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
Tag: Christian fiction
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
Bite Size Book Reviews
I listened to audiobooks this week while I worked on a number of household, quilting, sewing, and crafting projects. These are some of my favorite contemporary writers of Christian fiction in a variety of genres, and they were all first-time reads. No One to Trust, audiobook by Lynette Eason I always watch my library for Ms. Eason’s new books. Her plotting is exceptionally tight. This one does have a good storyline, but the characters were not her best. I wanted to slap the heroine and shake the hero. She never stopped harping on the fact that he had lied to her, even when the reason was clearly and repeatedly justified. I would have liked him better if he was just a little assertive. That said, the plot, action and mystery were good. The resolution was creepy. Nothing but Trouble, audiobook by Susan May Warren A fun summer read, but don’t underestimate it. The mystery is solid. The family characters and their relationships are enjoyable. The history between the first hero and the heroine creates a sensitive tension that gives them depth but doesn’t overshadow the lightheartedness of the book. I found the second hero kind Read More
Bite Size Book Reviews
I have some kindle freebies in this week’s list! (Correct as of this article. Check the price before ordering) It’s an even more eclectic collection than usual, with settings in first century Rome, 1880 New York City, turn-of-the-21st-century Egypt, and pre-civil war Missouri as well as modern American settings. Audiobook, kindle and paperback! 1. Chasing the Lion, audiobook by Nancy Kimball **This reader is one of the best I have ever heard. The audio version is a finalist in the 2015 Audiobook Publisher’s Association Audio awards in the Inspy/Faith-Based Fiction category** The Christianity in this book is a primary theme. It’s set in 35AD, when Christianity was serious business. The romance was developed gradually and naturally. Again, faith played a pivotal role in all of the book’s relationships. The violence was horrific at times, but it was appropriate to the setting of the book, as were the attitudes toward slavery and (very minor) descriptions of sexual behaviors. This was a long audiobook – 15 hours! – but definitely worth listening to. 2. The Edge of Light, kindle, by Ann Shorey This was an interesting antebellum novel set in Missouri, among slaveholding middle-class tradesmen. We often see slavery associated Read More
My Happy Valentine Quilt
The observant reader will realize this isn’t actually a quilt; it’s a quilt top. I will not have time for quilting before Valentines Day, but I want to enjoy it, so I pinned it to the front of another quilt and hung it up over my fireplace. My goal is to get it quilted by next year. In the meantime, it makes me happy to look at it. The picture makes me feel a little sentimental for another reason. Most of the items shown are special because of their personal associations – my husband made the fireplace for me, the framed Scripture is a gift from a friend, my granddaughter created a few of the items, my mother decoupaged and painted the birdhouse, and I was shopping with her when I found all those little sisal birds and the hedgehog, too! On top of the piano I have pictures of family members, a cross-stitched sampler from a niece, and a beautiful box I purchased while shopping with an old friend – our one visit in over ten years, and we spent much of it at JoAnn Fabrics! I don’t collect a lot of things that don’t have that kind of Read More