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Review: How the Light Gets In, by Louise Penny

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How the Light Gets In, by Louise Penny

How the Light Gets In, by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books, 2013

Author Louise Penny has woven a masterpiece of characters, plot and evocative description in her latest mystery. How the Light Gets In traces the investigation of an elderly woman’s murder while at the same time continuing a plot thread that’s been building from the series beginning.

You could jump into the series here and understand this book, but you’d miss so much of the larger story that’s been building around Inspector Gamache after his long-ago case that exposed a scandal high in the ranks of the Quebec Sȗreté force. And you wouldn’t know and love the characters enough to be emotionally affected by their turmoil.

This is a series well worth starting at the beginning, with Still Life. If you’ve seen the CBC television special, that was a teaser. The novel is richer, deeper and more satisfying and couldn’t be contained in such a short film. Louise Penny’s prose is beautiful.

Those who’ve read the previous books will be glad to be back in the idyllic fictional village of Three Pines, located somewhere outside of Montreal. It’s good to see the eclectic and unusual inhabitants of the village again, and the village itself feels like a character in the novels.

Inspector Armand Gamache is one of my fictional heroes, largely because of his practice of taking cast-off members of the police force and investing enough leadership in them to help them find their places as effective and motivated officers. Those he’s helped are (mostly) intensely loyal, while those he’s crossed are formidable.

I’ve enjoyed each book in the series, but this one (number nine) is the best yet. The tension is high, three significant plot threads interweave seamlessly, the characters shine, and the ending surprises. A most satisfying read.

Because most of what I review are Christian books, I’ll add a disclaimer for this series. The profanity count is high and there is a homosexual couple, complete with innuendoes. Institutional church is not well-thought-of by many characters, but the idea of God is present (both Christian and generic).

I will also say I’ve found truth in these books. Louise Penny understands humans in our glory and in our shame, and she crafts exceptional characters and intriguing mysteries. She also understands qualities like love and loyalty, hope and perseverance, and redemption.

Louise Penny has given readers a gift, and I’m glad to see her novels getting the attention and awards they deserve. If you’ve missed these books so far, do yourself a favour and begin with Still Life. For your own peace of mind, when you get to The Beautiful Mystery be sure to pick up How the Light Gets In at the same time. Those of us who’ve had to wait a year between them can tell you it hasn’t been easy.

To learn more about the author, you can visit louisepenny.com. You’ll find a list of the books, in order (note that some have different titles depending on which country you’re in) as well as background information, discussion questions and events.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The Church Builder, by A. L. Shields

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The Church Builder, by A. L. Shields

The Church Builder, by A. L. Shields (Zondervan, 2013)

One day, Bethany Barclay’s biggest worry is keeping her small-town law practice afloat. The next, there’s a dead body in her home and she’s on the run from the FBI. Who framed her, and why? Is it connected to the recent hit and run death of her best friend, Annabelle?

Following clues, barely keeping ahead of the FBI, Bethany realizes that somebody wants her to finish what Annabelle started. But what is that? And for whom?

Bethany is a pawn in a centuries-old power struggle between two secret groups: the Garden and the Wilderness. The Garden guards people’s religious freedom, Christian and other. The Wilderness wants a world based on reason, and will undermine faith any way they can.

The Church Builder is a fast-paced conspiracy-and-chase novel. Bethany retraces Annabelle’s steps, Agent Carraway tries to catch her, and the shadowy members and minions of both Garden and Wilderness plot and manipulate.

Members of the Garden go by titles, and “The Church Builder” is the name of the Garden leader. The book’s cover image, a snake wrapped around a pole, is the Wilderness symbol.

I enjoyed the novel, and will definitely be on the lookout for the next one in The Church Builder series.

A. L. Shields is the pen name of Yale professor and bestselling mainstream author Stephen L. Carter. He talks about this new series, his choice to use a pen name, etc in this YouTube video.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]

Review: Dirty Deeds, by Christy Barritt

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Dirty Deeds, by Christy BarrittDirty Deeds, by Christy Barritt (Princeton Halls Press, 2013)

Dirty Deeds finds Gabby St. Claire on a week’s holiday with her fiancé, Riley Thomas, at an exclusive resort. Riley’s there for a conference, and to reconnect with some lawyer buddies that he hasn’t seen since college. Gabby … well, the opulent setting and posh lawyers make her nervous.

