Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Berry on Top, by Valerie Comer

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Berry on Top, by Valerie ComerBerry on Top, by Valerie Comer (GreenWords Media, 2016)

It’s taken 10 years for Liz Nemesek to be willing to make even a passing stop in her hometown. Too bad the guy who drove her away came back first. Worse still, Mason Waterman is renting her parents’ old house, claims to have changed his life, and is now a good friend of her brother.

Liz can’t deny the changes – they were long overdue – but just because God forgave Mason doesn’t mean she will. Or that she’ll forgive God. Or admit that maybe she bears some responsibility, herself.

Past hurts, secrets, and Liz’ rejection of her childhood faith threaten to keep her from a chance at happiness with Mason, despite the matchmaking attempts of his young twins. But trying to do life her own way just gets her into an even bigger mess.

One of the things I appreciate about Valerie Comer’s romances is that her stories are about more than just the happy-ever-after. They’re filled with real people with real (and sometimes difficult) issues. They don’t gloss over hurt, but as the characters begin to change, we see the difference that God can make in broken lives.

Berry on Top is the sixth and final book in the Farm Fresh Romance series, and readers can look forward to a new series with some carryover of characters: the Urban Farm Fresh Romance series will be set in Spokane, Washington.

As well as the Farm Fresh series, Canadian author Valerie Comer has also written the Riverbend Novellas series and a stand-alone fantasy novel, Majai’s Fury. For more about the author and her books, visit valeriecomer.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Always With You, by Elaine Stock

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Always With You, by Elaine StockAlways With You, by Elaine Stock (Elk Lake Publishing, 2016)

How can a good, intelligent, person get drawn into a cult? Isabelle accepts Tyler’s mysterious “family” because he seems to love her unconditionally, and he promises to keep no secrets from her. He’s the exact opposite of her father and grandmother – at least on the surface.

And Tyler himself? His childhood was so bad, he’s convinced himself that The Faithful rescued him – and so they must be right.

Secrets are everywhere in this novel: in Isabelle’s family, in The Faithful, and in Tyler’s private life. And the past has Isabelle and Tyler in a chokehold: Isabelle, because hers is a nagging void, and Tyler, because he knows his too well. Neither can fully embrace the present – or the future – unless they make peace with their past.

Always With You is an uncomfortably believable story of two young people ensnared by a dangerous cult. It’s also a story of hearts looking for God even when they don’t know where or how to search. The beauty of it is the discovery that God draws us even when we’re lost… and that He wants to find us.

It’s a coming-of-age story, and a coming-to-faith story. As it progressed, I wondered how the author could bring us to a happy ending for Isabelle, but she did (which is not to say there won’t be scars and ongoing struggles).

Raised by atheists, misled by a cult, Isabelle finally meets a Christian who shares my favourite lines in the book:

I’ve stopped gauging my belief in Jesus based upon the things I have, or don’t have, in life. I pray because I have to. I need all the help I can get. [Kindle location 3206]

That message, and the reassurance that God is always with us, are well worth reading to find. And you’ll like Isabelle and Tyler, imperfections and all.

Author Elaine Stock writes “family drama blended with psychological suspense.” For more about the author and her novel, visit elainestock.com, where you’ll also find her popular Everyone’s Story blog.

[Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.]

Review: A Fool and His Monet, by Sandra Orchard

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A Fool and His Monet, by Sandra OrchardA Fool and His Monet, by Sandra Orchard (Revell, 2016)

Serena Jones has a cat, and she’s single, but she’s not a spinster cat lady. She’s just too focused on her new career with the FBI’s art crimes division to have time for a love life. Serena’s passionate about art, and about the job, and she harbours a lingering hope that somewhere in her investigations she’ll find the painting stolen from her grandfather years before.

Her mother wants her to quit investigating and take a safe, factory job – until she can get married and start producing grandchildren. Her father’s quietly proud of her. And her aunt… well, Aunt Martha may truly be a crazy, cat-loving spinster, although now she lives with Serena’s parents and her cat lives with Serena.

