I’m not feeling romantic this week. When I am stressed, instead of reaching for something lighthearted, I usually pick up a mystery or (slightly)romantic suspense novel. We moved two weeks ago, unexpectedly, and I listened to audiobooks while I worked on packing and cleaning. When in Rome is an old favorite, and I always enjoy Kristen Heitzmann, but the others were new to me. Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris is a FREE KINDLE BOOK! (Price may change without notice, but it’s free right now!) We are starting to settle into our new home – did I mention that it is an apartment in a Tudor castle? – but I’m still not ready to snuggle up with a romance. Expect more murder and violence next week… When in Rome, audiobook by Ngaio Marsh, read by Nadia May Retro Read! This classic detective story from 1969 is an old favorite. Ms. Marsh writes so clearly that the reader experiences the story more like a movie than a book. She researched Rome, its history and its legal system for this tale of blackmail and drug smuggling. Her characters are varied, each drawn with realistic attitudes and behaviors, and each has his or her Read More
Category: Reviews
Fascinating – Christian Fantasy!
Highlands, by Chautona Havig Pre-order this now, for 99 cents! Releases automatically to your kindle or kindle app on October 6th. If you had told me yesterday that I would enjoy a book in the “Contemporary Christian Fantasy” genre – even one by Chautona Havig! – I would have smiled and nodded politely. I have good manners like that. Well, she sent me an advance copy. She’s generous like that. She didn’t even ask me to review it! And I can admit when I’m wrong… this book caught my attention and held it. I meant to just skim, but it sucked me in and I was on chapter six before I realized what I was doing. I have three major projects due for clients, so I pulled out the fabrics I needed and tidied up the sewing room. Then I sat down to read chapters seven and eight. I closed the computer and started quilting. I spent ten minutes on the first table runner and opened the laptop computer to read chapter nine. And so on. Ms. Havig drops a modern young athlete (nearly naked!) into a remote, bizarre community. He is confused. He is horrified. He wonders if Read More
Bite-size Book Reviews
With the exception of Susan Baganz’s “Pesto and Potholes” – so suitable for the start of the Green Bay Packers season! – it’s all audiobook reviews this week. I get a lot of housework and sewing and quilting done while I listen to audiobooks! Pesto and Potholes, paperback by Susan M. Baganz This is a delightful, gentle romance sprinkled with silliness. The heroine is recovering from serious physical and emotional trauma, trying to restart life in a new city. She connects with the hero and friends at her new church and starts to heal, but she experiences setbacks and has to recover, a little stronger each time. I was especially impressed by the realistic community. The friends and families of the main characters interact naturally under various circumstances, including the potentially-problematic operation of a family business. Ms. Baganz writes in a pleasant rhythm, pacing the story well. Poseidon’s Arrow, audiobook by Clive and Dirk Cussler, read by Scott Brick I’m starting to worry about Dirk Pitt. He’s not getting any younger, but he’s still out there saving the world. This is an interesting and creative story featuring the rare earth minerals, Chinese villains, and an amazing piece Read More
A Forgotten Truth by Chautona Havig
A FORGOTTEN TRUTH I’ve been waiting for this latest book in The Agency Files series. As a fan of romantic suspense (light on the romance and heavy on the suspense), I’ve devoured Ms. Havig’s Agency Files books. Her versatility amazes me; she writes across genres and does all of it well. I especially like this series and her Hartfield Mysteries. This one is being released tomorrow, but I’m pre-ordering it tonight. One man holds the key to a secret that has the potential to rock the core of the American government. The FBI, Homeland Security, and The Agency all compete to find Ryan West before those who seek to silence him succeed. For Dan Abney, everything’s a blur. On the run from people he can’t name, Dan has one goal in mind: Stay alive and find out who he is. The North Koreans have stepped up their game, and Mark, in between trying to find Ryan and keep his ex-girlfriend safe, is split between keeping Shin Kim and family safe and extracting all damaging information from him before the country is at risk. From Portland to Oklahoma, Michigan to Rockland and it surrounding areas, The Agency Read More
Love Comes Calling – A Book to Chew On
I chose that catchy title because I normally write bite-size book reviews, and I have a little more to say about this one. A few days ago, I needed a pleasant story – nothing too thought-provoking – to listen to while I did some sewing. Siri Mitchell’s book Love Comes Calling looked perfect. And I loved it. Just loved it. I didn’t need the author’s note at the end to tell me that the heroine had ADHD. Any mother or teacher (and many adults who don’t even have children) recognized it on page one. When I read the Amazon reviews later, I was surprised to see that not everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. They found the heroine: confusing, annoying, immature, flighty, scatterbrained, selfish, insecure, irresponsible, repetitive, foolish and impulsive. Well, then… the author did a fabulous job of creating an authentic heroine. That is exactly how such a girl would feel and appear to others. Some reviewers found the stream-of-thought style confusing because the heroine’s thoughts were so random and jumpy, and I think it is likely that her personality is better captured in the audiobook than in the written format. The reader, Morgan Hallett, is good. She Read More
Bite-size Book Reviews
These were all new, first-time reads for me, from some of my favorite authors. It was a nice variety of styles and time periods. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Random Acts of Murder, audiobook by Christy Barritt, read by Sandy Rustin This book is the first in a new series. The heroine is appealing, with her good intentions, insecurities and quirky personality. She fled the scene of a murder and now she’s being framed for it. The hero is an old high school classmate, all grown up and in charge of the murder investigation. Ms. Barritt does a good job of pacing the mystery and concealing the identity of the killer. I would have liked to see more about the heroine’s spiritual and physical conditions, but it is a light-hearted story with lots of other action. The supporting characters seem interesting; I hope they are developed further in the rest of the series. Snow on the Tulips, audiobook by Liz Tolsma, read by Susan Denaker Ms. Tolsma has created a vivid portrait of a small Dutch village and its residents near the end of WWII. This is an intense, suspenseful story as much as Read More