Riley has a low-paying practice that’s more about helping others than getting rich, and Gabby is used to struggling for every cent. Still, relationships involve sacrifices, so she’s determined to fit in for Riley’s sake. She even promises not to snoop into any mysteries for the week.

Asking questions about a kidnapping isn’t snooping, is it? She’s just being … helpful, right?

Suddenly she’s not just a fish out of water, believing that her upbringing cuts her off from the rich and powerful, she’s keeping secrets from Riley and wondering what secrets he’s keeping from her about his past.

And now it’s not just about kidnapping. It’s murder.

Dirty Deeds is book 4 in the Squeaky Clean Mysteries series. Gabby is a fun character and the situations she gets into always provide a laugh. I’m glad to see her developing more faith in her worth—and in God. Book 1 in the series, Hazardous Duty, is a good place to meet her in her crime-scene-cleaning role, but if you want to jump in here with book 4 you won’t feel lost. (There are spoilers for the earlier books, though.) Book 5, The Scum of All Fears, has also released.

Christy Barritt is a multi-published author of mystery, suspense and romantic suspense. For more about the author and her books, you can visit her website.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: All In, by Mark Batterson

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All In, by Mark BattersonAll In, by Mark Batterson (Zondervan, 2013)

The subtitle of this book is “You are one decision away from a totally different life.” The decision? To go “all in” with God, holding nothing back. Author Mark Batterson breaks this down to not just “all in” but going “all out” for our “all in all” in an “all or nothing” way.

Brief anecdotes (personal, friends, historical and biblical) illustrate the book’s central theme that God is calling Christians to more than we may realize. Many of us have settled for less. We’re “in” the Kingdom, but not “all in.” Just far enough to get bored, perhaps, and not far enough to find the challenges and fulfillment—the life abundant—that Christ intends for us.

My copy of All In is tagged with sticky notes of quotable lines. Mark Batterson was a preacher before becoming a published writer, and he has a gift for pithy one-liners. Here are some of my favourites, to give you an idea of the content:

Instead of dissecting Scripture, we need to let Scripture dissect us. p. 39

Our prayers tend to focus on external circumstances more than internal attitudes because we’d rather have God change our circumstances than change us. p. 119

When we take matters into our own hands, we take God out of the equation. p. 137

Mark Batterson is very persuasive in his presentation, and I found myself bracing against this. I guess I don’t really trust persuasive people, but I read this book carefully and prayerfully and did not find anything to raise a warning. Instead, I found clear teaching calling readers out of a half-lived life into full engagement with God. And I found some personally-applicable life lessons.

The author does have the common speakers’ drawback of repeating certain pet phrases, which is a plus for listeners and a minus for readers. What surprised me was the recurring use of gambling imagery: pushing chips to the middle of the table, folding, putting cards face-up etc. Even the title, All In, has a gambling connotation as well as the one I originally understood it to mean.

This book seems mostly aimed at Christians, and I’m afraid that those who reject gambling will reject the message of this book, when they might otherwise have benefited.

Mark Batterson serves as Lead Pastor at Washington DC’s National Community Church. He’s the author of the best-selling The Circle Maker and other books. For more on the author, you can visit his website: Mark Batterson.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]

Review: The Nun and the Narc, by Catherine Castle

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The Nun and the Narc, by Catherine CastleThe Nun and the Narc, by Catherine Castle (Soul Mate Publishing, 2013)

Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor is on a mission trip to Mexico to build houses, and to decide if she’s ready to take her vows when she returns to the US. She still hears her Mother Superior’s parting words: “Stubbornness, curiosity and bluntness don’t become a nun.” (p. 12)

She’s a sincere young woman, and she loves the Lord. But she has to help others, even if that means meddling in their business. Mexico is no exception, and when she tries to keep a teen boy out of trouble, she gets captured by drug dealers—along with a man named Jed, who won’t tell her whose side he’s on.

