Monday, March 18, 2024

Trial by Fire by Terri Blackstock (Review)

Series: Newpointe 911 #4
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Zondervan 
Released: Oct. 18, 2000
338 pages
About the Book:

Pastor and fireman Nick Foster found the body in the inferno engulfing his church. From the bullet wound in the head, it's clear this is no ordinary fire victim. The quiet community of Newpointe, reeling from the shock of the dead man's identity, struggles with the agonizing question: who did it --- and why?

Paramedic Issie Mattreaux is no icon of virtue, but she cares enough about her teenage nephew, Jake, to track him down when he turns up missing. Only, what she finds is far more than a harmless bonfire on the outskirts of town.

After a chilling attempt on Issie's life, Nick takes on the role of protector even as he struggles wit the tragedy that has struck his church. Whoever is behind the fire is far from finished. Unknown to Nick, that person's twisted agenda now threatens to consume everything he loves most.





My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐


This book includes a disturbing subject matter. There are two teenagers who are following in their grandfather's KKK affiliation and recruiting other teens to join them. They burn down a church and encourage them to kill for the cause. Pastor/firefighter Nick is struggling to understand God's plan for him. The church members show Nick that the church isn't a building but the people. There is a lot of faith talk in this one as we see the Bible being used for evil purposes, Christians struggling with their beliefs and others turning to God during a trying time. I was very invested in the story but had to take breaks at times due to the heaviness of the storyline with the teenagers as this weighed on me.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The Summons by John Grisham (Review)

Genre: Legal Fiction
Publisher: Dell 
Released: Feb. 5, 2002
373 pages
About the Book:

Ray Atlee is a professor of law at the University of Virginia. He's forty-three, newly single, and still enduring the aftershocks of a surprise divorce. He has a younger brother, Forrest, who redefines the notion of a family's black sheep.
And he has a father, a very sick old man who lives alone in the ancestral home in Clanton, Mississippi. He is known to all as Judge Atlee, a beloved and powerful official who has towered over local law and politics for forty years. No longer on the bench, the Judge has withdrawn to the Atlee mansion and become a recluse.
With the end in sight, Judge Atlee issues a summons for both sons to return home to Clanton, to discuss the details of his estate. It is typed by the Judge himself, on his handsome old stationery, and gives the date and time for Ray and Forrest to appear in his study.
Ray reluctantly heads south, to his hometown, to the place where he grew up, which he prefers now to avoid. But the family meeting does not take place. The Judge dies too soon, and in doing so leaves behind a shocking secret known only to Ray.
And perhaps someone else.


My Rating & Thoughts:    

Story starts a bit slow, but once I got to know the character of Ray and he finds the money that's not referenced in the will, I was intrigued. Where did the money come from, and who knows about it? Ray appears to want to do the right thing and doesn't know who to trust. His brother has been on a path of destruction for years, and the family lawyer can only provide so much insight. Ray's quest to find the source of the money leads him on a few paths with few answers. As the days pass, he gets very little rest, and the situation becomes more and more dangerous. How will Ray react, and can he figure out who is behind the events happening? It wasn't until the end that I started suspecting the person who turned out to be responsible. I enjoyed this read, and the twists kept me invested. FYI, there is a bit of language in this book, but nothing that made me uncomfortable.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Other books from this author that I have reviewed:  

   

Friday, March 15, 2024

The Screwtape Letter by CS Lewis (Review)

Genre: Non-Fiction
Released: Feb. 1942
222 pages
About the Book:

The story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, a junior "tempter" named Wormwood, so as to advise him on methods of securing the damnation of a British man, known only as "the Patient".

Screwtape holds an administrative post in the bureaucracy ("Lowerarchy") of Hell, and acts as a mentor to Wormwood, the inexperienced tempter. In the body of the thirty-one letters which make up the book, Screwtape gives Wormwood detailed advice on various methods of undermining faith and promoting sin in the Patient, interspersed with observations on human nature and Christian doctrine. Wormwood and Screwtape live in a peculiarly morally reversed world, where individual benefit and greed are seen as the greatest good, and neither demon is capable of comprehending or acknowledging true human virtue when he sees it.



