Family Matters, by Laurinda Wallace

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: The peaceful farming community of Deer Creek is nestled in the rolling hills of Wyoming County in Western New York. It’s home to Gracie Andersen, who once again finds herself in a cemetery, laying a family member to rest. Wrestling with unresolved guilt and grief over the loss of her husband and unborn child, Gracie desperately wants to get her life back. An odd gift from her troubled uncle thrusts her into an investigation of her cousin's tragic death 20 years ago. What really happened that rainy, October night when her cousin was killed by a hit-and-run driver? 

As pieces of the truth are wrenched from the past, her new business, Milky Way Kennels teeters on the edge of disaster. Her life starts to tailspin, and opposition to the investigation comes from friends and family alike. And then death strikes again. With Haley, her black Labrador by her side, Gracie doggedly pursues the truth of her cousin Charlotte’s untimely death.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  A native of the snowbelt in Western New York, Laurinda Wallace is a graduate of Houghton College, NY and has been an administrator and legal assistant for most of her career. She now makes her home in the beautiful high desert of southeastern Arizona with her husband, David.

Laurinda, a lifelong writer pursued her passion for writing professionally once again in 2005. She has been published in several magazines, including The Upper Room and Mature Living. She contributes to several websites, including Christian Devotions. She's the author of the inspirational novel, The Time Under Heaven, the devotional, Gardens of the Heart, and a mystery, Family Matters.

SERIES: Volume 1 of "A Gracie Andersen Mystery"

MY THOUGHTS:  Gracie is just a sweet, easy-going gal trying to recover from personal tragedy when life quickly spins out of control.  Things in her world go from bad to worse at every turn, and the danger mounts as she gets closer to solving the mystery around her cousin's death.  She's easy to root for, with her trusting personality and never-give-up attitude.

I pegged this book totally wrong.  The lovable characters and small-town life lulled me into thinking I'd wrapped this mystery up pretty soon into reading, but the fun was actually just getting started.  Not only did the crimes--old and new--intensify, but the deaths and suspects were piling up more quickly than I could make my next guess.  I was pretty sure I'd picked out the love plot from the get-go, as well, but found myself surprised again by the time I'd turned the last pages.  Just the way I like it!

I'm looking forward to the next volume of Gracie's adventures, already wondering what she and her faithful canine companion Haley will be getting into next.

PARENTAL RATING: PG.  If your teens are into mysteries, this one is sure to grab their attention.  (SPOILER ALERT) Charlotte's death involves an unwed pregnancy and there are a few scenes of danger, but I felt all of this was appropriately handled and wouldn't affect the placement of this book on my girls' shelves.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Hermitage House Miracle, by Malcolm Ater

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: (from the author's webpage) As Jamie lay alone in bed, not knowing his mother had just been killed while driving drunk, he was filled with disturbing thoughts. The last words his mother had said to him before going out were, "I've given you the last six years of my life, and for what? To always be running from one town to another? Never having a life of my own just so you could live?" 

After being sent to live at the Hermitage House for Children, Jamie begins to have a series of strange and troubling dreams. Each dream is about a little blond-haired boy who has a little sister and a mother and a father. But the mother is not his mother who was killed in the car accident and he had never known his father. Yet his dreams are always about the same family, especially the little boy and his dog. And the father programs computers and makes games, even promising to build the boy a video game so lifelike the boy will think he's actually inside it.

Sometimes, Dreams Turn into Reality...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Malcolm Ater is the Award-Winning Author of Tyler's Mountain Magic, based on the true story of Tyler Moore, a teenage boy with cystic fibrosis who leads his team from Harpers Ferry on the most magical sports ride in West Virginia public school history. It was selected as Best Book Length Story of 2011 by the West Virginia Writers, Inc. and was winner of the 2012 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in Sports.

AWARDS:  The Hermitage House Miracle was selected as the 2012 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner for Best Contemporary Fantasy and also chosen as the 2012 Finalist for Best Children's Book by the West Virginia Writers, Inc.

MY THOUGHTS:  Written for middle school children and older, the plot is simple and straight-forward.  We know that the main character, 12-year-old Jamie, has gone through pretty traumatic events, but he keeps his childhood innocence and maintains hope to one day be loved.  He is an inspiring little guy, easy to connect with.  Topics such as bullying, abuse, and alcohol use are touched on as Jamie's story unfolds, and the author handles them well.

The sentence structure in this book, as well as the vocabulary, lend toward it being used either as a read-aloud or for independent reading in pre-adolescents.  I don't see my early teen girls finishing this book because it has a choppy feel to it, and the resolution to the problem is presented in many not-so-subtle ways.  To a reader with any experience in mysteries, even a young reader, little Jamie's secretive past probably became clear a few chapters into the book, although Jamie and his caretakers didn't figure it out until the end.

I was confused several times and had to re-read paragraphs, unsure of who was narrating.  In one sentence, we are hearing Jamie's thoughts and opinions, and in the next we move right into someone else's, without transition.  For example, in chapter 18, Jamie is walked home from the video arcade by Arnold, an older boy who works there, after Jamie vomited playing one of the games.  The sisters of the orphanage send Jamie to bed, which he gladly agrees to in order to keep the possibility alive that he can return to the arcade the following day, before the owner removes his favorite video game.

