Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Publication Date:  June 2010

Reviewed by Jen Roman

Jasmine Bush is devastated when her four-year-old daughter, Jackie, is missing at the mall while Christmas shopping.  Jasmine immediately contacts the authorities and waits, and waits…  She is concerned that her less than desirable past has caught up to her and someone from that past has stolen her child.  She contacts her ex-lover, Brian, who is Jackie’s father, for support instead of leaning on her husband, Hosea, to draw strength.  In the midst of all this, Brian is trying to repair his broken marriage to Alexis, and while he feels the need to comfort his daughter’s mother, he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Hosea, the pastor at one of New York’s largest churches, gathers friends and family and anyone who will help for assistance in finding their little girl.  Everyone uses the power of prayer.

Sins of the Mother shows just how difficult life can be sometimes.  It shows just how deeply grief can affect us and make us do things we wouldn’t normally do.  We turn to the wrong people and don’t turn to the right ones.  We act irrationally and with a great deal of emotion.  We question every move we make.

While not as intriguing as it could be, Sins of the Mother shows that when the going gets tough, it’s best to make an effort and rely on God’s strength.  It gives the message that there is hope no matter what, and that people must have faith.  For all the conflicts in this story, there are some quick resolutions that don’t quite follow real life.  Yes, this is fiction, but the book seems to rely too much on creating a lot of obstacles and then, at the last minute, wrap everything up neatly.  There isn’t always a happy ending.

Sins of the Mother uses a religious theme quite a bit throughout the story, and it shows characters trying to follow the Word.  For the most part, therefore, there is little swearing; however, there are several sexual scenes that describe the act in great detail.  Readers not interested in that aspect of the storyline should be aware of those scenes.

The book jacket is meant to entice someone into reading this book, and in this case it did, but the book fell flat and just did not promise the fascinating reading it promised.  It was hard to tell if it really was a Christian book, or a romance novel disguised as a Christian book.  For anyone wanting a quick and easy read, however, it would be adequate.

Review copy provided by Simon and Schuster.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Berkley

Publishing Date: June 2010

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

“After retiring, you’ve been like an unemployed barber who shaves his cat for want of anything better to do,” Mrs. Ali chides her husband, a retired government clerk. Mr. Ali agrees and so he begins a matchmaking business to occupy his time.

Much to the couple’s surprise, the marriage bureau soon represents clients all throughout their region of Southern India. The now busy marriage bureau irks Mrs. Ali. The phone rings constantly and a steady stream of strangers parade through her front yard, demanding Mr. Ali’s constant attention.

After a few disheartening interviews for a potential assistant, Mrs. Ali wagers with her husband. If she can find a suitable assistant, he’ll treat her to a nice dinner out. In short order Mrs. Ali finds the level-headed Aruna, who possesses her own talent for matchmaking. Sadly, Aruna plans no matches in her own future because her family can’t afford a dowry; or a wedding. But fate tosses Aruna and the Ali family a few surprises.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People brightened several rainy afternoons in my summer. I thoroughly enjoyed the humorous and true-to-life people, the twists and turns of the plot and the exotic details of life in Southern India. As an American, I appreciated the author’s brief, non-intrusive explanations of Indian culture. The story resembled a Jane Austen tale set in the east but and generously sprinkled with humor.

Farahad Zama’s first novel, The Marriage Bureau for Rich People won the Melissa Nathan award for Comedy Romance. I recommend this book for people who love sweet romance and fun, lighthearted stories.

Review copy provided by Berkley.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Dates: June 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

In the middle of a very quiet out of the way beach in North Carolina, there’s a mailbox. It doesn’t stand in front of a house or a condo. It’s literally in the middle of the sand and its labeled “Kindred Spirit.” This mailbox is the centerpiece for Marybeth Whalen’s first venture into the world of fiction, appropriately titled The Mailbox.

Lindsay Adams was introduced to the mailbox by her first love, Campbell, when they were teenagers. Lindsay poured out her heart in a special letter to the ‘kindred spirit’ that first year and she was hooked. After that, she made sure to make a trip to the mailbox to share everything that had happened in her life in the past year. Even after Campbell made a decision that shattered both of their hearts and caused them to take different paths in life, Lindsay stayed faithful to her mailbox tradition.

Now, years later, Lindsay is back at Sunset Beach with her children. She’ll be spending some significant time at her family’s beach house while she tries to work her way through her husband’s unfaithfulness and her divorce. She knows it won’t be easy, but Sunset Beach has always carried a very special place in her heart. So what happens when she finds out that Campbell is still living there and that he, too, is divorced? Will the old feelings come back? And who is the Kindred Spirit that’s been reading all of her letters all of these long years? Will that revelation make a difference?

Marybeth Whalen’s venture into fiction is an emotional journey with relatable characters and realistic dialogue.  As Lindsay tries to figure out her part in the divorce and who she is now, the emotions she goes through are real and painful at times. Being a mother of two kids doesn’t help. Whalen examines the affects of divorce not only on the kids but on each of the people involved. She also deftly explores the dangers of letting your thoughts and emotions wander and the value of trust in relationships.

Lindsay’s growth through this process isn’t an easy journey, but Whalen handles the difficult topics with ease and encouragement toward God in tough situations that we don’t always understand.  She also takes us back to what it was like to be a teenager in the 80’s and what it’s like to see those same people now, decades later. Especially when there are mistakes or hurt in the past twenty years. Who doesn’t have some sort of issues in their past that they need to deal with at some point? Campbell and Lindsay need to work out their issues of the past while trying to figure out how they can get a fresh start.

The Mailbox is a perfect summer or vacation read. With moments of lightness and comedy, memories of the 80’s permeate this emotional yet delightful tale of love lost and found and a mailbox in the middle of nowhere.

Review copy provided by David C. Cook.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Center Street

Publication Date: June 2010

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

“Happiness is a gift that shines within you. The wish of your heart will soon come true.”

Sophie Jones reads these words in her fortune cookie minutes before her world shatters. A tragic car accident leaves the nine-year-old to face life and its misfortunes alone. While she holds a bleak outlook, Sophie doesn’t let that keep her from moving forward. As a grown woman, she owns a chocolate shop where the top sellers are her Misfortune Cookies. Dipped in bitter chocolate and containing a message of gloom she handwrites every day, they are a “treat” inspired by her latest tragedy — Garrett Black.

Garrett Black made Sophie believes that maybe, just maybe, happiness could exist for her. He turns out to be her biggest heartbreak yet when days before the wedding he walks out without so much as an explanation.

Garrett returns begging for a chance to explain why he left. Refusing to be hurt again, Sophie proposes a bet he cannot win. He must put an ad in the paper that says, “Wanted: Happiness.”  If one hundred people reply with something that isn’t fleeting or temporary she will go out with him on one date, otherwise Garrett must leave her alone.

What starts out as something innocent quickly spirals out of control when a reporter sees the ad and runs it on the evening news. Soon letters stream in by the hundreds and Sophie finds avoiding Garrett harder than she imagined.

Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne provides a fun and light read that keeps the reader hooked. I greatly enjoyed this book, so much so that I didn’t set it down until I finished. Kevin Alan Milne will prove to suspicious readers that men can write fun, sassy romances. While Sophie’s life overflows with heartbreak, the story never bogs down with sadness. On the contrary, it remains light and optimistic even though the main character is a “the-glass-is-half-empty” kind of girl. Following the main theme, each chapter opens with a fun misfortune that I often felt compelled to share with others.

Sweet Misfortune frequently elicited laughter and now proudly perches on “My Favorites” list. I definitely will read this story again—very soon! I wish I could find more books that left me as happy as this one. If you like romances, you cannot miss this novel.

Review copy provided by Center Street.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Viking Adult

Publication Date:  July 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Rose Daley ran off to England and married that good for nothing Frank Mackey. She was never heard from again. At least that’s what everyone thought. Everyone except Frank Mackey. He knew that Rose Daley hadn’t married him. When she never showed up on the night they were supposed to run away, he figured that she’d finally realized he wasn’t the right man for her and that she’d left. No one knew any different until her suitcase was discovered over twenty years later. Then everyone wondered what happened to Rose Daley.

Frank Mackey, now a detective, walks the razor’s edge as he tries to figure out how to juggle a completely dysfunctional family that he left behind twenty years ago and his current position as a cop. He needs to stay out of the case at the same time he’s pretty much the core of the entire thing.

Mackey’s family is more than dysfunctional. It’s painful, agonizing and yet, because we see them through Mackey’s eyes, completely ordinary. Someone who has grown up in an abusive home knows nothing other than that abuse and French captures this idea with painful clarity. Mackey doesn’t spend hours bemoaning his circumstances or seeking counseling. It’s what is and there’s nothing that can be done about it but move through the day. One day at a time.

The world created by French is three dimensional, colorful and brilliant.  At times, the difference between living in Ireland and living in the U.S. made it feel like I was reading a sci-fi novel about a completely different world.  Then again, the shifts back to the 80’s may feel alien to readers who didn’t get to experience them as a teenager. I, for one, really enjoyed remembering the teased hair and jean jackets. (And no matter what my mother says, I was not responsible for any ozone deficiency issues. Even with all that Aqua Net I used.  I’m sure of it.) The moment we find out about Rose’s suitcase, French grabs our hearts like a train’s engine that’s just been snapped on to a transportation car. From that point on, it’s all we can do to hold on tight and keep up with her amazing twists, turns and gut wrenching realizations.

The language used by French in description and creating these characters is absolutely gorgeous. When reading this book, it’s like standing in a museum and getting lost in the finest painting by your favorite artist. Layers upon layers, rich and deep, fill this book and these characters. French writes from the perspective of someone who understands the gritty harsh realities on the street and knows what it takes to survive. As the story unfolds, these layers peel away and show that it’s never just something on the surface or as simple as it appears. The story remains vibrant and almost a living breathing entity itself. The plot twists take your breath away and at times you think to yourself “Why didn’t I see that one coming?” And that’s when you know that there’s so much more below the surface that you have yet to discover.

This book may not be for everyone. It is gritty and there’s some language and descriptions that may not sit well with sensitive readers. All in all, French’s tour through tough Irish neighborhoods and dysfunctional families is a breathtaking ride that is sure to keep you engaged, interested and entertained.

Review copy provided by Viking Adult.

Genre: Chick Lit

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Publication Date:  June 2010

Reviewed by Jen Roman

While shooting a movie in Rome, It-Girl Mercy Talbot is seen climbing a fountain in the city center.  Before she has her chance to slip and fall to her untimely death, Juliette Greyson rescues her and takes her back to her family’s rustic Italian estate.  There Mercy falls in love with the grounds and insists that the rest of the movie be shot there.  Along with her own childish and drug-induced behavior, she brings along with her more self-absorbed actors, neurotic filmers, writers, and producers, and her recovering-addict, former rock star “self-help guru.”  With all these people on the grounds, Juliette and her cousin must deal with murder, mystery, and narcissism, just what they hate.  Julia is at her estate for a break from her own hectic life in the hotel industry of Hollywood, and Mercy brings even more.  Just what everyone needs!

This reader finds The Starlet to be just what it is advertised as being: narcissism, Hollywood-eque, and backstabbing.  There are plenty of drug-induced behaviors to keep readers entertained for a while, and there are even a couple of murders.  HOWEVER, this reader is not interested in the gossipy storylines of People, US Magazine, and such.  The murders don’t seem to flow well, and they are interrupted so many times by immature behaviors that it is hard to follow any mystery or murder.  For readers interested in a quick and fluffy read, this may be for them, but for an honest-to-goodness, get-into-a-good-plot story, it lacks.  If superficial is the way to go, then The Starlet delivers.

As mentioned before, there are a great many scenes in which the characters do drugs.  This is not the gritty, back-alley drug scene; this is glamorizing drug use to the highest.  People glamorize the drugs (OxyContin and cocaine) and rely on them as a way to get through the day.  And the night.  And the next day.  Sex is also common in this story, and Juliette gets carried away by two different men in almost as many days.  The descriptions are pretty intense and nothing is left to the imagination.  One man is rather promiscuous, and this is also described in detail.  Curse words abound in the novel, and the F-bomb makes a regular appearance.  For anyone looking for these “deadly sins,” the reader has found the jackpot.  For those less adventurous, they may choose to stay away from this book.

The book is what it is: for readers looking for sex, drugs, and murder, this is the perfect summer or beach read.  For those looking for something a little more substantial with a more down-to-earth plot and characters, The Starlet will not deliver.

Reviewed by Simon and Schuster.

Genre: Literary

Publisher: Riverhead

Released: July 2009

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

For Maile Meloy’s newest collection of short stories, the epigraph (by A. R. Ammons) says it all: “One can’t have it both ways and both ways is the only way I want it.” Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It is a collection of eleven short stories, and while the stories feature different characters, settings, and situations, they are thematically linked through longing and ambivalence.

I’ll start by saying that Meloy’s writing is fantastic. I mentioned in an earlier review that I think the best writing is seamless, and the effect of reading the best writing is similar to watching a great magic act: you marvel that magic has taken place under your careful observation, and there’s little you can say toward explanation. That’s how I felt in reading each of Meloy’s stories in Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It. The prose is unadorned, at times seemingly flat. The sentences seem like ordinary sentences. But it is the author’s genius of craft that takes these everyday materials and creates something of beauty.

Beauty may seem distant from the subject matter of this collection—most of the stories deal with longing and discontent in general, and many of them focus on adultery in particular. Yet despite the sometimes sordid material and the many unlikable characters doing unlikable things, Meloy achieves beauty by forging empathy.

One of the best examples of this is the story “Two-Step.” The story opens with two women talking, the first woman speculating that her husband is having an affair. The second woman, a coworker of the first woman’s husband, tries to reassure her that he probably isn’t. Through their conversation, several facts are gradually revealed to the reader: the husband is having an affair; the first woman is the man’s second wife, and the man left his previous wife to marry her; and the second woman is the woman the husband is currently having an affair with. This scenario doesn’t seem to leave room for much empathy, since all three characters in the story are cheaters. But Meloy’s skill is such that the broader emotions—what it feels like when we are betrayed, or when we unintentionally hurt others by pursuing our own desires, or when we want so badly to have both stability and change—are what come through in spite of the particulars.

Ambivalence is another consistent thread through this collection, and it is perhaps nowhere better expressed than in the story “The Children.” A man in the midst of an affair decides it’s time to tell his wife that he’s leaving her. But breaking up is hard to do. He finally realizes what a mess he’s in, what leaving his wife (and the titular children) will mean. He is at the fork of two competing desires, both equally strong, and he realizes that he can’t have it both ways.

And that is illustrative of the situations that Meloy describes so well in Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It. Life is not full of having cake and eating, too—despite what we are shown on television. Meloy presents the many places where life is a strict dichotomy, an either-or. In some cases a decision may be delayed, but ultimately a decision must be made. These decisions are sometimes costly and sometimes plain disastrous, and many times they are the result of our own errant desires. As illustrated in “Two-Step,” cheating is a double-edged sword: a union sown in subterfuge and deceit is likely to reap the same. Meloy’s book, while helping the reader empathize with its characters and carefully and beautifully delineating dilemmas, is also a warning against the situations its characters find themselves in. As a reader, I see that the characters are in a tough spot and I empathize, but I also will do whatever I can not to put myself into their situations in the first place.

I should mention that there are a few moments of levity in the collection, stories not as intense or gloomy as the others. “Spy vs. Spy,” for example, believably (and humorously) describes a dysfunctional family and the ambivalence that comes with some family relationships, equal measures love and hate. “O Tannenbaum,” while the tension in the air is thick, is an enjoyable story of the unexpected adventures that befall a family on the way home from the supposedly joyous endeavor of choosing a Christmas tree. But perhaps the lightest story in the collection, and also my favorite, is “Liliana,” in which a man’s dead wealthy grandmother comes to stay with his family in their lower-middle-class home to determine if he’s a worthy heir for her fortune.

Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It proves that Maile Meloy is certainly a writer to watch. The stories, while containing adult situations and language, nevertheless succeed in being beautiful, even magical.

Review copy provided by Riverhead.

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Marcher Lord Press

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

It’s the year 2602 and tolerance rules the galaxy. In an effort to abolish religion, the Kesek secret police have destroyed all traces of dangerous religious books, including the Torah, the Koran, and the Bible. Imagine Baden Haczyk’s surprise when he stumbles across an ancient book while scavenging an abandoned ship. As Baden studies the book he discovers that has indeed found a Bible and he can’t stop reading it. Before he knows it the Bible is talking to him and the words are pouring through his mind.

Baden’s father, Simon, is unnerved by the discovery and wants Baden to get rid of it as soon as possible. Of course, there is no harm in making a nice profit of the much sought after relic. Unfortunately for the Haczyk family, the Kesek police know about the discovery and will stop at nothing to destroy the most dangerous book of all. The galaxy is on the brink of war, and Baden and his book are right in the middle of it all.

I love it when a novel comes out of nowhere and surprises me. Steve Rzasa has quietly flown under my radar for awhile, but after hearing the buzz about Marcher Lord Press I had to give this one a try. I’m so glad I did!!

First and foremost, this is great sci-fi and an all around fun story. I am a big Star Wars fan, and from time to time I love to read Star Wars novels. As I was reading through The Word Reclaimed I was amazed that the quality of writing was either on par with or even better than so much of the material in the Star Wars expanded universe. Rzasa is a terrific sci-fi writer and if you love space battles, intergalactic adventure, and good ole fashioned heroes VS villains action, then you will thoroughly enjoy this novel. Even the most hardcore sci-fi fans will appreciate Rzasa’s creativity and execution.

On a deeper level, Rzasa challenges readers with a bold message reminding us of the importance of the Word and the very real danger of tolerance in our culture. Baden’s courage is admirable throughout as he stands up for what he knows is right despite the obstacles he faces. The cast of characters surrounding Baden are depicted perfectly, bringing an epic feel to the struggle and the perfect amount of depth to this story.

Steve Rzasa has found a place on my bookshelf and his writing is worthy of more attention. If you are looking for great sci-fi and a story that will both challenge and entertain, then look no further. Book 2 is in my stack and I am more than anxious to dive back into this journey that has completely captured my imagination.

Review copy provided by the author.

Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Mystery

Publication Date: August 2010

Publisher: David C. Cook

Jake Chism’s Review:

Chris Buckley never thought he’d end up in a place like Solitary, North Carolina. After his parents divorce he reluctantly moves with his Mom back to the strange little town she grew up in. Everything about Solitary feels off to Chris. The way the kids in his new high school look at him, the way everyone seems to know a secret except for him, even the feel of the town itself. Everything feels wrong, except for the way he feels about Jocelyn Evans. He finds himself hopelessly drawn to her, despite her efforts to push him away. As Chris falls deeper for the girl he has to have, he approaches a darkness that will shake him to his core.

Bold. Edgy. Beautiful. Terrifying. These are the words that ran through my mind after I closed the last page of Travis Thrasher’s latest. Solitary is Thrasher’s first attempt at a series and his first foray into the YA market. If you are going to make an entrance, why not stand up and demand some attention? That’s exactly what Thrasher and David C. Cook Publishers have done with this outstanding story that is as haunting as it is addicting.

The first person narrative of Chris Buckley is the shining element here. I loved being immersed into Chris’s world as he juggled the struggles of a new town, a mysterious love, and a broken home. Everything Chris feels and experiences masterfully flows off the page allowing the reader to dive in and look around this strange and scary place he finds himself in. The relationship of Chris and Jocelyn is especially handled well as Thrasher explores the emotional and physical struggles teens face in everyday life.

Solitary has such a creepy feel to it throughout, and I found myself flying through the pages desperately trying to make sense of the bizarre elements we are introduced to at just the right places. I was surprised at just how edgy this story was, and it was a pleasant discovery indeed. David C. Cook is known as a Sunday school curriculum publisher, so I expected something much lighter and well…”churchy”. Rest assured…”churchy” this is not, however Chris’s spiritual and family struggles make Solitary more relevant to so many teens who face similar circumstances in our culture.

Solitary is the kind of novel the Twilight (don’t worry..no vampires here) crowd will enjoy, and dare I say contains the depth and level of creativity that could have made Twilight a great series instead of a good one.   In the end, Thrasher leaves us with a twist that will have everyone talking and will no doubt be divisive amongst some readers. I’m blown away by what Thrasher and David C. Cook have just brought to us and I can’t wait to read more.

James Andrew Wilson’s Review:

Strange men wearing trench coats are staring at you, everyone in the school warns you to stay away from the girl you can’t help but be drawn to, you find a creepy, abandoned cabin out in the woods, and you can’t shake the sense that somebody or something is watching you, following you, staring in your window at night and probing your very thoughts.

Welcome to Solitary.

Travis Thrasher has already proven himself capable of writing page turners about things that go bump in the night, but with Solitary, he ups the ante. You get the sense very early on that something is not right about this town. There are deadly secrets, questions that nobody seems to want to answer. Thrasher does an admirable job of dropping in new mysteries all through out the book, so that by the time you finish, your mind is buzzing with theories and you are frantic for book two.

Thrasher is no stranger to first person narrative, and here he squeezes out all of its potential, thrusting us into the head of sixteen-year-old Chris Buckley. Chris is about as likeable a character as they come. He’s no wimp; we see him spouting off smart remarks to the face of the school bully, going out in the dead of night to explore the eerie woods alone, and expressing a general lack of disregard toward the threats to mind his own business and to just blend in like everyone else.

Chris isn’t the only character to like here. His attraction, Jocelyn Evans, is complex and elusive, and like Chris, we as readers are dying to know what she is hiding. Chris’s other friends, Poe, Rachel, Newt and Ray are all well drawn out characters that are each unique and enjoyable to read.

It is obvious that Thrasher is a fan of such TV shows as Lost and Twin Peaks, and that they played a role in the inspiration for this series. Fans of those types of stories will find plenty here to love.

People who don’t generally pick up young adult fiction shouldn’t shy away from Solitary. Not for one moment did I feel like this was any less engaging than Thrasher’s adult fiction. In fact, I’d rank it right up there with Ghostwriter as my favorite Thrasher novel to date. (Psst, fans of Ghostwriter, be on the lookout for the Dennis Shore reference.)

Solitary is creepy, fun, and impossible to put down. I can’t imagine a much better beginning to what is sure to be a mind-bending, stellar series. Put this one at the top of your list, and don’t be surprised if you’re picking it up a month later to read it again.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: July 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

So now I’m on the threshold, feeling like a paratrooper about to jump, knowing my chute was packed by people who don’t care how hard I land.

And so goes the life of Detective Roland March the not-so-loveable hero of J. Mark Bertrand’s debut solo novel, Back on Murder. March is a career homicide detective taking the last gasping breaths of a once stellar career. Personal problems, some poor career choices, and less that winning relationship skills have left him wondering how much longer he really has. Then along comes a gangland shooting and he gets one more chance, maybe his last chance, to regain his form and remind everyone in his department what made him such a good cop. But his keen detective’s sense lands him right where he doesn’t want to be, on a select task force looking for a kidnapped girl – the daughter of Houston’s most famous mega-church leader.

Everything about Back on Murder harkens back to the kind of cops I grew up with in detective novels, TV shows, and movies. Using a first person perspective (as all good detective stories did) we find ourselves inside the skin of a guy who honestly doesn’t like himself much more than anyone else around him. Not that he’s a bad guy; he just lives in a world that doesn’t make sense any more. Consider the following lines as Detective March struggles to understand an argument he has just had with his wife:

The kind of fight … that leaves me baffled, wondering how we ended up like this. …In a movie, I would take her in my arms, press my lips to hers, and after struggling for a second she’d give in, flinging her limbs around me … But that’s not how it happens … I want to hit rewind … I want things to be easy between us again .. the way I remember us being. But I don’t know how to get there.

Several supporting characters serve as a mirror in which both the main character and the readers can consider themselves: a new task-force partner who hasn’t forgotten her faith and a guilt-ridden youth pastor who is danger of losing his. But in the end, this is March’s story. Will he get it back together, solve the case, put his marriage back together, and find himself in the process? It’s a good thing this is just the first installment of the Roland March Mystery series because it doesn’t like there are any simple answers to our hero’s deepest questions.

J. Mark Bertrand co-authored Beguiled along with Deanne Gist to great reviews and his solo should receive the same. If you like happily-ever-after stories where the characters all wear labels on their chest telling you who to cheer and who to boo, this may not be the book for you. But if you want a story where characters talk and act like real people – some resting in their faith, some having no faith all, and some struggling to regain their faith – Back on Murder is the ticket for a really good read.

Review copy provided by Bethany House.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: February 2010

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

“You can’t out-sin the cross” and that is exactly what Linda Nichols’ Not a Sparrow Falls is about — redemption and the power of forgiveness.

Mary Bridget Washburn has made her share of bad choices. Now on the run from a criminal past, Mary changes her name and seeks refuge in a small, Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Virginia. But a new name and a town full of strangers can’t ease Mary’s fears of discovery. She makes a simple yet comfortable life for herself despite the cloud of dread looming overhead. Then one night a young girl’s plea for help seizes Mary’s heart setting in motion a series of events that will change the course of her life as well as those around her.

Ever since the death of Anna, dearly loved mother and wife, the MacPherson family is falling apart. Alasdair, a single father for two years, struggles to raise his three young children and pastor the local church his family has led for several generations. Some of the elders want him out, and the church teeters on the verge of splitting.

When Mary and Alasdair’s lives intersect, they find that in order to move forward, they must first let go of the past. Doing this will present challenges. One of those involves his own sister whose life has always revolved around the past and tradition.

I am happy to add Not a Sparrow Falls to my library. A fun and easy read, I finished it in a day. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Mary Bridget and Alasdair are loveable characters that despite their mistakes the reader can’t help rooting for them. Everyone makes bad choices in their lives. Stories like Not a Sparrow Falls give us the hope that second chances exist.

While the reader knows who will end up with whom; the predictability by no means detracts from the story. I really enjoyed the relationship between Mary and Alasdair’s oldest daughter, Samantha. However, the end feels a bit rushed. I found this disappointing because I enjoyed the rest of the book so much. I wished Nichols had fleshed out the resolution a little more. Still, I highly recommend this novel to romance lovers as well as readers who enjoy stories of second chances.

Review copy provided by Bethany House.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Harper Festival/HarperCollins

Publication Date: January 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

What happens when ten rubber ducks fall overboard? A delightful adventure ensues. In Eric Carle’s 10 Little Rubber Ducks, children accompany the ducks as they drift and mingle with wildlife. In the end, one rubber duck encounters a very special situation of his own.

This book features Carle’s trademark paint and paper cutout illustrations in bold colors. The rhythmic language overflows with repetition and a touch of onomatopoeia. Counting concepts and direction words provide educational opportunities.

As a board book, this tale may be a bit wordy for the very young, but they can still enjoy the various animals and guess the names of each creature. Preschoolers will enjoy the language and vivid illustrations of marine life.

A simple, but appealing tale that is as likable as rubber duckies themselves.

Review copy provided by HarperCollins.

Genre: YA

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Dates: April 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Bryn O’Connor loves theater and drama. She is really good at it too. Except that her boyfriend doesn’t like it. He’s one of the most popular guys in school and when he doesn’t like something, you should really not to like it either. When you don’t do what he likes, he might do something bad. Like hit you. A lot. He might even do it so much that you end up in the hospital. This is what happened to Bryn. A simple argument turned into a car accident. When she arrived at the hospital, they discovered injuries that were not consistent with a car accident. That’s where everything started on a downhill spiral. It’s when her father found out that Preston beat her up a lot. It’s when the police got involved. Charges were pressed.  And after that? Things really got bad.

Since her mother is in another country, this is where Bryn’s grandmother steps in and volunteers to come and stay with them for a while. Bryn is nonplussed. The memories she has of her grandmother are awkward. Her grandmother is a beautiful and famous surfer. Bryn feels she is the opposite of that. She’s expecting that when her grandmother arrives, it’s going to be all sorts of questions, interrogations, and pushing. She’s more than shocked when it doesn’t go that way at all. And what’s Preston saying about all of this? Why are there websites popping up online about Bryn and her ‘lying ways?’ Just how far will all of this go? Will someone else get hurt?

