A Serial Killer Stalks the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair

In 1893, the Chicago World’s Fair was a huge attraction. People came from all over the country to wander through the White City. The gathering also attracted crime.

Winnifred Wylde is attending the fair with a would-be suitor when she thinks she sees a woman kidnapped at gunpoint. She races off to tell her father, an inspector of the Chicago police force, what she’s seen. Winnie loves romance novels and sometimes lets her imagination run away with her. This is what her father thinks happened.

Winnie is convinced of what she saw, and she plans to find the kidnapper. Knowing his impetuous daughter, Inspector Wylde assigns a policeman, Jude Thorpe, to follow her. Winnie spots Jude almost immediately and convinces him to help her in her quest. As the two work together, they find a growing attraction. It makes Jude even more convinced that he must protect Winnie, especially when she goes undercover to trap the kidnapper.

This is much more a romance than a mystery although it’s based on actual events. I felt the story of the serial killer got overshadowed by the romance between Winnie and Jude. Winnie is a vivacious character throwing herself into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences. Luckily Jude is a well-trained policeman who makes it his mission to keep her out of danger.

This is a Christian mystery so there is little violence and no inappropriate sexual behavior. It’s a fun read. I particularly liked the fact that it was based on a historical incident.

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.

Surviving an Assault by a Stalker

Psychology professor Dr. Denilyn Rossi is a survivor. She overcame PTSD after being attacked by a stalker. The man went to prison, but as he is soon to be released, Denilyn feels that she is again being stalked. She tells her students that the past can either haunt you, or give you a reason to move on, but now she has to apply her teaching to herself and find a way to overcome her fears again.

Adelia Sanchez is a less introspective character. She also has a past to overcome, and she takes direct action to do so signing up to take people on raft trips on the Kaweah river where her trauma occurred. The past and present come together on the river with Denilyn and Adelia facing danger and their fears.

This is a psychological thriller that can pull you in and make you feel all the panic experienced by someone being stalked and attacked. Denilyn tells her story in the first person and it is primarily her fears and how she tries to overcome them. Adelia also tells her story in the first person but there is more action. Since both characters tell their stories in the first person, it can be confusing in the early parts of the book. However, as the characters become more distinct, it’s easier to follow.

I enjoyed the book, but was disappointed that it was so easy to figure out what was happening with the stalker. It made me wonder how Denilyn could sometimes be so obtuse. The other thing I disliked about the book was Denilyn’s constant talking about her terror. Some of it was great, but it became too much after awhile.

There is a Christian element in the book that is not preachy, but a real part of the story. I thought that was the best part of the book. If you enjoy thrillers with a Christian underpinning, you’ll enjoy this book.

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.

Stories of Fifteen Strong Women of the Bible for Girls

The Bible is filled with stories of strong women from Eve to Mary and Mary Magdalene. The stories are told simply, but with enough detail to allow girls to understand how each woman did great things for God. I loved that refrain. “God did great things for me, and I did great things for God." It ties the stories together and makes the repeated point of how these women worked for God.

The illustrations are rich and beautiful. They give the child a detailed picture to follow when the book is being read aloud. This is an excellent book to read in a Sunday school class. It is also perfect for a mother to read to her daughter and discuss what it is to be “gritty and graceful.” Older children will be able to read the book for themselves. It’s a good introduction to the biblical world of these women.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

Learning that Different is Okay

Charlie likes to do things with his friends, but sometimes he likes to do things by himself. He feels different when he likes to draw alone, but his mother tells him it’s okay to be different. One day at the park he meets Emma. She’s really different, but is that okay?

This is a lovely book to teach children about disability and even more to tell them that being different is all right. We all have have areas where we’re different and children can learn to accept this about themselves as well as others.

The book has watercolor illustrations that children can relate to. The words are simple and tell the story in a way children can understand. This is a good book to read aloud and discuss, but children in first or second grade can it read it to themselves.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

Secret Documents, Murder, and The Troubles in Northern Ireland

A subpoena was served on Boston College in Massachusetts to get secret documents locked in the university archives. The information detailed incidents about what happened during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Catholics and Protestants were locked in a struggle for control. Youngsters, doing the bidding of the IRA (Irish Republican Army), planted bombs and carried out murders. It was an horrific time that few outside Ireland understand.

