Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Vain Empires, by Brandilyn Collins

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Vain Empires, by Brandilyn CollinsVain Empires, by Brandilyn Collins (Challow Press, 2016)

Seven deadly sins. Six people in a remote island mansion. One reality show.

One of the six contestants will win their dream prize, valued at up to $10 million. All they have to do is discover which sin each of their competitors represents – and decide if they themselves represent one too. To help in the discovery? Clues are revealed – and broadcast worldwide. Clues that may destroy each one on the island.

It’s interesting to watch the civilized facades crack as the pressure mounts – and to watch most contestants labelling the others while excusing their own failures and counting themselves as sinless. Most don’t seem to have a faith connection, although one of them, Gina, does.

Chapters alternate among the six contestants, who are different enough that I didn’t have trouble keeping track. This is a book that entices you to keep turning pages, so prepare to lose some sleep.

I enjoyed it, although the ending didn’t work for me. There’s a nice twist, and everything makes sense, but the characters leave the island and that’s it. They’ve been through this great upheaval, but what difference, if any, will it make in their lives? For some characters that’s clear, but not for all. To me it felt incomplete.

Vain Empires comes from a best-selling author of Christian suspense, but it should appeal to most mainstream readers. And if you’ve always wanted to try one of Brandilyn Collins’ suspense novels but were too timid, this is a good one for you. The ticking clock and relentless clues make it tense, but it’s puzzle-tense, not traumatic-tense.

Brandilyn Collins is known for her Seatbelt Suspense® novels, and she also writes contemporary fiction. RT BookReviews calls her “a master storyteller,” and I agree. For more about the author and her work, visit brandilyncollins.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The Serenity Stone Murder, by Marianne Jones

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The Serenity Stone Murder, by Marianne JonesThe Serenity Stone Murder, by Marianne Jones (Split Tree Publishing, 2014)

When Margaret reluctantly accompanies her friend Louise to a spiritually questionable retreat for artists, she’s hoping for a bit of a break from small-town boredom. The friends get more than they’d bargained for just finding accommodations… and then there’s the murder.

This cozy mystery takes place in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and the author does an excellent job of bringing the setting to life. It feels natural and real, not like the tourist brochures that some novels resemble when real-life settings are involved.

It’s essentially a mainstream novel, complete with a few minor cuss words, but I appreciated the gentle spiritual thread too. When Margaret and Louise are at odds, Margaret recognizes (and resists) two or three instances of God nudging her to make peace. That’s true to life and a good reminder to Christian readers to pay attention when He does it.

Something that didn’t work for me was the way the omniscient point of view occasionally explained other characters’ motivations. This kept me from fully engaging with Margaret as the protagonist, and it made it harder to orient myself in the early pages. Also, there was a significant threat where the source was never resolved. Was it from the killer, or not?

Despite those negatives, The Serenity Stone Murder is an enjoyable read. It leaves openings for future books with Margaret, Louise, and their friends.

Canadian author Marianne Jones’ most recent book is The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die (memoir). She has also written poetry and children’s books. For more about the author and her work, visit mariannejones.ca.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Sins of the Past, by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason

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Sins of the Past, by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette EasonSins of the Past, by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey and Lynette Eason (Bethany House, 2016)

Three romantic suspense novellas in one book, from three of the top Christian writers in the genre: Sins of the Past delivers shorter, but still satisfying, reads.

Stories feature a cop whose mother has gone missing, a competitive swimmer who may be a killer’s next target, and a paramedic who’s in danger because of an accident she can’t remember. In each case, the present crisis comes from something that happened in the characters’ past (hence the title).

Fans of Dani Pettrey’s Alaskan Courage series will be pleased to step back to the 70s to meet the McKenna clan’s parents. The other two stories take place in the present.

I’m not usually fond of shorter fiction, but these novellas contain enough depth that they feel complete. There’s no sense of being rushed or short-changed on plot or characters.

Readers of Christian romantic suspense will definitely want to grab a copy of Sins of the Past. For more about the book and its authors, and to read an excerpt, see the publisher’s website.

[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: Book of Days, by James L. Rubart

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Book of Days, by James L. RubartBook of Days, by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing Group, 2011)

Cameron is in his early 30s but he’s losing chunks of his memory. His only hope lies in a cryptic mission from his father: to find the Book of Days. If such a thing exists, it holds everyone’s memories – past, present and future.

Supposedly this is God’s Book, based on Psalm 139:16. Cameron doesn’t believe in God, either, so that’s not much help. But his father did, and so did his wife.

Cameron’s quest forces him to turn to his dead wife’s foster-sister Ann for help, and it takes him to his father’s boyhood town, where secrets abound.

I enjoyed James Rubart’s writing style and the characters he created. There were plenty of clues, obstacles, and surprises along the way, as well as a few heart-warming moments. Looking back from the end, the only thing that doesn’t make sense to me is why a certain photo had been so carefully hidden.