Once again, Nancy Rue has scored a direct hit on the mind of a teenage girl in the midst of horrifying situations. Last venture out, Motorcycles, Sushi & One Really Strange Book, she tackled the difficult topic of ADHD and emotionally unstable parents. This time, a teenager abused by her boyfriend and bullying pushed to the extreme are her hot button topics and she once again approaches them with tender style and respect. Inside the mind of a teenage girl is not always the easiest subject matter for an adult writer trying to reach a young adult audience. I, for one, remain impressed with Rue’s style and technique as she moves through this fast paced story.

Again we have an adult role model that seems nearly too good to be true. This time, instead of a parent, it’s a grandparent who understands everything with a keen perspective and seems to not make mistakes. And like last time, I’m more than willing to give grace for this ‘perfect’ character. As I was reading, I was tucking away lines and thoughts and ideas for when my girls venture into teen drama. Parts of this book frightened me with the vehemence, anger and vitriol spewed at Bryn’s character when she was doing the right thing. Then again, all one has to do to understand that Rue has captured the teenage mind well is watch the news. Stories like this one, where kids bully other kids (to death in some instances), have become all too commonplace in the news. Nancy Rue seems to have her finger firmly on the pulse of the troubled teenager. Once again, she’s brought us a story with drama, intelligence, a little bit of romance and a lot of insight into the teenage mind.

With this story, I’ve become a passionate Nancy Rue fan and would heartily recommend her to anyone who would like a little bit of advice, insight, or a new way to reach a troubled teen.

Review copy provided by Zondervan.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins

Publication Date: December 2009

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

The emotional spectrum is represented in the picture book, My Heart is Like a Zoo. Debut author Michael Hall compares human emotions to feisty zoo animals in unusual situations: hippos drinking apple juice and walruses lounging on towels, for example. Expressive, contrasting colors on each page capture attention while the paper cutouts of the creatures, crafted largely from heart shapes, add a unique point of interest to the illustrations.

My Heart is Like a Zoo gives parents and children opportunities to discuss a plethora of ideas while enjoying rhyming language. Feelings, colors, counting, shapes and animal names are represented here. An endearing twist at the end demonstrates the true setting of the story.

This vibrant, welcoming book practically screams to children, “Read me! I’m made for you.” A noble first effort by Hall.

Review copy provided by HarperCollins.

Genre: YA

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Dates: April 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Jessie Hatcher is fifteen and she’s got what most people would consider a pretty tough life. Her mother has a variety of emotional issues, her dad is dead, and she has ADHD. Most of the time, she’s completely on her own while her mother is in her ‘in-bed’ phase. She makes all the decisions, gets herself to school and back, and figures out her own meals.  The couple of days at a time that her mother gets out of bed are tiring while she cleans the house with her toothbrush, but they’re few and far between, so Jessie has the system down.

That is until the day that her dad calls her on the phone. What? Her dad? The aforementioned parent who was dead? Yeah. That same one. Seems that Jessie’s mom told her that her dad was dead, but he really wasn’t. So now he wants to meet her and get to know her. Since she’s no longer flying under the radar, Jessie can’t figure out how things could get any worse. That is, until her mother attempts suicide. Yeah. That is worse. What could possibly happen next?

Nancy Rue stunned me with her portrayal of a teenage girl’s mind. Especially one wrapped up in such emotional turmoil and with ADHD to boot. I was so completely wrapped in this story; I couldn’t stop myself from reading portions of the book out loud to my family.  In the same way I was instantly drawn into the story, the few pages I shared with them brought them in just as quickly. It was love at first read with this book.

I think one of the things I enjoyed best was the “RL” book that Jessie discovered at the airport. When she picked it up off of the seat, she thought she was stealing it and this would force her father to send her back home. It didn’t. And she didn’t. It comes out later that the book was left there for someone else who might need it. Jessie needed it. “RL” you see, is a ‘real life’ version of the Bible, with language that modern day teenagers can understand.

The plot moves quickly. Written in the first person perspective from a girl whose mind bounces all over faster than you can say sushi, you have to expect that. The dialogue is brilliant, witty, and perfectly on par with what you would imagine a teenage girl might say in this situation.  The only point I’d make in characters is that Lou, Jessie’s father, seems perfect. Even his mistakes aren’t that colossal and he very quickly apologizes for them. I don’t know if I have a problem with this because he’s a really great example of what we should try to be, but don’t always accomplish. In sharp contrast, Jessie’s mom does pretty much nothing right whatsoever. Much like Jessie’s life, there’s no simple middle ground. Then again, with teenagers is there a lot of simple middle ground?

Motorcycles, Sushi & One Really Strange Book is the first in a new series from Nancy Rue. Called the Real Life series, it follows the ‘RL’ book and what happens with four different girls when they find the book. I’m more than intrigued. I can’t wait to see the new books in the series and see who Nancy Rue brings to the forefront next.

Review copy provided by Zondervan.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children

Publication Date: September 2009

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

From squirrels to cocoons, a tree bustles with life; even the leaves are busy producing oxygen. The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward encourages readers to take a closer peek at nature and the simple wonders right at hand. Readers gaze at chipmunks, spiders, woodpeckers, owls and other creatures in their rituals around an oak tree.

Elegant rhymes add to this book’s charm. A unique narrative perspective—the tree’s—guides the reader on a tour through the book and around the tree.

Beautiful, detailed oil paintings illuminate the joys of wildlife abounding near and within trees. Tiny details, like a ladybug on a leaf or grubs by roots, add to the realism of the illustrations.

This story truly invites the reader to “come and see” this busy tree. It reveals just enough of nature to whet our appetites—the kind of book that makes us fall in love with the wild and rush out to the nearest park or backyard in hopes of glimpsing a scurry or flutter.

Review copy provided by Marshall Cavendish Children.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: February 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

The big race approaches and Hamster wants a hot rod. But he needs help to build it! In this rhythmic tale, readers help Hamster create his car and speed through the race.

Hot Rod Hamster by Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord and illustrated by Derek Anderson is an exciting read that engages even boys without excluding the girls. Readers progress from the junkyard to the race to the finish line, cheering for the tiny racer the whole time. They have a stake in the outcome, after all, since the refrain, “Which would you choose?” invites audience participation in Hamster’s decisions.

Expressive acrylic paintings use bright colors and add a playful sense of fun to the book. Masterful rhymes and cartoon bubbles of dialogue pace the story and develop character—something the little orange hamster has in spades. A subtle lesson also weaves through the book: determination matters more than size.

Readers will find this book as exuberant and confident as the hamster protagonist. A perfect read for young car and race fans.

Review copy provided by Scholastic Press.

Genre: Suspense, Supernatural, Paranormal

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: June 2010

Jake Chism’s Review:

Maia Peters hunts ghosts. Or at least she used to. The daughter of world famous paranormal investigators, Maia grew up traveling from haunt to haunt on their hit TV show.  Now she is in college and longing to leave that life behind, and the unwanted celebrity status that comes with it.

Heiress Jordin Cole wants to see a ghost and is willing to do anything and spend any amount to make it happen. After tracking Maia down, Jordin convinces her to lead the investigation and take them to the most haunted places in the U.S. As they travel to historic locales and dance with the dead, Maia begins to sense that something is very wrong with Jordin.  It’s not until Jordin disappears a year later that Maia begins to put the pieces together and uncovers a frightening reality. The nightmare is coming and Maia doesn’t know how to stop it.

Robin Parrish stands up and screams for attention with his clever and absorbing fifth novel. From page one we are treated to a new level of Parrish’s talent through the first person narrative of Maia. This style draws the reader in with ease, and gives the haunting scenes throughout more depth and emotion. While it would be a stretch to classify this is a horror novel, there are plenty of scenes that will leave you breathless and anxious for more.

As the story unfolds Parrish alternates chapters between Maia and Joridn’s paranormal investigations and Maia’s search for Jordin a year later. This type of back and forth writing might come across as confusing or distracting in lesser hands, but Parrish more than pulls it off in LOST-like fashion.  As I began to see where the story was going I was both surprised and intrigued. There have been lots of twists on the paranormal genre, but I’m not sure we’ve seen one quite like this. Luckily, Parrish knows how to weave a good story and if you pay close attention throughout, you shouldn’t be surprised at the new direction we’re led to in the end.

Nightmare is the kind of novel that will have people talking, both inside and outside the Christian market. Are ghosts real? Is there a difference between demons and ghosts? What happens when we die? Parrish tackles these hot button themes with class and an open mind, asking readers to examine their own beliefs and questions. In the end I was humbled by the poignant question Maia arrives at. What question is it? You’ll have to read the book and find out! Never fear, you’ll enjoy every moment of Robin Parrish’s latest and by the end you will be longing for more.

James Andrew Wilson’s Review:

Maia Peters has seen it all and them some. Her parents are renowned ghost hunters—paranormal investigators! She’s been with them on their popular TV show, exploring the most haunted places in the world. She is recognized virtually everywhere she goes. And getting a little tired of it. So when fellow college student Jordin Cole comes looking for a ghost buster buddy, Maia tells her to get lost. But Jordin insists, and the promise of substantial payment lures Maia back into the dark—back to the haunted life she’s been running from.

Robin Parrish has told of heroes and super powers, he’s told of space and the end of the world, now the speculative fiction writer gives us Nightmare, a spooky romp through the murky world of the paranormal. Turn out the lights, hide under the covers with your flashlight—it’s time for a good old-fashioned ghost story.

In terms of scale, Parrish has pulled back this time. This is an intimate story, much more character driven than his previous novels, and it benefits from it. Parrish does an admirable job with his use of the first person narrative, and Maia Peters is a fun character to read, even if she’s a bit snotty at times.

As for the spooks and specters, the paranormal encounters are some of the highlights of the book. In their quest for true sightings of the unexplainable, Jordin and Maia visit a number of real world locations, each of which are thoroughly researched and wonderfully detailed. Parrish knows just when to have the shadows jump out from the corners, and there’s plenty of creepy scenes here to satisfy scare junkies.

Parrish continues to hone his craft as a writer, and while Nightmare features some of his strongest writing, I’m still scratching my head at his apparent insistence on the tiresome use of adverbs and italics. He seems to be trying to hard to convey what is already clear in the dialogue. An easy fix, and I hope to see him do away with these clunky writing elements in the future.

Of all the novels Robin Parrish has written, this is the one that I think will appeal to the widest audience. There is something here for everyone to enjoy. If someone has apprehension about a “Christian paranormal” book, they should at least give Nightmare a chance. Parrish is asking the questions that we’ve all wondered at one time or another: Are ghosts real? Are they demons? What was that noise?

Nightmare is the perfect novel to keep you turning pages late into the night. It’s an escapist treat, a fine piece of work, a spine-tingler that’s sure to delight.

Don’t miss our podcast review of Nightmare and our interview with Robin Parrish.

Review copies provided by Bethany House.

Genre: Historical Fiction/Chick Lit

Publisher:  Algonquin

Publication Date:  January 2010

Reviewed by Jen Roman

In 1907, widower and wealthy businessman Ralph Truitt places an ad in the paper for a “reliable wife.”  Catherine Land’s response is chosen because she mentions that she is an honest woman and includes a photo of a plain woman.  When she arrives on the train platform in winter in Wisconsin, however, Ralph is surprised to see that she is actually very attractive.  She explains that she used her cousin’s photo so he would get to know the “real” Catherine instead of bypassing her because she is beautiful.  Each person agrees to the marriage because of a desire: he wants someone to track down his long-lost son, and she wants to poison him and take his money.  She then plans to reunite with her lover (who is Ralph’s long-lost son!).  Along the way they change their perspectives and get involved in suspenseful and dangerous situations.

A Reliable Wife starts out slowly, and without reason.  There is a great deal of time spent on how Ralph feels about what the townspeople think of him, both in general and because he is sending away for a new wife.  Catherine’s thoughts are also described in detail.  While it is good for the reader to get to know the characters and encounter some suspense, it does not work in this case.  The story flows well once the two meet, however, and the reader quickly gets engrossed in the story.

It’s hard to believe that there is such rampant drug use in the early 1900s, but there is.  That, combined with the prominence of prostitutes, makes for some less than innocuous reading.  There are descriptions of the sexual act throughout the book, and prostitutes are not glossed over because of what they do.  For one not initiated comfortable in that world, the reader should exercise caution.  One especially difficult scene shows Catherine’s sister, an addict and prostitute, dying of what one would assume is AIDS.  She is cold, hungry, and desperate for drugs.  When Catherine tries to help her, all she can ask for is money for her next fix.  Sadly, when Catherine leaves money and a new fur coat with her sister, someone else takes the money and coat without any regard for the dying body owning those items.  The less desirable traits of human nature prevail in some very depressing situations.

What starts as a slow novel quickly turns into an interesting, colorful, and suspenseful read.  It is not a difficult book, so it would make an excellent choice for a weekend.  Readers caught up in A Reliable Wife will enjoy it once they get past the first couple of chapters.

Review copy provided by Algonquin.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Center Street

Publication Date: July 2008

Reviewed by Josh Olds

When a novel begins with a nun playing a game of basketball with an ex-trail lawyer, you know you’re in for an interesting story. After his fiancée’s death and his being falsely accused of the murder, Ty is laying low and offering legal aid to those who can’t afford it. In Try Darkness, James Scott Bell weaves a legal thriller in with a suspenseful whodunit to create a masterful novel filled with suspense and intrigue.

What first seems to be a simple case involving tenant laws and who can live where how long quickly escalates when Ty’s client ends up end, leaving her six-year-old daughter an orphan. Determined to bring the killer to justice, Ty throws himself headlong into a tangled web of corporate corruption and greed that draws a trail all the way back to the law firm he used to work at.

It wasn’t until after I finished Try Darkness that I realized that this is actually Ty Buchanan’s second adventure as penned by James Scott Bell. In retrospect, the reader can see where the keys fit in to Ty’s past exploits, but in no way does it detract from the story the Bell gives us here. In fact, the previous novel answers the one main unanswered question I had. Why had he been charged with his fiancée’s murder (Try Dying)?

Tightly written and with a great storyline, Bell has created a novel that keeps you compulsively turning the page and trying guess who, what, when, and where. Suspense and tension is lightened with some more humorous moments – such as the wonderful character called Disco Freddy – created a well-rounded novel that will engage you on all fronts.

One last thing that impressed me was that although Bell is writing in the mainstream ABA market, he did not feel compelled to lace his novel with profanity or suggestive material, despite treating some sensitive subjects. While I am personally not bothered by a moderate use of these things, it is a testament to Bell’s writing that he is able to convey his point fully without it. James Scott Bell has written an enjoyable novel here. This may have been the first novel of his that I have read, but it will not be the last.

Review copy provided by Center Street.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Horror, Audio Book

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date:  March 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

Reading as a biography, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter follows the late President’s journey from a young boy on the frontier to his success as a politician and attorney.  Inspired by his dying mother’s last wish, Abraham studies, works hard, and hunts vampires.  At times he wants to just leave the vampire issue in the past, but he knows he has to rid the world of these evil creatures.  Aided by a vampire friend, Henry, he learns to identify and destroy his new enemies.

While the story follows closely with the actual history of Lincoln’s life, Grahame-Smith takes liberties with prominent events that happened in Lincoln’s history.  For example, instead of his mother dying of “milk fever,” as is recorded in the journals of history, Grahame-Smith indicates that she has actually become the victim of a vampire’s razor-sharp fangs.  A large gang war in New York is credited to the vampires, and even John Wilkes Booth is identified as a vampire.  These changes provide some entertainment in an already colorful life.

While the story of Abraham Lincoln is very interesting in itself, somehow something gets lost with the addition of vampires.  Not one to disregard a good vampire story, I found that it just didn’t work here. In fact, I read Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with happy results.

The narrator has a nice voice for this story, but does not read in much of a dramatic fashion.  There were times when it was difficult to tell if the narrator was speaking or if Abraham was speaking.  The idea to introduce vampires into Abraham Lincoln’s life is interesting, but something in it just falls short.

Written true to the vernacular of the times, the speech is sometimes stilted.  Still, there is nothing offensive in the writing; any “swearing” done in the times is seen as mild, acceptable usage today.  There is no sexual activity, and even when Abe is courting his wife, it only mentions his desire to “be near” the woman.  Again, for today’s readers, it is refreshingly charming and clean.  Abe’s favorite weapon to kill vampires, though, is an axe, so there are some scenes in which people are beheaded or struck in the back by said axe.  It is not overly bloody or gruesome so most readers should have no problem stomaching the “violence.”

Overall, the attempt to write vampires into Abraham Lincoln’s life is interesting, but it doesn’t quite work.

Review copy provided by Grand Central Publishing.

Genre: General Fiction

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

Ouise Pepper keeps many secrets. She hides her love of gardening and painting from her husband, Hap. She hides Hap’s violent temper from the church he pastors, and she hides the identity of a murderer from her family and the whole town of Defiance, Texas.

More than a year ago, a man brutally murdered thirteen-year-old Daisy Chance, but Ouise doesn’t know the killer has a new target: her. Lurking within striking distance, the killer watches Ouise try to salvage her life while he plans to end it.

Ouise hopes that if she can just please her husband, she can cool his violent rages and perhaps rekindle the love they once shared. She reads a book that promises a revitalized marriage if she can discipline herself into being the ultimate godly wife. But as Ouise desperately tries to do everything right, the severity of Hap’s abuse increases. Will Hap’s rage one day go too far or will the murderer of Defiance, Texas kill her for protecting him?

Life in Defiance, the final installment of the Defiance Texas Trilogy did not disappoint me. Much to my delight, I could not figure out who killed Daisy until the end. Ouise Pepper has intrigued me throughout the series and so I especially enjoyed hearing her tell her own story in her own voice distinctly different than Emory Chance in the previous book, A Slow Burn. After finishing the book I was glad to finally know what happened to Daisy but I felt a little sad this series is over!

Mary DeMuth writes fiction and nonfiction. I look forward to reading her memoir — the recently released Thin Places — as well as any fiction she publishes in the future.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Berkley Books

Publication Date: July 2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

David Loogan has a past he’d rather not talk about. So when he finds a job editing a mystery magazine called Gray Streets that asks no questions, he finds it the perfect way to have his past life forgotten. He throws himself into his work, earning the favor and friendship of his boss, Gray Streets publisher Tom Kristoll. Their friendship runs so deep that when Kristoll asks Loogan to help him dispose of a body – yes, a body – Loogan asks few questions and helps his friend with the deed.

But not too long after that, Kristoll himself ends up dead. Death via defenestration, or in the vernacular someone hit him hard and threw him out a sixth floor window. Ann Arbor Police Detective Elizabeth Waishkey is the one investigating Kristoll’s murder, and when more bodies related to Gray Streets turn up – some killed in a way that mirrors the magazine’s most famous stories – her suspicion turns toward Loogan.

Loogan, despite his past, isn’t the killer. And he’s just as determined to find out who killed Kristoll. With his experience at editing mysteries, Loogan turns his mind towards solving a real-life one, all while trying to avoid the police and the ghosts of his past.

With his debut novel, Harry Dolan creates a thoroughly enjoyable tale of mystery and suspense, sure to appeal to most, but even more so to writers – something confirmed by the endorsements by Stephen King and James Patterson. Dolan’s tale of the murder of a publisher, with the suspects being all members of the writing community, is quite fascinating. Well written with great reversals and twists, Bad Things Happen keeps you on your toes and makes you keep guessing until the end.

Review copy provided Berkley Books.

Genre: Historical, Adventure, Literary

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Released: March 2010

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

“How is this night different from all other nights?” This night, Passover 1862, is the night Jacob Rappaport will assassinate his uncle.

Rappaport, in order to escape an arranged marriage to the daughter of one of his father’s business associates, joins the Union Army. But when his senior officers discover that he is related to Harry Hyams, a man plotting to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, they exploit his family tie and send him to New Orleans to infiltrate his uncle’s Passover seder and poison him at the table. Having successfully dispatched this mission, Rappaport is given what might be his most dangerous mission yet: marriage to Confederate beauty, actress, escape artist, and spy Eugenia Levy. But when Jacob’s personal life and professional duty are so intertwined, where will his loyalty lie?

All Other Nights raises issues of faith, family, and fidelity with wisdom and wit, and it does so without getting bogged down in needless discursions or overabundant details. Dara Horn is adept at plotting her novel, keeping things moving but also allowing the reader to become attached to the characters. She earns the reader’s attention and desire to continue. While the chapters are fairly short, enabling unintentional over reading, they are also engrossing, making the most schedule-conscious readers reconsider whether they have time for another before errands call them elsewhere. She is able to keep the reader’s attention without using tricks and gimmicks, teasing interest without being coy. (For an example of the coy way to keep readers’ attention, I remember reading the Goosebumps series when I was younger, and almost every chapter ended with an ellipsis—keeping the reader fettered to the book by withholding information.)

What separates All Other Nights from many other plot-driven books is the author’s craft in the details. Forming a plot can become a macro enterprise, often at the expense of the micro, creating a book intended to be consumed in one sitting and never revisited. But Dara Horn has done both. Not only does she keep the plot moving, but each individual sentence shows that it has received the author’s attention. The result is a well-written novel that is enjoyable on the first read, but deep enough to merit rereading. It combines the best of adventure fiction with the careful observations characteristic of literary fiction, and the result is a success.

All Other Nights also succeeds in capturing interesting historical details by creating a believable atmosphere for the novel’s setting. In order to enjoy a novel, and perhaps especially a historical novel, the reader must trust the author to have done her homework. Anachronisms and faulty phrases disrupt the flow of the story, but more importantly they break readers’ trust, forcing readers to contemplate the details with closer scrutiny rather than allowing them to become engrossed in the reading experience. Thankfully, Horn establishes trust early in the book and maintains that trust throughout. The author’s note following the story reveals the painstaking research Horn has done to bring this book into being. Not only will casual readers appreciate Horn’s research, but Civil War buffs should be placated as well.

Dara Horn’s All Other Nights is worthy of attention, and I’m glad I read it. I will be seeking her other books out in the future.

Review copy provided by W. W. Norton & Co.

Genre: Drama

Publisher: Scribner

Publication Dates: July 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Hassan has grown up surrounded by food and the cooking of food as an art. From the youngest age, he can recall the street vendors in Bombay selling their fresh fruit and vegetables and his grandfather, teaching him how to choose correctly. These are his earliest memories along with his grandmother taking all of the ingredients they’d just purchased and making culinary art from them. With a father who is a solid businessman and grandparents who live food and cooking, it’s not surprising that Hassan has an incredible affinity for both. He’s sure that he’ll pick up where his family has begun, but when tragedy strikes, his family picks up stakes and moves to a completely foreign land, Europe.

Hassan’s family ends up in a small town across the street from a famous chef who has two Michelin stars. When his father starts an Indian restaurant, chaos ensues. Sometimes it’s funny and you can’t stop from laughing out loud at his father’s creative brilliance. Sometimes it’s tragic and painful to endure, but still, you can’t stop reading. In short, the rise of Hassan through the culinary world is a fascinating journey that anyone can enjoy. When you include cuisine, cooking and the artistry that comes along with it, it becomes a delightful adventure.

In his debut novel, Richard Morais (a longtime correspondent for Forbes Magazine) dives headfirst into the romantic worlds of Bombay, Britain, Paris and the restaurant business. Vivid description, fantastic adventures and characters that you enjoy come together with food and family to make a fun literary journey.  Be warned though. As you’re reading, you might want to go find the nearest cookbook and see what artistry you can whip up in the kitchen yourself! You may want to have snacks on hand while you’re reading. Then again, with the vivid description of slaughterhouses and some cuisines, that may not be a good thing.

The book is heavy in narrative and light on dialogue. If you struggle with reading a lot of description or like to skip to the conversations, it may be difficult for you to get into this book. As much as I enjoyed the descriptions and the opening, it took a little while for me to get really into the story. Once I did though, I blew through the rest of the book quickly, anxious to follow the journey and see what happened to Hassan next.

Morais offers up a wonderful journey that he has written based on the recommendation of a friend, Ismail Merchant of Merchant Ivory films. When Merchant suggested that Morais write a book based on their shared love of food and great cuisine, Morais took up the challenge. Unfortunately, Merchant, who passed away in 2005, wasn’t able to see this book published. Morais has developed, in this book, an honorable and gracious tribute to his late friend and it is one that is worthy of praise.

Review copy provided by Scribner.

Genre: Historical Romance, Inspirational

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Allie Miller’s life seems to be nearly perfect. Her father owns a prominent ball bearing company and she’s set to receive a fortune from her family. She’s also engaged to a fine upstanding young man. When she leaves for a short trip to be in a friend’s wedding, she realizes very quickly how unhappy she really is in her life.

Walt Novak has never been considered as handsome or talented as his two older brothers, but still, he’s an essential part of the Army Air Corps and he’s ready to lay down his life for our country. He’s also a mess when it comes to women. He can’t even speak to them without a near panic attack unless he knows that they’re ‘taken.’

So when Allie and Walt meet on a train, things become very interesting. First, Walt believes that she’s married with young children. By the time he discovers that she’s not, they’ve already developed a very comfortable rapport. Imagine the surprise that they both experience when it’s discovered that they’re both going to the same place for the same wedding. Subsequently, the two of them spend a week together for all of the wedding activities and their friendship and attraction grows. So what happens when Walt returns to war and Allie returns to the marriage that her parents have arranged for her?

Sarah Sundin’s debut novel is not your regular every day romance. If you’re looking for boy meets girl, falls in love and all is perfect, you won’t get it here. Walt and Allie both struggle with issues in their lives when they meet each other. Dishonesty, miscommunication, and stubbornness on both of their parts stand between them at every turn. And then there’s Baxter, Allie’s future husband. Oh and the war. That’s a big one too.

Sometimes, when you’re reading inspirational fiction, the mentions of Bible study, church, and every day faith feel like a misstep. It can sometimes feel as if someone crafted the story and threw all of the ‘inspirational’ parts in as an afterthought. Sundin has woven these every day moments in a Christian’s life into the story in great detail without being preachy or overbearing. As Allie struggles with obedience vs. sacrifice, we also see Walt learning the dangers of ‘little white lies.’ It doesn’t cause the story to stumble. Rather, it helps to deepen the story. There is no simple moment of revelation that drastically changes the characters from one second to the next. It’s a process that we, as the reader, follow throughout the story. So when the change does happen it’s something for which we’ve all been waiting.

The plot is fast paced, easy to follow and packed with fantastic details from the time period. From serving in the Red Cross to fighting overseas, you never once struggle with the details of the story.  Sundin’s debut novel proves that she is an excellent storyteller who gives her readers adventure, history and romance with style and grace.

Review copy provided by Revell.

Genre: Fantasy, Chick Lit, Comedy

Publisher: Touchstone Books

Publication Dates: June 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Ellie Jerome does not like being old. There isn’t one single thing about it that makes her happy. The only thing she currently loves about her life is her granddaughter, Lucy. She sees Lucy often and knows that the carefree choices Lucy has are miles away from where her life and choices were at that age. So on her 75^th birthday, she wishes that she could have a do-over. She’d like to be 29 again for just one day. And the next morning when she wakes up, she is.

So what happens next? Chaos ensues. With only ‘old woman’ clothes and an ‘old woman’ life, Ellie tries to maneuver the vastly different world of young people nearly half a century after she was that age. Trips to the bakery, dress shop and even underwear shopping are vastly different. It’s one of the most delightful and entertaining journeys I’ve been on in a long time. For those who are sensitive to such things, there is some language in the book and very honest discussion about physical relationships and attributes. It’s not overwhelming, but it is present.

Ellie’s trek through this 24 hour period of being a young woman again is absolutely hilarious. Halpern’s brutal honesty about aging and the feeling of regret is tempered by wry humor and a beautiful exploration of what makes each person the way that they are. How does Barbara, Ellie’s daughter, turn into someone that is so difficult to get along with while Lucy, her granddaughter, is a free spirit?

