In 1920’s Nebraska, Hitch Hitchcock makes his living as a barnstorming pilot – until a woman in a fancy ball gown falls out of the night sky in front of his plane and he gets mixed up with her – and with her enemies.

Hitch doesn’t want anyone depending on him, because he’s let too many people down in the past. He’s back in his hometown for one week only, to compete for a chance to join a flying circus.

His encounter with the mysterious falling woman, Jael, also brings him face to face with family and townsfolk he’s hurt before – and with the man who made him run away. When Jael’s enemies turn their airship’s weaponry against the town, Hitch has to stay and fight when every instinct tells him to run again.

Favourite lines:

Bonney Livingstone could talk a man into picking his own pocket. [Kindle location 1083]

If Earl had thought last night’s story was crazy, this one plumb ran away with the farmer’s daughter. [Kindle location 1347]

The only good parts of this day were the worse things that could’ve happened and hadn’t. [Kindle location 2165]

A blend of historical and dieselpunk, Storming is filled with action, intrigue, flying (surprise!) and great characters. There’s plenty to satisfy the relationship-oriented reader, too: friendship, romance, and long-standing hurt.

This is the second K.M. Weiland novel I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. I love the way she creates characters I can relate to, and drops them into situations beyond their control – where somehow they have to stay and fight, and where losing isn’t an option.

K.M. Weiland knows how to raise the stakes, as well as creating characters we care about and want to see win. In addition to Storming, she has written Behold the Dawn (historical), A Man Called Outlaw (western) and Dreamlander (speculative), as well as short fiction and books on writing.

[Review copy provided by the author, but I liked it so much I ordered a copy to keep.]

Review: The Shock of Night, by Patrick W. Carr

The Shock of Night, by Patrick W. CarrThe Shock of Night, by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House, 2015)

Willett Dura is a member of the local constabulary while in personal service to the King. He’s compassionate to the poor, loyal in his duties, and out of place in the King’s court.

There’s a vault in his mind, a place even he can’t go, linked with his wartime trauma. He’s also a nightwalker, waking in the morning with no memory of leaving his room… but sometimes with bloodstains on his clothes. And always on the night of a murder.

Willett has investigated the killings, found some of the culprits, and he’s mostly sure his own hands haven’t done the deeds. He’s learning to live with the uncertainty, and with the discomfort of being made a minor lord, and anticipating his upcoming marriage.

An encounter with a dying man changes everything. Burdened with an unexpected – and rare – spiritual gift, Willett’s life is upended. He’s thrust into membership in an unseen group called the Vigil, and expected to trust their half-truths about a danger larger than he can imagine.

He didn’t want this gift, and it may cost him everything. But if it’s true that the gift came to him by God’s will, then he may be the Vigil’s best hope of succeeding – even with that vault in his mind.

Patrick W. Carr has imagined a richly-textured world and culture, with enough similarities to mediaeval towns and forests to allow readers to connect. These people’s faith resembles Christianity in the sense that there’s a trinity, one member of whom came to earth to bring salvation. Their worship began with a central church organization, which has split into four Divisions, each emphasizing a key point of doctrine.

Their spiritual gifts, unlike ours, are limited in number and given by God, to be passed down in the family. If someone dies unexpectedly, their gift will go free, and be directed to a new recipient. Killing a Gifted to steal a gift is a major crime.

The Shock of Night is an excellent read. I took a few chapters to be fully immersed, likely acclimatizing to the culture, but I’m happy to say the Darkwater Saga series is starting off every bit as strong as the author’s previous series, The Staff & the Sword. This is a book you can read and re-read, think about and discuss. It has enough meat to satisfy a literature class, while delivering a smoothly-flowing and enjoyable read for people who just want a really good tale.

Amid the action and intrigue, one subtle thread I appreciated was the illustration of how long-term mindsets of bitterness or complaining could destroy even the most outwardly-upright individuals. Willett’s surname, Dura, speaks of his strength and endurance. In a world of ease and suffering, he tries to make a difference.

I also appreciated the writing itself, and the occasional sparks of humour. Some of my favourite lines:

His face had taken on the stillness men wear when they’ve no choice but to swallow their anger. [p. 47]

The familiar ache of what I’d lost in the last war pulled at my insides like scar tissue covering a wound in my soul. [p. 55]

The part of my brain where I kept my common sense rebelled at the idea. As usual it lost almost immediately. [p. 357]

The novel is mostly written in the first person, from Willett’s point of view. Other scenes in third person let readers learn what’s happening when he’s not in the room, and this is integral to the story. I didn’t find it jarring like I usually do.

This is a clean fantasy novel with elements of Christian allegory, suitable for believers and non-believers. At around 460 pages, it’s heavy, so an ebook version might be a plus despite the high price. (It’s my review, I can say it: pricing an ebook over $10 offends me, and only books of this high a calibre deserve the $10 price.)

Do take advantage of the free ebook novella prequel, By Divine Right (find it at your favourite online bookstore). Even if you don’t like ebooks, grab this one and read it on your computer, tablet or phone. The apps for Kindle, Kobo, Nook etc are all free. The prequel isn’t required reading for the series, but it gives helpful background, lets you get to know Willett, and it’s a good story in its own right.