Jed Barringer is an undercover officer whose carefully-set-up contact with the drug cartel is ruined by Margaret’s interference. Now he has to try to find a way to not only escape, but protect a civilian.

With the danger and the close quarters, Margaret’s and Jed’s mutual attraction feels a lot like love. Except she’s promised herself to God, and while Jed may not talk much to God, he doesn’t want to steal her from Him.

Before they can think about love, they have to escape. The Nun and the Narc is a fast read that kept me starting “just one more” chapter when I should have been stopping for the night. I enjoyed the action, and I also enjoyed the details of the setting, especially the Mexican market before Jed and Margaret’s abduction.

Catherine Castle is the pen name of romance author, poet, and freelance writer Catherine Hershberger. Catherine blogs at her website, Catherine Castle ~ Romance for the Ages. She’s agreed to stop by my site for an interview later this month, so stay tuned. In the mean time, to read an excerpt from The Nun and the Narc, visit Catherine’s Amazon Author Central page.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The Merciful Scar, by Rebecca St. James and Nancy Rue

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The Merciful Scar cover artThe Merciful Scar, by Rebecca St. James & Nancy Rue (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

This novel is life-changing. I almost didn’t read it, because emotionally-laden tales aren’t my thing. But the authors introduce us to Kirsten as her world falls apart, and the story isn’t about angst—it’s about healing.

Kirsten has been carrying a lot of pain for seven years now, hiding it from the world because that’s what she’s been taught. The pressure of post-graduate studies, and a boyfriend who won’t commit, only make things worse. Nobody knows that when the stress gets too much, Kirsten cuts her own flesh for relief. Her body is a map of scars.

Falling apart is the best thing to happen in her life, because now she can heal—if she’ll acknowledge the hurts. Despite parental objections, she chooses an unconventional sort of treatment centre: a remote sheep ranch run by a former nun, Sister Frankie.

Sister Frankie is amazing, and I wish we all had someone like her in our lives. May we become someone like her to those around us: present, listening, waiting, praying.

Other residents of the ranch include Emma, a young woman struggling with post-traumatic stress after a stint in Afghanistan, as well as Frankie’s Uncle Joseph and later her nephew, Andy. The daily work of caring for the animals bonds them into family and slowly allows Kirsten and Emma to begin the healing journey.

This is one of those richly-crafted stories with strong characters and a vivid sense of place. Kirsten, the hider, feels exposed on the vast Montana flatlands. In the sheep and in one of the sheepdogs, she sees much of herself. The authors don’t rush anything or over-explain, so readers can live the story too.

As we follow Kirsten’s self-discovery, there’s room for insights of our own. It’s not just Kirsten’s experiences and relationships that have damaged her, it’s the way she learned to handle them and what she began to believe about herself.

Like many of us, Kirsten has a snarky little voice in her head that’s quick with a snappy comeback or a self-criticism. She calls it the Nudnik. One of her assignments on the sheep ranch is to learn to hear the voice of God. Maybe, between the Nudnik and the Lord, she’ll discover her own true voice and find the courage to use it.

How do we handle our stresses? What lies do we believe about ourselves that impact how we live, that stifle who we were meant to be? Just like Kirsten sees herself in the farm animals, I see aspects of myself in her. And in her liberation, I find freedom for myself.

My favourite quotes:

“My soul chose that moment to do something it hadn’t done in longer ago than I could remember. It began to cry.” p. 41

“Finding that true self and embracing it is how anyone connects to God.” p. 167

“I already believed in God. Now I had to accept that God believed in me.” p. 169

The Merciful Scar is a gentle yet compelling story, well told, and it’s one of those rare books my heart felt safe to fall into. I highly recommend it to fans of women’s fiction, Christian fiction, anyone with insecurity or other stress issues, and to anyone who loves someone who practices non-suicidal self-injury (cutting).