As I was reading, I wondered how it was that Halpern had captured the relationship between my mother, grandmother, and myself so succinctly. It was almost as if there was a hidden camera in my home for the past three generations and she was now bringing it to light. I was amazed at how such a fun, lighthearted romp could take such a turn as to be introspective and heart wrenching as well. The relationships between mother and daughter throughout the generations were explored with such insight as to give me pause about my relationships.

Though I started reading prepared for humor and a fun ride, I was surprised at the end by the depth of emotion involved. Rather than just throwing all of her previous decisions in life to the wind and embracing everything wild and crazy, Ellie became introspective. She spent time wondering how her daughter had gotten to be the way that she is and how she could get along with her better. It became much more of a mending and healing journey than just a romp through younger years without consequences. Never heavy handed, she handles hard subject material with grace and style.

29 is the perfect book to tuck into your bag for a read at the beach or for a long car trip. Halpern’s story delights, entertains and may even change your opinions about the relationships in your own life.

Review copy provided by Touchtsone Books.

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Chicklit

Publisher: NavPress

Publication Date: July 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Maya Davis is back!!! I can’t believe I started this review with that sentence followed by three exclamation points.  I will not, despite my college writing professor’s voice clamoring in my head, remove even one of those exclamation points. I may even add another at some point. I enjoyed this book that much.

Maya’s life at this juncture is all about change. She’s now dating Jack who is also one of her best friends. This transition is strange for Maya, but so far she thinks it’s a good change. She’s still trying to sort out those feelings when Jack starts at another job. She knows this means she won’t be seeing Jack all day every day at Cool Beans.  Unfortunately it doesn’t take long for her to discover that she may have to go days and sometimes even a week without seeing Jack. To say the very least, this does not sit well with Maya. And just who is this Presley chick that Jack keeps talking about? No, it does not sit well at all. Oh and did I mention that her roommate Jen is getting married to Maya’s ex-boyfriend. And just to mix it up a little bit more, Jen’s mom is not pleased about the pairing. In fact, she comes to visit and ‘take care of things’ and this visit lasts much more than their usual three day rule. Anyone remember that old adage about fish and houseguests stinking after three days? Point proven in this book.  Poor Calvin the Beagle doesn’t even know what to do with himself.

Having recently discovered the wonder that is Erynn Mangum’s writing, I have had the pleasure of devouring two of her books faster than Rocky Road ice cream disappears on a girl’s movie night. My poor husband wasn’t even allowed anywhere near the laptop for several days while I ravenously consumed my advanced e-copy of this fantastic book. I enjoyed Latte Daze even more than I enjoyed Cool Beans. I am now a certified Maya Davis fan and more than that, an Erynn Mangum fan.

Now don’t start thinking this book is perfect. It’s not. Like its delightful characters, it has inconsistencies and flaws, but they aren’t enough to take away from the overall package. The plot doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. There are no secret romances or surprise twist endings. A few times in the book you might catch your breath and be surprised, but those little spins and tricks aren’t what makes this book such a fun read. It’s the characters that make these books special. Complete with flaws, insecurities and quirks that make them more real than paper and ink, each character has the potential to teach you something that may help you become a better person. How can that possibly be fun? Learning life lessons? Really Lori? I’m sure you’re thinking it’s as unpalatable as eating vegetables and ‘health’ food, right? But trust me; it’s not like finding some way to disguise the taste of green veggies so you can choke them down. Mangum confronts her characters with their own flaws and inadequacies in day to day struggles that most, if not all of us, face. And when the characters deal with it, they’re very open about the tools they use to get past them.  Even if it isn’t the character herself that helps you to learn (Mrs. Mitchell, I’m pointing at you right now) it may simply be the way that the people around that character react that teaches you something.

Another thing about the story, you can see the resolution to many of the conflicts during the first moments you see the conflict. And really, there were a couple of storylines that I expected to go somewhere but didn’t venture beyond just a couple of pages. In fact I walked myself back through the previous pages to see if I’d missed something, but I hadn’t. Perhaps because of the types of books I’ve been reading lately, I found myself looking beyond the snafus in Maya’s life and imagining that they were going to be much bigger or more dramatic than they really were. It seems that sometimes a twisted knee is just a twisted knee and not something that will lead to a bigger situation. It became refreshing and allowed me to relax more deeply into the adventure.

This isn’t complex or difficult reading. Layered with sweet flavors that define comfort food, Latte Daze is a satisfying hot fudge sundae garnished with plenty of nuts and a cherry on top.

Review copy provided by NavPress.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central

Release Date: February  2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Casey Jordan has got this case in the bag. Open and shut. Dwayne Hubbard has served 17 years of a life sentence after being convicted of raping and murdering a college student, but now Casey – with the help of the Freedom Project – is going to get an innocent man out of jail. Better still, not only is she going to help get the innocent out of prison, the Project’s founder, Robert Graham, is offering her a cool million a year to do it.

But once Casey begins to dig deeper in, she discovers that someone doesn’t want Hubbard out of prison, and the tables turn even as she tries to figure out why, all while just trying to stay alive. Nobody is who they seem to be, and Casey can’t be sure who to trust until it’s almost too late.

For half a novel, Tim Green takes us through a paint-by-numbers legal thriller. Exciting? Yes. Fun? Yes. Anything special? Not really. Then Green gives us one masterful twist and starts coloring outside the lines. Just as you’re lulled into the expected, Green hits you hard and makes you sit up and pay attention, because this not your normal legal thriller – at least not entirely. While the book could have benefitted from a little more explanation or character development in some areas, overall Green pulls off an enjoyable thriller.

It should be noted that False Convictions does contain some language and suggestive scenes that some readers might find offensive. However the matter is treated in a way that is integral to the plot, and not necessarily thrown in there for shock value. Altogether, False Convictions is a solid book that takes a deep look into corruption and how the law must deal with it.

Review copy provided by Grand Central.

Genre: Children’s, Young Adult

Publisher: Aladdin

Publication Date: January 2010

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

I couldn’t wait to dive into P.W. Catanese’s second entry in The Books of Umber series, because I knew I would be spending more time with amazing characters, intriguing plots, and an overriding series arch that has to be one of my favorite twists in fiction in a long time. And Dragon Games does deliver much of this, but at times seems to steer a little bit to the side of its course, while maintaining the same level of action and mystery that made book one, Happenstance Found, so amazing.

Lord Umber of Kurahaven is invited to the land of Sarnica to witness the Dragon Games and the dragons captured and ready to star in the events. But along the way, Umber receives a message from Caspar, one of the only people who may know the truth about who and what Happenstance, Umber’s young ward, truly is. Along the way, they discover curses, islands filled with horrors unimaginable, and then the ugly truth about Sarnica. And Happenstance must come face to face with the person responsible for his very existence: the mysterious WN.

Dragon Games really is a rollicking good adventure – with some insanely creepy moments, such as a haunting run through the forests near Kurahaven at the beginning of the book. And there’s a point where Happenstance finds himself alone in perhaps one of the most disturbing places ever imagined in a book. I kept thinking the whole time that so many of the scenes would make such an amazing visual in a movie, and it really hit me: there is a cinematic quality to so much of Catanese’s writing – without overburdening the reader with unneeded descriptions. The suspense and action carries on to the very end, and the last page made me gasp out loud.

The only moment where things fell a little out of place were the scenes in Sarnica – and the side plot of a brutish kingdom abusing its citizens and creatures. It just didn’t seem to fit in with the overall plot for some reason. Most of it was still very interesting and good, but I kept wanting to go back to the overarching series plot line and find out more about it.

I must say though, Catanese has won a very enthusiastic fan. I really enjoy his writing, and it’s so nice to read a story that uses traditional fantasy elements, but combines them in new ways with such haunting imagery and fun adventure that it creates something completely new. Fans of any sort of fantasy would only be missing out not to read The Books of Umber. I know I will definitely be waiting in anticipation for the next book.

Review copy provided by Aladdin.

Genre: Horror

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication date: June 2010

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

Dog Blood, the highly anticipated sequel to Hater (first self-published in 2006), continues the fast-paced, thrilling story of the mysterious and violent condition affecting a third of the world’s population. In Hater, Danny McCoyne was bewildered and overwhelmed by the horrific changes “the Hate” brought to his city and his home. In Dog Blood, reality sets in deeper as Danny must battle not only those around him but his own impulses as well.

Danny McCoyne is a Hater. He has come to understand that anyone who is not like him, who is Unchanged, must be killed. The urge to kill is a physical need, and it can’t be controlled. But as time passes, Danny and others like him realize that if they are to be successful, they have to reign in their bloodlust, at least to some extent. The Unchanged have superior weapons and greater numbers and have sealed themselves inside well-defended cities. The Haters are left to roam the countryside in search of whatever food they can find. The situation is unsustainable, and for Danny, it’s even worse, because he knows that his daughter, who is like him, is out there somewhere. And he’s determined to find her.

Meanwhile, Mark Tillotsen, one of the Unchanged, lives in a city high-rise apartment, crammed in with his pregnant girlfriend, her parents, and another family. He’s a member of a search crew that forages outside the city, looking for food, supplies, and survivors in exchange for slightly higher rations. After a particularly close call with a band of Haters, Mark realizes something has to change. But what?

The story of the hero’s journey is nothing new. From John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, literature is filled with stories of a lone journeyman making his way through a world of obstacles and disappointments. Dog Blood, narrated in first-person present tense, is a new twist on an old genre, as the “hero” is a maniacal killer who manages to restrain his instinct for causing violent death only with a tremendous act of will-power. The reader is torn between wanting to root for Danny’s success while simultaneously identifying with Mark’s plight. In the end, only one of them can triumph.

Like Hater, this book is filled with gruesome descriptions of gory apocalyptic violence, but it has many tender moments as well, particularly as both main characters struggle with their family relationships. Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, Dog Blood is a fast, interesting read and will appeal to zombie lovers and those who just like a good adventure story with a novel approach built on a tried-and-true formula.

Review copy provided by St. Martin’s Press.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: February 2010

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Dog walker Rylee Monroe works in Charleston’s wealthiest neighborhood, but she lives in the poor, rundown section of town and saves every penny to support her ailing grandmother. A thief dubbed Robin Hood by the local press, targets the homes of several of her clients and police begin to suspect Rylee.

The crimes are peculiar in nature because the thief only takes one possession at a time, passing up items of greater value, only to drop it off at a non-profit organization to “sell and give proceeds to the poor.” Logan Woods, a local reporter follows the break-ins with hopes of eventually publishing a true-crime book. The deeper Logan probes the more convinced he becomes that Rylee is somehow at the center of the mystery.

Logan struggles to unravel the mystery in hopes of creating a more sensational story. Initially, he recruits the young dog walker’s help believing she may have information. A relationship develops and when Rylee’s reputation balances on a tightrope Logan finds his motivation shifting. To further complicate matters, neither Logan nor Rylee were looking for a relationship, but they find themselves falling for the other despite their best efforts.

Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand provide a great read with their novel Beguiled. Intriguing plots; appealing characters; as well as good writing all add up to a page-turning read. While faith is present, it doesn’t play a major role and the book generally avoids preachiness. I like that while both Logan and Rylee have faith in God, neither one are where they should be. Logan no longer attends church and Rylee talks to God, but doesn’t think He listens. They aren’t “super-Christians” who always know what to say and do, but flawed human beings working towards restoring their relationships with God. This less-than-perfect journey makes them realistic. Whether through faith or other aspects of life, readers can understand and relate to the struggles of these characters.

A quick and easy read, I recommend Beguiled to anyone who enjoys a good, clean romance with a mystery on the side. I greatly enjoyed this book and will definitely read it again. I would love to see Gist and Bertrand pair up again and see what other stories they can bring.

Review copy provided by Bethany House.

Genre: Young Adult, Adventure

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Dates: May 2008 – May 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

The Dreamhouse Kings is a series of books by Robert Liparulo. It’s written for a young adult audience, but rather than pigeonholing the books into a smaller audience, I’d say that this series is good for anyone in the young adult and up age range.

The series begins with the King family moving to a new home in Pinedale, California, and buying their dream home. It’s out in the middle of nowhere and it appears that the family who lived there previously left in quite a hurry. Odd things start happening around the house right away. In fact, on the first visit, the two central characters of the series, Xander and David, discover that the house isn’t your normal ordinary house.  With a huge rambling Victorian style, closets everywhere and rooms galore, you’d think that would be enough to keep the King boys occupied. In truth, Xander and David might have been happy with exploring a house full of history with tons of space, but that’s not what happens. Instead, they find themselves fighting for their lives at every turn.

Though this is a series of six books, it’s just one story that’s been broken up into six parts. That might sound like the definition of a series, but it’s really not. Some series cover different angles of a story or different characters. This series is the story of a little over one week in the lives of the King family. While you’re reading, it feels like Liparulo penned the whole thing, beginning to end, and pitched it as a gargantuan novel and it was decided to break it up for easier reading. The end of one book literally blends straight into the beginning of the next as if going from chapter to chapter within a book.

Liparulo’s writing throughout the series remains tight, the pacing strong (so strong that in some instances it may not be for the faint of heart!), and the characters believable. The stories were engaging, fascinating, and, above all else, profoundly moving. These characters start out as a normal every day family that might love each other, but in some ways, take each other for granted. By the end of the series, they are a tightly knit cohesive unit that moves together as one and won’t ever take each other for granted again.

This series is a must read for anyone who has kids that love to read or if you’re a family that loves to read together. It’s packed with excitement and adventure that will appeal to older members of the young adult set while it’s been written in a manner that’s easy to follow and understand for the younger members. Parents, this is a brilliant series to read with your kids. Packed with history that will allow you to delve deeper into the research, the books beg questions about the events that the King family experiences during their travels. It’s also filled with a great number of situations that will help parents address questions to their kids about what to do when you’re in an emergency situation. (Although honestly, if your family ends up in a lot of the same situations that the King family did, you may want to consider moving to a new house.)

Moving, touching, exciting, adventurous, educational…you name it and the Dreamhouse Kings series has it all. Liparulo has crafted a world full of amazing adventure that’s sure to please even the pickiest reader. My only advice would be to make sure that you have the next book on hand whenever you start a new one. You’ll be glad you did.

Review copies provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Young Adult, Adventure, Thriller

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: May 2010

Josh Olds’ Review:

It’s only been a little more than a week since the Kings moved to the Victorian mansion known as the old Koenig place, but in that week they’ve lived several lifetimes – nearly literally. The adventure began in House of Dark Shadows when the Kings discovered that the house contained portals to other places throughout time. The Kings’ adventure unfolds throughout the following books in the series. They, along with the reader, learn more about this mysterious house and its connection to their family. Each book ratchets up the tension, accelerates the pace, and sends the Kings into more and more dangerous scenarios. By the time you reach Frenzy, things are about to snap.

But Frenzy is the end. Well it’s not the end of the Kings’ story, more like the conclusion to this series. Unlike each of its predecessors, Frenzy does not begin where the previous book leaves of. In fact, here Liparulo does some time jumping of his own and sets the prologue in the near future. The events of the future show the reader just what is at stake and handcuffs us to the book, making it impossible to put down.

The weary and beaten down Kings, with help from Keal, determine to once and for all take hold of their destiny by defeating Taksidian, finding Mom, and fixing the future. Spanning past and present, from Atlantis to the set of the movie Predator, the battle rages on. And just when all hope is lost and the future seems too big to change, too inevitable to delay, too frightening to face, the Kings find themselves thrown into a portal that changes everything and prepares them for the finish.

In this stunning conclusion to the epic series, Robert Liparulo has crafted a can’t-put-down experience that sucks the reader into the story. For five books, he’s put the Kings through the wringer but with this conclusion draws out the themes of redemption and salvation that make the Kings’ journey through the valley of the shadow of death worth it all. And in the end, well it’s not an end. It’s a beginning.

Lori Twichell’s Review:

Frenzy. What else is there to say? It’s the final book in the Dreamhouse Kings series. Wow.

We’re starting out in a very familiar place for this series. Everyone’s in danger. Not just your normal average every day danger, but life threatening loss of limb danger.  And this time around Liparulo has ratcheted the danger up several notches with the idea that one of the major characters is going to die in this book. Right away, one of the first things we learn when reading this book is that Xander is mourning the death of his brother. (Hey, I warned you there’d be spoilers ahead!) It’s an agonizing way to begin the final chapter of the series with the reader knowing that one of his or her favorites is set to die.  As I’m sure Liparulo planned, it colors everything that the characters do throughout the course of the book and in many cases, leaves you gasping as you read.
In Frenzy, everything (and I mean everything!) is a life or death situation for some member of the King family. This is the other side of the hill on the roller coaster. There’s nothing to do at this point for the reader except to put your hands over your head and scream with delight, or hold on tight with your eyes closed. Admittedly that would make it hard to read, so you might want to consider keeping your eyes open.

Previously, I’d said that I wished there was some more spiritual content in the books. As a parent, I would have loved to see more prayers every now and then and perhaps some more leaning on God throughout. Liparulo covered that in this book with grace and creativity in spades. I was in tears throughout several areas of this book and so thankful that he took the opportunity to share that vitally important part of life with the readers in this tale.

For the most part, things get wrapped up in this book. Some things are left to wander around in our imaginations, but that’s not a bad thing. It leaves hope that maybe Liparulo will visit the Kings in their crazy house once more.  The major questions that have been asked throughout the series get answered and that’s a good thing. The King family finds out their mission and purpose in the house and that’s a good thing. Frenzy brings us full circle and that’s a good thing.

I loved this book. I enjoyed this series. My only questions are “Robert, what’s next?! Is there a door upstairs in my house that will get me to your next project sooner?”

Don’t miss our recent interview with Robert Liparulo.

Review copies provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: WaterBrook Press

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

Jonah Westfall is Police Chief for a town where next to nothing happens – until recently. Redford, Colorado is experiencing its first growth pangs as money and drugs begin to impact his peaceful village of idyllic shops and close relationships. Even more disturbing, strange animal mutilations have begun to surface along the mountain trails pointing to cultic activity or perhaps a serial killer in the making. And those are the simplest of the problems facing Redford’s chief law officer.

Kristen Heitzmann, best known for her romance novels, proves she can handle suspense with the best of them in her latest outing. Indivisible is a tight mystery with suspense that would have made Alfred Hitchcock proud. Rather than offer a murder at every turn the author instead weaves an intricate story of family betrayal and villains of the heart. Who are what is behind the bizarre crimes serves to shine the light on the many fractured and tortured relationships hiding behind the peaceful façade of what appears to be a perfect place to live. Everyone, it seems, has a lot of baggage. At the top of the list is the Police Chief himself. He is estranged from his mother, questions still plague him about his father’s suicide, and there are two lovers in his life from which he can’t quite break away, most notably Kentucky Bourbon.

Indivisible has a large cast of characters so it is easy to lose track of who’s who in the first few chapters and there is also at least one sub-plot that might have been left out. Apart from those minor asides, Heitzmann does a great job of weaving the back stories and too-present realities of each character into a unified tapestry of regret, hope, and redemption. These are real people who act and react in very real ways. Not a cardboard cutout of a hero or villain anywhere in sight. The mystery part of the story is measured out in such a way you will find yourself hoping that no one in Redford is the villain and then finally understanding the depth the other character’s disappointments might have just as easily found given the same circumstances.

This is the kind of story that is bound to offend some. Both the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Society of Easily Offended Pharisees (I made that one up) will likely share the opinion the author went too far one way or the other. Jonah Westfall battles both alcohol and past indiscretions with the woman that should have been the love of his life. A fellow officer tries to hide her pregnancy and a husband beginning to stray to the other side of the line she has sworn to protect.  Another tries to pray even as she questions whether she even believes in God. And, on the plus side, a band of church ladies that wouldn’t be caught dead with the aforementioned Pharisees. You know, like people you live and work with. Maybe like people too close to what you once were. Perhaps are.

Indivisible is the kind of novel you have to hang with at first and then won’t be able to put down. Kudos to Kristen Heitzmann for a story well told and I can only hope there will be many more like it!

Review copy provided by Waterbrook Press.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Disney Press

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

Ever since devouring a copy of Arabian Nights, I have been looking for fantasy stories set in the Middle East, and unfortunately, they’re a bit hard to find. And then I heard that Disney Studios was embarking on a new venture: a movie set in Persia and based off the video game series, Prince of Persia. A few books have now been written with the release of the film, and one of those is Catherine Hapka’s The Chronicle of Young Dastan.

Taking place before the events of the movie, the book starts out with Dastan, a street urchin who lives from day to day, just trying to find another scrap of food to survive. When an old beggar tells Dastan and his friends about the mysterious Torch of Atar, Dastan doesn’t believe it. But soon, Dastan becomes embroiled in the quest to find the mystical Torch, which has all the power of light and darkness. And with the Huns and an evil sorcerer Vindarna also after the Torch, Dastan will face the greatest challenges of his young life, and possibly the last.

The book doesn’t reveal much about the movie, except for some of Dastan’s character traits and the city of Nasaf itself, and the story ends up being completely unrelated to any events in the film. It’s a fairly quick read, and kids will definitely enjoy the storyline with its numerous chases, escapes, and tinges of fantasy. While I did enjoy the book as kind of a passing read, it didn’t ever really grab me except for a few scenes near the end when Dastan and his friends visit some ruins in the middle of the desert. The writing seemed to step up a notch at the end, versus the beginnings of the book, which is mostly filled with Dastan being chased by guards, Huns, other street kids, and even his friends. There are a few clues dropped as to the location of a crucial piece of the Torch, and they are pretty easily solved. One other thing really bothered me, but had to be done in order to move the plot along. At one moment, Dastan overhears some of the Huns talking to each other, and they decide to practice their Persian instead of speaking in their own language. Because of this, Dastan hears some very important information he would have never known otherwise. It comes off as a cheap ploy, and I wish Hapka had found another way around the issue so that Dastan still learns what he needs to know, but as a reader, I don’t have to inwardly groan over such an obvious information dump.

All said, the book is a fun one if you don’t have much else to read, and kids who see the film will probably enjoy reading more about Dastan and his life before The Sands of Time.

Review copy provided by Disney Press.

Genre: Suspense, Adventure, Young Adult

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: December 2009

Jake Chism’s Review:

Whirlwind is the fifth book in the Dreamhouse Kings series that follows the adventure of brothers Xander and David King as they travel through time via portals found in a secret hallway in their creepy, new house. And yes, that’s all I’m saying about the plot because the story is just too good to be described through any measly attempt on my part.

What I will divulge to Robert Liparulo’s salivating fans is this: When I read Timescape I was quick to crown it my favorite of the series so far. Of course that was before I read Whirlwind, and ladies and gentlemen we have a new favorite!!

I consistently find myself in awe of Liparulo’s ability to make each story better in this series, always ratcheting up the tension and mystery, giving us some answers here and there and more and more questions to keep us guessing.

As we’ve come to expect in previous installments, the time travel scenes are loads of fun brimming with wonder and possibility. What sets this book apart from the rest is the huge twist at the end that completely changes the course of this story. I never saw this coming, and I love the direction Liparulo is moving this story and the characters that I have fallen head over heels for.

Frenzy is the upcoming last book in this series, and if the events of Whirlwind are any indication, we are in for quite a ride. If you aren’t reading the Dreamhouse Kings novels you are truly missing out on top notch storytelling, dazzling adventure, and heroic characters worth cheering for. Young or old, it doesn’t matter. The Dreamhouse Kings series is a must read for any true fiction addict.

Lori Twichell’s Review:

The Kings are in trouble and this time it’s not like the previous adventures. This time, along with their trouble, they are also on their own. David’s stuck in some cave somewhere and has no idea if anyone will ever find him. He’s transported to this place from somewhere inside Taksidian’s house. That brings us to Xander. He’s still in Taksidian’s house and he’s currently facing the man himself. Where’s dad? Well, he’s stuck in a car that can barely drive and he knows that the boys are in mortal danger. If that’s not heart-wrenching drama and adventure, I don’t know what is. And that doesn’t even cover the King women!

I’ll be honest, during the reading of this book, I started getting really worried about the King boys. They’ve been through more in one week than most people will have gone through in a lifetime.  Physical ailments and pain aside, they’ve gone through some incredibly frightening situations. They’ve watched their mother being kidnapped. Their father’s been arrested. They have strangers in and out of their house while they have no adults in the house. This is some seriously scary stuff.

A lot of questions are answered in this book. We know that the King family has been searching for their mom since book one. We also know that there’s a longer history with the King family than their current crisis. What we discover in this book is what can happen when they interact directly with the historic periods that they visit. The general belief in time travel circles is that you shouldn’t mess with time. Don’t try to change it or you might end up changing your own existence. (Everyone remembers that iconic image of Marty McFly disappearing in the picture during Back to the Future?)  Liparulo doesn’t just disagree with this. He takes the theory and smashes it to pieces by making it the job of the King family to change time. Their interference, it seems changes things for the better when they do what is asked of them. Simple things like giving someone a message or picking up a hammer can change future history for the better.

Liparulo’s skills as a writer are highlighted in this outing as he gives us answers to the questions that have been plaguing us since the beginning of the series while he also gives us new questions and ups the stakes for the King family. Though this is book five, the pacing of the story has not slowed or faltered. It’s almost too much to keep up with when you’re reading and occasionally, you might want to stop and take a breather, although you may wish that Liparulo did this for the characters too.  Next up? Frenzy!

Review copies provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Adventure, Young Adult

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: July 2009

Jake Chism’s Review:

Things just became a little more complicated for Xander and David King. Not only is their mother still missing, but a sobering look into the future reveals that much more is at stake. As Xander and David search for answers within the time portals they find an unexpected ally who sheds more light on the house and the greater mission they have been called to. With a renewed sense of purpose the King family decides to turn the tables and go after Taksidian to put a stop to the evil plans he has put into motion.

As this series unfolds I continually find myself in awe of Robert Liparulo’s ability to not just write amazing stories, but also his ability to get better with each offering. Timescape is easily the best novel of the Dreamhouse Kings series, showcasing the most intense action sequences and the most gut wrenching suspense we’ve seen. Two of the time portal scenes were actually crafted from ideas students entered into the Dream the Scene contest on Liparulo’s website. In masterful fashion, Liparulo pulls out all the stops making these scenes the most memorable of the series so far.

In a young adult market saturated by commercialism, mediocrity, and unoriginality it’s refreshing to find a series like this that is not only fun to read but also challenging and engaging. These are the kind of books families can love and share together, and no matter your age you will find yourself easily immersed into this marvelous world of adventure that Liparulo has crafted. Once again Robert Liparulo reminds me of the beauty of story and why I love to read.

Lori Twichell’s Review:

We’re back again. In the house that’s haunting the King family. Not really haunting maybe. It feels more like hunting. When we last left our favorite family, they were all in mortal danger. Again. Liparulo is really good at that and I still have two more books to go. I’ve got to wonder what could possibly come after this.

First I suppose I should start with the opening page of the book. STOP! Read House of the Dark Shadows, Watcher in the Woods and Gatekeepers before continuing!  There are going to be spoilers in this review as I wrap up the synopsis, so don’t read on if you don’t know what’s happening in the series.

So, as I was saying, when we last left our favorite family, they were all in mortal danger. They’d found Grandma in time and brought her back. The boys, dad and Keal were all in the future world where they discovered everything was not peaceful or quiet. And time (yes somewhere, somehow time became a character in and of itself) decided Grandma was not where she belonged and needed to go back into the house. When we ended the last book, Toria was sitting on top of Grandma trying to keep her ‘here.’ The world that Liparulo has created is so fantastic and mind-stretching that sometimes it’s hard to believe what you’re reading. But he handles it was such grace that he allows the characters to address the craziness of their situation. At one point in this book, David is mourning the loss of his favorite shoes in the Civil War. In the next thought he makes the observation that a sentence like that isn’t even strange anymore. It’s a perfect safety valve for the reader’s disbelief.  I love this. Just when I get to a point where I’m thinking that it’s stretched so far I’m not sure I can keep following, one of the characters says the exact same thing that I’m thinking. This helped me settle back into a balance where I could continue enjoying the adventures.