The novel includes some well-turned phrases. Here’s my favourite:

…all he’d achieved was exhaustion. And a neck that felt like guitar strings tuned three octaves too high. [Kindle location 5415 in the Rooms/Book of Days/The Chair ebook box set]

Despite some of the New Age townsfolk, this is not an overly mystical novel, and I think it would suit anyone who enjoys a good contemporary story that includes Christianity, mystery and romance.

James L. Rubart is a writer and speaker whose website tag line is “Live free.” His most recent novel is The Five Times I Met Myself. For more about the author and his books, visit jameslrubart.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero

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Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter ScazzeroEmotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero (Zondervan, 2006; paperback version 2014)

The subtitle says, “It’s impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.” The book implies that this may be the key reason for lack of growth in our churches, and for people drifting away from church. While I think there’s more to the issue than that, there’s no denying that emotional immaturity will be the root of the problem for some or many believers.

In alerting readers to areas of our lives that haven’t grown well, the author offers the chance to allow God to “re-parent” us so we develop according to the ways of His Kingdom instead of perpetuating the behaviours and attitudes we learned in our formative years.

The first three chapters reveal “The Problem of Emotionally Unhealthy Spirituality,” and the rest of the book addresses “The Pathway to Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.” Part of that pathway is recognizing the impact of our family history, choosing what we want to keep, and choosing to grow away from what’s unhealthy.

The author advises adopting more of a contemplative approach to faith, listening to God and to our emotions, and establishing daily rhythms of prayer and devotional times. He encourages us to “practice the presence of God and to practice the presence of people” [page 180].

We do come into Christianity with assumptions and attitudes formed by our families and by the world around us – and we don’t often apply our spiritual regeneration to these areas because we don’t even see them. It makes sense that we need to discover and grow into our true identity in Christ, and I found some helpful insights in the book.

For more about Peter and Geri Scazzero’s ministry, visit emotionallyhealthy.org.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Submerged, by Dani Pettrey

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Submerged, by Dani PettreySubmerged, by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House, 2012)

A small plane crashes in the water near small-town Yancey, Alaska, and rescue diver Cole McKenna and his family are drawn into the investigation. When another body is found, the police suspect foul play.

For Cole, the hardest part is working with Bailey Craig, niece of one of the dead passengers. Bailey is back for the funeral, and the townsfolk all remember her high school reputation. She and Cole were sweethearts, before she went wild.

Submerged is suspense with heart: both romantic and family. Cole feels a burden for his younger siblings, and for a troubled teen in the church youth group. He also sees Bailey’s struggle with self-worth. Despite the faith that turned her life around, she feels like she’ll never measure up.

As the two of them search her aunt’s belongings for clues to the mystery, danger mounts, and old feelings come back to life.

This is book one in the Alaskan Courage series, and the ebook version is free on most platforms. I’m looking forward to reading more about the McKenna family. For more about this five-book series, or about author Dani Pettrey, visit danipettrey.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The End Begins, by Sara Davison

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The End Begins, by Sara DavisonThe End Begins, by Sara Davison (Ashberry Lane, 2015)

In the year 2053, after terrorist attacks on Canadian mosques are blamed on Christians, martial law leads to increasingly strict restrictions on Christian behaviour and activity. Bibles are one of the first things to be outlawed.

For bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly, this strikes at her livelihood as well as her faith. And if she can’t hold back her rebellious attitude, she’ll be in even more trouble.

On the other side of the issue is Army Captain Jesse Christensen, a decent man who, though he’s rejected his parents’ Christianity, doesn’t agree with what looks like the unjust treatment of law-abiding, church-going citizens – treatment he’s duty-bound to carry out.

Meryn and Jesse seem destined to meet at every turn, and neither can deny the unexpected attraction between them. But Meryn won’t consider a relationship with a man who doesn’t share her faith. Especially when, if he knew what she was doing, he’d have to arrest her.

The End Begins is book 1 in Sara Davison’s end times series, The Seven Trilogy. The writing is crisp, the plot tightly-woven and frighteningly plausible. The romance, plus a subtle thread of humour, keeps the tension from becoming too much.

What I most appreciate about the story is the way it brings its characters (and readers) to think about their responses to blatant hostility and aggression. Meryn is not by nature submissive, but she and her friends learn to choose their battles, and to return hatred with gentle strength. In other words, they learn to live like Jesus instead of insisting on their suddenly-trampled rights. Their grace-filled responses make a stronger impression on soldiers like Jesse than if they fought back.

