Happy Friday! Mary Alford is a new-to-me author, but Among The Innocent will not be the last book I will read by her. This supense novel immediately sucked me in! I received an early copy 😉 , but you can get your hands on it on June 7. Here’s the link to pre-order.
Here’s the first line:
He drove by the house again.
When Leah Miller’s entire Amish family was murdered ten years ago, the person believed responsible took his own life. Since then, Leah left the Amish and joined the police force. Now, after another Amish woman is found murdered with the same MO, it becomes clear that the wrong man may have been blamed for her family’s deaths.
As Leah and the new police chief, Dalton Cooper, work long hours struggling to fit the pieces together in order to catch the killer, they can’t help but grow closer. When secrets from both of their pasts begin to surface, an unexpected connection between them is revealed. But this is only the beginning. Could it be that the former police chief framed an innocent man to keep the biggest secret of all buried? And what will it mean for Leah–and Dalton–when the full truth comes to light?
USA Today bestselling author Mary Alford keeps you guessing as two determined souls plumb the dark depths of the past in order to forge a brighter future–together.
Mary Alford is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty novels. Her books have been finalists in the Selah Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and the HOLT Medallion Contest. As a writer, Mary is an avid reader. She loves to cook and can’t face the day with-out coffee. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two very spoiled cats and one adorable rescue dog. Mary is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook and Twitter or any social platforms listed at http://www.maryalford.net.
I love Carrie Stuart Parks’ books! Woman in Shadow, a 2021 release, has been calling my name since it was available. I am so glad I finally took the time to read it. If you are a fan of romantic suspense this one is a must read!
A woman off the grid.
Darby Graham thinks she’s on a much-needed vacation in remote Idaho to relax. But before she even arrives at the ranch, an earthquake strikes. Then a barn on the edge of town is engulfed in flames and strange problems at the ranch begin to escalate, and Darby finds herself immersed in a chilling mystery.
A town on fire.
More fires erupt around town, and a serial arsonist sends taunting letters to the press after each. As a forensic linguist, this is Darby’s area of expertise . . . but the scars her work has caused her are also the reason she’s trying to escape her life.
A growing darkness.
As the shadows continue moving in, pieces of the town around her come into sharper focus. To make it out alive, Darby must decide if she can trust the one man who sees her clearly.
Carrie Stuart Parks is an award winning artist, writer, speaker, and law enforcement instructor. A Certified Forensic Artist, she met her husband, Rick, in the romantic hallways of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Together they formed a dynamic and successful team in their fine and forensic art, working on major national and international cases and creating exquisite watercolors and stone carvings. They travel internationally, teaching forensic art to a variety of participants: from the Secret Service to the FBI, from large law enforcement agencies to the smallest two-man departments in their one-week classes. They are the largest instructors of forensic art in the world. Carrie has won numerous awards for her innovative teaching methods and general career excellence and is a signature member of the Idaho Watercolor Society.
My Impressions:
Woman in Shadow kept me guessing! This twisting romantic suspense had it all — a mysterious disappearance, earthquakes, dramatic rescues, and dangers around every turn. But the best thing about the novel is the main character, Darby Graham. Most of the story is told through Darby’s first person voice. I loved her perspective on the goings on, complete with wit to lighten all the bad things happening. Darby is a forensic linguist — a fascinating occupation — who has been trying to overcome her past and past mistakes. Sent to the remote Idaho ranch, she is tasked with determining why odd and dangerous things seem to be occurring. She gets much more than she expects when the danger ratchets up putting her in harms way. I like that Parks created a vulnerable, yet resourceful character in Darby. Her faith has faltered along the way, but she learns to rely on God, as well as her own instincts. There is also a great love interest for Darby that will have you cheering them on. As I stated, I did not solve this whodunit — to my delight I was completely surprised! Although there is a reference to an organization first mentioned in Relative Silence, Woman inShadow is a standalone. Good news for all those who want to dive into this book right away. And I highly recommend you do!
Highly recommended.
Audience: adults.
(I received an ebook version from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
It is no secret that my book club loves romantic suspense. There are many authors to choose from, but a recently added favorite of ours is Janice Cantore. Her background in law enforcement shows through in her novels. This month we are reading Breach of Honor. Have you read it? We would love to know your thoughts.
As a police officer in Table Rock, Oregon, Leah Radcliff puts her life on the line to help others every day. But at home, Leah’s battling her own personal nightmare: Brad, her abusive husband, a fellow officer, celebrated hero, and beloved son of a powerful prominent family. Brad’s violent outbursts and suspicious activities have left Leah physically and emotionally scarred, until one desperate action to put a stop to his abuse results in deadly consequences.