In this book, we learn a lot about how the house works, where it came from and how to deal with time, but there are still a lot of questions. How does the house work? How do you get back to specific worlds? And what’s Jesse got to do with the house? (Admittedly, reading and writing these reviews while experiencing the series finale of “Lost” may not have been a good idea….) Liparulo’s timing, technique, pacing and characters are all spot on. There are no missteps here. Questions are posed but answers are given. It’s a masterful balance that gives the readers enough satisfaction with what they’re learning at the same time it introduces just the right amount of curiosity to keep the reader engaged in the story.

We leave our favorite family in much the same element of danger with uniquely different circumstances. One thing I can say for Liparulo’s mind is that he seems to have endless ways to put your heart into your throat and leave you grasping for the next page.

Review copies provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Graphic Novel, Suspense, Fantasy

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: December 2009

Reviewed by Josh Olds

The Circle Series Visual is a hardcover 3-in-1 edition of the original graphic novels for Black, Red, and White, which are in turn adaptations of the regular novels of the same name, authored by Ted Dekker. These novels retell man’s redemptive history through the medium of Story in a powerful way.

It all begins when Thomas Hunter falls and reawakens in the colored forest. At first, he thinks he is living in a fantastical dream, but soon comes to acknowledge the reality of both this Other Earth – this dream world – and Real Earth, the world of his present. He finds that when he sleeps in one world, he reawakens in the other. And the future of both worlds has been placed on his shoulders.

With information gleaned from the colored forest, which claims to be the future of Real Earth, Thomas learns that a bioterrorist releases a virulent disease, called the Raison Strain, which ushers in The Great Deception. In the colored forest, Thomas finds an Edenic type of reality, with the saga of man finding itself retold. In three stories of two worlds only one man can bridge the realities and do what is necessary to save both worlds.

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker first gained major popularity when his publisher, Thomas Nelson, declared it Year of the Trilogy and released the entire Circle trilogy in the space of a year (Dekker has since added a Book Zero, Green, to the saga). Such overwhelming success led to the graphic novel versions, here repackaged in a durable and hardcover format.

The art throughout the graphic novel gets better and better with each page. Ted’s words form pictures and we see the story come to life. Graphic novels are an interesting medium when they are adaptations from regular full-length novels. Obviously, one cannot render every scene or include every bit of dialogue, so the major challenge is deciding how to stay true to the story while yet creating an exciting visual story. The adaptation and editing team – Kevin Kaiser, J.S. Earls, Matt Hansen, Bob Strachan, and Mike S. Miller – did a great job in this respect, so while ardent fans of the series will undoubtedly note what is missing, they should also appreciate that the core storyline is maintained and that Dekker’s vision shines through.

There are many pros about this version and the graphic novel concept in general. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, for those wanting to dive into the Circle in living color, this is probably your best financial option. These graphic novels are great for introducing the Circle series to younger kids who might not have the time or attention span to consume a full-length novel, but will digest works such as this. While slightly smaller in size than the original glossy soft cover editions, this 3-in-1 is just as easily read as the original version. Text size is slightly smaller but barely noticeable.

Dekker fans who do not already have the individual graphic novels will find this a must-have add to the Dekker library. Those new to the Circle will find themselves salivating for more as they close the cover. All in all a great job by a number of people to take an epic trilogy and offer it in an exciting medium.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Literary

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Publication Date: September 2009

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

I will admit I didn’t know where The Familiar Stranger was going to take me. After reading the plot synopsis on the back, I kept thinking, “Hmm… is this going to really grab me… or is it just going to play out like a Christian soap opera?” Thankfully, it didn’t take me very long before I realized that new author Christina Berry had put together some very suspenseful ideas with Melody Carlson-esque characters. And I definitely couldn’t stop reading.

The plot opens out simply enough: typical all-American family: Craig’s a dentist; Denise is a home maker caring for their two sons. They go to church, they have a nice house, and of course the marriage has its rocky moments. But then Denise gets a phone call during church saying that there’s been a terrible accident. Her husband is in the hospital and in a coma. The family rushes to his side, and that’s when things start twisting: Craig’s lost his memory completely. And as they start to figure out his life from the ground up, they both start discovering that their typical all-American family is not quite what they all thought it was…

The writing is pretty crisp and things move along at just about the right speed — Berry gives us enough mystery to keep us wanting to figure it out, and enough of the raw emotions to keep pages turning. Actually, that’s the one place Berry really shines: in the emotions. The characters are fully formed, and the pain that Craig and Denise work through as they re-discover their lives feels real. And with some truly creepy plot twists, there’s enough to keep things interesting.

The only thing I was really worried about going in was the unique story structure. Each chapter is split into scenes from His point of view and Her point of view — sometimes the same time period being covered by both of them to give us both sides of an exchange. At first, I thought I was going to be confused or annoyed reading the book that way — but after the first chapter I got used to it, and actually found myself enjoying the uniqueness of the whole idea.

Overall, The Familiar Stranger is definitely a strong debut from Berry. And if she keeps writing such vulnerable characters dealing with such real heartaches, she will be an author to keep an eye on in the future.

Genre: Young Adult, Adventure

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: January 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Stress. The King family has it in spades. (SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the previous books – stop and go do so before reading this review!) Okay. You’ve been sufficiently warned. Proceed at your own risk. (Funny, this is pretty similar to what Liparulo’s books feel like. Look at the front cover and read the blurbs and you’ve had enough warning…proceed at your own risk.)

At the end of Watcher in the Woods, Mom is still missing and now Dad’s under arrest. Xander says he’s found her, but David’s trying to protect himself and Toria from the gaggle of police officers trying to eject them from the property. What’s that you say? Drama? Yes. And as I mentioned, stress.

When Dad finally does get taken away, the kids are in hiding upstairs. It’s not good. They believe they know where Mom is but now that Dad’s gone, they’re on their own and know that they shouldn’t try to go and save her.

To make matters worse, they know that Taksidian is behind the eviction and their father’s arrest and that being in the house without their parents leaves them vulnerable to whatever he’s got planned. Oh and then there’s that bully at school who figured out how to get into their house without even being anywhere near it! (You have to read it to understand that.)

Liparulo is obviously on a roll. Written as one story that’s been broken up into several different books, Dreamhouse Kings is an amazing adventure that seems to climax again and again but the ride hasn’t even come close to an ending yet. At this point in the story, I wish that there was a little more emphasis on trust in God. I know it’s a fantasy but the King family has been raised as strong believers. There’s more room for insertion of a little faith in some of these situations without being overwhelming or heavy handed. I also (as a mom) keep thinking ahead to who is going to help the kids and how I’d feel if my kids were on their own. Once again it adds another layer of richness while reading the books. It’s something I’m sure that the intended audience (young adult) wouldn’t recognize but as an adult with experience in writing, I can appreciate it deeply. Liparulo has crafted the story to address all of these concerns and fears while also maintaining a fast paced (hold on tight!) storyline that at times, barely gives you a chance to catch your breath before you move on to the next chapter.

His cliffhangers alone are nearly breathtaking enough to be considered evil. If it weren’t for the reassuring “NOT the end” that is placed at the end of each book, I could get very annoyed. As it is, for some reason, books four and five didn’t make it to me in the same shipment that 1-3 and 6 did, so now I’m stuck tapping my fingers and waiting to see what happens in the next segment of the adventure. My poor mail carrier will probably need to seek counseling after experiencing me in ‘wait’ mode. Should I tell him he has Liparulo to thank for this?

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Alex Morrow is a rising Glasgow detective, but unlike her male partner who has everything pretty much handed to him, Alex must fight at every step. Born poor and with no connections, she struggles against both gender and familial issues. In a still male-dominated workforce, she encounters sexist bosses and colleagues and must prove that she is as good as, if not better than, any one of them. At the same time, Alex attempts to hide that her half-brother, Danny, is climbing the shady ranks of Glasgow’s criminal underground.

Alex’s life is complicated ten-fold when a battered van pulls up to average-looking home and spits out two masked men. They crash into the house, demanding the family produce a man that is not there. Chaos erupts and the intruders flee after shooting one family member, kidnapping another and demanding an unfeasible ransom. Alex arrives on the scene to find too many holes in the supposedly random attack. The investigation reveals a conglomeration of crimes ranging from drugs, robbery, and murder to religious intolerance. As the story unfolds Alex’s dark and tangled past brews just below the surface — a volcano ready to erupt at any moment and destroy everything in its path.

Denise Mina’s Still Midnight is an average story. The plot or characters don’t offer anything new or extraordinary, but I found it interesting enough for a one-time-read. Alex is annoyingly bitter at times, which Mina could have easily remedied if she had taken more time with the challenges the main character faced outside of work, e.g., a her broken marriage. Alex’s home-life, or lack thereof, provide the potential for a compelling subplot, but Mina barely taps into it. She only deals with Alex’s marital issues at the very end, almost like an afterthought, causing the resolution between the husband/wife relationship to feel unbelievable.

I also found the characters’ lack of growth frustrating. The miniscule changes that occur in the very last chapters resemble the changes between Alex and her husband—out of the blue. Those sensitive to vulgar language should be aware that Mina doesn’t have a problem using it and she doesn’t shy away from using uncomfortable language to describe scenes such as a mother breast-feeding her baby. This novel is not for readers looking for a story in which everyone gets what they deserve. Despite some of these things, Still Midnight can be an acceptable read for suspense/thriller fans.

Review copy provided by Little, Brown and Company.

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Adventure

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: May 2008

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

The King family is back in Robert Liparulo’s next adventure in his Dreamhouse Kings series. Well, not the whole family, but we’ll get to that in a few minutes. Right now what we know is that the house is still causing no end to chaos in their lives and that the connection to their family goes much further back than anyone suspected when they arrived.

Now, they’re facing a daunting task. Their mother has disappeared into the house and they have no idea how to find her. Xander is angry at his father for hiding their connection to the house and believes that he put them in undue danger. David’s just frightened and he wants to find their mother and leave. Toria is doing her best to hold the family together, much as Mom always did. It’s not easy and it gets even more frightening when a mysterious stranger named Taksidian shows up. He lets them know that he knows more about the house than they do and that they are not welcome. He leaves the family frightened, shaken, and unsure of where to turn. And who exactly is this Jesse character who has decided he needs to leave his nursing home and go to the house immediately? Hmmm.

For the second venture into this amazing series, Liparulo’s writing loses no pacing in his plot or his character development. As the house seems to grow and evolve for the characters, so the characters are growing and evolving for us. Seen from mostly David’s perspective this go around, we get to see Dad through eyes that are a little less judgmental, and experience Xander’s anger and antagonism from his little brother’s perspective. It gives a little softer edge to the storytelling, but this doesn’t, in any way, mean that the story loses its edge. The frightening scenes are just as heart pounding and in some cases the addition of David’s tender heart allows the reader to experience the fear from not only a detail oriented perspective, but with emotion tossed in as well. This gives us a richer and deeper experience and allows us to bond further with the King family through their trials.

As a parent, the things that happen to these kids are terrifying. Even so, this doesn’t come close to the fear inspired by the ‘outside’ world, beyond the house, believing that Dad is the perpetrator of all of the kids’ injuries. If it isn’t bad enough that they’re being shot at with arrows and guns while breaking limbs, then there’s a horrifyingly real thread throughout the story of accusations and assumptions of what exactly is causing these injuries. When one could get lost in the fantastical adventure Liparulo has created, he grounds us with the reality of life outside his world and it adds a new level of stress and fear as you follow the tale.

Once again, when I got to the end of the book, I was happy to have the next book (Gatekeeper) on hand so I could start reading immediately. I am fully and deeply entrenched in the King Family’s trials and am eager to see where Liparulo (shall I call him the Pied Piper?) takes me next.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: B & H Publishing Group

Publication Date: February 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

Brannon Callahan, a former member of the Coast Guard, works as a search-and-rescue pilot for the Great Smokey Mountain National Park and on this cold, stormy day she is about to find herself in a rescue like none she has experienced before. Answering a distress call from another chopper downed in the rugged terrain, Brannon and her partner realize it is a call for help from none other than a U.S. Marshall ferrying a heart destined to be transplanted in a key witness. What follows is not only a desperate race to keep the heart viable for transplant but to survive along with her partner and others she encounters along the way.

First among those others is U.S. Marshall Roark Holland, the man tasked to get the heart to its destination. The prologue does a good job of setting the scene for he and Brannon’s meeting and interaction. Roark is a man with a lot to prove after a failure he blames on himself. That insecurity shows in his unwillingness to share first place in leading the group to safety when the rescuer and the rescued both become stranded in the huge expanse of the Smokey Mountains. Throw in child trafficking, a questionable politician, some pretty dangerous mountain people, and the human heart and Robin Caroll gives the proper mixture for what makes a romantic suspense work: a lot of heat in the suspense category and just enough on the relationship side to make one care about what happens between the two main characters.

Deliver Us from Evil tackles a subject most would like to believe doesn’t exist in America. An important sub-plot follows the desperate longing of two young girls from Thailand to escape the nightmare of being sold as sex-slaves in the land they both always longed to see. Who will succeed in bringing this despicable business in the buckle of the Bible-Belt to an end? Will it be a key witness waiting in coma for that heart lost in the depths of the mountains, a heart quickly losing viability and depending on Brannon and Roark to find some way to save it? Or will it be a brave teenage girl trapped in a land she always considered a place of freedom? Only those willing to trek along with the characters will find out.

Robin Caroll leaves the familiar confines of her previous novels set in the Louisiana Bayous and offers a fast-paced adventure in a place few would expect to find the evil she uncovers there. The technique she uses to interject the spiritual aspects of the story are unique and one I am sure would drive a guy like U.S. Marshal Roark Holland running away screaming were it not for other factors – factors like the frailties of the human heart and what happens when a woman and God enter the mix.

Review copy provided by B&H Publishers.

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Adventure

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: May 2008

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

The King family is currently in a state of flux. Mr. King has just accepted a new job in another town, so the entire family has packed up and is moving from the home they’ve always known. When they arrive in Pinedale, California, they have to find a place to live. While house hunting, they come across a place in the middle of the woods that, for some reason, captures their imagination.  So Dad, Mom, Xander, David and Toria decide that this is the house for them.

The house, an old Victorian style, has a virtual litany of very unique things about it. First, there’s no street, driveway or even sidewalk. It’s simply a house stuck in the middle of the woods. And then there’s that noise thing. When someone’s in the kitchen, it sounds like they’re upstairs or in the living room. When Xander does his exploring of the house, he gets an odd creepy feeling about things shifting and moving. All in all, it’s like stepping into a Hitchcock movie. But this isn’t a movie. It’s the King Family’s life.

Later, when mysterious things are discovered in the house and tragedy strikes, everything in the King Family’s world flips upside down and they’re left shattered, frightened, and most of all, unable to move away from the house that now holds more than just their belongings.

Having heard a great deal of buzz about this series, I approached it with a lot of curiosity and some concern. Curiosity is obvious. So why the concern? Well, it’s like this. I tend to be a little bit of a wuss when it comes to scary books. I love thrillers though and since this was young adult, so I figured I’d be alright.

For a first venture into Liparulo’s work, I am extremely impressed. I love the characters and the dialogue. The descriptions are spot on. The plot has me completely hooked. I have told my husband on several different occasions that I am enjoying the tour through Liparulo’s brain. The world that he has created is fun, frightening and adventurous. I’ve been devouring the books since their arrival and I’ve finished three in about five days. I’m waiting for books 4 and 5 of the series before I get into the final book, Frenzy.  I can say without a doubt that if you have boys who enjoy adventure or girls who like reading thrillers, this is a fantastic series. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Zondervan

Released: May  2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Do u want 2 b my friend? It’s undeniable that we live in an age where technology is putting people in contact with one another more than ever. Social networking has become a multi-billion dollar industry – be it Facebook, Twitter, or any one of the number of social networking forums out there. It’s all really good technology. Friends can stay in touch with friends even though they may not be in close proximity. Relatives from far away can see little Timmy’s first haircut because Mom uploaded to her Facebook page. But like any good technology, the depraved mind of humanity can find a multiplicity of ways to use it for evil.

In Predator, Terri Blackstock treats us to such a terrifying tale. Fourteen-year-old Ella Carmichael was brutally kidnapped, raped, and then buried alive in a shallow grave after an online predator watching her every GrapeVyne update sees his opportunity. In the face of such evil, her sister Krista and father David determine to hunt down the killer before more girls find themselves prey.

Krista goes straight to the top – CEO and founder of the social network GrapeVyne, Ryan Adkins. At first reluctant to see GrapeVyne’s responsibility in the matter, as the predator continues his rampage, Ryan finds himself risking his own job and fortune to help stop the killer. Krista and Ryan team up, but when they get to close to the killer’s trail, he turns his sights toward them.

Predator carries the theme of an exploration of the quintessential problem of pain and how a loving God could allow such evil; through the plot of the story we are exposed to the stark reality of the potential dangers of irresponsible social networking; and in subplots we are treated to a father’s agony over such loss and trauma and a sister’s determination to help those destitute and downtrodden. And in and through it all, there is a God who knows, who cares, and who weeps alongside the brokenhearted.

My only real complaint with the novel is that it explicitly tells you its purpose a few too many times. I got it. Social networking can be dangerous, and those using it should be careful. Given that the story surrounded 2 dead, 1 injured, and a killer on the loose as a result of such, it was a mantra that, while important, did not bear that much repeating.

Quite obviously, Predator was written as a cautionary tale for those of the Facebook generation, who in their quest to be loved, in their craving for attention, and in their desire to have purpose have thrown out all notions of privacy and forgotten that all is not always as it appears, and that evil often comes masquerading as light. Though it did touch upon the benefits of social networking (consider that the link for this review shall be Facebook shared and tweeted), I would have liked to have seen it do more to show these positive aspects.

In the end, Predator is a riveting story that could easily have been ripped from tomorrow’s headlines. It has a strong spiritual message as well as a clear and practical earthly message. It’s a solid thriller from a good writer, and, as this was my first Blackstock novel, I must admit that she has gained a fan.

Review copy provided by Zondervan.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Tundra Books

Publication Date: January 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Filomena, a wedding dress seamstress, spends each day crafting exquisite creations for brides’ dream weddings. As she sews each dress, she stores away ideas and plans her own gown. When Rusty, the mechanic next door, pops the big question, Filomena pours all her ideas into her dress. But on the wedding day, Filomena’s dress is so frilled, fluffed and floofed, that poor Rusty doesn’t recognize her and flees the ceremony.

Originally published in Italian, Here Comes the Bride by Beatrice Masini seems to have lost something in translation. Upon hearing this book had won a few awards, this reviewer expected an enjoyable read. But something rang false. The book felt disjointed, Filomena’s relationship with Rusty, manufactured and the bride’s young sister, unnecessary. A sort of disconnect with the characters existed within the pages.

The illustrator incorporates distorted, almost caricature-esque illustrations and elements of “found” art (like samples of lace and of newspapers) into the illustrations; this made for an interesting, if not appealing, viewing experience. The huge-eyed, red-nosed toothy characters felt out of place in a book about brides and wedding dresses and created a creepy vibe, although the attempt to contrast the subject matter was noted.

The premise of a bride becoming carried away by the wedding and thus becoming unrecognizable to her groom is a funny one, recognizable to many who have encountered “bridezillas.” But Here Comes the Bride felt sorely lacking in endearing qualities. It might prove suitable as a curiosity piece, but I doubt the book would appeal to princess/bride/fantasy-minded little girls.

Review copy provided Tundra Books.

Genre: Fantasy/Allegorical

Publisher: Creation House

Release Date: September 2009

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Allon was a paradise until the Guardians fell to the Dark Way, led by the evil spirit Dagar. But prophecy speaks of a time when the Guardians would return and Allon would be restored, led by the rightful heir to the throne. That heir is Ellis, and pursued by King Marcellus’ soldiers, he must flee. Having fled to the Forest of Dorigirth, he is told his destiny and begins his training, under an ancient master, to overcome the king and the Dark Way he follows.

The story that Allon tries to tell is a good one, filled with intrigue and mystery, romance and great battles, betrayal and loyalty. It’s a story we’ve all heard and read before. It’s a story told in Eragon, Prince Caspian, even Star Wars – all of these considered iconic stories. So while not the most original novel I’ve ever read, Allon had the seed for a story that, if done well, could bear one more incarnation.

The picture of the supernatural as painted by Lamb is vivid and quite allegorical, with the depictions of the Guardians and the Shadow Warriors clearly being representations of the great battle between the angelic and the demonic, of good and evil. The portrayal of the Guardians was by far my favorite aspect of the book.

Despite that, I had a hard time following the storyline at times because at least once every chapter, I found myself introduced to a new character. While some of these characters came and went in the space of a few paragraphs and others stayed on, it proved to be rather disorienting to sort out who was who. It seemed to me like Lamb was attempting to flesh out an entire fantasy world on a grand scope, but trying to do so in one novel made it seem rather cluttered. In addition to this, the book needs better editing. While I realize that one or two errors may creep in amongst the array of words in a full-length novel, some of these errors were just too noticeable to overlook.

In the end, Allon is a story of a boy who discovers that as a Child of the King it is his destiny to defeat Evil. Though Allon tells this story – which I absolutely love – I feel that many other books tell this story much better, for having been derived from a tried and true storyline, that is the standard on which it will be seen. To read this same basic plotline as a part of a classic, I recommend Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis. If you’re looking for a lesser-known author that tells a similar story, I recommend Protect by Paul Watson. Allon has its charms to be sure, but in the end doesn’t deliver.

Review copy provided by Creation House.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Touchstone

Publication Date:  May 2010

Reviewed by Jen Roman

In New York in the early 1900s, Ruby Thompson has faced many tragedies in her young life.  By the time she is thirteen, her parents and brother have died from Spanish influenza.  Her other brother, Nick, survives but has personality-altering damages from the flu.  He and his wife, Evie, have two small girls, and they take in Ruby to live with them.  Not long after, Evie is in a train accident and dies, leaving Ruby to fend for herself AND to care for the two girls, Allie and Amanda.  She takes on a lot of unsafe factory jobs and does all she can to make ends meet.  Finally, fed up with not being able to take care of her family, she goes to a side show owner and ends up getting a job.  She has an amazingly fast pitch, so her new boss sets up a booth where people can come in and challenge her for the fastest pitch.  She is so impressive that eventually she is asked to play on a minor league team, and in the process garners the attention of Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, and the famous boxer Jack Dempsey.  Even though she finds a good-paying job doing something she loves, she still has to face challenges: her brother, Nick, is caught up in bootlegging; the Klan is out to make her stop playing baseball because she is a girl; and a bookie blackmails her to throw some games or he will harm the girls.  Rather than being a sad and depressing story, however, Diamond Ruby shows pluck, spunk, and smarts.  She handles things with grace and nerves of steel.

It’s interesting to read a book about a female baseball player in the early 1900s because the reader sees just how far women have come.  Rights and privileges we take for granted are not even dreamed of by those women.  Diamond Ruby shows what people, no matter their gender, can achieve when they set their minds to it.  They can overcome despair and manage to triumph even with the odds stacked against them.  While there are people who succumb to tragedy, it’s nice to read about someone who overcomes the odds to manage and do well in life.  Who doesn’t love to root for the underdog?

There is very little objectionable content in Diamond Ruby in the way of profanity and sexual situations.  While there is not graphic violence, there is a lot of blackmail.  People get beat up or knifed, and in one scene, Ruby is badly beaten.  This is not described in great detail, but it is enough that it could upset people sensitive to violence against women.  In general, however, most readers should not be offended by anything in this book.  It is gritty and downtrodden at times, but it shows how the human spirit can overcome so many tragedies to succeed.

Review copy provided by Touchstone.

Genre: Children’s/Fantasy

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date: February 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Flory is a night fairy. But when flying one evening, she loses her wings in an accident with a bat. How does a fairy cope without wings? In Flory’s case, she becomes a day fairy and settles down in the garden of a giantess (human). There, she must battle hungry squirrels, spiders and other predators, all without the aid of her wings. In a huge, dangerous world, can she learn to survive?

In The Night Fairy, Laura Amy Schlitz presents the antithesis to most fairy stories—a feisty, fuzzy-headed fairy with a self-centered streak. Flory experiences remarkable character growth in this book, as she moves from a domineering outlook to one of selflessness. Her exploits fuel this growth.

At the beginning, the book’s voice feels a bit stilted, almost like an adult talking down to a child, as Schlitz sets her scene and fills in back story. But when the actual action begins, this tone seems to vanish as readers absorb the world she has, not so much created, but revealed.

This simply told story features a basic plot line that would serve intermediate readers well. Airy, ethereal illustrations and delicate descriptions emphasize the natural world in which Flory lives, a place both familiar and fantastic. So beautiful are these natural scenes that the reader longs to join Flory in her world to feast on the sights and sounds

Book after book, Candlewick Press continually offers captivatingly surreal language and illustrations: Cloud Tea Monkeys, The Magician’s Elephant and The Tale of Despereaux. The Night Fairy is no exception. An enchanting tale that little girls will cherish, especially at bedtime.

Review copy provided by Candlewick Press.

Publisher: Berkeley

Publication Date: June 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Reagan has a big problem. But she also has a plan. With nowhere to go, no family in the world, and none of the normal concerns of a teenager, it seems like there isn’t a lot of hope in her life. But then there’s Harmony. The beautiful small town of Harmony houses a tight knit community of mostly kind hearted folks that all know each other’s business. When Reagan flees the hopeless nonexistent life that she has and comes to Harmony, she knows exactly what she needs to do to fit into the inner workings of this intimate community. She pretends to be the granddaughter of Miss Beverly Truman, one of the town’s residents who moved away long ago. Miss Beverly recently passed away at a nursing home where Reagan volunteered some of her time. During the last years of the old woman’s life, Reagan learned all about the town of Harmony and also grew to love the old woman. So when Miss Beverly passed away, Reagan knew what she needed to do. And that means the small town of Harmony is her future.

Being Miss Beverly’s granddaughter gives her an immediate ‘in’ to the town’s infrastructure, but it also gives her an instant family. Since Miss Beverly left behind an ornery old brother, that means that Reagan’s brilliant plan to insinuate herself into the small town life of Harmony also means she’s going to have to figure out what to do about grumpy old Jeremiah Truman.

Along with the trials that Reagan endures to become part of this community, we also get to meet Alexandra McAllen. McAllen is the local sheriff who is drowning in the agonizing pain of having lost her brother in a dreadful incident that she feels was her fault. Every Saturday evening she loses herself in a bottle at the local bar. And every Saturday night without fail, she’s saved from her self-destructive tendencies by her brother’s best friend who also happens to be the local fire chief. He also happens to be head over heels in love with her. Unfortunately she can’t see past her own pain to understand anything more than his annoying tendency to always be right and always be watching out for her.
Oh and did I mention that someone’s setting dangerous fires around town too? Yes. There’s mystery wrapped in this romantic adventure as well.
Welcome to Harmony is a beautifully woven tale of life in a small town.  The residents of Harmony not only know each other and everyone’s secrets, but they also accept everyone’s, well, for lack of a better term, ticks. The things about people that make them odd or strange or crazy are readily accepted in this small town because that’s just what you do. No one blinks an eye that the local sheriff goes out every Saturday and drinks herself into a stupor. Everyone knows what it was like when her brother passed and no one questions her abilities because of this problem. There is no politically correct rambling, counseling or therapy in this book. People struggle with their issues and work through them the hard way. It may not always be the best way, but it works in the end. And it makes everyone tighter as a community.

I loved the characterization, the plot and the pacing. It never moves too slow or too fast and keeps you interested throughout the story. I devoured this book. I took it with me to a series of medical appointments my husband had and I finished it in a little over a day. When I was done, I felt satisfied with the conclusion of the story, but I wanted to know more. The small town and quirky characters worked their way into my mind until I, too, felt like I was a part of Harmony and when the book ended, I was sad to leave.