Award-winning author Patrick W. Carr’s characters and worlds are nuanced and satisfying, and I highly recommend The Shock of Night and his first series, The Staff & the Sword. For more about the author and his books, visit patrickwcarr.com.

[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]

Review: Vendetta, by Lisa Harris

Vendetta, by Lisa HarrisVendetta, by Lisa Harris (Revell, 2015)

Missing persons investigator Nikki Boyd brings an extra empathy to her cases, since it was her own sister’s disappearance that led her to this career. Ten years after the fact, logic says her sister can’t still be alive when the other victims have been found dead, but Nikki’s heart won’t give up hope.

When Nikki and her friend Tyler are called to investigate a missing teen girl, it doesn’t take long for similarities in the case to make Nikki wonder if her sister’s abductor is back in action after years of silence. If it’s the same man, he’s grown sloppy. Or he’s playing with them.

Vendetta is a fast-paced, well-plotted novel, as Nikki, Tyler and their team race the clock to find the missing girl. A large part of the chase is set in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

As always, author Lisa Harris gives us lifelike characters with issues of their own. Nikki can’t let her personal pain affect her investigation, no matter what mind games the abductor plays. And Tyler’s still grieving for his dead wife, who’d been Nikki’s best friend. Nikki and Tyler are both struggling to know where God is in their hurts.

Although the novel is a really good read, I didn’t feel as drawn in as I did with the author’s Southern Crimes series. There may be too many flashback scenes, snippets of Nikki’s past, or perhaps it’s the number of characters. I did have trouble keeping the search team and volunteers straight, although the narrative only focused on a few. Nonetheless, Vendetta is the start of a new series I’d definitely recommend.

Award-winning author Lisa Harris has written almost 30 books, including the Southern Crimes series (Dangerous Passage, Fatal Exchange, and Hidden Agenda.) She and her family are missionaries living in Mozambique. For more about the author and her books, visit lisaharriswrites.com.

[Review copy provided by the publisher.]

Review: The Unforgiving Sea, by Karen V. Robichaud

The Unforgiving Sea, by Karen V. RobichaudThe Unforgiving Sea, by Karen V. Robichaud (Word Alive Press, 2014)

When thirteen-year-old Logan Blanchard’s father dies in an accident, Logan loses not only his dad but his community. His mom drags him away from their military base home and his friends to a tiny seacoast town in Nova Scotia. And they don’t even get their own house. Logan is stuck living with his grandmother, who he loves, and her four special care patients, who drive him crazy.

Grief, resentment, and an anger at God for not keeping his father safe set Logan on a path of bad choices. He starts skipping school to work on a lobster boat, operated by a man who’s unstable and cruel.

The book’s greatest strength is the description of the sea scenes. Early mornings, fog, or storm, it feels like the reader is right there with Logan and his boss.

Its second strength is its characters. With all that he’s lost, and with the immediacy of first person, present tense, it’s impossible not to feel Logan’s frustration and pain. Occasional chapters from other characters’ points of view (his mother and a local police officer) fill in a broader perspective.

Logan’s “voice” sounds more like an adult, but his attitudes are definitely teen. I had some logistical concerns about the plot, mostly to do with how Logan could come home after a day’s fishing without his mother or grandmother detecting the smell of his activities. Or how neither of them grilled him that very first day when he returned after disappearing before breakfast.

Logan has no use for his grandmother’s clients, but it’s thought-provoking to see how his attitude begins to change as he gets to know them. There’s one scene in particular between him and Maxine, when he realizes she’s more than her surface behaviour.

The Unforgiving Sea is a coming-of-age novel with a lot of heart, and it won a Word Award (novel — contemporary) for work published in 2014. Canadian author Karen V. Robichaud‘s other books are An Evening Sky in Autumn and Where the River Flows.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Murder at the Courthouse, by A.H. Gabhart

Murder at the Courthouse, by A.H. GabhartMurder at the Courthouse, by A.H. Gabhart (Revell, 2015)

Michael Keane took the deputy sheriff position in small-town Hidden Springs to get away from the ugliness of big-city crime. He wants to help people, not get hardened like his former partner.

When a stranger is found dead on the courthouse steps, Michael will only solve the mystery if he can see the truth about his fellow citizens – and about himself.

Murder at the Courthouse is a gently-paced cozy mystery with quirky characters and a heaping helping of heart. I enjoyed the small-town feel, and it was easy to care about Michael, his aunt Lindy, and Anthony, the teenager who Michael’s trying to keep out of trouble.

Most of the story is told from Michael’s point of view, with a few snippets from his aunt. My favourite line:

…sometimes worry for his safety perched on her shoulder, digging its talons down all the way into her heart. [Aunt Lindy, about Michael’s police work, p. 43]

I did guess the killer’s identity, but that was only part of the mystery, and it didn’t affect my appreciation of the story. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the next Hidden Springs Mystery.

Ann H. Gabhart is a bestselling author of novels for adults and young adults. You can find her and her books at annhgabhart.com, and you can also read a sample chapter of Murder at the Courthouse.

[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]