Meryn struggles with anger toward the soldiers enforcing the government regulations. Prayer becomes her key to forgiveness, and she discovers that it’s “very difficult to bring someone before God and hold on to hatred at the same time.” [Kindle location 1450]

Canadian author Sara Davison’s previous novel is The Watcher. Book two in The Seven Trilogy, The Dragon Roars, is now available. For more about the author, visit saradavison.org.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Secrets, by Kristen Heitzmann

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Secrets, by Kristen HeitzmannSecrets, by Kristen Heitzmann (Bethany House, 2004)

Lance Michelli’s beloved grandmother can’t speak, following a stoke, but she’s desperate for him to accomplish something for her – something urgent, something secret. The few clues she can give lead him to an old home in California wine country, which he suspects should truly belong to her.

Everyone else thinks it belongs to Rese Barrett, a young woman who’s left a successful construction business to restore the building and run it as a bed and breakfast.

Lance talks himself into a job as Rese’s cook – and maid. His Italian relatives taught him all he needs to produce beautiful meals, and if cleaning toilets is what he needs to do to make things right for his grandmother, he’ll do it.

Falling for Rese is not part of his plan. How can Lance help Rese heal her hurts when finding justice for his grandmother may take the property away from Rese? How can he tell her he came under false pretenses, now that she’s beginning to trust what he says about God?

Here’s one of Lance’s observations of Rese:

She headed for a wide flat rock on the creek’s bank, her posture still demanding “no trespassing” but no longer “trespassers will be shot.” [page 270]

I liked both main characters, and the secondaries were intriguing too, especially next-door neighbour Evvy and Rese’s friend Star. And the fictional food was amazing.

This is one of those novels I read slowly, not wanting it to end. So I was pleased to discover it’s book one in a trilogy. Now I’m looking for book two, Unforgotten, which continues Lance’s quest.

Kristen Heitzmann is a new-to-me author with plenty of published novels. She writes contemporary romantic suspense, historical fiction, and psychological suspense. Secrets won the Christy Award for Romance in 2005. For more about the author and her books, visit kristenheitzmann.com/.

[Review copy from my local public library.]

Review: Rooms, by James L. Rubart

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Rooms, by James L. RubartRooms, by James L. Rubart (B&H Fiction, 2010)

Micah Taylor has it all: prestigious business, penthouse condo, a girlfriend who’s his perfect match. Until he leaves Seattle for Cannon Beach, Oregon, to check into a house he inherited.

The house is everything he’d have wanted had he designed it himself – except for the location, stirring memories of childhood tragedy. And except for the mysterious rooms that suddenly appear.

Rooms is a supernatural tale of how God might lead a person to revisit “rooms” in his heart to bring healing and truth.

The more Micah begins to trust God, the more things in his world shift. Events he remembers haven’t happened. His status begins to slip. Micah’s new friend and confidant, Rick, assures him he’s not crazy, but Micah doesn’t know how much more he can take. He wants this deeper relationship with God… but at what cost?

Favourite line:

He walked toward the door on his toes, drawing short sips of air as if a deep breath would alert whatever was in the room to his presence. [Kindle location 1623]

Micah’s experiences wouldn’t happen in real life, but the principles and truth he learns about freedom in Christ translate directly into Christians’ lives today. So do the deceptions he faces. I found the story an intriguing way to look at the concept of our identity in Christ, and how life events and choices limit our spiritual growth – and how God may want to revisit those things to free us.

James L. Rubart is a writer and speaker whose website tag line is “Live free.” Rooms was his first novel. His most recent is The Five Times I Met Myself. For more about the author and his books, visit jameslrubart.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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Review: The Red Door Inn, by Liz Johnson

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The Red Door Inn, by Liz JohnsonThe Red Door Inn, by Liz Johnson (Revell, 2016)

At 28, Marie Carrington can’t be called a runaway. But she’s fled her opulent home in Boston and doesn’t dare touch her bank account or her father will find her. Scared and alone, she’s out of options when she meets a kind, older man who’s out of his depth trying to open a bed and breakfast.

Jack Sloane promised his dying wife, Rose, that he’d fulfill her dream of a sanctuary on Prince Edward Island, Canada: a B&B where the heart-hurting could find refuge. Now, his project workers are his nephew Seth and the waif-like Marie, each carrying deep – and conflicting – wounds from their pasts. Jack’s hurting, too, missing Rose at every turn.

This is a heart-warming story of healing, mistrust, and romance. I enjoyed watching the inn take shape and the friendships grow. Yes, it was coincidence that Jack should meet Marie and discover she had a flair for decorating, but that was part of the chain of circumstances that helped Marie to see how the God she’d given up on was working all along to bring good things into her life.

I also appreciated the gentle humour in the novel. Perhaps my favourite example is Marie’s initial assessment of the dining room:

A dining room should be beautiful and homey. Not filled with pieces that make you want to eat faster so you can leave. [page 26]

The Red Door Inn is book 1 in the Prince Edward Island Dreams series, with book 2 releasing this fall. You can read more about the book here. Liz Johnson writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. For more about the author, check out this Q&A.

[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.]