Arnold had already reminded him on the way home that the machine would probably be moved sometime in the early afternoon.  The older boy seemed relieved that The Returner would finally be gone.  Arnold was becoming more and more perplexed by Jamie's increasingly strange behavior around it.   

So we see that Arnold "seems" relieved, but then we are instantly looking into Arnold's thoughts, all within the same paragraph.  This happened several times and broke the continuity of the story.

Written as a juvenile mystery, the story crossed the line into paranormal and actually gave me the heebie jeebies by the time I'd finished. (SPOILER ALERT)  I liked that this boy's birth family never gave up hope of finding their kidnapped child. I even got into the sci-fi idea that Jamie's father built a video game that was able to awaken the child's repressed memories and remind him who he really was.  But when all of the rescue and return home turns out to be because of a dead dog's spirit coming back and orchestrating everything, that was too much for me.  It would have been easier to swallow if the live dog really had searched all over the country, and the dad really was inspired to fulfill his promise to his lost son by building this special video game. Instead, we read the father's explanation of the night he built the video game in chapter 23:

The dog howled all through the night on your birthday, like it was telling me what to do, like it was giving me instructions.  I started working that night on The Returner, and I honestly felt possessed, as if something had taken over my body.

And I honestly felt let down. This sweet story of a lost boy, cared for by gracious women in a poor orphanage and ultimately reunited with his family, was converted at the very end into a paranormal ghost story that didn't do the rest of the book justice.  The far-fetched explanation of events was a real stretch and really detracted from the happy ending. I can't imagine that a child who liked the first part of the book would care for the ending, nor that one who was looking for the sort of book it ended up being, would make it through the first 3/4's of the story.

PARENTAL RATING:  Though this is not a Christian book, the author portrayed the lovely women of the orphanage as praying women, and his viewpoint on vices such as alcoholism and abuse was appropriate.  I wouldn't pass this along to a middle-school aged child, however, because I think the end would scare him a bit, rather than leave him with this warm, fuzzy feeling the author tried to invoke.  As always, use your judgement and know your child.

**I received this book from netGalley.com and the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Presumed Dead, by Barbara Ann Derksen

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM THE AUTHOR:  Andrea Wilton and Brian Strait, from Shuster Detective Agency, take on another case to find a missing person. This second book in the series introduces DJ Wiebe, a biker who rides with The Sons Riders, a Christian biker ministry. Another biker, a member of The Demons Raiders, is missing and presumed dead. DJ, his friend, hires Shuster Detective Agency to find him. He initiates Andrea and Brian into the biker culture, a world that encompasses motorcycles, leather, drugs and murder.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from her page, EaglesNest): Barbara Ann Derksen, author of 13 books, along with her husband, are members of Christian Motorcyclists Association in Canada and in the US. Five of her books are devotionals that target bikers, but the message is pertinent to all.  Her favorite genre is murder mystery, but each book brings forth characters who rely on God as they solve the puzzles in their lives.


SERIES:  "Wilton/Strait Murder Mysteries"  Although I didn't read the first book in this series, Vanished, I had no problem catching up on the adventures Brian and Andrea had in Haiti, and how those played into the current story. At the end of the first book, they formed a detective agency, and their first cases make up the story of book 2, Presumed Dead.   


PARENTAL RATING (May contain spoilers): PG-13.  The development of the budding relationship between Andrea and Brian is clean, although we see the struggle to maintain purity and Brian's flirting is, at times, pretty strong.  There are also references to lost innocence and women passed around to various men, a scene of attempted rape, and a few descriptions of gruesome torture--my personal least favorite thing to read--at the hands of kidnappers.  I won't be passing this one along to my teen daughters.  


The overabundance of grammar and punctuation errors made this a pretty tough read at times, and the ease at which characters made decisions to accept Christ felt a bit stiff.  But the story flowed well and kept my attention.  These amateur detectives are constantly finding themselves in danger, related to either the drug-trafficking biker gang they're spying on or the abused teenager they seek to rescue.  


In the middle of all this constant commotion, the two manage to make decisions about the possibility of their relationship progressing past friendship.  Through it all, they demonstrate Christian morals and fierce bonds of loyalty.  I love Brian's opinions on dating and marriage, and how these are worked into the conversations he has with Andrea.


The author draws from her experience in CMA to form the Sons Riders, a group of motorcyclists who minister to other groups.  I particularly like the way Mrs. Derksen fleshed out the ministry strategy of these men, explaining how they form relationships with those they want to reach out to.  Motorcyclists who read this will enjoy the accuracy in descriptions of handling the bikes, the use of terms common to riders, and the humor of newbies trying to figure it all out.


You can purchase Presumed Dead as a paperback or Kindle edition here.


**I received a free copy of this ebook to review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Love Me If You Must, by Nicole Young

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While Tish is confronting the demons of her past, she finds herself caught up in what just might be a murder mystery in a strange little town.  Whom can she trust?  Who could be the killer?  Will he come after her next?  All the while, she is being pursued by two men who want to win her heart.  Which should she confide in, and which is dangerous?