Here’s how Serena describes her aunt:

Aunt Martha was like one of those extreme sports nuts who didn’t realize “safety harness” was a pseudonym for “hang on for dear life or you’ll die harness.” [Kindle page 235]

In the midst of this fast-paced whodunit, there’s still time for family complications, personal danger for Serena, and the beginnings of a rivalry for her attention between her trainer and her apartment superintendant. Tanner and Nate are both such nice men, I feel bad for whichever one of them loses out. Interestingly enough, at the end of the book there’s a way for readers to vote on which one she should end up with. I wonder if the vote will carry it, or if the author already knows…

I’ve read most of Sandra Orchard’s books and always enjoyed them. A Fool and His Monet is the best one yet. With a snappy delivery, characters to care about, action, and a strong thread of humour, this one may show up as one of my books of the year. Someone called it “laugh-out-loud” funny, but to me it’s the kind that gives me a satisfied grin – and endears a story to my heart.

Sandra Orchard is an award-winning Canadian author of Christian romantic suspense. A Fool and His Monet is the first in her Serena Jones Mystery series, and as mentioned, there’s a romantic thread but it’s just beginning in book 1. This is also more of a “clean read,” without an overtly Christian thread. Serena is a church-goer, but the story isn’t about a spiritual lesson so much as about a crime and about her family and relationships. Book 2 comes out in the fall: Another Day, Another Dali. For more about the author, and to find some bonus book features, visit sandraorchard.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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Review: If I Run, by Terri Blackstock

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If I Run, by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan, 2016) If I Run, by Terri Blackstock | Christian suspense

What if you found your best friend murdered, but you couldn’t trust the police? The police force let Casey Cox down last time, so she flees. If they catch her, they’ll arrest her for her friend’s death – or worse.

If I Run is the story of Casey trying to stay out of sight long enough to find the courage (and a plan) to prove her innocence. And it’s the story of Dylan Roberts, a PTSD-suffering veteran who was a friend of the dead man and who’s now hired to find her.

To find her, he needs to learn how she thinks. Problem is, the more he learns, the more he doubts that Casey would commit a crime like this. Meanwhile, Casey’s caring heart draws her into fresh danger.

Told in the first person, present tense, chapters are clearly marked so we know if we’re going to be in Casey’s or Dylan’s point of view. If I Run is a refreshing suspense novel, and one of the best I’ve read in a while.

Casey’s not a person of faith, although the more trouble she’s in, the more she asks God for help and hopes He’s there. The evil she’s seen has left her unwilling to believe, and when she meets Christians who also carry pain, she’s intrigued by how they’ve let it deepen their faith.

The only warning I’ll give is that If I Run is book 1 in a series. Don’t expect everything to be wrapped up with a pretty bow at the end (this instalment’s plot does resolve). Do expect to want to read book 2.

Terri Blackstock is a multi-award-winning, NY Times bestselling author of Christian suspense fiction, and she knows how to craft a page-turner. For more about the author and her books, visit terriblackstock.com.

[Review copy from the public library.]

Review: The Silver Suitcase, by Terrie Todd

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The Silver Suitcase, by Terrie ToddThe Silver Suitcase, by Terrie Todd (Waterfall Press, 2016)

When teenaged Cornelia Simpson confides in her journal in the late 1930s and into the 40s, she has no idea that other eyes will ever read her words… or how God will use those words to touch hearts, starting with her granddaughter, Benita.

The Silver Suitcase is written in three parts. The first shares parts of Cornelia’s life, and the other two follow Benita as she reads the diaries her grandmother had hidden in a silver suitcase.

Benita is married, with two school-aged children and an unemployed husband. Money is tight, stress is high, and neither she nor her husband, Ken, have a strong faith to sustain them. She always wondered how her grandmother developed such a faith. The diaries will show her – and inspire her own faith to grow.