Though public opinion seems ready to convict Leah, Officer Clint Tanner is one of the few to believe she acted in self-defense. As he works with Leah’s attorney to produce the evidence they need, new truths about Brad’s dark side come to light—and reveal a deep-rooted problem in Table Rock. There are some who have breached their sworn duty to serve and protect . . . and they’ll do anything to keep their secret safe.
A former Long Beach, California, police officer of twenty-two years, Janice Cantore worked a variety of assignments, including patrol, administration, juvenile investigations, and training. She’s always enjoyed writing and published two short articles on faith at work for Cop and Christ and Today’s Christian Woman before tackling novels. She now lives in a small town in southern Oregon, where she enjoys exploring the forests, rivers, and lakes with her Labrador retrievers, Abbie and Tilly.
Janice writes suspense novels designed to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.
My book club, the IWBC (the interesting women’s book club — because we are and they are 😉 ) read TheKennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher. I found it to be an interesting look into not only a very famous American family, but of the time in which it was set. Kick Kennedy was the second daughter of Joe and Rose Kennedy. She is portrayed as vivacious and a bit rebellious, especially defiant to her mother’s strict parenting tactics. Kick falls in love with England and an English lord during her father’s posting as ambassador in London. British society, the run-up to WWII, and America’s stance on the war serve as a backdrop to this star-crossed romance. In the afterword, the author states that the book was originally supposed to be YA fiction, and I can see the influences of the genre on the final product. It was entertaining and educational, but I found it dragged on. Kick’s dithering may have played a role in the slowness of the final third of the book, but I think the author could have done a better job of portraying that part of the story. Despite that criticism, I found the book a good read, especially if you are looking for a biographical novel of a little known person who was indeed very famous in her own time. A good beach read!
(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
The captivating novel following the exploits of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, the forgotten and rebellious daughter of one of America’s greatest political dynasties.
London, 1938. The effervescent “It girl” of London society since her father was named the ambassador, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy moves in rarefied circles, rubbing satin-covered elbows with some of the twentieth century’s most powerful figures. Eager to escape the watchful eye of her strict mother, Rose; the antics of her older brothers, Jack and Joe; and the erratic behavior of her sister Rosemary, Kick is ready to strike out on her own and is soon swept off her feet by Billy Hartington, the future Duke of Devonshire.
But their love is forbidden, as Kick’s devout Catholic family and Billy’s staunchly Protestant one would never approve their match. And when war breaks like a tidal wave across her world, Billy is ripped from her arms as the Kennedys are forced to return to the States. Kick finds work as a journalist and joins the Red Cross to get back to England, where she will have to decide where her true loyalties lie—with family or with love . . . .
Kerri Maher is also the author of This Is Not A Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World under the name Kerri Majors. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and founded YARN, an award-winning literary journal of short-form YA writing. For many years a professor of writing, she now writes full time and lives with her daughter in Massachusetts where apple picking and long walks in the woods are especially fine. She is a budding Instagrammer at @kerrimaherwriter, and you can also find her on Facebook at @kerrimaherwriter and on her website, http://www.kerrimaher.com
I have always loved mysteries! From the moment I read that first Nancy Drew I was hooked. They are my go-to when I need a little escape. And though I read all kinds of mysteries, I find my comfortreads in cozies. Today’s TTT list includes cozy mystery series that I lost myself in. They are so much fun with main characters that I love. There are lots of books in these series — I have finished some, but have more to grab when I need that comfort fix. I hope you find a series to love (and binge 😉 ).
My book club loved Until Leaves Fall in Paris (it is my all-time favorite of Sundin’s now). We especially liked the unique perspective of this WWII-era novel. The two main characters are Americans in France prior to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. It was interesting to see how Americans living in France dealt with the Nazi occupation. If you liked this historical novel as well, here are a couple of more books with uniqueperspectives.
The Last Year of The War by Susan Meissner
In 1943, Elise Sontag is a typical American teenager from Iowa — aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity. The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese-American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers. Together in the desert wilderness, Elise and Mariko hold tight the dream of being young American women with a future beyond the fences. But when the Sontag family is exchanged for American prisoners behind enemy lines in Germany, Elise will face head-on the person the war desires to make of her. In that devastating crucible she must discover if she has the will to rise above prejudice and hatred and re-claim her own destiny, or disappear into the image others have cast upon her. The Last Year of the War tells a little-known story of World War II with great resonance for our own times and challenges the very notion of who we are when who we’ve always been is called into question.
