Tag Archives: book reviews

Review: The Patmos Deception, by Davis Bunn

The Patmos Deception, by Davis Bunn (Bethany House, 2014)

Priceless antiquities are disappearing, with no official acknowledgement of the crimes… because people in positions of power are involved in the scheme. At least that’s what journalist Nick Hennessy’s UN contact believes. Nick teams up with forensic archaeologist Carey Mathers to find the truth.

On the other side of the law, Patmos tour-boat operator Dimitri Rubinos finds himself forced to do as his ancestors have done in previous times of economic disaster: work for smugglers.

This is one of the most satisfying adventure novels I’ve read in a while, complete with intrigue, chases and danger. It’s also much more. The characters are richly layered, facing their individual struggles as well as the external one. Carey idolized Nick in her youth, but past experience has left her unwilling to risk loving this new, more mature, Nick.

For his part, Nick can’t let himself fall in love when he has to focus on the investigation. And Dimitri? He’s a heart-breaker who’s tired of “the life” and knows something’s missing inside. His grandmother says Carey will change his world. Does that mean she’s the one for him? Or will Carey’s vibrant faith help Dimitri find his answers?

The Patmos Deception evokes a strong sense of the Greek culture and mindset. I’ve never been to Greece, so I can’t prove it’s authentic, but it feels that way. As well as Dimitri, his father and grandmother, we meet Elini and her extended family, who “adopt” Carey at the beginning of the novel. They’re caring, protective and fierce people, culturally accustomed to hardship and resilient enough to not break. We also meet Greek villains and bullies, like we’d find in any ethnic group, but Elini’s and Dimitri’s people are a delight.

Carey’s a delight, too. Where Nick’s journalism has taught him to view everything as an observer, mentally framing how he’d write it, Carey lives with her eyes wide open, experiencing the moment.

And Dimitri? He’s a man of courage who’ll do whatever it takes. His “moonshine eyes” and charm make him a danger to women’s hearts, but maybe he can change – or be changed.

Favourite lines:

Nana Pat possessed a whole dictionary of sighs. She cold express anger or frustration or displeasure without speaking a word. She sighed now, and Carey realized the conversation was over. Nana Pat had run out of steam. [p. 27]

In Dimitri’s view, morning was the most beautiful time of day. The sunrise cast fresh promise in the golden light… Down below, the harbour remained cast in shadow and in the mystical wonder of hours not yet spent. [p. 38]

With each loss she seemed to shrink further, until she was reduced to the very essence of who she once had been. But she remained a woman of good cheer and unshakable faith. [p. 39, about Dimitri’s grandmother, Chara.]

This is one of those stories I kept wanting to go back to once it ended. On the bright side, the ending sets up a potential sequel…

The Patmos Deception is the latest novel from prolific and award-winning author Davis Bunn. For more about the author and his books, visit davisbunn.com, and if you’re curious which character in The Patmos Deception he identifies with most strongly, see this post on his blog. Note, the giveaway is over, but it’s an interesting insight into an author’s thoughts.

[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: Consider the Sunflowers, by Elma Schemenauer

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Consider the Sunflowers, by Elma Schemenauer (Borealis Press, 2014)

In 1940s Saskatchewan, Tina Janz schemes to win the man who fascinates her, instead of the rich-but-boring man who impresses her Mennonite parents. Tina and Frank marry for love—or at least fascination—but it’s a rocky trail. They each have insecurities, attitudes and suspicions, and Tina is keeping a secret that may come back to hurt them both.

Consider the Sunflowers is a skillfully crafted literary novel that opens a window onto small-town life in World War Two-era western Canada. Little snippets of news and daily life help us understand the times, while Tina’s and Frank’s efforts to save their marriage will resonate with readers today.

Readers learn about Mennonite culture and prairie life, and about feeling like an outsider. There is a spiritual thread that’s organic to the novel, but it’s not about preaching. It’s about how the believers live their lives. Frank is honest about his inability to believe.

We also see the effects of self-pity, complaining, self-exclusion and manipulation, and in the seeing we may gain insight into our own lives. There’s a point in the story where Tina sees an amplified negative trait in another character and realizes she needs to change herself. As we watch her begin to change, it might inspire us to do the same.