Review copy provided by Berkeley.

Don’t miss our recent interview with Jodi Thomas.

Genre: Literary

Publisher: Picador

Released: September 2009

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

What does it mean to be home in Gilead, Iowa? For Glory Boughton, it signifies a coming down in the world, a broken engagement, a forced retirement from teaching, and caring for her father—a retired Presbyterian minister—in his last days. For Glory’s prodigal brother Jack, whose return to Gilead after twenty years sets the town quietly abuzz, Gilead is a place of last hope, where grace might be found and new life begun.

Readers familiar with Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Gilead will already know the basic plot of the Orange Prize–winning Home. Home takes place over the same time period as Gilead, and in the same place, but it follows different characters than the earlier book. Whereas Gilead was Reverend John Ames’s first-person account of the events surrounding Jack’s return, a letter of sorts written to his young son, Home is a third-person account specifically following Glory Boughton, a minor player in Ames’s record.

Readers desiring a plot-driven narrative may be bored with Home. But what Home lacks in plot it makes up for in rich characterization. The characters are slowly, methodically drawn. Robinson’s gift for subtle observation and nuance gives the characters a weight that convinces the reader of their reality. But much like relationships in the real world, the reader’s getting to know the characters is not a quick process. The reader must inhabit Gilead in order to understand its people. Robinson does not allow for snap judgments or easy dismissals; she lets the reader know her characters in all their humanity. For this reason, it is impossible to read Home quickly. It is a book that must be savored.

And the savoring brings its own rewards. For much of the book, I liked what I was reading, was interested in the relationships that were forming, and cared about the characters. But I didn’t realize how much I cared until the final third of the book. I found myself feeling the characters’ grief, laughing with them, and desiring their good ends. It is to Robinson’s credit that she was able to produce such emotion discreetly, without the manipulative methods we’re familiar with from Hallmark commercials and many human interest stories, which seek to manufacture sentimental feelings in brief snapshots. In contrast, the feelings that Robinson conjures are the direct product of her painstaking catalogue of the characters’ lives.

The book must also be savored because of its wisdom. Home explores what it means for the prodigal to come home. Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son tells us much about his heavenly Father, but how might the story look in an earthly context? In Robinson’s book we have a loving father, worn out from twenty years of waiting, still happy to have his son back but battling his own feelings of bitterness and regret. We have a son who, while trying to enjoy the pleasures of home, still hears the siren call of the world and feels the urge to continue his travels in a distant land. We have those outside the family who know the prodigal’s transgressions, and we have their reactions to his return. And we have a younger sister, the one who didn’t leave, who still has her inheritance, but who is able to bestow the grace that seemed out of the older brother’s reach in Jesus’ parable. Robinson’s novel is a multi-layered and powerful meditation on what it means to be lost and (possibly) found.

Home is a work of genuine beauty, but in some ways an ordinary beauty. It is an escape from the fast-paced world we live in, a reminder of an earlier time, but also a reminder that we inhabit a world of ordinary graces, where the magnificent suffuses the mundane, where we can appreciate the comforts of home.

Review copy provided by Picador.

Genre: Chick Lit

Publisher:  Bantam

Publication Date:  March 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

Orphaned after her mother’s death, Emily Benedict relocates to Mullaby, North Carolina to live with her grandfather in his sprawling house.  It and the town have magical secrets: the moving lights in the garden at night, the wallpaper that changes themes, and why the townspeople hate Emily’s mother, Dulcie.  Emily befriends her grandfather’s next-door-neighbor, Julia, who went to school with Dulcie.  She is able to shed some light on Dulcie’s past, but it is the son of the mayor who can really tell Emily what she needs to know.  In the process, he opens old wounds and shares some of his own family’s deep secrets.

This story, as described by other readers, is sweet.  It’s magical.  It’s charming.  Readers will enjoy the secrets of an old Southern town.  They will enjoy remembering the fun AND the pain of high school.  They will love falling in love in the summer.  The will love to hate the snobby, stuck-up “society” people in town who try to rule others over stupid reasons.  The book is a quick and easy read that is sure to please the beach reader or the reader who just wants to enjoy something before turning in for the night.  It’s not deep and it’s not profound.  Instead, it’s a charming story mixed with a little magic.  Yes, the reader needs to suspend disbelief for a while, but it’s all in fun.  By the end, the reader experiences forgiveness and the triumph of the generosity of the human spirit.

The novel does not have a lot of objectionable content.  There are a couple of romantic scenes at the end; one is a sweet kiss between teens, and but the other one is a bit more steamy between consenting adults.  There is no offensive language or violence.  All in all, it is a sweet story sure to capture a reader’s heart.  Older teens and adults should be able to enjoy this book.

Review copy provided by Bantam.

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: July 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

In Shiver, Grace and Sam discovered each other and learned a great deal about how to overcome adversity. Now, Sam’s not changing anymore and they think they’ve got everything under control. That is until Grace nearly non-existent parents decide to step in and begin parenting with a very heavy hand. And on top of it all, Grace is sick. Really sick. And no one can understand what’s happening to her except maybe Sam. He’s not allowed to see her or speak to her. It’s dire. It’s painful. And it’s beautiful.

The bond that develops between Grace and Sam in Shiver is stretched, tested, tried, and nearly snapped in the circumstances that develop in Linger. Yet the two of them press on together with sheer will and determination.

And then there’s Cole. A new wolf that’s just been turned, Cole is still trying to figure the whole changing thing out. He wasn’t a fan of being a human. He wanted to disappear. So when he starts making connections as a human, he’s not necessarily all that happy about it.

Stiefvater has created her own fantastical universe that’s populated with mythical creatures that are realistic enough for us to believe in their existence without much encouragement. Her descriptions are beautiful. As you’re reading, you may find yourself re-reading descriptions and wondering why you never thought of it that way before. Her characters have dialogue that reads so smoothly that you can easily imagine them speaking the words directly into your ear.

As I did with Shiver, I deeply enjoyed Linger. The journey was beautiful, heartbreaking, and in many places I held my breath to see what would happen next.  And once more, as I did with Shiver, I was annoyed beyond measure with the portrayal of Grace’s parents. Targeted to young readers, I have no doubt that this was an intentional move on Stiefvater’s part, but it still rankled me to see parents portrayed this way. Add to that the idea that there were no ‘good’ adult role models for kids going through some very serious situations and I feel like it’s an opportunity lost. It would have been nice if, after creating such a difficult situation for Grace, we could have experienced a good relationship between youth and their parents or another adult.

That said, I got to the end of this book and yelled out loud that I was going to have to wait to find out what happens next. Amongst bookshelves that are currently packed with supernatural thrillers and mythical creatures come to life, Stiefvater’s books stand out with exceptional writing and beautiful storylines that engage and entertain the audience.

Review copy provided by Scholastic.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: WaterBrook Press

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

When Caitlyn Brown escaped the theocracy of Appalachia, she thought it’d be over. She wouldn’t be hunted anymore. She could rid herself of her condition—her deformity—then she could live a normal life on the Outside. But she was wrong.

With her secret exposed while trying to assimilate into life outside Appalachia, Caitlyn must go on the run from the government, who wants to know her secret. She’s been separated from her friends Theo and Billy for a while now, and they can’t really help her. Enter Razor—fast, sharp dangerous—a man with enough tricks up his sleeve to save Caitlyn, at least temporarily. But his motives are mixed and vague, and certainly cannot be trusted.

Meanwhile, the government isn’t Caitlyn’s only problem. The bounty hunter that chased her through Appalachia in Broken Angel is determined to finish the job. As Caitlyn and Razor work together to team up with Billy and Theo, Caitlyn learns a lot about life on the Outside—and about herself. It’s not just her deformity, it’s her DNA. It’s a genetic makeup that grants her ultimate power.

In a tale of science unchecked and gone awry, Sigmund Brouwer places this suspense-filled chase in the middle of an apocalyptic future where the wars have left the Americas a system of walled city-states with a rigid and harsh social system. Caitlyn must find her friends, outwit her pursuers, decide who she can trust, and finally escape to a life of freedom.

Several motifs run through Flight of Shadows and its prequel, Broken Angel. Flight of Shadows builds on the foundation of science unchecked and unmasks the horror of what man is capable of when the sanctity of life is denied. But primarily, this serves as a focus to the general theme Brouwer is presenting. In Broken Angel, Caitlyn was on the run within Appalachia, a theocracy ran by Bar Elohim where every move was monitored and personal freedoms were not allowed. Bar Elohim saw all. Flight of Shadows introduces the reader to the Outside…but we quickly discover that things are not too much better here.

Here those born in affluence—Influentials—virtually enslave the lower castes of Industrials and Illegals. Those in power can do anything to those without it—and they will do anything to retain their power. It is society taken to the extremes, a foreseeable future that should scare readers into an appreciation for what society still is, and work to make it better.

Brouwer has crafted a top-notch novel of suspense where each page deepens the plot, heightens the intensity, and broadens the action.  The page-turning action is coupled with thought-provoking concepts to create a story that pulls the reader in and doesn’t let go until the last page is turned.

Review copy provided by WaterBrook Press.

Genre: Suspense, Supernatural

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Broken – That is probably an accurate one-word synopsis of the state of Lexi’s life. Seven years ago her sister was murdered. Then her drug-dealing husband walked out on her, leaving her to scrape out a meager existence and raise her daughter. Now Warden, a figure from Lexi’s past, someone with ties to her, her husband, and her sister’s killer has come back to haunt her. Either she testifies on behalf of the killer at his parole hearing or her daughter dies.

Never Let You Go is a story about many things, but mainly it’s a story of relationships – primarily the relationship between Lexi and her daughter Molly. Molly’s all Lexi has left. Her mother has little interest in her life; her father because mentally unstable when her sister died; her husband abandoned her. Molly is it – and now that relationship is being threatened. Lexi is a lonely, flawed, and broken soul, and Never Let You Go is her story of redeeming and restoring the relationships that were once broken.

Erin Healy, in her solo debut, crafts wonderful characters that drive this wonderful drama of redemption. The supernatural elements are subtle enough to not be overbearing but poignant and obvious enough to leave you wide-eyed with mouth gaping, leaving you with the realization that not all battles are between flesh and blood.

The back flap of the novel says it “defies easy categorization.” That’s definitely true. Supernatural thriller. Suspense. A hint of romance. Healy gives us a bit of everything and the result is a starkly realistic look into the broken relationships in the life on one troubled woman. In a culture that understands neither love nor forgiveness, Healy has created a novel that teaches us a bit about both. Both bitterness and forgiveness come at a high price, and Lexi is forced to choose between the two.

Whether you’ve been a fan of Healy since her co-authored novels (Kiss and Burn) with Ted Dekker, or are new to her name, with stories like Never Let You Go, Healy is sure to enthrall and entertain, and you might even gain some perspective along the way. This is the type of novel the world needs. Real people put in real situations stricken with doubt yet catalyzed by hope. My only caution is that once you pick this book up, you won’t be able to put it down.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Romance

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

A killer is on the loose in Sophie Trace and it’s up to Police Chief Brill Jessup to figure out who it is and stop the killing. Worse than that, the situation hits a little too close to home when it involves Ethan Langley, her daughter’s boyfriend.

Ethan is home from school and hopes to spend the summer earning money to pay for school and getting closer to Vanessa, his girlfriend. Ethan’s summer plans are quickly shattered as his cousin’s roommate is murdered. Trying to cope with family issues on top of this, Ethan’s struggling to help his cousin past this horrible tragedy. Then a little girl’s body turns up and things really begin to go south in the small town. It’s not too long before things come right to Ethan’s front door and suddenly, Vanessa’s life is in danger as well.

Police Chief Brill Jessup is unhappy that all of this is happening on her watch. When her daughter (Ethan’s girlfriend) witnesses a murder firsthand, it gets way too close to home. She puts herself and her emotions aside and calls for help from another town. It’s not someone who has respected her in the past and some question her decision, but nothing’s going to stop her from solving these murders.

Since this is my first venture into Sophie Trace, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve loved J.D. Robb’s In Death books and was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a good comparison. With emotional ties that keep her closely connected to friends and neighbors throughout the book, Brill is able to systematically take the evidence apart and follow the trails wherever they may go. With just enough crime specific details to be believable, The Right Call is an emotional journey that will take you down the path of wondering how far you can trust someone when they’ve proven unreliable. It’s also a good balance of crime story/mystery and drama. With just enough danger to make you cringe, but not enough to be unrealistic, it’s a tight story with fast pacing and great characters you want to follow.  The spiritual questions are solid without overwhelming the story and the mystery is complex enough to keep you interested until the very end.

I thoroughly enjoyed my venture into Sophie Trace and look forward to whatever Kathy Herman brings to the table for her next adventure.

Review copy provided by David C. Cook.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Fidelis Books

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

The hero of this story is a twenty-six year street agent of the FBI. During his storied career he has worked undercover helping rid the world of drug dealers, pedophiles, and contract killers. Before that he was both a Marine and a law school graduate. Did I leave out anything? Oh yes – Bob Hammer isn’t even a character in Enemies among Us; he is the author! Hammer’s personal knowledge of how the FBI works and the very real war on terror since 9/11 shines through in every single page of this thriller from Fidelis Books, the new imprint of B&H Publishing.

Now to the hero of the novel: Matt Hogan is a man’s man fighting a very unconventional war on the streets of Los Angeles. He is street smart, committed, and also has a penchant for getting in trouble with his superiors.  When he wrecks a bureau provided Harley while pursuing an Arab drug runner Hogan ends up undercover at a charity medical clinic. First convinced he is chasing shadows in a dead-end assignment he realizes something is being planned by someone using the charity as a front. But who? If you want the answer to that you’ll have to get the book.

Matt Hogan is the kind of hero faith-based fiction so desperately needs. He is a real man. Hogan’s wife is a believer that loves her husband and gently nudges him in the right direction. He is a devoted husband that worships his wife but is yet to be persuaded to follow her path. Hogan has real emotions. There’s nothing sugar coated about him or this story. The battle to thwart the attempts of terrorist cells to carry out Jihad once again on the West isn’t pretty and won’t be won with flowery speeches or good intentions and our hero knows that too well.

Bob Hammer does a great job of presenting intense action, hard boiled dialogue, and not-so-nice realities without dragging the reader through Hollywood’s usual stereotypical language and gore. He proves it requires being far more creative as a writer to paint the indelible image of evil without warping the reader’s mind at the same time. He never once uses one of George Carlin’s famous seven banned words yet leaves the reader with no doubt what the stresses of this war can do to even to the best of the good guys. We also aren’t given paper cut out bad guys. Some are driven by ideology, some by fear of what will happen to their families in other countries, and some are only bad by association. In fact, even our main character is surprised by who comes to his aid along the way.

The author weaves the story of Matt Hogan’s wife, her faith, and the demons of his past masterfully into the tapestry of the novel without seeming forced. Undercover activities against terrorism and a child having heavenly visions don’t seem a fit but in Enemies among Us it all makes perfect sense – a testament to the power of this author’s voice. I can’t express enough that this is how faith-based fiction ought to be written. The characters act like people in the real world. Though much of the mainstream media ignores it, in the real world some people are kind, some are evil, some have a deep faith in God, and some have lost their way. In the real world those people walk the streets together, work together, and at times are thrown into horrible situations together.  For our hero it is in such a situation he at last finds answers, or at least the hope of answers, to the sleeper cell within his own heart.

Review copy provided by Fidelis Books.

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Drama, Supernatural

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: August 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Grace has a deep connection to the woods behind her home. With self absorbed parents that rarely ever even know where their daughter is, let alone what she’s doing, Grace is much more comfortable in the open air. As she wanders through the woods she can hear sounds and taste elements in the air that most people cannot. She can’t explain this and really, it’s not something about which she’s concerned. It’s just a part of her.  Just like the wolf attack she experienced when she was a small child. Though she should have died, she didn’t. She was saved from death by a wolf with golden eyes.  Where most people would spend their lives concentrating on the horror of the attack, Grace spent her life concentrating on the act of grace that saved her life. It is this perspective that not only helps get Maggie through the difficult times of her life, but that also prepares her for the strange events that are about to take her life in a whole new direction.

Years later, Grace recognizes the same wolf that saved her life when she was a child. For some unknown reason, she sees the wolf outside her home often. He’s always watching her. Where she felt a connection before, she now begins to think of the wolf as her own. So when a boy from her high school class is attacked by the wolves, Grace virulently opposes the proposed wolf hunt. She’s worried for ‘her’ wolf. And her worries are completely justified.

She’s horrified one day when she discovers a boy with yellow eyes lying on her back porch bleeding. It’s the beginning of the rest of her life.

Stiefvater’s tale cannot escape comparisons to the other ‘supernatural teen romance’ series that’s on the market today. With several interesting similarities to Twilight, I was at first worried that I was just reading a knock off of the popular tale.  Imagine my surprise when I was drawn in to a world that actually had some explanations, made sense, and had beautiful writing to boot.  Where I was worried I’d find only teen angst and drama, I discovered a beautiful tale that drew me in and left me wanting more. I needed to know what would happen next.

One of my biggest issues with the story was that of Grace’s parents. Well, actually, all of the parents. They were, for all intents and purposes, non-existent. It would have been nice to see some good parental figures that stuck with the kids, listened, and helped them through trials and traumas. Instead we see parents so caught up in themselves that they have little to no impact whatsoever on the lives of their children. These are kids that are basically raising themselves without any adult input or supervision. In fact, when parents do get involved, they are more a nuisance and don’t understand. Teenagers are already of this frame of mind and it’s hard enough for adults to permeate this belief with real care and concern. I would have felt better if there had been at least one set of  understanding parents who didn’t just comply with everything the kids told them to, but really genuinely helped the kids through their situations.

Other than that, the story remained tight and solid, the characterizations were vivid and beautiful and the descriptions literally leaped off of the page.  This story gives you solid adventure in a supernatural universe where Stiefvater creates her own rules about life and how it happens and they actually make sense.
Shiver is a definite must read for those who like romance and teen drama with a little of the supernatural/fantasy world mixed in for good measure. If you’ve read that ‘other’ teen supernatural drama series, definitely give this a try. You may just like it better. I certainly did.

Review copy provided by Scholastic.

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Drama

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

The story of Queen Esther is, perhaps, one of the most well known stories in the Bible. She’s a spectacular role model for young women on not only beauty, but grace and courage as well. A woman who could have it all, Esther was a simple girl who was taught how to exude beauty and grace but she was also wise beyond her years and had incredible faith. Quite simply, Esther is a voice for women through centuries.  This would explain why Esther’s story has been the subject of so many books, films and stories throughout the years.

For those who don’t know Esther’s story, she was an orphan who was raised by a cousin named Mordecai. When she grows into a young beautiful woman, her life takes a fascinating turn and she soon becomes Queen of Persia. Having hidden her Jewish heritage for the duration of her marriage, she ends up taking her life into her own hands by approaching her husband, sharing her heritage, and ultimately, saving her people from destruction. That’s a really watered down thumbnail version of the story, so if you don’t know it or want to know more, please check it out. The fact that it is such a fantastic story is probably the reason that it has spawned books and films for decades.

Chosen brings a completely new spin to the life of Queen Esther.  Imagine that Queen Esther kept a running diary of her story on scrolls and that, centuries later, these scrolls were found. This allows you to experience the hopes, dreams and fears of Esther from a first-hand perspective. Ginger Garrett does a brilliant job capturing the thoughts and the voice of the famous queen.  Even as a queen, the frightened young girl shows through just enough for the reader to remember where Esther’s story began, but also gives you insight into the mind of a Queen.

Taking such a well known story and giving it a new spin is always a gamble. This can be especially difficult when you’re putting words into the mouth of a Biblical character. This is how I approached Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther. I grew up with Esther as that role model and, since she’s a favorite of mine, I approached this story with some trepidation. Thankfully, my worries and concerns over the possible downfalls of the story were not founded. Garrett managed to give this story a beautiful twist that allows faithful Esther devotees a new perspective on a beloved tale. Filled with beautiful description, amazing characters and, most importantly, the great queen’s voice, this is a story you don’t want to miss.

Review copy provided by David C. Cook.

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Supernatural

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: May 2010

Jake Chism’s Review:

Kemp McAvoy has pulled some fast ones in his time, but nothing like his latest brainchild. Movie star Olivia Hayden has just been hospitalized after a car wreck, and Kemp is the nurse assigned to her in the ICU. Disgusted with is own life and lack of wealth, Kemp develops a get rich quick scheme involving his famous comatose patient and his own impersonation of an angelic being. If all goes according to plan, Olivia Hayden will wake up with a message from an angel that must be published and Kemp and his fellow conspirators will make a fortune from the proceeds. Unfortunately, Kemp will soon find out that impersonating an angel isn’t always the best idea.

Tim Downs takes a break from bugs and cadavers to treat his fans with a quirky tale that is fun to read and impossible to put down. On the surface, this plot seems extremely far-fetched, but Downs really nails this one with his tightly woven storylines and unforgettable characters. Kemp McAvoy might just be the most annoying character I’ve ever read, yet at the same time I had so much fun following his every ill conceived move. Perfectly nestled amongst the shenanigans is a nice little love story and a subtle, yet strong theme about belief in things unseen.  There isn’t a wasted word in this novel and Downs’ research really gives this story the depth it needs to hold the reader’s attention.

I had no idea what to expect from this story on the front end. To be sure this was a risky move on Tim Down’s part, especially after the cliffhanger ending of his last Bug Man novel. However, I’ve walked away from this one with an even greater appreciation for Down’s storytelling ability. Bugs and cadavers or angel impersonating con men….if Tim Downs’ name is on the cover you can be sure I’ll be reading it.

Tim George’s Review:

Kemp McAvoy is drop dead handsome, a medical school graduate, and a genius. If you don’t believe the genius part just ask him and he’ll tell you. Kemp is a nurse, which should give you an idea something went wrong after medical school. What he comes up with to finally make it big is also a clue our non-hero is only a genius in his own over-inflated ego. The scheme is simple – convince an actress in a drug induced coma after a car wreck to believe he is an angel come to give her a new message for the world, get her to write a book about it when she wakes up, and rake in the millions after the fact. Thus begins the funny and yet insightful Wonders Never Cease by Tim Downs. If you are one of those who get mad when a reviewer gives away the plot, take a breath; it’s the characters and how Downs tells the story that makes this novel worth reading.

Most of the people in this story are as vapid as the city they live in, Hollywood. Among them are the actress’s agent that has been watching his cash cow slowly dry up over the years, a book publisher desperate to find a replacement for his one best-seller (Lattes with God), and a loan shark from the east coast who has already extended far more credit to Kemp than he ever should have. Were it not for Kemp’s girlfriend, her six year old daughter, and a hospital custodian named Emmet one might give up on the whole human race.

Did I mention the little girl really does see angels?  The irony is her Christian school insists she have counseling after she tells her story during a See and Say Session in class. One can hardly miss the satire of the whole thing. On one side we have a greedy confederation of users with no qualms about duping the whole world with fake messages from a fake angel and on the other side people who say they believe in the supernatural but fall all over themselves in questioning the validity of the girl’s visions. As the plot plays out we are given a too real vision of the consumer driven pop-culture religion of our day. Downs throws in everything from Oprah to Dr. Oz to make his point.

Tim Downs is best known for hard boiled suspense like Plague Maker, Head Game, and his popular Bug Man series. Good for him for stepping out of his comfort zone and giving us this sometimes charming, sometimes cutting parable of greed and faith. The writing is sharp with some of the best dialogue the author has ever written. Wonders Never Cease will make you laugh out loud and hang your head in shame all in the same moment. And the ending? I didn’t see it coming until it was almost on top of me. It will make you wonder if perhaps you have entertained angels unaware this very day.

Don’t miss our interview with Tim Downs.

Review copies provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

Special Agent Nicole Hedges, Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce, and crime reporter Cassidy Shaw are back in Lis Wiehl’s second installment of the Triple Threat series, Hand of Fate. If you missed Face of Betrayal, these three professional women are high school friends who reunited over a triple threat chocolate desert and now collaborate from time to time on cases of interest to each.

When radio personality, Jim Fate, is murdered in what at first appears to be a terrorist attack the three women find their careers and personal lives intertwined once again. Fate, a not-so- veiled replica of the Rush Limbaugh’s and Glen Beck’s of the real world, is murdered in his radio booth and the city of Portland is thrown into panic. The first chapters of the novel scream forward at a dizzying pace as we are given an inside view of how quickly mass hysteria can grip a city in our post 9/11 world. And, our three heroines find themselves personally sucked into the ensuing events.

As before, each of the main characters must face personal issues often more daunting than the murder they are investigating. Cassidy continues to face the reality of younger faces in the television journalism world and the consequences of how she has tried to defy age. Allison has yet to tell her friends she and her husband are finally expecting a child. Nicole is still raising a young daughter alone as she balances her FBI duties with motherhood. Issues of faith are presented through the eyes and hearts of each of these women: the shallow news reporter, the true believer, and the hardened agnostic. It is the complexities of this relationship that are most interesting about the series.

Though handled with more maturity than her debut novel, Lis Wiehl and her co-author April Henry give us an ending that still seems hurried. For such a great buildup the conclusion is a bit disappointing. Hand of Fate is what we call in my part of the world, a beach book. If you are looking for intricately woven plots and thought-provoking dialogue you may want to look elsewhere. But if you want a fun read, with strong female leads doing something more than falling for the first hunk that comes along, this one just might be the ticket.

With Heart of Ice coming next year, the Triple Threat Club isn’t finished so perhaps we will still see the satisfying ending I believe this writer is capable of. Until then, grab a chair, find something chocolate, take the afternoon off, and join Cassidy, Allison, and Nicole as they look for a killer.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher:  Doubleday

Publication Date:  January 2010

Reviewed by Jen Roman

As her seventeen-year-old daughter announces, “I’m pregnant,” Susan Tate relives the exact same scenario as she tells her mother she is pregnant.  As she finds out that her daughter and her friends have a “pregnancy pact,” she is dismayed because they are so young.  The girls are all smart, accomplished, and headed to college—until this life-changing event.  Susan, the local high school principal, has to deal with local outrage because of the “pact behavior,” and her job is jeopardized as people believe she is a bad role model.

Not My Daughter addresses several issues that have become hot topics today.  She addresses teen pregnancy and family reaction.  She addresses the role a mother plays in her child’s life, and how long a mother had influence over her child.  There is the “pact” behavior, and just as important, the town’s judgment on someone in an authority position.  While she addresses some well, there are others that miss the mark.  For example, when the girls first tell their parents they are pregnant, the parents react with the expected shock, dismay, and disappointment.  However, not long after, they start to look forward to the babies arriving.  They in no way indicate that it is easy living with their daughters’ newborns, but they just seem to shake it off as though the girls got a bad grade on a test.

What are especially frustrating are the attitudes the girls have towards being teen moms.  They think it will be “fun” to raise their babies together and think that because they served as nannies the summer before, that they will be “wonderful” moms.  When one of the mothers points out how expensive babies are the girl replies that her parents have good jobs and good insurance.  While it’s probably not the best move to throw a pregnant girl out into the street, the girl should understand just how much is sacrificed, both financially and emotionally.  With the typical optimism of youth, the girls just don’t understand what an undertaking carrying a baby to term and being a mother can be.  Sadly, in this writer’s opinion, these issues are only slightly addressed, and when they are, they all work themselves out.  For example, the girls think that raising a baby will be easy.  As it turns out, one experiences a scare regarding her baby’s health, but he turns out to be fine and is actually an “easy” baby.  The girls have to forego attending college right away, and it feels a little odd when their friends return on breaks, but their college friends spend so much time cooing and paying attention to the babies, that it doesn’t seem to be that bad.  Overall, I was disappointed that the consequences of the actions were thoroughly discussed.  Reading this book as a teen, I would think that having a baby at seventeen is a breeze.

Besides the concerns mentioned above, there is little objectionable content in the line of foul language or inappropriate situations.  There are a handful of implications toward sexual intercourse, but it is not graphic.  The biggest caution in this story is the lack of seriousness when facing the consequences of being a teen mother.