The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escobar
Saint-Malo, France: August 1938. Jocelyn and Antoine are childhood sweethearts, but just after they marry and are hoping for a child, Antoine is called up to fight against Germany. As the war rages, Jocelyn focuses on comforting and encouraging the local population by recommending books from her beloved library in Saint-Malo. She herself finds hope in her letters to a famous author.
After the French capitulation, the s occupy the town and turn it into a fortress to control the north of French Brittany. Residents try passive resistance, but the German commander ruthlessly purges part of the city’s libraries to destroy any potentially subversive writings. At great risk to herself, Jocelyn manages to hide some of the books while waiting to receive news from Antoine, who has been taken to a German prison camp.
What unfolds in her letters is Jocelyn’s description of her mission: to protect the people of Saint-Malo and the books they hold so dear. With prose both sweeping and romantic, Mario Escobar brings to life the occupied city and re-creates the history of those who sacrificed all to care for the people they loved.
The Queen of Paris by Pamela Binnings Ewen
Legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel is revered for her sophisticated style — the iconic little black dress — and famed for her intoxicating perfume Chanel No. 5. Yet behind the public persona is a complicated woman of intrigue, shadowed by mysterious rumors. The Queen of Paris, the new novel from award-winning author Pamela Binnings Ewen, vividly imagines the hidden life of Chanel during the four years of Nazi occupation in Paris in the midst of WWII — as discovered in recently unearthed wartime files.
Coco Chanel could be cheerful, lighthearted, and generous; she also could be ruthless, manipulative, even cruel. Against the winds of war, with the Wehrmacht marching down the Champs-Élysées, Chanel finds herself residing alongside the Reich’s High Command in the Hotel Ritz. Surrounded by the enemy, Chanel wages a private war of her own to wrestle full control of her perfume company from the hands of her Jewish business partner, Pierre Wertheimer. With anti-Semitism on the rise, he has escaped to the United States with the confidential formula for Chanel No. 5. Distrustful of his intentions to set up production on the outskirts of New York City, Chanel fights to seize ownership. The House of Chanel shall not fall.
While Chanel struggles to keep her livelihood intact, Paris sinks under the iron fist of German rule. Chanel — a woman made of sparkling granite — will do anything to survive. She will even agree to collaborate with the Nazis in order to protect her darkest secrets. When she is covertly recruited by Germany to spy for the Reich, she becomes Agent F-7124, code name: Westminster. But why? And to what lengths will she go to keep her stormy past from haunting her future?
Happy Friday all! Today I am featuring a Biblical novel by Angela Hunt, The Apostle’s Sister. I love how Hunt blends scriptural truths, historic and cultural details, and a what-if story to create great fiction. Book 4 in the Jerusalem Road series, it is due to release on June 7.
Here’s the first line:
Aya, daughter of Zebulon of Tarsus, does not want a traditional life. Because she has always lived in the shadow of her brilliant brother, she wants to use her gifts and be something more than a wife and mother. When her traditional father insists she marry Avidan, a Torah student, she reluctantly agrees, but when Avidan leaves for Jerusalem, she seizes an opportunity to fulfill her deepest yearning, realizing she may never have another chance to do so.
After moving to Jerusalem, she expects to be bored in her role as wife to a Torah student, but finds herself fascinated by her husband’s studies. And when her brother Sha’ul makes a life-altering decision, she finds herself faced with a troubling question: How can she remain true to all she’s been taught since infancy and still love her blasphemous brother?
I read The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal and loved it. I immediately obtained a copy of the sequel, Chasing The White Lion, then left it languishing on the shelf. Shame on me! In an attempt to whittle down my TBR pile, I picked it up and devoured it! Why did I wait so long?! Chasing The White Lion has all the same great elements as the first book — ensemble cast of grifters, thieves, hackers, etc., non-stop/breath holding action, an intrepid heroine, and a faith message that fits right into the danger and chaos that seeks to swallow her up. I loved the spy craft, the look at underworld and dark web doings, and the fun romp the author takes his reader and his characters on. There is a very serious thread about human trafficking that I felt grounded the rest the book. It gave weight to the daring dos of the main characters. The bad guys are very, very bad, the good guys are flawed and a bit bad themselves, but Hannibal never blurs the lines of what God commands. I highly recommend you get book 1 first, then move right into book 2. Don’t wait like I did. You won’t be disappointed.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to LibraryThing for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Young CIA officer Talia Inger has reconciled with the man who assassinated her father, but that doesn’t mean she wants him hovering over her every move and unearthing the painful past she’s trying to put behind her. Still, she’ll need him–and the help of his star grifter, Valkyrie–if she hopes to infiltrate the Jungle, the first ever crowdsourced crime syndicate, to rescue a group of kidnapped refugee children.