My favourite lines:

Now she [Tina] was clinging to faith by her fingertips. One gust of wind and she’d reel off into some howling void of—what? She didn’t know; she’d never not believed before. [Kindle location 1408]

Adeline. The woman was like a poisoned well. She claimed Jesus poured springs of living water into her heart. Maybe he did, but Adeline poisoned them with her rudeness as fast as he poured them in. [Kindle location 1462]

He [Frank’s father] always shouted during long-distance phone conversations because they cost so much. [Kindle location 2184]

Do you remember old people shouting on long-distance calls? I do. I always thought they shouted because the sound had to travel so far.

Canadian author Elma Schemenauer is the author of 75 books and the editor of many more. Consider the Sunflowers is her first novel for adults. For more about the author and her novel, please visit her website. Or check out my interview with Frank Warkentin.

Paperback 299 pages $19.95, ISBN 978-0-88887-575-4, AVAILABLE FROM THE PUBLISHER, Borealis Press. Also available online at Chapters Indigo by about November 15. E-book coming in 2015.

[Review copy provided by the publisher.]

Review: Blind Trust, by Sandra Orchard

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Blind Trust, by Sandra Orchard (Revell Publishing, 2014)

This is not a book to read at bedtime, because Sandra Orchard is too good at motivating readers to turn “just one more page.” The tension is high, in part due to Kate’s tendencies to seize whatever opportunity she sees to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Blind Trust is book 2 in the Port Aster Secrets series, and if you jump in here you’ll understand all you need to know, but I highly recommend starting at the beginning with Deadly Devotion (read my review here).

Kate Adams is still grieving for her friend, Daisy, who died in the previous book, and she’s afraid the killer may yet duck justice. Suddenly someone’s out to sabotage Kate’s reputation, and she’s acquired a stalker.

In the middle of looking after herself, she also dives into protecting her elderly neighbour from being forced into long-term care.

That’s the thing about Kate: she has a big heart, and she acts before she thinks. Which is why Detective Tom Parker has such a hard time keeping her safe. He doesn’t dare act on his feelings for her – emotion clouded his judgement in the past, and cost his partner’s life.

The irony of this story is, as Kate finally learns to trust a cop – Tom – even to trust him blindly, he has to deceive her in order to save her life.

Favourite line:

The softly spoken word flitted around her chest, touching here and there like a tiny bird looking for the perfect place to nest. [page 76, Kindle version]

Canadian author Sandra Orchard has delivered another compelling read, blending a solid plot with complex characters, and leaving readers waiting for the next book in the series. Deadly Devotion won in the suspense category in The Word Awards this year, and I won’t be surprised if Blind Trust does the same next year. For more about the author and her books, visit sandraorchard.com. Be sure to check out the bonus features on the Blind Trust page.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

New Release and Giveaways

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Secrets and Lies released Nov. 5, and a huge thank you to everyone who bought a copy or spread the word. Because of you, the novel hit a few of Amazon’s “hot new release” lists, which helped more people find it.

Two giveaways are happening now:

at author Deborah M. Piccurelli’s site
at author Emilie Hendryx’s site

Print copies are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble (for Halifax-area readers: Miracles Christian Store will also be carrying them). Canadians, Amazon.ca says the book “usually ships in 1-3 months” — when ordered, a copy will be printed in the US, shipped to the Canadian distribution site, and then sent to the customer. I don’t suspect it’ll really take even one month. They just want you to know it’s not sitting in their warehouse ready to go.

Tomorrow (Nov. 8) is my local book launch, thanks to UPS’s super-fast delivery of my books. (I’d originally set the launch for the end of the month, to allow time for shipping and for delays at customs.) If you’re in the Halifax area, stop and say hello, and maybe grab a cookie or two. We’ll have a brief reading, some door prizes, snacks, and oh yes, books for sale!

tags: giveaway, Secrets and Lies, Redemption’s Edge, romantic suspense, Christian fiction, book reviews, giveaway, book launch, Janet Sketchley,

Review: Sweetened with Honey, by Valerie Comer

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Sweetened With Honey, by Valerie Comer (GreenWords Media, 2014)

Of the three friends who set out to demonstrate sustainable living on Green Acres farm, Sierra Riehl is the only one who’s still single. She’s glad Jo and Claire found such loving husbands, and she appreciates the skills the men have brought to the farm, but sometimes she feels like the odd woman out. And she’s pushing thirty.