About the authors: Rebecca St. James is a Christian recording artist as well as the author of a number of non-fiction books. Nancy Rue is a novelist and acclaimed teacher of the craft of writing fiction. This is their first collaboration, and I hope it won’t be their last. Twitter users can follow the conversation about the book under the hashtag #MercifulScar.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]

Review: The Shadow Lamp, by Stephen R. Lawhead

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The Shadow Lamp, by Stephen R. LawheadThe Shadow Lamp, by Stephen R. Lawhead (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

A diverse cast of characters assembled from various times and places on Earth, a mysterious quest, powerful enemies, inter-dimensional travel to multiple Earths… The Shadow Lamp is an intriguing tale of adventure where even the smallest detail can have great significance.

This is a novel where the objective omniscient point of view works very well. There are too many plot threads for readers to benefit from a more intimate, deeper point of view, and somehow the omniscient approach gives the feel that we’re seeing the whole picture. There are even occasional moments where the narrator points to something the characters should have seen.

If you prefer tidy, self-contained fiction, you might want to give this one a miss. But if you enjoy the chance to explore a sprawling, multi-novel series with diverse and exotic settings, dive in.

You may want to start at the beginning with The Skin Map, but it didn’t take me long to orient myself in The Shadow Lamp with no previous experience. (It’s Book 4 in the Bright Empires Series.) The book opens with a list of key characters and a recap.

Some of the character descriptions, as well as the tone of the recap and the chapter titles, hint at a light-hearted touch to the narrative, and while it didn’t turn out to be as funny as I’d hoped, I didn’t mind. The story itself kept my interest. I didn’t find it particularly tense, but I always wanted to see what would happen next.

Although there are some deep concepts in this novel, readers don’t have to be scientists or intellectually-inclined. Characters travel between dimensions along something known as “ley lines,” which readers learn about by watching the characters learn. Multiple universes are touched on in the same non-threatening way.

The Shadow Lamp comes from a Christian publisher, but it feels like the sort of novel to please mainstream audiences as well. There are Christian characters, agnostics, and even an ancient priest of the Egyptian gods. Faith (or lack thereof) gives the characters their worldviews, but they don’t spend much time talking about it.

The most significant faith-talk comes in philosophical and scientific contexts: free will, and the effects of Jesus’ resurrection on the past/present/future. Toward the end, they talk more about science, generally accepting the Big Bang (or Alpha Point) theory and the measured expansion of the universe. Readers don’t need to agree with the characters’ opinions to enjoy the novel. It is, after all, speculative fiction.

Stephen R. Lawhead is perhaps best known for his mythic history novels about Arthurian times, and the Bright Empires series continues to bring to life richly-imagined settings from the past. To learn more about this internationally-acclaimed author and his books, visit his website: stephenlawhead.com.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]

Review: A Better Way to Think, by H. Norman Wright

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A Better Way to Think, by H. Norman WrightA Better Way to Think, by H. Norman Wright (Revell, 2011)

Our minds can be a scary place to dwell, but that’s where we live—and often not with the kinds of thoughts we were designed to entertain. A Better Way to Think does a good job of helping readers stop and notice our thoughts. When we notice, we can evaluate. When we evaluate, we can see where we need to intentionally change our thinking.

The book’s subtitle is “Using positive thoughts to change your life,” and it offers biblically-sound advice on how to do just that, with both thoughts and self-talk. One of the key points it raises is that we can’t change our thinking in our own strength. We need to rely on the power and help of God. And we need to give it time.

I was challenged by Dr. Wright’s statement that talking to ourselves is

“a habit you’ve cultivated… hundreds of statements you can play at will… The more these play, the more we begin to believe them. We think, This is reality! This is true!” (p.79)

The early chapters prompt us to pay more attention to our thoughts—our self-talk—to discover its origins, observe the damage it’s doing, and decide to change. The biblical mandate to “take every thought captive to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) is difficult at the best of times, but it’s impossible if we’re not aware of those thoughts.

I found these early chapters clinically sound, but I kept wanting to see faith-based strategies for addressing the problem. Those come later in the book, so if you have the same reaction, read on.

The author uses brief case studies to reinforce what he’s saying, and they make the concepts much easier to understand and remember. Just recently I was driving, late for an appointment, and I remembered his illustration of two men in the same traffic jam and how each one’s thoughts affected their individual experiences. That helped me choose calm thoughts instead of berating myself for not leaving earlier.