But as Talia and her elite team of thieves con their way into the heart of the Jungle, inching ever closer to syndicate boss the White Lion, she’ll run right up against the ragged edge of her family’s dark past. In this game of cat and mouse, it’s win . . . or die. And in times like that, it’s always good to have someone watching your back.
Former tactical deception officer and stealth pilot James Hannibal takes you deep undercover into the criminal underworld where everyone has an angle and no one escapes unscathed.
Former stealth pilot James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. He has been shot at, locked up with surface to air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion award-winner for his Section 13 mysteries, a Thriller Award nominee for his Nick Baron covert ops series, and a Selah Award finalist for his Clandestine Service series. James is a rare multi-sense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment.
I read all parts of a book. That’s right — the prologue, the afterword, even the copyright page 😉 . I also read epigraphs — any quotes that the author chooses to begin the story. Many authors choose scripture or a quote that gives some insight into what their book is all about. I like to keep them in mind as I delve into the stories. Today I am sharing those quotes from random books on my shelves. In the cases of the author using several quotes, I randomly chose just one. Lots of genres represented — enjoy!
Top Epigraphs — Quotes That Authors Chose to Begin Their Stories
***************
Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of angels.
Psalm 78:23-25
*****
I speak of peace, while covert enmity
Under the smile of safety wounds the world
William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 2
*****
“I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.”
John Newton
*****
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
*****
Love is not consolation. It is light.
Simone Weil
*****
Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 82:3-4
*****
Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
Isaiah 52:2
*****
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Second Chance at Happiness by Greta Picklesimer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title:Second Chance at Happiness Author: Greta Picklesimer Publisher: Ambassador International Release Date: April 12, 2022 Genre: Christian Historical Romance
After Catherine Reed’s husband dies in a tragic logging accident, Catherine and her four-year-old daughter, Clair, move home with Clair’s mother and brother in order to accept a new position as the teacher for the town’s one-room schoolhouse. But Catherine carries a dark secret that she hasn’t even shared with her mother. Will she ever find forgiveness?
Samuel Harris has suffered his own loss, losing his wife and unborn child over a year prior. Although he is the town’s preacher, he struggles to trust God, blaming God for allowing him to be absent when his wife died. The guilt has burdened him ever since. But when his old flame Catherine Reed comes back to town, he wonders if they can find healing together.
Catherine believes that anyone who wants to learn should be allowed to learn, but she is quick to find a town divided on that issue. As she and Samuel set out to change people’s minds in a post-Civil War era, they find themselves drawn to each other over and over again. As they join together for the same cause, could they also find a second chance at happiness?
Catherine Reed and her four-year-old daughter, Clair—both wearing simple, matching, black mourning dresses—stepped off the train at 3:00 p.m. in her hometown of Harrisville, Kentucky. Catherine looked at the dark green depot and sighed. It was not a contented sigh, but rather one of heaviness and regret. Standing on the small platform facing the depot, she contemplated her next step. She needed to move, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. Tears began forming at the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. How would she go on without her dear husband, John, by her side? It was supposed to be his last run on the river. He had promised. They’d have enough money to buy their own place. Set up a little farm, keep chickens and a few pigs. All that had come crashing to a halt when he fell between the logs he’d been taking downstream on the Cumberland River to Crestville, where they would be sold. She shook her head as if to shake out the memories. He didn’t even make it halfway there. Flicking her shaking free hand to her side, she tried to wipe the memories from her mind.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Greta Picklesimer is Michigan-born and raised by Kentucky-transplanted parents. She accepted Jesus as her Savior at the age of five—a happy day in her memory. Besides writing, Greta spends time working on her art journal, painting with watercolors and oil pastels. She is owned by one rescue cat by the name of Pearlie Blue who was named after her father’s favorite Bluegrass song. By day Greta works as an office assistant. By night, she writes.
(1) winner will receive a print copy of Second Chance at Happiness and a spiral-bound notebook with a picture of the cover of the book on it!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 24, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 31, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
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Title: Second Chance at Happiness
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