This quirky little tale touches on euthanasia, suicide, fear, trust, and finding a way to forgive oneself and move on with life.  I enjoyed the main character’s progression through making peace with her past as much as I enjoyed the twists and turns of the whodunit.  This was a light read with just enough tragedy to make it believable and just enough love and danger to make it a page-turner.  Did I mention this book is an Amazon freebie?  Gotta love that!

Gone to Ground, by Brandilyn Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A group of three desperate women end up working together as amateur detectives to solve the serial killings in their small town. During the process, they form an unlikely bond and work through various personal struggles. The suspense of a killer on the loose is balanced out with the development of their heartwarming friendship, as these three gals get to know each other while putting together the facts of this case.

The story switches back and forth between the three points-of-view of the women, with intermittent portions of a Pulitzer-prize-winning news article about the murders in between. Because the story only spans a few days, the transitions between voices is seamless and I never felt confused. Each woman's section is written in her own vernacular, which adds to the feeling of being right there, watching this all go down, listening to each of them tell me how it happened.

In true mystery form, certain well-placed clues threw me off track in my guesses as to the identity of the killer. I was pretty sure I knew several times, but still came out surprised by most of the ending. I enjoyed this book, which, apart from a few gory details about the murders, I'd classify as a light read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the netGalley.com book review bloggers program.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Protection for Hire, by Camy Tang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:   First she served as a mob enforcer. Then she found Christ in prison. Now, Tessa Lancaster is protecting an heiress whose spouse seeks to kill her. In this action-packed read, Tessa and a handsome Southern lawyer discover the reality of being made new in Christ. 

How much does a person’s life change after becoming a Christian? How much SHOULD a person change his life after this decision? Should relationships between the new convert and his friends and family be severed or just altered, and if altered, to what extent? These are all questions that Tessa must answer in Protection for Hire, as she comes out of prison a different person than the criminal who went in. Learning to balance her new beliefs, her new lifestyle, and the old relationships is a constant challenge.

I think anyone who has tried to get a fresh start or break old habits will relate to the heroine in this book. She must change almost everything about herself, including her line of work. This leads to unexpected friendships, danger, and romance. I enjoyed reading about the adventures Tessa faced as she turned a new page in her life, and I found her story both believable and inspirational. I was reminded that God’s plans aren’t always the same as mine, but that He knows where I am and is faithful to take care of me.

I reviewed this book courtesy of NetGalley.com.

A Stand-Up Guy, by Michael Snyder

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oliver is an amateur comedian moonlighting as a hotel security guard. His less-than-ideal childhood has left him with enough baggage to fill a moving truck, and he can’t quite shut the door on the traumas and move on. His pretty coworker and he get into some fun adventures as he reconciles the craziness of his past and present in order to have the future he’s dreaming of. Along the way, he learns to look behind what he sees and understand the people in his life a little better.

I liked this book a lot because it was a light read. While the issues dealt with were quite serious, the characters were very likeable and fresh, and the story kept moving enough to prevent getting bogged down in any one crisis. The love plot was prevalent but not overbearing. Oliver’s flashbacks were sad but not depressing. The tone was quirky but not disjointed. The life lessons spoke to me but didn’t scream.

Even though I’m sure this was not meant to be a book in a series, I hope the author continues the story he began with Oliver and his mixed-up life. The resolution was enough to close the book, but I wasn’t ready for it to end. This was almost like watching a date movie (chick flick) that didn’t end all wrapped up with a nice red bow on top, but still left me smiling.

NOTE: Zondervan and netGalley provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Vicious Cycle, by Terri Blackstock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Book #2 of the "Intervention" series)

Amidst the happiness of his older sister's graduation from a drug rehab program, fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds himself twisted up in dangerous crime. The classmate he befriended, Jordan, chose not to finish her time in rehab but returned home to give birth to a meth-addicted baby. When Lance tries to intervene, his good deeds get twisted around into suspected criminal acts, and he goes from being a straight-laced kid to an accused felon in a matter of hours. His family, along with the policeman who helped save his sister's life a year ago, must come together to clear Lance's name, help the mother and newborn baby, and solve the dilemmas that come up along the way.

Although some of the situations resolved in a predictable way, the book kept me interested because it had several key subplots formed around Lance's main story. When Lance's sister comes home, she struggles with those things that a recovering addict must face upon re-entering her former world. Lance's widowed mother is coping with the romantic interest she has in this helpful policeman, and we see how this affects each member of the family. Jordan must decide if the future of her baby has more value than what Jordan wants today. We enter into the world of baby trafficking, witnessing the reality of something we'd rather not think about.

Throughout each of the situations, the family is strengthened as they support each other and look out for the others' interests. This is a stark contrast to the family of Jordan, the new mother, but the Covingtons reach out to her rather than shunning her. I found this book inspiring, following each person as they overcame the personal and familial obstacles they faced. This is a great rainy day book, that has an element of suspense and adrenaline, but makes you feel all warm and fuzzy by the time you put it down.