The case studies also reflect how one person’s negative thought life can affect his/her relationships. Later chapters focus on defusing this, specifically in marriages.

As the author points out, our negative self-talk has been building up for a long time, so it will take time to replace it with healthier thinking. Time and prayer.

This is one of those books I’m glad to keep on my shelf, and I’ve found myself talking about it in numerous conversations. God has been challenging me about my thinking, probably most of my life, but in the last year or so I’ve finally been ready to hear Him. A Better Way to Think is one of the tools He has used in my life for growth and healing, and I highly recommend it.

H. Norman Wright is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and the author of more than 70 books. For more about the book, visit the Revell website, which includes a link to read an excerpt.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Rules of Murder, by Julianna Deering

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Rules of Murder, by Julianna DeeringRules of Murder, by Juliana Deering (Bethany House, 2013)

Drew Farthering: From the tip of his black Homburg to the crease in his cheviot trousers, he’s the epitome of a stylish 1930s English gentleman. His only problem? The body he just discovered. (from the back cover)

Drew is charming, urbane, and he wants more than the party circuit that absorbs many of his peers. He and his best friend Nick (son of the family butler) enjoy mystery novels, so what better sport than to investigate this crime? Except when the second victim appears, the deaths become personal.

Madeline Parker makes a delightful third member of the sleuthing team. Newly arrived from America, she catches Drew’s heart at their first meeting. But in a house of mourning, it’s not a good time to explore their mutual attraction.

Rules of Murder has the delightful tone and setting of a Golden Age English house party murder mystery, worthy of Agatha Christie herself. It has a gentle thread of faith, as Drew begins to wonder about the God he thought he outgrew.

The title comes from Father Knox’s Decalogue: The 10 Rules of (Golden Age) Detective Fiction, regularly quoted by Nick in the novel. Drew and Nick – and author Julianna Deering – know the rules, but this case wants to break each one.

I’m not much for villains who give a full explanation at the end, although in this case I’m not sure how else readers could have had our questions answered.

Rules of Murder is a satisfying mystery novel notwithstanding, with well-developed characters, layers of meaning and splashes of humour. I’m looking forward to the next Drew Farthering Mystery.

Julianna Deering is the pen name of historical fiction novelist DeAnna Julie Dodson. Check out this excerpt from Rules of Murder (the first paragraph convinced me to settle down and enjoy this book) and the author Q&A with Julianna Deering. You can read another interview with the author at Divine Detour.

 [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.]
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Review: Mrs. B Has Cancer, by Glynis Belec

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Mrs. B Has Cancer, by Glynis M. BelecMrs. B Has Cancer, by Glynis Belec (Angel Hope Publishing, 2013)

Tristan has a bit of trouble learning in school, but his tutor, Mrs. B, makes learning fun. Now Mrs. B says she has cancer, and she won’t be able to teach him for a while.

That means less homework, which is great. It means school will get harder. Not so great. Worse still, his grandfather had cancer, and he died. Will Mrs. B die?

In this chapter book for early readers, Tristan and his friends ask a lot of questions. They also decide to do something to help: they’ll hold a “Cancel Cancer” party to raise money for research and encourage Mrs. B.

Cancer is something we don’t talk a lot about, especially to children. But when it affects a loved one, kids’ questions and reactions may be different from adults’. This story looks at the issue from a child’s-eye view and is designed to take away some of the fear.

Although Mrs. B Has Cancer is fiction, it comes out of the author’s personal journey through ovarian cancer and some of the material is drawn fairly closely from real life.

This is a book to benefit any school library or family bookshelf. No cancer in sight? So much the better. That’s a safer time to explore the subject.

Canadian author Glynis Belec has also written for adults about her cancer experience in the anthology, A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. She’s the author of the children’s picture books Jailhouse Rock and Jesus Washes Peter’s Feet, as well as a number of other anthology pieces for adults. To learn more, visit Glynis M. Belec on the web.

[Review copy provided by the author.]
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