Sierra wants to be in love, wants to get married and have children, but if she’s not careful she’ll settle for the only guy in town who’s taken an interest – even though her friends all think he’s selfish and arrogant. Then Gabe Rubachuk (from Raspberries and Vinegar) returns to town. Despite the past, Gabe is the one Sierra has been wishing for. Except he’s still grieving and doesn’t know how to move forward.

Gabe and Sierra do a lot of angsting over one another, especially at first. I confess to a bit of trouble relating to Sierra, likely because she keeps thinking of Tyrell as a viable option for a life partner. (As an action reader, I kind of hoped someone would deck him before the novel ended, but author Valerie Comer demonstrates a more mature Christian attitude toward him. I suspect he may grow up and be someone’s love interest in a later story.)

It’s always fun to take another virtual visit to the farm, and to see how the project is growing. Sweetened With Honey takes place three years after Raspberries and Vinegar, and although the farm hasn’t become the event destination its founders had hoped, they’ve added beekeeping and guided hiking. I learned a bit about bees!

I enjoy the rural and environmentally-conscious atmosphere of this series, and watching how the characters’ ideals are affected by the realities of life – and by their Christian values. It’s good to spend time with realistic characters (flaws and all) as they work through their issues. Sierra’s dealing with the biological clock and her health, and Gabe with grief. If we haven’t been there, we will – or our friends will. Fiction lets us explore common struggles so we’re better prepared to face them in reality.

Sweetened With Honey is book 3 in the Farm Fresh Romance series, with three more to follow. Book 1, Raspberries and Vinegar, won a 2014 Word Award in the Romance category. Author Valerie Comer is a Canadian local-food advocate. Visit her website for tips and recipes: valeriecomer.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Veiled at Midnight, by Christine Lindsay

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Veiled at Midnight, by Christine Lindsay (WhiteFire Publishing, 2014)

Veiled at Midnight is a strong conclusion to Christine Lindsay’s Twilight of the British Raj series. If you haven’t read the previous two books, you can jump in here and understand everything, but Cam’s and Miriam’s back-stories do contain spoilers for the other books. And it’s a series well worth reading in its entirety.

Cam was a young child in book 1, Shadowed in Silk, and Miriam is his younger sister. Now adults, he’s in the army and she’s a teacher. The year is 1946; the place, India. These are the final days of British rule, but instead of happiness over the coming independence, the country is fracturing from within.

Because Cam and Miriam grew up in India, very involved in the work of a local mission for orphans, they feel more Indian than British. The idea of repatriating to England unsettles them. Cam’s war experiences add to his struggle, which he tries to drown in alcohol.

In a time of strict views on social status, dare Cam marry his childhood sweetheart, Dassah – an Indian? Can he live without her? And will Miriam be able to choose between a dashing British soldier and her career? Or can she hold onto both?

The siblings’ personal lives play out against the exotic background of India, during an increasingly turbulent time.

In some ways this was a difficult book to read. Author Christine Lindsay does a very good job of conveying the horror of the riots and fighting without becoming too graphic. With the current behaviour of ISIS and other religious terrorist groups, this historical novel feels uncomfortably current.

Yet against a background laced with tragedy, the novel weaves stories of hope. Another contemporary issue addressed in its pages is alcoholism. This is a Christian novel, and the author is clear in her message that only God can break the grip of this addiction. As we see, that doesn’t mean it’s easy for Cam. What it means is that it’s too hard for Cam – without God.

Favourite lines:

She’d been a striking woman, but it seemed as if someone had taken a charcoal drawing of her face and smudged it downward. [Kindle location 1716]

The rails leading out of the Amritsar station caught the last vestiges of setting sun and quivered in two molten lines of steel. [Kindle location 2110]

How could one’s heart sing and crack at the same time? [Kindle location 2252]

Eshana’s rebuke left welts on the raw patch that used to be Cam’s self-respect. [Kindle location 2326]

Christine Lindsay writes novels to give hope and to strengthen faith. As such, she doesn’t shy away from difficult issues but allows readers to walk through those places with her characters. As well as the Twilight of the British Raj series, Christine has written a contemporary romance, Londonderry Dreaming.