Review copy provided by Doubleday.

Genre: Literary

Publisher: Europa Editions

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

At seventeen, Sascha Naiman has two goals in life: to tell the world about her mother’s life and death in a book and to kill her stepfather, Vadim, who brutally murdered her mother. While choosing the how and why of her stepfather’s murder, Sascha and her two younger siblings live a pretty normal life. Sascha is torn between her murderous hatred for Vadim (and the self-destruction that comes with it) and moving on after her mother’s death and escaping the terrible circumstances of her youth.

Overall, Broken Glass Park was a powerful read, somewhat similar to Steven King’s short story, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.” Sascha is smart, engaging and her story resonated with me and lingered in my mind several days after reading it.

However, any readers who are sensitive to strong language, violence or sexuality should avoid this book. I found the graphic content necessary for readers to grasp the horrors of Sascha’s life.

Alina Bronsky’s German novel, Scherbenpark, was published in 2008. Tim Mohr translated it into Broken Glass Park in 2010. I look forward to reading more books by this author as they are translated into English. Sascha’s struggle is totally believable and this book vividly reminded me of the destructive power of revenge and the ever-present quality of hope.

Review copy provided by Regal Literary.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by Jake Chism

The President of the United States is the most protected man in the world, at least that’s what President Tom Duncan thought. All pretense of security vanishes when he falls victim to a weaponized strain of Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disease that kills without warning.  To make matters worse, it seems the President is just the beginning. Brugada will soon wipe out the world’s population if a cure can’t be found.

Enter the Chess Team, a Special Forces unit that is the best of the best. King, Queen, Rook, Knight, and Bishop have fought their fair share of enemies, but none as deadly as this silent killer. They are quickly dispatched to the jungles of Vietnam where this new strain originated. CDC agent Sarah Fogg joins the team as they traverse the rugged terrain in search of a cure. Standing in their way are the Vietnamese Special Forces who will stop at nothing to wipe them out. Unfortunately for the Chess Team, these VPLA Death Volunteers are the least of their worries. An ancient darkness is lurking and waiting to destroy them all.

Jeremy Robinson is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers and Instinct only furthers the cause.  Our heroes from the Chess Team are back in grand style and in true Robinson fashion, the action and the thrills never let up. The jungles of Vietnam are the perfect backdrop for this all out fight for survival. Just when we think the environment couldn’t be more grueling and lethal, we’re treated to an ancient underworld that adds a creepy, yet fun dimension to the story.

Instinct is pure escapist fiction, the kind of novel that you love to get lost in.  Jeremy Robinson sets out to entertain and he does so wonderfully, giving us a well researched plot laced with top notch action sequences. After reading Pulse I wanted to see the main characters fleshed out more, and I did walk away from this installment feeling like I had a better feel for each member of the Chess Team.

I was surprised at a major reveal in only the second book of this series, but on the other hand it’s refreshing to know that Jeremy Robinson is proving to be an author that rewards his readers. This reveal has the potential to really make for some intriguing storylines and I can’t wait to see what’s next. In the end, we’re also left with a nice little surprise that will leave fans hungry for more.

Review copy provided by Thomas Dunne Books.

Genre: Historical

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Mary Sutter, a young 19th century midwife living in New York state, wants more. She longs to be a doctor. Sadly, medical schools will not accept her because of her gender. In desperation, she turns to James Blevens—a doctor whose aid she came to during a dangerous delivery. But Blevens, who has enlisted as a surgeon in the approaching Civil War, turns her down.

Then Dorothea Dix, a national figure, issues a call to the North’s women: nurses are needed. Mary hurries to the capitol, despite the fact that she is too young for service under Ms. Dix. Rejected once again, she finds a role in the Union Hotel Hospital, a squalid, filthy hovel where she assists Dr. William Stipp, who, ironically, is the man who trained Blevens. There, Mary strives to care for the flood of injured and ill men who arrive, but with so little known about medicine, both Stipp and Mary struggle to save lives. Torn between returning home to help deliver her twin sister’s child and the overwhelming needs in Washington, Mary must make the difficult choice between familial duty and her dreams of medicine.

In My Name is Mary Sutter, a historical piece set during the opening of the Civil War, Robin Oliveira creates a bitter, chaotic world where blood, filth and perseverance dominate. The wounds of war scar everyone and she portrays this clearly in this work. Historical details abound, sure to please the most avid amateur historian—Lincoln, John Hay and McClellan are featured among the cast of characters included here—although, these scenes read more slowly and this reader hurried through them to reach Mary’s story.

A bit disappointing was Mary’s persistent stoicism; it prevented the reader from truly empathizing with this character at a deep level. Understandably, this is a prime trait of this character, but readers would have benefitted from an occasional lapse in Mary’s outer restraint as a means of character growth. However, the ending does show a crack in this demeanor which was a relief.

Oliveira’s debut novel offers a wealth of period details and is a well-crafted look at the horrors of the Civil War from the rare perspective of a female medical professional. Readers feel immersed in the wretchedness of the war; our sense of helplessness easily parallels what Mary feels as she tries to treat patients at a time when little is known about treatment.

Review copy provided by Viking.

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Drama

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: January 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Sophie Ramsay has a problem. She’s the editor of the school newspaper. She’s an example of a ‘good kid’ to most of the other teenagers she knows. And, after a summer away from home being a counselor at a camp run by her church, she’s pregnant. She’s not a screw up. She’s not unintelligent. She’s simply a teenager who made a mistake and has no idea how to fix it. Can it even be fixed?

The story is simple, easy to understand and there aren’t any really big surprises as you’re reading. This does not, by any stretch of the imagination mean that the story isn’t enjoyable. The plot moves pretty quickly as Sophie’s teenage mind tries to absorb (in a first person perspective) what’s happening to her body, what’s about to happen, and what she really hopes happens. There are moments when you feel like yelling at Sophie (like when she doesn’t tell the truth) but more often than not, you just want to wrap your arms around her and give her a hug.

There is, throughout the course of the book, a raging debate. It is a chicken/egg concept that revolves around the very serious topic of teen pregnancy. What is the best way for a Christian to deal with a teen pregnancy? Is it by providing resources and loving the kids through their trials? Or will doing that provide an environment of acceptance that will create more and more teenage pregnancies? The heart of the debate is the central core of the story.

Melody Carlson brilliantly captures the mind of an intelligent, charismatic young girl caught up in a mistake of epic proportions. There’s no debate of what’s right or wrong. Sophie knows, without a doubt, that she should not have slept with Dylan. She understands this implicitly and it is very obvious throughout the course of the story.

Though the story delves brilliantly into the mind of a teenager in this situation, it feels empty in places. We meet Sophie after she’s already slept with Dylan and her view, in retrospect, is very obviously not one of a girl in love. The complete divorce from emotion or feeling and no description of the relationship that developed with Sophie and Dylan makes it a little more difficult to be empathetic to her situation. If we had been given more of a glimpse into the emotion of the moment, it might have been easier to have some sympathy. Although honestly, I’m not sure that Carlson intended for us to have that sort of sympathy for this main character. There’s an obvious tone of self-deprecation and guilty overtones throughout. Sophie knows she messed up and, as is often the case in reality, she has a harder time forgiving herself than other people have forgiving her.

The end of the book comes nearly crashing in on the reader. After following months of Sophie dealing with the ins and outs of pregnancy and trying to hide it from everyone, it feels as if things end anti-climactically. It’s almost as if the point of the book was not to really carry Sophie through her pregnancy, labor, and the difficult time after, but just to cover the debate mentioned above. The labor, delivery and adoption are all glossed over as well as a relationship that appears to be developing with another boy from school, despite her pregnancy. I would have liked to have seen what happens next, in the days and weeks afterward, and how Sophie is able to deal with the fall-out from her decisions. It also would have deepened the story to find out how Sophie moves on after such a traumatizing experience. What happens later at school? Church? With her parents? Perhaps this is something Carlson will look into exploring later. For now though, Anything But Normal was a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a teenager under immense pressure and life altering circumstances. I would recommend it for any teenage girl considering sex and any parent of a teenager or friends with someone who is pregnant. It definitely helps give a new perspective and one that might help minister to those dealing with this situation.

Review copy provided by Revell.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: May 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

The Chess Team has battled its fair share of monsters, albeit monsters of the human variety. Nothing can prepare Special Forces Commander Jack Sigler (“King”) and his team for the mythical nightmare they will soon face.

An ancient relic has just been discovered in Peru that contains the DNA of the legendary Hydra monster that was defeated by Hercules himself. Richard Ridley, head of Manifold Genetics, sets out to distract the DNA in order to bio-engineer an army of soldiers that have the ability to regenerate, thus making them immortal.  The Chess Team is tasked with stopping Ridley before he can get his plans off the ground. If only it were that easy….

I love it when I discover a new author that knocks my socks off and leaves me wondering how or why they have previously flown under my radar.  That’s exactly what was going through my mind when I tore through Pulse with reckless abandon.

Jeremy Robinson’s writing leaps off the page with his over the top characters, awesome action scenes, and stunning locations. This is pure adventure escapist fiction and as other reviewers have pointed out, all of the woman are gorgeous, all the men are bulked out GQ models, and all of the villains are as a nasty as can be. And Robinson’s writing is so great that we don’t even care.

Pulse does contain the type of violence, language, adult content and gore that you would expect from a hard core thriller and readers should not be surprised to find those elements here.

The thriller genre is bursting at the seams with authors trying to make their mark with their own unique style. Jeremy Robinson is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is at times saturated with unoriginality and cookie cutter plots. This guy is the real deal and deserves his share of the spotlight.

Review copy provided by Thomas Dunne Books.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Water Brook

Release Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Imagine a future where you could know everything. Imagine a future where you could live forever. Imagine a future where technological innovation has created a synthetic brain capable of making all that possible. Sounds great! But imagine a future where Christianity is a thing of the past. Imagine a future where you just might be The Last Christian.

It’s A.D. 2088, and Abigail Caldwell is, for the first time in her life, emerging from the New Guinea jungle where she’d lived with her missionary parents among the Inisi tribe – Earth’s only remaining primitive people group. She is the sole survivor of a mysterious jungle disease that literally ate the brains of the afflicted.

She finds herself thrown into an alien culture of technology, where people are as apt to live out their lives in virtual reality as in physical reality, where with the Grid – the Internet’s great-grandchild – people can store their memories and their dreams for later viewing, a world where Christianity has died out.

Abby receives a message from her grandfather – sent 16 years prior but never received – that sets her on a path, a mission: To reintroduce Christ to America. But amid all of this is the hubbub around Bryson Nichols and his silicon brain. Humans, who were already living well into their hundreds, would now be able to download their neural networking into computer software and be implanted with a synthetic brain, allowing humans to virtually live forever.

Only one problem. When the brain goes, so goes the soul. And with the soul, the spirit of God in believers. And that might not even be her biggest problem. Abby teams up with Professor Creighton Daniels, and together they stumble upon a plot to convert all of humanity to this transhuman status, a plot that will kill millions and forever leave the living with no chance of connecting with God. Just from the jungle, Abby can barely comprehend this new technology before she is forced to run for her life while trying to uncover those behind this plot.

The Last Christian is one of the most unique books I have ever read. It’s fairly heavy-handed on the preaching element, even to the point of quoting Scripture several times, but it’s not preachy. Instead, it serves to naturally develop one of the characters. It delves into deep philosophical issues such as the connection between the soul and the body, but it doesn’t bog down the action. So while this novel is built very deeply on some very deep topics, Gregory doesn’t let these details get in the way of the story, rather he manages to make it enhance the story.

Despite its futuristic scenario, Gregory manages to plausibly depict a culture where technology is god, and God is dead, and what the ramifications of that might be. It’s superbly written and shows tremendous insight into the deeper issues of theology and philosophy that provide the book’s foundations. It’s a smart, intelligent thriller that will leave you gasping, but beyond that, thinking.

Novels written to critique modern rationalism and materialism, ponder the metaphysical ramifications of the connection of the brain and soul, or present the Gospel clearly and emphatically as a rule never, ever work. David Gregory must not have known this rule because The Last Christian combines all three and pulls it off magnificently.

Review copy provided by Multnomah/Waterbrook.

Genre: Supernatural, Mystery

Publisher: B&H Books

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by James Andrew Wilson

Micah Taylor is set to become the next Bill Gates, raking in millions of dollars as a software tycoon in Seattle, living in a top floor pent house apartment, and traveling the world with a gorgeous female assistant.

Then he receives a cryptic letter from a great uncle who says he’s built a house for Micah. A huge, nine thousand square foot house in Cannon Beach, a place with too many painful memories that Micah can’t seem to escape.

So it’s a big house. He doesn’t need it. He’ll just sell it and move on.

But something about this house isn’t quite normal. Rooms are appearing that weren’t there before. There is a painting that seems to be painting itself. A voice speaking from the darkness. Mysteries and questions that probe into Micah’s soul and force him to examine his life as never before.

Rooms is a book that asks the question: What would you find if you walked into the rooms of your soul? It’s a compelling thought, and James L. Rubart does an admiral job mining its potential. But it wasn’t the supernatural concept that kept me reading as much as the fact that I enjoyed being in the head of the main character, Micah Taylor.

Too often in Christian fiction, non-Christian characters are presented as these tortured, unhappy individuals who know that something is missing but stubbornly refuse to accept the truth. Micah was happy before he inherited this bizarre house. He was sharp, witty, good-looking, a generally good guy. The rooms in the house turn him introspective, but not in a way that feels unrealistic or like a sermon crammed into a novel.

The book moves along at a brisk pace, though I found myself waiting for some big twist to happen that never really did. Maybe it was the eerie cover art, but I was under the impression that this was more of a suspense/thriller than a casual mystery/romance novel. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you understand that going in.

Rooms would make an excellent book to take to the beach or on vacation. It is entertaining and spiritually challenging. Other reviews have highlighted the similarities between this book and a certain little bestseller, but I will just come out and say it: Rooms is better than The Shack. It probes theological ideas in a way that doesn’t leave you confused and scratching your head, but instead examining your heart.

Review copy provided by B&H Books.

Genre: Historical, Romance, Adventure

Publisher: Realms

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Valerie Fontaine is a beautiful young woman with the world at her feet. Daughter of a wealthy business man, she is educated beyond the average of most girls her age, she has grown up in comfort and she is self assured and filled with everything that society holds in high regard. And yet, when her mother passes away, everything that she had planned for her life gets swept away and lost in a tumult of grief and misunderstanding. Not sure of what she should do next; she leaves school without her father’s permission and ventures home. Her travels take her across several states in a land that is preparing for civil war.

When she arrives, she is bitterly disappointed to discover that her father, lost in his own grief, wants nothing to do with her. Instead, he pushes her toward a relationship with a young man that she has known for her entire life. Unfortunately James Ladden is not the gentleman that either of them imagined. Rough and completely disrespectful, Ladden assumes that Valerie will be his and he has no problem treating her as if she already belongs to him.

Enter Benjamin McCabe. The opposite of James, McCabe is the son of an acquaintance of her father. With her father indisposed by his grief and increased drinking and gambling, the task of entertaining Mr. McCabe is left to Valerie. Unsure of what her role should be and how to handle this unexplained acquaintance, she discovers very quickly that Ben McCabe is a man she would like to know better. Her young tender heart turns very quickly toward the handsome and gentle man and she discovers, as their friendship progresses, that the two are more compatible than they’d realized.

When I started reading this book, I was certain that it was going to be a typical period romance where the two very attractive people that, at first, don’t look like they belong end up together. Then we get the happily ever after…yadda yadda yadda. You know what I mean. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was much more to this than the typical romance. With some intrigue, twists and surprised, Boeshaar has crafted an enjoyable tale that takes us not only into the opening stages of a romance, but into the depths of what happens after ‘I do.’ And she’s done it in a delightful way that will keep you entertained and engaged with these wonderful characters. She’s done a great job creating not only a tense storyline with a mysterious plot, but building into the love story in a very real and honest way. I am very happy to see that we have more work from Boeshaar to look forward to this fall.

Listen to our interview with Andrea Boeshaar here.

Review copy provided by Realms.

Genre: Science Fiction, Horror

Publisher:  Scribner

Publication Date:  January 2008

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

As the result of a debilitating accident at work, Edgar Freemantle loses his arm and has significant damage to his hip and leg.  His brain also undergoes a transformation, as he loses some memory and language abilities.  Unfortunately, his wife is not able to deal with his new condition, and she divorces him.  To try to put his life back together, Edgar decides to spend some time away from Minnesota and chooses an island called Duma Key.  He rents a home and puts his old life in the past.  He makes an effort to exercise and to rehabilitate his body, and one of his goals is to wean himself from his strong painkillers before he becomes addicted.  He starts taking daily walks on the beach and each day goes farther and farther down the beach.  Once he finally gets to the next house on the beach, he meets a man named Jerome Wireman, the caretaker of the elderly and wealthy patron of the local art scene.  They become fast friends and share their difficult pasts.  Edgar eventually meets, and befriends the lady, Elizabeth, as well.

While on Duma, Edgar decides to take up painting again, which he dabbled in years before.  This time, however, he shows a talent he never knew he had.  He paints very odd, yet striking, paintings that seem to predict the future.  He learns that he is both receiving and sending messages to his new friends.  These messages tie him to both Wireman and Elizabeth in ways that they never would have imagined, and almost don’t want to know.  There is an evil lurking behind the painting talent, and it takes Edgar and his friends all they have within themselves to try to destroy that evil.

Stephen King seems to have two different styles: the truly horrific stories of ghosts and goblins, and the science fiction, otherworldly kind.  This one seems to fall under the latter.  The storyline focuses on real people with real issues, but at the same time, there is an evil force and an unknown power directing them.  Compared to others in this genre (The Tommyknockers, Desperation, Hearts in Atlantis), this one does better.  The characters are very likeable and the reader finds himself rooting for the characters.  Much of the information is mundane, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem as the reader absorbs everything happening all at once.  The evil is not so “out there” that it’s just too unbelievable, so it works.  True to form, however, King is wordy.  This book is big and long, and it does take a while to get through it.  For those looking for a light, quick read, this is not it.  For those looking for a serious book that will scare them, this is the right one.

As is Stephen King’s nature, he refers to pop culture from the 60s and 70s, so some of the references may not be acceptable in today’s more PC culture.  He uses profanity and violence, although they are not as common as they are in some of his other novels.  There is a bit of discussion about sex, but not much of it happens in this book.  King instead relies on just plain scaring the wits out of the reader to make the book entertaining.  He describes Edgar being alone in his house, at night, during a thunderstorm, and when he turns around, he is face-to-face with ghosts of children who died almost a century ago.  Those elements definitely cause the reader to jump, but not because of “blood and guts” gore.

All in all, Duma Key is a good story.  It doesn’t compare to some of King’s previous works, but it has the characters, the storyline, and the bump in the middle of the night to make it scary and entertaining.  King fans should be happy with the results.

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Jane Austen is amazing. Pretty much everyone on the face of planet Earth knows this information right? The facts support this. Movies, books, active fan clubs…  There’s even an eHow site that tells people how they can best become an Austenphile. No matter whether you’re a fan or not, you have to admit that those are pretty impressive numbers for a woman who has been dead for almost two hundred years.

The problem is that Georgina Jackson, award winning and critically acclaimed author, has no clue about anything to do with Austen. She’s never read any of her books and she knows nothing about her life. Why is Georgina’s lack of knowledge such a problem? Because when several hand written pages come to light as the beginning of an unpublished Austen novel, her publisher and agent pressure her into completing the novel. Over her head and pushed for 120,000 words on deadline that would make even the most prolific author crumple into a ball of despair, Georgina does the best thing she can. She runs.  Unfortunately in England, there’s nowhere that she can escape from Jane Austen. Even her best friend has started a business that is Austen-centric. Without intending to, she finds herself learning more and more about the grand lady herself and her followers.

I love Austen. Anyone who has seen my reviews on the site knows that. I am, however, cautious about books having to do with Austen. In my personal reading, I have found that it is a huge gamble when you dive into anything modern that has to do with Jane Austen. Sometimes you can come across some absolutely brilliant Austen-centric work but other times, you may have to slog through what feels like very bad Austen Fan Fiction. (Fan Fiction – amateur writers giving their own slant or views to already published work, most often found in film and television shows.)

Obviously Elizabeth Aston has come across the same thing. With her expertise in all things Austen (she’s got six Austen sequels/adaptations of her own on the market) Elizabeth Aston does a masterful job of capturing not only the heart of Austen’s writing, but also the passion of her fans. From the casual fans that only recognize Colin Firth to the rabid fans who know every intimate detail of Austen’s life, Aston has done an incredibly brilliant job at sharing with the reader a thumbnail sketch of what Austenphiles are really like.  It’s a hilarious and endearing and anyone who even has a passing admiration for Austen’s work can’t help but be entertained.

The heart of this book is about finding out who you are, what you love and how to connect with yourself. Georgina is a woman on a search to discover who she is. No matter whether you’re an Austen fan or not, this is definitely a theme that resonates. Who hasn’t questioned this in their own lives at some point?

Aston’s writing is rich, funny, entertaining and her knowledge of Austen is mind boggling. I thoroughly enjoyed this journey into the mind of a writer taking on such a daunting task. I was delighted, thrilled, and can’t wait to see what else Aston has up her literary sleeves in the future.

Review copy provided by Touchstone.

Genre: Literary

Publisher: Spiegel & Grau

Released: April 2010

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

Henry is an author whose last book—a fantastical story involving animals—was both a critical and popular success, garnering literary awards and huge sales. Five years later, Henry has written a flip-book, one side of which is a novel and the other side an essay, both concerning the Holocaust. Despite the wild popularity of Henry’s previous book, the publishers dismiss Henry’s new manuscript, and Henry, distraught, moves with his wife to “one of those great cities of the world that is a world unto itself.”

It is in this great city that Henry receives an enigmatic note from an even more enigmatic taxidermist: “Dear Sir, I read your book and much admired it. I need your help.” Enclosed with this note are a short story by Flaubert and the first scene of a play the taxidermist is composing, a play with two characters, Beatrice and Virgil. Unable to check his curiosity, Henry finds the taxidermist and begins a journey that will change the way he looks at suffering and at the nature of storytelling.

(Beatrice and Virgil, aside from being the namesakes of Dante’s guides through The Divine Comedy, are a donkey and a howler monkey, respectively, who the taxidermist explains are his “guides through hell.”)

Beatrice and Virgil—an interesting blend of fiction and nonfiction, using the modes of novel, short story, play, essay, and “games for Gustav”—is the newest book from Booker Prize–winning author Yann Martel.

The fiction/nonfiction blend is apparent in the book’s main character, Henry, who  purposely leaves the reader wondering how much of Beatrice and Virgil is autobiographical. Martel’s last book, Life of Pi, was also a fantastical story involving animals, lauded by readers and critics alike. Beatrice and Virgil was released nearly nine years after Life of Pi—perhaps due to wary publishers? And the novel’s subject, the Holocaust, is a subject perhaps most frequently treated in nonfiction accounts.

One of the effective images Martel uses to explain Henry’s (his own?) method is a suitcase. History is often forgotten because it fails to resonate with the masses. Art, on the other hand, packs the essentials of history into a format that has the power to deeply affect its participants. He writes of other artists, “[they] had taken a vast, sprawling tragedy, had found its heart, and had represented it in a nonliteral and compact way. The unwieldy encumbrance of history was reduced and packed into a suitcase. Art as suitcase, light, portable, essential.” Of Henry’s flip-book, Martel writes, “Was such a treatment not possible, indeed, was it not necessary, with the greatest tragedy of Europe’s Jews?”

While such a treatment might be possible (as evidenced by other fictions of the Holocaust), and while Beatrice and Virgil itself is well written, the book struggles in its overburdened format—stuffing too much into an already packed suitcase—and lacks the magic we know the author is capable of from Life of Pi. The book felt by turns either too heavy handed (“This is what I’m doing, and you must pay attention to this Important Symbol!”) or too obscure (“This is certainly symbolic, but I won’t tell you what it means!”).

The fiction I find most enjoyable is seamless. The author is performing magic before your eyes, but you don’t always know how he’s doing it. The constituent words are there—you can see them, say them—but at the end of the story, you are baffled at the rabbit’s being pulled from the hat. You have the impression that great magic has been done behind the scenes without knowing how the trick was performed. Reading Beatrice and Virgil felt like being at a magic show where the magician was either narrating every action as he was doing it, so that the rabbit’s appearance was no surprise, or performing the trick behind a curtain, so that you couldn’t see the rabbit even if it did appear. Despite the magician’s talent, without these aspects of showmanship and craft, it makes it difficult to be swept away in the story.

That said, I like the ideas that Martel engages in Beatrice and Virgil. It’s true that the most enduring histories are the ones we put into narratives because humans are essentially storytellers. I even liked the multiple methods he used to tell this story. But I found myself wishing that Martel had written Henry’s flip-book rather than the genre cocktail of Beatrice and Virgil. Fact and fiction are related, and it may be valuable for readers to be reminded of this. But in this case it seemed like the story was made to serve the ideas rather than the ideas serving the story. The result is a mainly cerebral experience, one that while “good for you” is not one you’re likely to repeat.

Beatrice and Virgil provides a novel way to think about the Holocaust and the limits we face in putting human suffering into language. While Martel’s goal of creating a suitcase for the Holocaust is noble, it is yet to be seen whether Martel’s suitcase will survive the test of time, and readers might be better served by taking different luggage on the trip.

Review copy provided by Spiegel & Grau.

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: February 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

What happens when a young dispossessed king gets backed into a corner? His people starving, his land filled and possessed by invaders, King Rhi Bran Y Hud has vowed that he will do whatever he can to return his kingdom to his people. After being wronged again and again by the conquering King, Red William, Bran decides that the next thing he must do is go to his mother’s people to see if they will help him regain his stolen throne.

This plan is not infallible though. Bran has not seen anyone from his mother’s family since he was in diapers and it also means that he must leave his people, the Elfael, alone to fend for themselves in the dark wood. Leaving two of his best men in charge, Bran sets off with a Friar Tuck to reacquaint himself with this branch of his family. Upon his arrival, he discovers that things are not as they seem and there is more work ahead for Bran than he realized. To make things worse, back at their home base, Merian has gotten the idea in her head that she should go home and raise an army to assist Bran. She has no idea that her father is no longer in control in her kingdom anymore.
Stephen Lawhead has packed this final chapter of his Robin Hood trilogy with adventure, heartache, glory and a beautifully sewn together ending that brings the fable to brilliant life. Reminiscent of his Song of Albion series and Pendragon Cycle, Lawhead once again uses his mastery of the written word to at the same time breathe life into a legend and create a vivid world that any fantasy reader can enjoy. Anyone who has read and enjoyed the Narnia series or Lord of the Rings will easily fall in love with Lawhead’s universe.

Filled with vividly beautiful descriptions, intricately woven plots and fast paced adventure, Lawhead’s characters are bigger than the legend he’s tackled. They are beyond fantasy, magic and illusion. The characters are elaborate, brilliant and heartbreakingly human. Bran is a young passionate king with a fire that needs to be tamed. Tuck is a faithful man of God struggling to serve his king in the best way he can. Merian is a woman in love who has yet to understand her feelings, yet loves Bran’s people as her own.

Lawhead’s books are a personal time warp into a long forgotten era. Filled with vivid characters, life and death struggles, mystery, intrigue and romance, they take place in a land so vibrant that you can practically smell the rich green moss and hear the cry of birds through the trees. If you have previously enjoyed any of Lawhead’s novels or if you have an interest in history or the Robin Hood legends, this is a series that you do not want to miss.

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Genre: Historical, Romance, Adventure

Publisher: Tyndale

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Marta Schneider is determined to succeed. She knows what she wants in life and even though she’s young, nothing is going to stop her from getting everything that she wants. She refuses to allow anything to move her from that path. She certainly won’t let a frightened sister, a sick mother or an abusive father do that to her. Determined to rise above the roadblocks and speed-bumps that would slow or stop others in her situation, she turns everything into an opportunity to better herself.

