Friday, July 01, 2016

Book Review: Murder Comes by Mail by A.H. Gabhart

Publisher's Description:


Doing a good deed never felt so bad

Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane doesn't particularly enjoy being touted as the hero of Hidden Springs after pulling a suicidal man back from the edge of the Eagle River bridge in front of dozens of witnesses--a few of whom caught the breathtaking moments with their cameras. But the media hype doesn't last long as a new story pushes its way into the public consciousness of Hidden Springs' concerned citizens.

Photos of a dead girl arrive in the mail, and Michael becomes convinced she was murdered by the man he saved. With a killer one step ahead, things in Hidden Springs begin to unravel. Now Michael must protect the people he loves--because the killer could be targeting one of them next.

My Review:
This is the second book in the "Hidden Springs Mysteries" series by Gabhart and it was even better than the first one. A lot more excitement and a faster plot in this book and I was pulled into the story from the very beginning. Though I had a good guess from the beginning "whodunnit", I was still turning pages quickly to find out what was going to happen next. I also appreciate that while there were hints at romance here and there in the series, Gabhart takes her time working towards it and it does not at all overshadow the main plot of the book. Looking forward to the end of the series!

Thank you to Revell publishers for a free copy of this book to read and review.

Book Review: Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin



Publisher Description:

In a time of sacrifice, what price can one put on true love?


Nothing slows Lillian Avery down--not her personal challenges and certainly not America's entry into World War II. She finally has a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The demands of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg's attentions only annoy--even if he is her brother's best friend.

During the darkest days of the war, Arch's destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves--and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions Lillian has been filling?

As the danger rises on both land and sea, the two must work together to answer that question. But can Arch ever earn Lillian's trust and affection?

My Review:
This is the second book in the "Waves of Freedom" series and while it follows some of the same characters as the first book, I think this would be ok as a stand alone read. I did enjoy the first one though, so I would also recommend going back and reading the first one at some point. I really like that there is a bit of history, a bit of romance, and a bit of danger in these stories. It makes for an interesting read while not leaning too heavily on any one area to move the story along. Thunbs up from me :-)

Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to read and review.

Book Review: The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher





Publisher's Description:

It was a well-laid plan--but it wasn't her plan . . . 

It's all her grandmother's fault. For the last few months, Abigail Stoltzfus has helped her father with his genealogical research, hoping that breaking through a client's brick wall would also break his melancholy. But now her intrusive grandmother has set her sights on marrying off Abigail and insists she come to Stoney Ridge, where there is a plethora of eligible bachelors. 

Except that Mammi is mistaken. There are no eligible bachelors in Stoney Ridge, barring one, and he's all wrong. Dane Glick has the wrong last name and the wrong relatives--including the bishop who is at odds over a church matter with Abigail's uncle, minister David Stoltzfus. 

As the conflict grows, setting family against family, it's becoming clear that the path to a solution may lead to a Quieting--a removal of a church leader. But for which one? And when Abigail stumbles onto a curious connection during her genealogical research, it could help David solve one problem--but will it create another?

My Review:
This is part two of "The BIshop's Family" series, so I would highly suggest going back to read the first book in the series before beginning this. In fact, it had been a while since I read the first one, so I went back to re-read it before I started just so I would have more of a clue what was going on. I love that Fisher is never in a hurry to have a happily ever after senario. The characters in her books from Stoney Ridge might be in two or three different series before their story gets fully told, which is why I can never pass up one of her books. You really become invested in they story and want to find out what is going on in that little community! You will not be disappointed in this one. Usually, Amish fiction is not my cup of tea, but even if it is not yours either, I would suggest giving Fisher's writing a try. A wonderful story teller :-)

Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to read and review. 

Book Review: Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

I'm a little behind on my book reviews lately due to being out of the country so be prepared for a couple in a row here to play catch up!

Publisher's Description: State Police Detective Evie Blackwell is launching a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes in Illinois. While looking at old evidence for a couple of missing-persons cases in Carin County, she pulls out a few tenuous leads—with startling implications.

I am so on the fence about Dee Henderson's new style of writing. So I hmmm-ed and haaaaaw-ed about even requesting this one to review. Honestly, it was better than some of the other new ones I'd read. It still features a lot of the same people that she has written about before so I would suggest reading her other books first just to get a good idea of who some of the main characters are.
Because the story follows cold cases, there is really not much action, but a lot of dialogue, interviewing and tedious police work (probably more like real life than the exciting page turning crime books but still...). I thought the cases were interesting, but the people are just so introspective and serious that I felt like it needed a bit of excitement to carry it forward a bit.
If you've read Dee Henderson's newer books and liked them, then I'm sure you will also enjoy this one!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for a free copy of this book to read and review.