[Review copy provided by the author.]

Review: Soulminder, by Timothy Zahn

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Soulminder, by Timothy Zahn (Open Road Integrated Media, 2014)

Adrian Sommer’s 5-year-old son died in his arms after a car accident. The boy’s injuries were all treatable, if there’d been a way—a sort of holding tank—to keep his soul from departing. Thus began Sommer’s obsessive quest to invent a means of stopping untimely deaths. And Soulminder was created.

What could possibly go wrong?

Timothy Zahn is a master of short fiction (won a Nebula) as well as novel-length (won a Hugo), and Soulminder feels like a seven-part series of short stories, spanning 20 years of Soulminder use.

We follow Sommer, his business partner Jessica Sands, and security expert Frank Everly through the unforeseen challenges and crises caused by those who would use Soulminder for their personal or political gain. What could go wrong, indeed? What kind of political, moral, ethical, social, legal and other upheavals could technology like this cause?

This is one of Timothy Zahn’s few novels set on nearly present-day Earth, and the action is mainly intellectual and verbal as opposed to space battles. The author is no stranger to interpersonal tactics, negotiations and manoeuvrings (check out his Conquerors’ Trilogy), and Sommer and friends pull off some slick victories to keep Soulminder out of the wrong hands.

Soulminder is a mainstream novel, with what may be the requisite minor profanity. It’s fast-paced yet with plenty to offer the thinking reader. I appreciated the challenge to do the right thing even if it’s costly—or a losing battle. My favourite line:

Late at night, with the extra blackness of a storm approaching, was a horrible time to have to watch a man die. (p. 3)

Timothy Zahn is the author of over 40 science fiction novels plus shorter works. For more about the author, see his Facebook page or his page at Open Road.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Night Watch, by Linda Hall

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Night Watch, by Linda Hall (Linda Hall, 2014) Night Watch, by Linda Hall

Captain Emmeline Ridge’s stint delivering a luxury sailboat from Canada to Bermuda is rudely interrupted when the owner’s daughter vanishes over the side in the middle of the night. The ship and crew are brought to Portland, Maine, for an investigation, but the complications have only begun.

Detective Ben Dunlinson, new to the Portland City Police and very new to all things nautical, seems competent despite rumours of past disgrace. The local sailing community, including highly-respected Captain Tom Mallen, offers support.

Compounding Em’s stress, the state medical examiner discovers irregularities in the records of Em’s husband Jesse’s death. Jesse died nearly two years ago in what was called a freak accident, but Em has wondered. And continued to grieve.

Em is a resourceful and intelligent woman, trying desperately to figure out what’s going on. Who’s behind this current murder? And how could it possibly be tied to Jesse? Em’s emotional state causes some questionable choices about who to trust, until I wanted to crawl into the book and yell at her. (I’m not saying if those choices turned out to be right or wrong, just that at the time they looked wrong. No spoilers here.)

Linda Hall is one of those gifted authors who can weave memorable characters, lifelike settings and intriguing plots into novels that are too easy to keep reading when we should stop to sleep. I always enjoy her minor characters, the ones with not a lot of page time but who deepen the story. In this case, I liked Em’s neighbours in the small point of land on which she lives.

One of the fun things about this mystery is the authentic sailing setting. The author knows her sailing, and her descriptions include details that draw readers into the experience. This is woven organically into the story, and never presented as an info-dump or lecture.

Favourite lines:

His fingers kept crawling up the sides of his squall jacket like crabs. [Kindle location 90]

Thinking about my current bank account made me want to crawl into a corner and chew on the ends of my sweater sleeves. [Kindle location 1455]

Night Watch is book one in the Em Ridge Mystery series. It’s a mainstream novel and does contain occasional mild profanity. That didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story, but if it’s an issue for you, be warned.

Award-winning author Linda Hall has written many novels for the Christian market, and this is her first mainstream mystery. Her most recent publication was the short story anthology, Strange Faces, also mainstream. You can read my review here.) You can find Linda Hall online at writerhall.com or on Facebook.

[Advance review copy provided by the author.]