I was completely entranced with Marta’s story through the stages of her life as she blew past outrageously difficult circumstances to succeed at nearly everything she attempted. By the time that she got married, settled down and started a family, I was firmly ensconced in the world that Rivers had created. And then the focus shifted.

Hildemara Rose, Marta’s young daughter, has just as much determination as her mother and unfortunately, just as many obstacles. She fights for everything she gets and has, at the best of times, a rocky, strained relationship with Marta.

When the perspective shifted to that of Marta’s young daughter, Hildemara Rose, I was admittedly a little jarred. My first thoughts were that I wanted to see more of Marta. This was, after all, her story! I had spent hours getting to know her, understanding her, and watching her overcome obstacles. I wanted to follow her and not this young girl who hadn’t been truly granted much of a part in Marta’s story. But as I kept reading, I discovered, once again, the brilliance of Francine Rivers. With the intimate knowledge of Marta’s past, we as the readers are able to experienced Hildemara’s life in a deeper, richer way than if we had only met one or the other of these women on their own.

Francine Rivers is a master of the heart. She cuts right to the center and passion of what drives people and creates an amazing connection between her readers and her stories. This book is no different. She brilliantly pulls together heartache and passion and wraps it around one of the deepest relationships in existence; that of a mother and a daughter. Written from her own family history, Rivers pulls no punches as she examines the mistakes that parents can make as they raise their children. Moments in this book were difficult to read, heartbreaking and at times, I found myself with tears rolling down my face. Again, this is where Francine Rivers excels in her writing. When reading her work, it’s nearly impossible to keep yourself from becoming personally entrenched in the story. With this beautiful multigenerational tale, this is doubly heart-wrenching. As I experienced Hildemara’s heartbreak in her relationship with her mother, I also ached at knowing where Marta had been and why this was happening. Rivers’ writing gave me a deeper understanding of every aspect of this story and really opened her own heart and family to me. My heart rolled when I reached the end of this book and I realized I was going to have to wait to see what would happen next.When does it release? Not nearly soon enough.

Review copy provided by Tyndale.

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: 2008

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

So the last time we saw Bran Ap Brychan he was disappearing off into the woods with the maid Merian held captive and troops of soldiers chasing him. This is, it seems, nothing new for Lawhead’s most notorious outlaw to date.
This story opens in a far different time and place and with a totally new character thrown into the mix. Will Scatloke, or Scarlet, is the main voice of this book, showing us Lawhead’s characters from a different perspective. As an outsider recently joined with the Elfael people, Scarlet isn’t always trusted but we know from his perspective that he is fiercely loyal and will stay faithful to Bran and the people he pledged his life to protect. Even unto death.

As this sequel to Lawhead’s book Hood proceeds, we find out that Merian is still living with the Elfael though not as Bran’s wife. She remains a very annoyed captive who deeply loves the people Bran leads. Glimpses are shown, through Will’s eyes, of the deep love shared by Merian and Bran, though the two remain apart for all intents and purposes.

Once again, Lawhead leads us on a merry chase through the deep dark woods inhabited by Bran and his people. We learn more of the plots that have conspired to keep Bran away from his rightful place as King and his people living in the forest, away from their homes. The plot is deeper and more involved than anyone realizes, putting Bran and his followers in an even more precarious situation than before.

Lawhead’s use of a different voice than those previously heard from in Hood manages to give the story greater depth and eloquence as he shows us beloved characters through another’s eyes. We journey through the ensuing months since Hood ended and follow Bran as he makes his way through the treacherous political landscape of his beloved country.

Sometimes there’s a danger when you have a second book in a trilogy that the story becomes ‘filler’ or only serves to carry us through from the author’s beginning to the end. It’s not unusual for second books to be somewhat boring. Lawhead’s storytelling in this book remains strong and steadfast. When you end this book, you’ll be eagerly reaching for the third book in the series, Tuck, to find out what danger, temptation and adventure waits to meet our beloved hero this time.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: April 2008

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Stephen Lawhead is a master storyteller. From the mind of the man who brought us amazingly vivid characters like Taliesin and Llew Silverhand comes the tale that everyone knows but with a Lawhead twist. Robin Hood. Who was the man who stole from the rich and gave to the poor? How did he become an outlaw that royalty despised and people practically worshipped? Lawhead turns his mind to exploring the legend, the fantasy and the reality of this legendary character.

Bran Ap Brychan is the prince of his kingdom. Literally. His father is the King and Bran has grown up with an abundance of privilege and all of the stressors that come with it. Never feeling like he meets up to his father’s expectations, Bran struggles with being a little bit spoiled, a lot of entitlement and an overwhelming amount of frustration. When his father is killed in an ambush and the kingdom taken over by invaders, Bran has no idea what to do next.

Impulsively, he lets his anger take over and nearly gets himself killed in the process. If he hadn’t been discovered and assisted by a wise woman in the forest, he would have been nothing more than an epitaph in his father’s kingdom. But the woman helps him heal and along with that, teaches him the value of patience, honor and maturity. As Bran works through the long arduous recovery from his injuries, he comes to understand that there are people depending upon him. No longer do they turn to him as a prince, but as his father’s next in line, the King.

What can an angry, impulsive and immature young man do to lead his people when they are stuck in captivity? How can he rescue his father’s kingdom and bring everything back to where it should be?

These are the answers that Lawhead demands of his character throughout the story. He sows the adventure and reaps the rewards with Bran’s growth and development. Following this story breathes more than new life into the Robin Hood legend; it creates a whole new world for Lawhead to shine through in his masterful writing.

In typical Lawhead fashion, the characters are complex and diverse with just enough humor and realism added in to ensure that they aren’t caricatures of themselves. The plot moves quickly and follows several intersecting storylines at the same time and the setting is, as always, gorgeous.

Lawhead’s books cannot be consumed quickly. They are to be chewed thoughtfully, savored over time and allowed to seep into your very marrow until they become a part of you.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Tyndale

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed Elizabeth Olmedo

Six years after swearing she would never return home, Jenny Lucas stands on the old doorstep, with her five-year-old-daughter, Isabella, in tow. Wishing she was anywhere but her North Carolina hometown, Jenny faces her aging grandmother and father, as well as David — her high school boyfriend and Bella’s father — who has yet to learn he has a daughter.

Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Jenny relives the past, this time through her mother’s eyes. Jenny prefers spending her final months in any way other than confronting her past, but Bella needs a home and people to love and care for her when that fateful day arrives. For her daughter’s sake, Jenny fights to push aside her wishes and feelings. With the help of her faith and the people who love her, wounds slowly start to heal and a new life emerges.

Gina Holmes’ work is stunning in her heart-wrenching, debut novel. In Crossing Oceans, Holmes carries her readers on a journey of love and forgiveness. I strongly advise readers keep a box of Kleenex handy. Holmes masterfully reaches the emotions, delivering a mix of love, anger, sorrow, and hope. Both the plot and characters are refreshingly real. Faith is addressed in a true-to-life fashion, and not in an artificial, preachy manner often typical of novels in this genre.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone searching for a story that feeds the heart. I hope this is only the first of many novels by Holmes.

Review copy provided by Tyndale.

Genre: Horror

Publication Date: May 2010

Publisher: Realms

Jake Chism’s Review:

Rob Shields is lost. After the tragic death of his wife and son, he seemingly has no direction and no desire to move forward. Reluctantly, he travels to a small town in Maryland to see the house that was left to him by his great aunt. While there Rob begins to find strange connections to his son, Jimmy, and becomes more and more convinced that he is alive. With far and trepidation in his heart, Rob travels to Darlington Woods, a mysterious place shrouded in secret and darkness that might just hold the answers he is seeking.

Mike Dellosso has become one of my favorite writers over the last couple of years with his terror filled stories that are bursting at the seams with spiritual light. In Darlington Woods, we find these same elements on full display, but couched in a whirlwind cat and mouse game between man and freaky beast. Dellosso’s “darklings” are a fun and creepy creation that give this particular story even more of a freak out factor than his previous works. Add to the mix an ever increasing sense of dread and madness, and you’ve got a gripping tale that demands to be devoured.

It should come as no surprise to Dellosso fans that this is a very theme driven novel, and specifically we get some great illustrations of light overcoming darkness. That’s not to say that character development and plot are lacking, but Dellosso sticks to what he does best: exploring spiritual themes in the midst of human tragedy. Readers who purely want to escape in their fiction might be turned off by such an approach, but for those who love to be challenged and stretched while being entertained, Dellosso is right up your alley.

With each installment Mike Dellosso seems to only get better, and I can easily see how Darlington Woods could become a fan favorite.  With the recent news of a multi-book contract extension, we can be sure that Dellosso will continue to scare the light into us in fun and unique ways.

Tim George’s Review:

What do Joe Saunders, Mark Stone, Rob Shields and Mike Dellosso all have in common? They are nice guys who have encountered monsters the rest of us hope to never have to face. And the first three would not exist were it not for the tangible monsters author Mike Dellosso has battled in the real world. Dellosso’s newest thriller, Darlington Woods, returns to some of the themes the author explored in his debut novel, The Hunted. Once again we have an isolated little town with dark secrets and an everyman hero desperately searching for a family member. And, as in Scream, we are given a villain to be remembered.  But Darlington Woods takes things up a notch with its sheer fear factor and for lack of better words – sanctified creepiness.

When Rob Shields shows up to claim a house left to him by an aunt he never met he finds her home town of Mayfield a bit odd. But when he begins to have dreams that his supposedly dead son is still alive and a local waitress tells him about a place in the woods called Darlington, Rob’s journey escalates from strange to bizarre. The single narrow road that leads to the dead end village of Darlington should be clue enough; this is not the kind of place one picks for a Sunday afternoon ride. To reveal any more would only spoil the fun and the impact of one fine thriller.

Everyone has monsters of the soul: things they fear, people they cannot face, situations beyond their control. And like the people of Darlington many spend their life just trying to keep those “Darklings” at bay. But in this story, one man learns the power of light over fear and what it means to face his monsters in spite of the terror they bring to the soul. Over the last couple of years, Dellosso has helped to shape what to some seems a contradiction – Christian horror. As with his other novels, Darlington Woods is powered by its strong themes of light and darkness, hope and fear, good and evil. All explored by an increasingly powerful voice.

Once again Mike Dellosso has managed to shine the light of God’s grace into the darkest crevices of the human condition with amazing clarity.

Check out our interview with Mike Dellosso here.

Review copy provided by Realms.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Tyndale Books

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

The Rio Grande was not just murky. It was toxic… To many illegal immigrants, its flowing waters signified hope and opportunity for a better tomorrow, while others viewed the river crossing as a means of smuggling drugs or spreading terrorism. But for Danika, the depths meant death, and it didn’t’ discriminate among its victims.

Danika Morales is a Border Agent, patrolling along the Rio Grande and attempting, along with other agents, to do the impossible – stem the flood of illegal immigrants and the even more dangerous influx of Mexican drug cartel activity. Though she believes her job is for the good of the country, Danika is an agent because of a far more personal reason: her husband was murdered two years earlier and the case is yet to be solved. In spite of her own efforts to move on, the unanswered questions about her husband’s murder and her Border Agent brother-in-law’s growing instability and volatility stand in the way. When attempts are made on Danika’s life and her niece disappears, the battle for America’s security becomes something more, a battle for faith and family.

Sworn to Protect is a romantic suspense that deals with a difficult and often controversial subject. DiAnn Mills does a great job of keeping the entertainment value of the story and the weight of the subject matter in balance. Through the medium of a story, Mills reminds us of how complicated the issue of illegal immigration is. On the day her husband was murdered our heroine discovered he had been an illegal immigrant activist for some time. The doctor she finds herself falling far, though not an activist, regularly treats battered illegal women with the promise of not reporting them. And, unknown to Danika, her trusted housekeeper of years is working in the country under forged papers. Even the people who seem most upstanding and legitimate in this border town are in fact holding illegals in what amounts to virtual slavery for their own financial gain.

With over one million books in print and fifteen novels, DiAnn has changed directions in her writing career from cozy mysteries and romance to the arena of suspense with good success. Readers that love Terri Blackstock and Dee Henderson will find the Call of Duty series a welcomed addition to their reading library. It’s refreshing to see seasoned authors like Robin Carroll, Vicki Hinze, and DiAnn Mills stretching their wings a bit and perhaps the wings of their readers as well. Hardcore suspense fans may find the emphasis on relationships a bit of a test but issues of family and loyalty are matters we all can relate to.

With solid characters, a convincing plot, and good story resolution, Sworn to Protect is a fine addition to the field of faith-based suspense. For those who go hay-wire when they discover a book they are reading has a hint of religion in it, be forewarned. Though far from preachy, this is definitely a novel that deals with matters of faith. Then again, when faced with the mysteries of life and death, most people in the real world struggle with what they do and do not believe about ultimate matters. Danika’s journey illustrates this well. Just compare an opening sentence of this novel with its last …

… for Danika, the depths meant death, and it didn’t’ discriminate among its victims.

… for Danika, the depths had brought back life and love.

Review copy provided by Tyndale.

Genre: Children’s / Young Adult

Publisher: Walden Pond Press

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

I must admit: I love Australian authors. Their books are usually charming, exciting, and have such a unique voice that it’s hard to stay away. And when I found new author Richard Newsome’s debut book, The Billionaire’s Curse, I was extremely excited to find a new series to follow along with. The first book in The Archer Legacy delivers on many levels, and will definitely find many fans following the end of The 39 Clues.

When Gerald Wilkins finds out that he has to skip snowboarding with his best friend Ox for school break and instead go to England for his great-aunt’s funeral, he’s devastated. What could be worse than going to a funeral for some old stiff that he’s never even met in his life? But then he gets the letter from beyond the grave and in his aunt’s handwriting: “…I expect you’ve figured out that I was murdered. I want you to find out who did it.” Gerald has no idea what to do. But soon he becomes caught up in murder, a missing diamond, and a mystery as old as the English countryside. Can Gerald and his new friends Ruby and Sam figure out who killed his great-aunt before the murderer comes after them next?

Newsome has created some fun and unique characters that follow along in the vein of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the villain is right in line with an Anthony Horowitz creation. It’s exciting to follow Gerald and share in his bafflement at the lifestyles of his rich family members, the secrets surrounding the Archer family, and his encounters with the shadowy figures out to find him.

The mystery and puzzles are done very well, and a few scenes are downright creepy in all the right ways. The set-up for the story does take a while, but there’s enough humor and fun to make up for the lack of plot progression. Some moments almost felt a little bit too silly for their own good, but then others became deathly serious. There’s also a smattering of offensive language that seemed a bit out of place when it appeared. By the end, there’s some very intriguing plot points developing, and everything wraps up with the promise of more to come.

Overall The Billionaire’s Curse is a fun, adventurous romp that, while a bit stiff at moments, will definitely be enjoyable for the tween market.

Review copy provided by the Amazon Vine Program.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

Dan and Amy Cahill are up to their faces in mysteries. And now they’re on a flight to China as book number eight, The Emperor’s Code, in the New York Times bestselling series The 39 Clues, begins. The only lead they have to go on is a vague symbol painted in the background of an old movie, The Last Emperor, and that might even be just a false lead. And with the many branches of the Cahill family out to steal their clues and murder them both, every step forward could be their last. But when Dan and Amy are separated from each other – they both have to face the reality: either find each other, or find the next clue and risk losing the only family they have left.

Gordon Korman is not new to The 39 Clues. He also authored book number two, One False Note, which had felt somewhat off track after Rick Riordan’s first entry, The Maze of Bones. I was a bit worried if Korman could pull off another book in the series, but he definitely did, and this one ranks as one of the best so far. The writing is crisp and moves along; just like any other book in the series, but what really shines here are the deeper characterizations that sometimes felt lacking in previous books. Dan and Amy are really explored as they separate from each other on the hunt, and it was a very unique opportunity for Korman to be able to reach inside their heads and give us more of their fears and thoughts about the things that have happened to them both. But he doesn’t skimp out on the humor, action, or puzzles. And in some ways, the danger was all the more real as they travel into some of their most dangerous situations yet.

While the casual reader will enjoy this next book in the series, those who want to dive a little deeper will find some very intriguing puzzles fitted into the book itself. One code hidden throughout the volume will likely be one of the most shocking clues yet to the overarching storyline of the series, while a couple of other small clues hidden on the front cover will provide some hints that have yet to be understood. Also, the ending note that is usually just a general letter to some branch of the Cahill family mentioning they “Stop Dan and Amy” is something very different this time – and it makes me wonder if there is a huge twist that, in typical Riordan style, is almost impossible to see coming.

All said, The 39 Clues series is one of those once-in-a-publishing-lifetime events that comes along and really creates something out of itself, with ingenious references to historical figures, unique puzzles and clues, and all building up to something that promises to be truly astounding. With only two more books to go, things are definitely on a swift-moving track and all we can know for certain is the end is very, very near.

Review copy provided by Scholastic.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Olivia Morrow is dying, but she faces a horrible choice. Her deceased cousin, Catherine, touched many lives as a nun. Now the Catholic Church is considering her for sainthood. But a secret torments Olivia and threatens to destroy Catherine’s post-mortem sainthood. With days left to live, should she speak the truth or take it to her grave?

Dr. Monica Farrell is a young, attractive pediatrician, loved by patients and co-workers alike. Her background, however, remains a mystery. During his lifetime, her father tried everything to uncover the identity of his birth parents. Years later, after a series of chance events, Monica finds herself calling a complete stranger who knew Monica’s birth grandparents. This stranger is none other than Olivia Morrow.

Unfortunately, before the two women can meet, Olivia passes away in her sleep. But what originally seems like a natural death leaves Monica unsettled. The more Monica searches, the more questions arise, and with it the certainty of foul play.

Olivia’s one true love, the late Alex Gannon, famous doctor and scientist who created a fortune in medical patents, died loving another — Catherine. In his will, he left his wealth to any possible child he may have fathered. But through extravagant lifestyles and bad choices, his nephews Greg and Peter Gannon have squandered the estate with the help of their fellow board members. Should someone ever step forward to claim the inheritance, the truth of their exploitation would come to light. Silence is vital to the board members of the Gannon foundation, crucial enough to kill for.

So Mary Higgins sets the scene for her latest novel, The Shadow of Your Smile, with a wide range of unique characters all with seemingly separate subplots. As their worlds narrow, their lives overlap to form a common thread sprinkled with lies, hope, fear, and murder. Clark is one of the few authors I’ve found who can juggle so many characters without losing the reader. Her mind works in such intricate ways that she delicately weaves complex and intriguing webs that draw the reader in and hold them captive until the last word.

As in most of her books, Clark explores a controversial issue. In the case of The Shadow of Your Smile, she deals with the seemingly exclusive worlds of medical science and religious faith. Refreshingly, Clark’s novels are “clean” offering a great read without vulgarity to anyone who loves an invigorating thriller. I strongly recommend them.

Review copy provided by Simon and Schuster.

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Chicklit

Publisher: NavPress

Publication Date: April 2010

Lori Twichell’s Review:

Maya Davis loves coffee and is not a big fan of eating healthy. She will gladly drink her body weight in caffeine and eat frozen foods for every meal of every day.  She’s not looking for love. She’s happy in her job as a barista at a local coffee shop (Cool Beans). She loves her friends. She loves her dog. In short, she’s completely content where she is.

Until her roommate, Jen, brings her new boyfriend, Travis, to meet Maya. Then things get a little sticky. You see Jen’s new boyfriend is Maya’s ex, but Jen doesn’t know that and apparently, neither does Travis. Since he and Maya dated years ago, she has cut and dyed her hair and lost some weight. This presents an interesting dilemma for Maya. Should she tell Jen and risk hurting Jen’s feelings or should she wait it out and see how serious things get? Or should she just go get another cup of coffee and forget about the stress for right now? Which choice do you think is the right one? And now, the better question, which one do you think Maya chooses?

If you picked getting a cup of coffee and forgetting about the stress you got the right answer. Well, as far as Maya is concerned.
Maya Davis is a snarky fun young woman who has a great way of viewing the world and Erynn Mangum expresses her values and views in a non preachy but totally realistic way. Instead of Maya being a perfect person who always chooses the right thing because the Bible says so, Maya is very realistic in her attitudes. She does what most of us in the world do. She avoids situations that make her uncomfortable or that might hurt people she loves. Oh and did I forget to mention a potential love interest in the middle? And it’s not Travis either. It’s a mixed up plot with a lot of fun inner monologue from Maya and interaction between Maya and those around her. Though the story isn’t full of angst, heavy romance or drama, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Mangum’s characters are heartwarming, delightful and fun with just enough conscience to make you cringe in sympathy at their troubles and distress. The pacing of the story is light and fun, easy to read (or devour) and at the end, it feels like time well spent. Even though I’m not a coffee drinker, I found myself craving the smell and flavor of a medium roast or dark roast. I longed for a girl’s night in pajamas with my best girlfriends and a movie (and did that last night actually – I credit Maya for the inspiration!) and a fun place to work like Cool Beans.

It appears that this is the first of a series of books from Maya’s perspective. I cannot wait to dive into Latte Daze, the next book, and find out what trouble comes Maya’s way this time.

Shaun Stevenson’s Review:

One thing is for sure: Erynn Mangum must love coffee. And chocolate. And watching Runaway Bride in pajamas. Because all three definitely appear in her new book, Cool Beans: A Maya Davis Novel. Maya Davis is twenty-four, single, working daily at the local coffee shop, Cool Beans, and loving life. That is until her roommate and best friend Jen starts dating. But she’s not just dating anyone. She’s dating Maya’s ex-boyfriend, Travis, from five years before. And thus, Maya’s perfect little world is flipped completely over. Can she deal with this new awkward relationship, her ever-annoying brother Zach moving back to town, and just sleeping through the night without her dog waking up the entire apartment complex?

Mangum returns after finishing her Lauren Holbrook series with a new setting, new characters, and more humor and relationship drama. At times, Maya is very similar to Lauren from the previous series, with many of the same quirks and habits, and it was hard to distinguish the two characters from each other. The basic construct of Maya’s world felt very similar to Lauren’s, with single’s group on Wednesday nights, a coffee shop, and church every Sunday. But that’s about where the similarities in plot and character end. About a fourth of a way through, Maya begins to emerge as a character of her own.

The writing moves along swiftly. Most of the chapters are made up of dialogue between Maya and her friends, and Mangum uses these conversations to advance the story. A few of the ending “twists” are pretty easy to see coming, but the characters are so enjoyable that they make up for the weaker plot. The reason for Maya’s breakup with Travis in the past is built up throughout the novel, but when the reality is revealed, it was almost a bit of a let-down, as we’ve been expecting something quite different from the truth. The drama never completely envelops the story, and things stay pretty light-hearted throughout.

Fans of Mangum’s earlier books (Miss Match, Rematch, and Match Point) will enjoy a new outing with funny characters and hints of Robin Gunn Jones-esque drama. All said, reading Cool Beans was often like sipping through a cup of coffee – warm and satisfying through to the end.

Don’t miss our interview with Erynn Mangum here.

Review copies provided by NavPress.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Sir Thomas Cromwell. Most people recognize the name but not many could tell you exactly who he is, what he did or how he impacted the course of history.  Let me fill you in just a little. To start things off he was the 1^st Earl of Essex. He was also Henry VIII’s chief minister from 1532-1540. Do you have a better idea of how he impacted history now? Yes. So do I after reading Hilary Mantel’s book.

It’s hard to cover new ground when it comes to Henry VIII. With hundreds of books and movies and television programs based on this time period and this famous monarch, very little is fresh ground. Mantel, however, has found a way to make even Henry’s popular story new and exciting. She has shared the tale through the little known and far less understood Thomas Cromwell.

The book follows Cromwell’s rise from poverty and a drunken abusive home to arguably the most powerful and influential man in the free world. How did he shake off the past and move beyond it? What about his family and love life? Did he have one? Mantel addresses these questions with stunning description and a tense driven storyline.

The writing style can be off-putting during the read though. Sometimes it’s difficult to shake out who is doing what or who is speaking and it takes several reads to get back into the pacing. This can be hard on the reader since the book is so long and the plot details are thickly woven. The book is not an easy weekend read by far, but when you’ve completed the story, you have far more information regarding this period in history and specifically, this man and what he did to impact history.

If you are a fan of history or historical fiction, this is a book you might enjoy reading. I enjoyed the story and finding out more about Henry VIII through the eyes of this little known character, but as I said, it was not an easy read. I garnered lots of information and appreciated the characterizations that Mantel put forth and wished that it could have been shared in a little easier manner. I don’t shy away from difficult reads. I love stories that are complex and multilayered as this one is. I just had some issues with the writing style and the complexity of the read itself.

Mantel supplies the reader with a wealth of information that casual researchers, historians or readers wouldn’t normally know, therefore leaving the reader more knowledgeable and hopefully, entertained along the way.

Review copy provided by Henry Holt.

Genre: Supernatural, Thriller, Suspense

Publisher: Faith Words

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Laila is running from the demons of her past and they are quickly closing in. Sure, she’s made her fair share of mistakes, even bringing much of the hurt upon herself. She longs to escape and be free, but more than that she wants to be whole again, to somehow find a way to gather up the shattered pieces of her life. For too long she has tried things her way and it’s only brought her here: fleeing a mysterious stranger who knows what she did and wants to make her pay. As the demons of her past close in, Laila must decide whether to confront them or forever remain broken.

Travis Thrasher has tackled a wide range of genres in his career: romance, suspense, mystery, adventure, and more recently horror. Most publishing and marketing experts would wag their fingers at this scattershot approach, but Thrasher has managed to pull it off with his indelible talent. What I love most about Thrasher’s writing is the passion he brings to each story. He consistently creates characters that jump off the page and well defined plots that propel the story forward. This has allowed him to transcend genre and his writing always seems to reflect and celebrate the power of story. Broken is certainly no exception, and may just be his best yet.

Thrasher shifts gears a bit from Isolation and Ghostwriter, toning down the scares without losing the supernatural edge that I loved in both novels. This is a fast paced read supported by engaging dialogue, well depicted locations, and a powerful twist in the end. Each chapter begins with a journal entry from Laila and these scenes were by far my favorite.

With Laila, Thrasher has given us such a beautiful, messed up character. While you may not be able to relate to the specifics of her struggle, you will find yourself thinking about the broken pieces of your own life and the journey we all travel towards redemption. In the end I was moved by the revelations and awed by the way Thrasher pulled it off.

I’m sure Travis Thrasher has people in the “biz” constantly telling him to work on his brand, pick a genre, blah, blah, blah, etc. I applaud him for following his heart and pouring himself into every line, no matter where his books may be sorted on the shelves. If you long for memorable characters and stories that captivate then you can’t go wrong with Travis Thrasher.

Review copy provided by Faith Words.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Puffin Books

Publication Date: 2008

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Mibs Beaumont anxiously anticipates her thirteenth birthday—the day when the Beaumont children each discover their “savvy”, a special power of supernatural origin. She wonders what her savvy will be and if it will be as powerful a gift as that of her older brothers.  But then her father sustains terrible injuries in a car accident and slips into a coma. As the Beaumont children cope with this terrible news, Mibs’ birthday arrives, and with it, her savvy. Determined to help Poppa with her new gift, Mibs boards a Bible-seller’s pink bus and sets out to reach the hospital. Unfortunately, the bus driver, the cops and new discoveries about her savvy thwart her efforts. Will she reach her father before it’s too late?

The Newbery Honor-winning Savvy by Ingrid Law is a sweet, coming-of-age tale with a magical twist. Lively language makes Mibs a charming young lady for whom readers intuitively root. The savvy serves as a unique device to hook the reader, but Mibs’ story really revolves around complications with friends, rivals, family and boys. This combination powerfully engages readers with the miraculous and holds them with realism.

The first half of the book is stronger than the second, but readers barely notice as they find themselves involved with Law’s vividly endearing characters. Savvy is a refreshingly pro-family read without preachy or didactic overtones.