Set in rural and urban Manitoba, Canada, this is a gently-written story about ordinary people, with hurts, fears and attitudes to which we can easily relate. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the characters and wondering how things would turn out.

The Silver Suitcase is Canadian author Terrie Todd’s debut novel, and before publication it was a finalist in the 2011 and 2012 Christian Writers Guild’s Operation First Novel contest. Terrie Todd is working on a second novel, and in the mean time, readers can enjoy her faith-based blog: Out of My Mind.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Cold Shot, by Dani Pettrey

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Cold Shot, by Dani PettreyCold Shot, by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House, 2016)

When recent remains are found in an old Gettysburg burying site, forensic anthropologist Finley Scott must work with a park ranger who’s more than he seems. Griffin McCray is a former sniper who left the Baltimore police force after a tragic incident. There’s more pain than that in his past, which is why he’s trying to keep his distance from the attractive Finley.

Someone is desperate to prevent the body being identified, and to stop the investigation. Griffin and Finley, as well as two of Griffin’s trusted contacts (he used to call them both friends) must find the truth before the sniper they’re hunting targets them.

Cold Shot is a fast-paced suspense with a strong romantic thread, with Griffin as Finley’s self-appointed guardian. Despite his need to stay aloof, he can’t leave her unprotected. There’s also a significant amount of history between the three men.

Other key players in the novel are FBI agent Declan Grey and crime scene analyst Parker Mitchell. This is book 1 in the Chesapeake Valour series, and it looks like subsequent books will feature Declan and Parker, as the three friends and their associates tackle other crimes. The main characters are engaging, and I look forward to following them through the series. They’re all Christians, and they’ll definitely need their faith to get them through their struggles.

Finley and Parker both live in Baltimore, a city the author clearly knows well. She captures a strong sense of place in Finley’s neighbourhood and in the other settings of the book. As I read, I wondered if I’d really find some of the restaurants and other places in real life, and the answer is yes.

Dani Pettrey is the author of the popular Alaska Courage romantic suspense series. For more about the Dani Pettrey and her books, visit her website. Her books page includes a sample chapter of Cold Shot as well as tour of Finley’s neighbourhood.

[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: The Bitter End, by Linda Hall

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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

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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

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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: Make Love, Make War, by Brian Doerksen

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Make Love, Make War, by Brian DoerksenMake Love, Make War, by Brian Doerksen (David C. Cook, 2009)

The title of this one may be a little intimidating, but look at the subtitle: “NOW is the time to worship.” Songwriter Brian Doerksen challenges Christians to adopt an intentional lifestyle of loving and serving God.

Each chapter begins with one of Brian Doerksen’s songs. Part memoir, part expansion on the themes that sparked the songs, this is an honest reflection on circumstances both joyful and sad. Topics include a Christian’s identity, the importance of gratitude, the Father’s love, hearing God, the importance of controlling our thoughts, and surrender.

If you’ve ever thought contemporary praise music was too upbeat to the point of ignoring the pain in life, you’ll appreciate the author’s perspective. As well as songs declaring God’s praise, he’s not afraid to write worship songs for the hurting. After all, songs of lament hold a valid place in the psalms. Lament, says the author, is different from simply complaining. After laying out the trouble before the Lord, a lament expresses the singer’s choice to trust God even in the hardship.

Favourite lines:

As we worship, our hearts are healed by the faithfulness of God, because that’s who God is. [Kindle location 331]

The names that our parents give us and the labels others slap on us are not as important as who we are in the Father’s eyes. [Kindle location 364]

Sometimes our greatest act of worship is just hanging on to God in the middle of the storms of trouble that threaten to engulf us. [Kindle location 1946]

As a bonus for readers who write music (or who’d like to), each chapter ends with practical songwriting tips.

Brian Doerksen is an award-winning Canadian songwriter and worship leader. For more about the author and his latest projects, visit briandoerksen.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]