Review: Ithaca, by Susan Fish

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Ithaca, by Susan Fish (Storywell, 2014)

When your life revolves around your husband and his work, what do you do when you have to start over? Alone?

Ithaca is a coming-of-age story—for a 59-year-old woman.

Daisy Turner’s husband, Arthur, was a professor at Cornell University. She typed his notes and kept his home. And made soup for a crowd every Wednesday.

They married young, and Daisy found fulfillment as a wife and mother. Now her son works overseas, and she’s a widow. And most of her friends are really Arthur’s friends.

She finds herself developing a friendship with a man who is slowly losing his wife to illness, and with a young woman who’s an environmental activist. Daisy surprises herself—and her son—by signing up for a university course to learn about fracking. She doesn’t know what it is, but the protest signs are everywhere, and she’d like to learn.

There’s so much to appreciate about this novel. Daisy seems quiet and ordinary, but it’s that very ordinariness that connects with readers. She’s candid about her grief, and the struggles it brings. We can identify. As her concern grows about the possible environmental danger from the fracking proposals, we can relate to this polite, reserved, non-activist who’s afraid that by doing nothing she’s surrendering the fight.

Most of us have concerns about some issue or another, and we know that feeling of helplessness. It’s interesting to watch Daisy discover how she fits into the bigger picture, how she can express her concerns in a way that’s true to who she is.

Ultimately, I think that’s what the story is about: finding—and being true to—one’s identity. Prepare to be charmed by Daisy, and by the town of Ithaca, NY, along the way.

Ithaca is a mainstream novel, and certain characters occasionally use mild profanity. Daisy herself was raised in the church, left for a time, but returned as an adult. Her faith shapes her life, but she’s still human and still open to making poor choices, as are we all.

Susan Fish writes beautifully and with an honesty I admire. Here are some of my favourite lines:

I needed the present to hold me very close because the past was threatening to engulf me. [p. 15]

Mondays were the days I stayed in my housecoat and watched hours of television shows, just to hear a human voice. [p. 19]

She carried loaves of bread from the restaurant like she was Miss America and they were her flowers. [p. 20, Daisy, about another friend]

I’m a farmer, Daisy Jane. I save my anger for what really matters. [p. 91: Carmel, the young activist. I love this perspective.]

Susan Fish is a Canadian author and editor as well as the principal of Storywell, an online resource for writers. You can find her blog at susanfishwrites.wordpress.com. If you missed the character interview I did with Daisy Turner, you can read it here.

[Review copy provided by the author.]

Review: Wind and Shadow, by Kathy Tyers

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Wind and Shadow, by Kathy Tyers (Marcher Lord Press [now Enclave Publishing], 2011)

Prophetic hope, ancient evil, and the struggle to live a life of faith when temptation masks as truth and danger is all around…

Fans of Kathy Tyers’ Firebird trilogy waited a long time for the story to continue. Wind and Shadow begins the tale of the next generation of the Caldwells, a Sentinel family prophesied to produce a messiah-type hero.

The Sentinels are humans with psionic power, feared but needed by the other humans. And the enemies they faced in the original series aren’t as vanquished as readers had hoped.

Wind and Shadow features twins Kiel and Kinnor Caldwell, one a priest and one a soldier, and Wind Haworth, a young woman divided between two cultures and welcomed by none.

Is Kiel the Promised One? The evil being that captures him schemes to turn him from the Path. Kinnor and Wind are unlikely allies to rescue him … or die trying. And more lives are at stake than they know.

You don’t have to read the Firebird trilogy first, although it’s a strong series and now available in a single volume with the author’s annotations. Wind and Shadow refers to past characters and events as needed and new readers will have no trouble starting here. Since it introduces an unfamiliar planet with new characters, all readers need to orient themselves at the beginning.

It’s a compelling and satisfying story (complete with danger, romance, fast ships and explosions). The planet, culture and technology come to life, as do the internal conflicts of the key characters. I appreciate how those of faith struggle to apply that faith in crisis, and how their choices are not always straightforward – or even right.

You can learn more about NYT bestselling author Kathy Tyers at her website. Daystar, the conclusion to the Firebird saga, released in April 2012.

[Review copy from my personal library.]