My Rating & Thoughts:    


I struggled at times with following or understanding exactly what was being discussed at times. I tried listening to the audiobook while reading physically and that did help a bit. It also really helped that I participated in a book club discussion for this which helped me process some of the stuff. It did get me thinking about how the devil tries to turn us from God and how to avoid those moments as much as possible. However I struggled with the writing style. I would never have finished this book if it wasn't for the book club. 

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere (Review)

Series: London Beginnings #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: June 6, 2017
333 pages
About the Book:

When a series of circumstances beyond her control leave Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater which is presenting the most popular show in London. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage.

An injury during a skirmish in India has forced Nate Moran out of the army until he recovers. Filling his time at a stable of horses for hire in London, he has also spent the past two months working nights as a stagehand, filling in for his injured brother. Although he’s glad he can help his family through a tough time, he is counting the days until he can rejoin his regiment. London holds bitter memories for him that he is anxious to escape. But then he meets the beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate can’t wait to leave behind.

 

My Rating & Thoughts:    


Rosalind has been a lady's companion for a wealthy woman for the last 6 years, but then something happens with the new husband and Rosalind must leave. She ends up in London and after some harrowing events is penniless and alone. She ends up a theater where she meets some wonderful people. I especially loved Jessie and how she quickly befriended Rosalind and took her in. I wish she had been involved in more of the story. Nate and his family are others who befriend Rosalind. Nate's family was really entertaining as they spoke their mind and tried to encourage a relationship between Nate and Rosalind. The time spent at the theatre was interesting, I now want to know more about the play the HMS Pinafore. I have heard of it, but never seen it. I felt like Rosalind was a bit naive when it came to a particular character and his motivations, especially after the events with her previous employer and her first experience in London. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and was rooting for a relationship to develop, however the ending disappointed me. I think it should have been fleshed out a bit more and felt wrapped up too quickly. I am interested in continuing the series and hope we will see some of these characters again.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Turn to Me by Becky Wade (Review)

Series: Misty River #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Publisher: Bethany House 
Released: May 3, 2022
410 pages

About the Book:

His promise will cost him far more than he imagined.

Guilt has defined Luke Dempsey's life, but it was self-destructiveness that landed him in prison. When his friend and fellow inmate lay dying shortly before Luke's release, the older man revealed he left a string of clues for his daughter, Finley, that will lead her to the treasure he's hidden. Worried that she won't be the only one pursuing the treasure, he gains Luke's promise to protect her until the end of her search.

Spunky and idealistic, Finley Sutherland is the owner of an animal rescue center and a defender of lost causes. She accepts Luke's help on the treasure hunt while secretly planning to help him in return--by coaxing him to embrace the forgiveness he's long denied himself.

As they draw closer to the final clue, their reasons for resisting each other begin to crumble, and Luke realizes his promise will push him to the limit in more ways than one. He'll do his best to shield Finley from unseen threats, but who's going to shield him from losing his heart?




My Rating & Thoughts:    

I enjoyed getting to know Luke and Finlay through this story and their interactions were entertaining and sweet. I enjoyed how Finlay looked past Luke's ex-con status and his keeping people at arm's length and tried her best to befriend him and show him the benefit of letting people in. Luke has survivor's guilt after his brother passed away in the earthquake when they were young and has carried this burden for years. He has made some bad choices but is now trying to stick with a promise he made to Finlay's father without his heart getting involved. I was very interested to know more about Finlay's father and the treasure hunt he has set up for her. I liked following Luke and Finlay while they tried to piece the clues together. I loved seeing Ben again and the rest of the Miracle Five but I do wish we had been given more of Ben's story. I enjoyed the time spent with him and would have loved more. The banter he had with a particular female was really entertaining. The thing I did not enjoy about the story was that Finlay decided to pursue Luke for a dating relationship even after they talked about faith and knew he was not a Christian and she was. Luke does decide to return to his faith by the end, and we witness him making this decision. There was a fun mix of characters throughout the story and I enjoyed getting to know the new characters. The ending provided nice closer for characters we have followed throughout the series.

Favourite Quote: 

“Situations change. God's will for us changes. You have to give yourself permission to change.”
(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)