Review copy provided by Puffin Books.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Publication Date: May 2010

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

With Percy Jackson’s Rick Riordan presiding over the story arch of the Scholastic-born series The 39 Clues, things had to be good. And they have been. With seven books released (the eighth arriving in a few days), a huge online marketing campaign, collectible cards, and a feature movie to release under the direction of Steven Spielberg, what else could there be to do with the series? That’s where the new Agent Handbook comes in.

Building on the success of the books, the Agent Handbook compiles a lot of the basic information together into one handy volume. Complete with character profiles, Cahill branch descriptions, letter-head for forging notes, and other tidbits, this book becomes something a dedicated fan of The 39 Clues will want to have on the shelf. Main characters are described in detail, giving interesting facts about what family branch they come from, their greatest weaknesses and strengths on the hunt for the clues, and some notes along the bottom that are definitely going to reveal a few hidden things about the series. In some places, journal entries and photographs of various clue hunters are included, providing some unique insight into such people as the Holts, the Kabras, and the Wizards.

Much of the space of the book is taken from blank pages where readers can journal their own secrets from the clue hunt, as well as letterhead from each family branch that can be removed from the book. A back section contains pages of codes and some hidden messages, that once deciphered, will give readers some exciting hints they may have missed all along. And then, some of the greatest surprises come from the very end, where the books are listed out – all ten of them – and include some special secrets about each title, as well as the upcoming three. Unfortunately, book ten is still under high classification, so we can’t see everything, but some of the facts regarding books eight and nine (still to be released) do provide a few shocks.

Finally, there is a section to keep track of which cards readers have collected from The 39 Clues Card Packs. And true to form… scribbled notes around certain cards give hints as to which ones might just give more information about Dan and Amy’s parents, what lies at the end of the clue hunt, and Madrigal secrets.

While this one may seem rather useless to people just coming into the books, long-time and newer fans of The 39 Clues will definitely enjoy the Agent Handbook, and will spend some time trying to crack the codes and secrets scattered throughout. And they might just discover something very revealing about the mysteries surrounding the Cahill family secret.

Genre: Women’s Literature

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

Billie Waits is accustomed to hardship. She provides for herself and her severely-handicapped daughter on the paltry, but faithful, monthly checks from her estranged husband, Porter. But one month, the mailbox remains empty and Billie grows worried. She suspects foul play, but her attempt at an investigation hits a fast dead end.

In the midst of her upheaval Billie learns that her flawless older sister Margaret has condescended to leave the big city and spend a summer on their father’s farm. Billie senses something is awry since her sister has only made brief appearances there for several years. But amidst the sweltering afternoons of canning produce with their family friends, Mamie and Emerita, Billie learns that everyone, even Margaret and Porter, endures some kind of hurt.

As a caretaker and relative of a severely-handicapped individual, I appreciated Patricia Sprinkle’s realistic portrayal of the joy and full-time responsibility that comes with caring for disabled children. Hold up the Sky includes some sexuality between an unmarried man and woman, which may bother some readers, but the author handles it tastefully and the characters are refreshingly repentant.

Sprinkle is a best-selling author, most well known for her Thoroughly Southern Mysteries, although Hold up the Sky, certainly has elements of mystery, it’s only part of the primary story line. I certainly couldn’t tell she was treading new ground. This book provides a thoroughly enjoyable and endearing story told in a pleasant and easygoing style. What a pleasure to read!

Review copy provided by Penguin Books.

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Publisher: Dutton

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Dan Mercer has been caught. Reporter Wendy Tynes has just nailed him on national TV with her Caught in the Act program, as Dan shows up at a home to meet an underage girl he met online. Dan and those who know and love him plead his innocence, but incriminating evidence found in his home and on his computer claim otherwise. Before Dan’s case can go to court, a vigilante takes Dan’s life in front of Wendy’s eyes, and despite her eyewitness account, the authorities can’t find any evidence to support her claims.  An accused pedophile is put down, a killer goes free, and everyone is happy.

Everyone except for Wendy, that is. As much as she longs for justice in this case, she is appalled at the way it was carried out. As she does her own digging into the case she gets caught up in an investigation of a missing girl from her son’s school. Pieces slowly fall into place, linking both cases, and the truth that Wendy uncovers is more shocking than she could have imagined.

Harlan Coben continues to soar with his latest suburban thriller. Coben has become a master of taking the familiar comforts and perceptions of suburbia, and turning them on their head to reveal the very real fears and dangers that reside there. Caught isn’t so much a story about internet predators as it is a story about families and community responding to tragedy. As we get glimpses into how different characters are dealing with their own troubles, Coben takes us on an intriguing journey full of the mystery and suspense that he is known for.

I’ve always felt Coben’s greatest strength is his characters, and we get a lot of them here.  Authors often make the mistake of bringing too many characters into a plot, but when placed in the hands of a master storyteller like Coben, this technique only enhances the story. I have no doubt fans will be clamoring for more Wendy Tynes after this story, and rightly so. Her strength coupled with her broken past will easily draw readers in. Coben even has a bit of fun with a middle aged white rapper named Ten-A-Fly that readers will either love or love to hate. In true Coben fashion, we have some fun cameos from former characters including the always fascinating Win.

There are a lot of moving parts here, but Coben easily keeps the story woven tightly and part of the fun is knowing Coben will somehow tie it all together in the end. The twists serve their purpose, but by no means are they mind blowing. Nor do I think were they meant to be. I was moved by the final reveal, not for the clever way it was packaged, but for the emotional impact that tied all the threads together. Harlan Coben not only tells great stories, but he gets into the hearts and minds of his readers. That’s what separates this guy from the pack and the reason he is at the top of my list.

Review copy provided by Dutton.

Genre: Suspense/Fantasy

Publisher: Howard Books

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

I am cold …I am not an angel, nor am I demon … I am a Drifter, something God created in his spare time and then forgot on the fringes of reality …Do  you see me?

Drift is the story of two lost souls. One is the adopted daughter of a Mafia enforcer kept more as pet than person. The other is a being so disconnected from time and substance he exists only to be tethered to someone, anyone, more real than he himself is. In some cruel form of control Baby Doll has never been told her real name, though she has begged to be told since a little girl. And on the day, as a young woman, Baby Doll attends the funeral of the man who held her virtual prisoner her entire life everything is changed by those four haunting words, “Do you see me?”

Baby Doll sees a young man whom she can only think to name, Boy. The story he tells her is as fantastic to her as it will be to the reader. Boy has no idea what he is or how long he has existed. His life gains substance only as he remains tethered to one person. Only the person who he becomes attached to can see him and there is no guarantee how long the connection will stay intact. To tell anymore more of the story would be an injustice to both the author and the reader.

At first glance, Drift is a fantasy or perhaps an allegory. Admittedly the concept may at first scare some readers off (it almost did me). But, give yourself half a chance and you will find yourself drawn into as intense a story of redemption as fiction can offer. Boy serves as a surreal picture of what it means to feel invisible as so many people in our culture do. Baby Doll is his alter ego: wealthy, well groomed, well educated, and just as much without substance. In the end, Drift is about discovering our reason for existence.

Baby Doll watched the city roll by outside her window and found herself humming. It was an old song, a church song that told a story about a man who found a pearl and then sold everything he had just to buy it. She couldn’t remember all the words, but she wondered if she was more like that man in the song, or more like the pearl. Part of her desperately hoped to be both.

For those who don’t know, the author, Sharon Carter Rogers, is as much an enigma as Boy and Baby Doll. Ever since her earlier novels, Sinner and Unpretty, first appeared readers have been trying to figure out who Sharon is but even the publisher offers little help. Whatever her true identity, she writes in prose that literally bleed with raw emotion. Sometimes it seems as though the writer herself is whispering along with Boy, “Do you see me?”

Review copy provided by Howard Books.

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: April 2009

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

Four years after the first Gatekeepers novel released, Anthony Horowitz returns to his sometimes fantasy, sometimes science fiction, sometimes horror series for young adults. It’s been a wait for fans of the books, but now Horowitz delivers the next chapter in this thrilling series with astounding pacing, plotting, and a finish that ranks among his absolute best.

The story continues during events that take place in Nightrise, book three. Things open up with Scarlett Adams, living in England and enjoying a relatively simple life until she stumbles through a doorway in St. Meredith’s Church. Transported far from home, Scarlett faces a nightmare: there are men after her and she doesn’t know why. All she does know is that they want her alive. Soon everything spins out of control: Scarlett’s family is breaking, her life is falling apart, the people around her are dying, and her own will is about to smashed to pieces. Unless Matthew Freeman and the other three gatekeepers can rescue her in time…

Necropolis was a huge undertaking, and it’s easy to see why Horowitz waited so long to piece things together for its release. From Peru to England to Hong Kong to Macao and Miami, the story flies the characters all over the map. Horowitz takes a few cues from his horror stories in this one, and really ratcheted up the gore level. A few scenes definitely made me squirm, and other places I was breathless, flipping page after page to see what would happen. His action scenes shine brightly here, and even rival some of his Alex Rider books. Horowitz also seemed to try and make the evil creatures a little more frightening than before. In books two and three when the Old Ones are revealed, they were more comical than terrifying. But in Necropolis, things take a dark, dark turn as the evil seems much more sinister than ever before.

Some sections did plod a bit, such as when Scarlett first arrives in Hong Kong. For about the first fifth of the book, Scarlett’s point of view takes over, but then things switch up and start bouncing between Scarlett and Matthew, the main character in two of the previous books (Raven’s Gate and Evil Star). And Horowitz even experiments with journal entries from Matthew’s perspective. The journal sections did jump from the flow of the story, but they worked to give us an inside view of Matthew’s thoughts about the things happening all around him. The suspense does build, sometimes too slowly, but the final climax blew away almost every other ending Horowitz has done so far. The final chapter is so perfectly executed and left on such a perfect cliff hanger that I couldn’t help but sit quietly in awe after I had turned the last page.

While this book might be just a bit too gory and violent for some readers, fans of Horowitz’ previous novels and of The Gatekeepers series will definitely enjoy this penultimate book before the final saga of Matthew Freeman and the Power of the Five.

Genre: Young Adult, Suspense, Thriller

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: February 2010

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Charlie West wakes up one day and a year of his life is gone. Mysterious thugs are after him and the police want him for the murder of his friend, Alex. As Charlie tries to makes sense of it all, he discovers he is in the middle of a major terrorist plot and he has no idea how he got involved. Reluctantly, Charlie decides to go to the only place where he might find some answers: home.

Andrew Klavan has more than left his mark on the adult thriller genre, but with this fresh new Young Adult series he is quickly proving what a multi-talented storyteller he is. While The Last Thing I Remember hooked me with it’s breakneck pace and tension, The Long Way Home has captured my imagination with the strong character development and themes of friendship and heroism that Klavan explores. The real heroes of this story are Charlie’s friends, who never doubted him and are ready to do whatever it takes to clear his name. I found much more character depth here than I anticipated and it made the book that much better. Never fear, though. Fans who are looking forward to the action and intrigue will find plenty here to cheer about.

With two more books to go in The Homelanders series, I find myself anxiously waiting what Klavan has up his sleeves. I’m buying everything Klavan is selling, from the excellent first person narrative, to the gut punching action; to the perfect doses of humor and wit…it’s all working for me.

With top notch series like The Dreamhouse Kings and The Homelanders, Thomas Nelson is blazing one heck of a trail in the Young Adult market. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Don’t miss our interview with Andrew Klavan!

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Literary

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Released: February 2010

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever by Justin Taylor comprises fifteen stories of love, loss, and longing. While Taylor’s precocious talent is unquestionable, this collection ultimately feels as purposeless as the characters it portrays.

The stories in the collection address different aspects of young adult life—first love, feelings of being trapped in a place, trying to fit in, leaving the parents’ faith, “finding yourself,” etc. The stories are more descriptions, vignettes, sketches than fleshed-out stories. Readers looking for a driving plot are best served looking elsewhere (though this in itself is not a criticism). The hardest thing to handle in these stories for me is that the characters are static, starting and finishing in roughly the same place with no growth. (Perhaps this is how the author views adolescence, as a state of indefinite limbo until someone or something drags you out.)

For example, “In My Heart I Am Already Gone” starts with Kyle not liking living at home, and his relationship with his girlfriend, Sara, is “we date and we break up and date, and there have been others, for both of us . . . but as the years have moved our old friends away, married them off, or put them in their graves, our rediscoveries have lasted longer and longer.” They stay with each other mostly out of habit, even though they don’t seem to care for each other. The world moves around them, but they are stuck. The story’s conclusion finds Kyle in the exact same place, saying, “I will never escape this town.” While this stasis can be an effective storytelling technique occasionally (even the decision to stay the same or surrender is still a decision, an act of will), it loses its power with continual use.

Malaise and angst pervade the entire book. I found that this is best illustrated by an ambiguous statement Rose, the narrator in “Weekend Away,” makes: “Every day of your life is getting something you never asked for.” This sentence, obviously, can be taken multiple ways. One doesn’t ask to be born; every day is a gift, something to be celebrated. Rose, however—and most other characters in this collection—see this on the other side. “I can never have what I really want”; every day is an affliction, something to be endured. Since you can never have what you really want, why not snatch what happiness you can get? Thus, the characters behave more like wanton children than adults. They are self-centered, unfaithful, and unconcerned with the consequences of their actions. They exploit sexual relationships and drugs (both graphically described), only thinking of themselves. Their lives seem purposeless and empty, and it leaves the reader feeling that way, too.  The characters imagine that getting out of their current situation will change their lives; they don’t realize that the problem may not be their environment, but themselves and their own selfishness.

That Taylor’s writing is so promising makes the emptiness of the collection that much harder to bear. Style is an important factor for me, but especially in a literary collection like this one, where plot is not the driving force, there needs to be substance as well. As it is, the collection feels much like the list of the Abu Ghraib tortures that the narrator makes in “Jewels Flashing in the Light of Time”—a catalogue of vices designed for mere titillation. These vices, like the characters, are well described, but they lack a guiding principle, an insight that tells us why we should care. Taylor is very good at writing the sentences, not so with the paragraphs.

Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever does have its high points and will certainly connect with “unmoored” twenty-somethings like the characters in these stories, and Taylor is certainly a writer to watch with interest. But as for me, I think I’ll wait until he has something to say before I read anything else he writes.

Review copy provided by Harper Perennial

Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Released: September 2009

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth is a fictional retelling of the life of mathematician, logician, and philosopher Bertrand Russell and his quest to discover the foundational underpinnings of mathematics. A book about a mathematical quest may not sound appealing and certainly not deserving of the word “epic” in its subtitle. But Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou, using the graphic novel format, have successfully created an engaging, clever, and ultimately satisfying foray into the world of logic and math that should keep readers engrossed even after they’ve finished it.

The book opens with author Apostolos addressing the reader directly, explaining what he’s hoping to accomplish in a book he’s working on concerning the quest for the foundation of mathematics. He wants to tell a good story whose heroes happen to be mathematicians and logicians, but in order to tell it well, he consults with a computer scientist friend of his, Christos, who can explain the deeper mathematical subjects as they arise in the writing. Apostolos and Christos meet in the studio where the artists are working on the preliminary sketches for this book, and Apostolos relates to Christos the story that Logicomix will tell. This is the first frame of the story: a group of friends in modern-day Greece telling the story of Bertrand Russell’s quest for the foundations of mathematics to each other.

The story Apostolos tells begins with Bertrand Russell in the United States in 1939, three days after Hitler invaded Poland, soon to give a lecture on the role of logic in human affairs. Russell is intercepted on his way to the lecture hall by a group of American anti-militarists who want Russell to rally others to their cause: keeping the United States out of World War II. Russell gives his lecture as planned, inviting these people to hear him. This is the second frame: Bertrand Russell tells a group of Americans his story to help them make decisions regarding World War II.

Russell’s story begins in childhood and ends at the Americans’ decision point. He relates how his childhood was filled with uncertainty, and mathematics provided the only stable grounding for his life, at one point even saving him from suicide. Discovering that there are portions of mathematics that even mathematicians accepted on faith, Russell devotes his life to establishing with certainty the roots of math. The story follows him through both his personal and academic life as he begrudgingly realizes that things in the real world do not always have a rational explanation.

While the discussions in Logicomix focus on sometimes heady subjects, the frames in this story provide a way for the authors to explain the concepts to the uninitiated. (As I mentioned before, Russell’s story—and the story of mathematics—is told among friends, who are not shy in interrupting the narrative when a concept doesn’t make sense to them. There is a “Notebook” section as well, which follows the story and provides additional information on key players and ideas in the quest.) By telling the story in frames, the authors are also able simultaneously to show the real-world implications of what Russell relates in his own tale and to explore the themes of logic and madness, belief and certainty, and temperance in all things in a variety of contexts that might not be possible in a straightforward narrative style.

Even if the story in Logicomix were not interesting, the book’s art would make it worth reading. Logicomix is a true graphic novel. The drawings are not just illustrations; they help to tell the story. In one place, for example, when young Bertrand Russell is learning Greek, the authors use different letterings for Russell and for his teacher to show their varying mastery over the language. Because the full-color art, beautifully rendered, does part of the storytelling, Logicomix is not overrun with bulky text. Even though the subject matter is harder to digest than some other graphic novel fare, this balance between pictures and words helps it avoid getting bogged down.

Logicomix presents foundational ideas of logic and math in a reader-friendly way that is both informative and enjoyable. Readers who like their fiction unencumbered by detailed (sometimes technical) discussions may prefer to look elsewhere for their next fix, but for readers who have an interest in philosophy, graphic novels, or just interesting and clever storytelling, Doxiadis and Papadimitriou’s book is the logical choice.

Review copy provided by Bloomsbury USA

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by Time George

Natalie Sinclair went to the Republic of Dhambizao to find ways to bring healing to the African country but what she finds is a sickness far more devastating and insidious than Ebola or Malaria. Just five days before national elections, which hope to prove peaceful, Natalie meets Joseph Komboli. The young man tells her a horrifying story of “Ghost Soldiers” that raided his village and took his family away to work as slaves in the mineral mines. Somewhere near that village is the proof, a camera he used to record an evil everyone from high government officials to humanitarian workers refuse to admit even exists. Soon Natalie, Joseph, and Dr. Chad Talcott find themselves in a race for their lives to prove what no one wants to believe.

Though better known for her cozy mysteries and light romance, author Lisa Harris moves to new ground in this the first of her Mission Hope Series. Sure, there’s a budding romance and the usual relational issues one might expect from Lisa’s writing but that is where the similarities between her previous works and Blood Ransom end. Human trafficking and modern day slavery is real and too often either ignored or glossed over. Through the medium of fiction and suspense we are immersed in a world that unfortunately is far from fiction. The author is a missionary in Mozambique and it is obvious she knows what she is talking about. There is nothing cozy or romantic about a people abused by their own government and exploited by the greed of those they will never see face to face. Blood Ransom is about slavery but it focuses more on those who need to be convinced rather than those who are actually suffering. We see little of the plight of Joseph’s family mining for precious metals so we can have cheap cell phones in the Western world. Instead, the author focuses on the difficulties involved in proving such atrocities are real and in finding anyone who cares. But there is hope in this story. Good men like Dr. Talcott do exist and others who have become callous and cynical can still have their hearts pricked.

This is an excellent first suspense novel for a seasoned romance writer. The pacing is good and we are swept along with the main characters in their desperate attempt at shining the light on a great darkness. While the ending is bit rushed, all in all Lisa Harris had done a great job of telling a good story while at the same time dealing with a difficult topic. That balancing act is seldom accomplished with great success and this novel is an exception to the rule. We look forward, as this series continues, to the hope this author shines on her beloved continent and the people that live, love, and suffer there.

Review copy provided by Zondervan.

Genre: Literary, Adventure

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publication Date:  February 2010

Marianne Peters’ Review:

Most high school students have read the story of Odysseus, his long journey from the fields of Troy to his home in Ithaca and his adventures along the way. Zachary Mason’s version, as he says in the Preface, is a “translation” of the story before it was canonized, when “the Homeric material was formless, fluid, its elements shuffled into new narratives like cards in a deck.”

Reading Mason’s debut novel, The Lost Books of the Odyssey, is like looking through the other end of the telescope. Each chapter answers the question, “What if?” What if we had the Cyclops’ side of the story? What if Penelope wasn’t faithful to her long-absent husband? What if Helen of Troy never married Menelaus? What if Achilles had died a natural death as a traveling beggar? The familiar landmarks of Homer’s tale disappear, and the effect is both fascinating and disconcerting. Odysseus himself has a reputation as a smooth-talking, truth-bending survivor. Truth is a slippery commodity in this novel. Each chapter’s story, each one just a fragment or episode, makes us wonder what truth looks like. Is it one story, or is it made up of many stories? And what of history? With so many points of view, how do we decide what really happened?

It’s helpful to have read Homer’s Odyssey recently, or a synopsis of it, to appreciate Mason’s interpretation. His references to Greek mythology are sometimes explained by footnotes, but as with everything in this novel, the reliability of these references is up for grabs. Even if your last reading of Odyssey is a distant memory, there’s so much to enjoy about this novel. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes ironic, sometimes even poignant, Mason’s playful interpretation of this classic is a delightful read. It’s like seeing a familiar company of players asked to read a different script, reminding us that stories are always open to interpretation.

“I hope that this translation reflects the haunted light of Homer’s older islands, “ Mason writes, “where the familiar characters are arranged in a new tableaux, but soon become restless, mercurial – they turn their backs, forget their names, move on.”

Jonathan Schindler’s Review:

The Iliad and Odyssey, we are told, circulated in oral tradition before they were ever fixed in written form. Homer is given credit for writing them down, but his epics are really the product of nameless bards reciting and refining the stories over time. As Zachary Mason notes in his preface to The Lost Books of the Odyssey, before the Odyssey was written down, “the Homeric material was formless, fluid, its elements shuffled into new narratives like cards in a deck.” It is this fluidity that provides the context for Mason’s book.

The Lost Books of the Odyssey is a collection of forty-four variations on the traditional Homeric stories, each lasting between one and eleven pages. The preface explains that these variations were unearthed in Egypt and just now translated by the author. Mason carries this conceit throughout the book with footnotes that explain “translation” choices, but which mostly fill in necessary information for those less familiar with Homer’s epics than the author.

Mason’s variations range from the standard deviations—What if Odysseus came home to find that Penelope hadn’t waited for him? What if Penelope was already dead? What if Odysseus decided to stay with Calypso?—to the more creative, bizarre ones—What if the story of Odysseus’s exploits and return to Ithaca was invented by the blinded cyclops or a cowardly Odysseus? What if Odysseus had a doppelganger? What if the Homeric epics are really just aids for memorizing an ancient chess primer? He also explores ideas in between, like, What does a fighting man do once there’s no more fighting to do? What is the nature of storytelling? What side adventures might Odysseus have had? Mason’s variations, whatever tangent they follow from the story, are well written, well thought out, and most of all engaging.

Mason’s main strength in The Lost Books of the Odyssey is not the writing—though this is top-notch and Mason is an adept storyteller. Mason’s greatest strength is his restraint—knowing just how much of a story to tell and no more. He doesn’t belabor any point (indeed, a 228-page book comprising 44 variations of the Homeric epics cannot be accused of verbosity), and he doesn’t provide bullying details that restrict the reader. Instead, he allows the reader’s imagination to do the main work. He provides the skeleton and the muscles, but it is up to the reader to flesh out each tale. Mason’s restraint works and pays dividends: many of his variations could (but hopefully won’t) become full texts in their own right, and after finishing the book I feel almost as if I’ve read these full texts.

Another aspect of The Lost Books of the Odyssey that I enjoyed is Mason’s wit in handling the source material. He doesn’t treat the Homeric epics as hallowed texts (as his preface makes clear), and he uses some of the gaps in the source as a springboard into new explorations of it. For example, in one of my favorite variations, “The Myrmidon Golem,” Agamemnon forces Odysseus to recruit Achilles for the Trojan War. Odysseus reluctantly agrees and goes ashore to convince Achilles to join, only to find that Achilles is already dead, “bitten on the heel by an adder.” Odysseus fears Agamemnon’s unpredictable rage and sculpts a clay Achilles to join in the war against Troy and fool Agamemnon. Now, this story is a bit far-fetched, but it provides an interesting (and entertaining) window into why Achilles, a key player in the Iliad, acts like he’s made of stone and is almost completely unlikable.

Not everyone will enjoy The Lost Books of the Odyssey, and reading the Iliad and Odyssey is probably prerequisite for enjoying Mason’s book. Nevertheless, for those who are captivated by Odysseus’s adventures in particular or Greek mythology in general, The Lost Books of the Odyssey will be a welcome addition to your library.

Review copies provided by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Genre: Children’s, Young Adult

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: September 2007

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

When Dashti’s mistress, Lady Saren, refuses to marry the man her father has chosen, both girls are thrown into a sealed tower to endure a seven-year punishment. Soon Khan Tegus, a kind suitor, calls upon them and Saren orders Dashti to impersonate her, a crime punishable with death. Reluctantly, Dashti obeys and finds herself anticipating this man’s visits. But food supplies grow scarce and an evil suitor, Khasar, taunts them. Dashti must find a way to protect her mistress and escape the tower’s confines.

Against a backdrop of war-torn and defeated lands, Dashti and Saren flee to Tegus’ homeland, still maintaining their switched identities. But Khasar’s lust for power leads him to conquer this country as well. As he approaches their new home, Dashti learns she must face Khasar if she and Saren hope to survive.

Something about Book of a Thousand Days by Newbery Honor-winner Shannon Hale entrances readers into propping their eyelids against the late hours. The magic of foreign lands and the thrill of adventure may have something to do with this. Or it could be poetic language and a truly heroic, yet humble protagonist. Readers will cheer for Dashti, a simple but intelligent girl, who can restore the human spirit with her healing songs. Ever hopeful and hardy, she tells the tale through her carefully kept journal.

Shannon Hale patterns the setting of this retold Grimm fairytale (“Maid Maleen”) after medieval Mongolia—a unique choice that lends a distinctive quality and tone to the book. Some elements of religion and eastern mysticism naturally creep into the book for this reason, as well as bits of magic.

A well-told, charming tale.

Review copy provided by Bloomsbury.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Disney Press

Publication Date: April 2008

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

One thing that Disney is expert at is creating franchises. And they have definitely accomplished that with the ever popular Pirates of the Caribbean, from amusement park rides to three feature films, a slew of merchandise, and this real gem: the Jack Sparrow book series by Rob Kidd. Each volume is short and quick, always coming in under 150 pages. These are definitely geared towards the children’s market, but there is something really magical about each entry that shines to both kids and adults alike. And the same can be said about book eleven, Poseidon’s Peak.

A teenage Jack Sparrow rows out into the middle of the ocean. He’s been abandoned by all the friends he had, and now he’s heard whispers of an ancient treasure hidden somewhere on a mountain peak. He sets off to look for it, and soon finds himself running from islanders, swimming into underground caverns, and trying to figure out just who is this mysterious dying man who knows Jack’s name, but nothing about himself. And all of this leads up to the final startling shocks: someone has gained control of a power that will allow them to rule the Seven Seas… and kill Jack Sparrow for good.

The writing is always crisp with Kidd, and the pacing is insanely fast, with just a touch of development for Jack’s character as he struggles to decide whether to become a pirate or not. The book builds on events in the previous ten volumes, and to really get the full story, new readers should head back to book one, The Coming Storm, and start there. But Kidd has set this one up so that anyone could really jump in and not be too lost.

The nice thing about these books is that the plots are actually pretty good. Kidd doesn’t just offer up a quick and easy storyline. Usually things get complicated for Jack Sparrow, and often there is a bit of mystery that isn’t revealed until the very end. And it’s always fun to see how he will tie in a cameo appearance from a character in the films – anyone from Davy Jones to Mr. Gibbs to the Kraken.

Kids who enjoyed the Pirates movies will love this quick read, and even adults will enjoy the adventures of young Jack Sparrow and his crew.