The book opens with the abduction and murder of Jean McConville, thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten. However, this is not a true crime book. After the introduction to Jean we hear nothing more until nearly the end of the book. The intervening chapters detail the bitter conflict. We learn of terrorist activities and get to meet some of the actors, like the Price sisters and other members of the IRA. Although there are a great many characters, the book is well written and easy to follow.

I highly recommend this book. It is the history of a terrible period in Northern Ireland. Before reading it, I knew very little about The Troubles. This book paints a picture of how society was torn apart and people committed acts that haunted them for their entire lives.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Two Murders Linked by a Horrific Crime

Evie Carter arrives home to find her husband, Conrad, in his office with three bullets in him. He’s been working at his computer. Evie takes one look, grabs the gun and unloads it into the computer. When the police enter the house, she’s the perfect suspect.

Detective D.D. Warren arrives at the murder scene and recognizes Evie. Sixteen years ago she accidentally shot and killed her father with a shotgun. Two murders are too much for D.D. She decides Evie is probably guilty.

Flora Dane, the survivor of a horrific crime, and D.D.’s CI, confidential informant, arrives at the scene near hysteria. She recognizes Conrad from her time with her abductor. This adds a layer of complication to the case that D.D. is not sure what to do with.

This is my favorite D.D. Warren mystery to date. The plot is filled with twists, but the information comes naturally as though it was being discovered in a real investigation. The story is told from three view points, D.D., Evie, and Flora. The author has made the characters so distinct it’s easy to follow the story even though moving between different persons.

All three women are tough and smart. I particularly liked Flora’s development in the book. She loses some of her standoff toughness and becomes much more of a real person. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers. It’s hard to put down.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

A Future Where Christianity is Under Attack

It’s 2038 and America is filled with high tech automation. People have implanted devices, the SYNAPSYS, that let them communicate without cell phones, and retrieve pictures and books. But the SYNAPSYS can also be used to track individuals and program them. It’s also a time when Christianity is under attack. Being a Christian or selling Christian literature is dangerous. People have been killed and made to disappear to keep them from spreading the Christian influence.

The story is told from three different view points. Cheyenne Burne is a tech whiz who works for the corporation behind the mind control of SYNAPSYS. She isn’t happy with the way the corporation treats people so when she receives a note that gives her directions to contact her missing father who has converted to Christianity, she walks out of her job in search of him. Jon Dowland is an FBI agent assigned to assassinate influential Christians. Will Stewart is a failed bookseller. He loved real books and sold Christian books. Now his shop is closed. A mysterious strangers makes him think, and he joins the movement of the Reckoner, the driving force behind Christians who are fighting back.

This is a thriller, but it also raises questions about the present and the way our country is heading away from Christianity into a society where technology rules and is used to control the way people think and to spy on them. I found the action while fast paced in the early chapters dragged a bit at times. However, the issues Thrasher presents are ones that Christians should be thinking about. I hope people will read this book. The thriller makes the reading easy, but the real payoff is in the issues presented.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.

A Fantasy Kingdom Peopled by Five Remarkable Sisters

In a fantasy kingdom much like ancient Britain live five sisters all with remarkable qualities. In the first book, Daughters of the Storm, the sisters worked together to return their father, the king, to health and restore his rule over the kingdom. With that accomplished, the strains on the sister’s relationship show. Like many siblings their rivalry has become a destructive thing.

Bluebell, the warrior and potential successor to the kingdom, is at home with her father, but when she learns that a sword has been forged to kill her, she goes to look for it. She is also close to Rowan, Rose’s daughter. Rose has been banished from her kingdom and has given her daughter to a caretaker to raise.

Ash is searching for dragons with a mysterious companion. Willow is most estranged. She hopes to become a fighter to take down Bluebell. Ivy is married to a much older man who she detests. He’s bedridden so she is able to take lovers, care for her sons, and rule the seaport without hindrance.

This is am addictive series. For having five main characters, the author has done an excellent job of giving them all distinct personalities. On the negative side, this can be a bit confusing since the narrative shifts from one sister to another. However, this is not a major problem since the characters are moving in different settings. I was glad to see more of Rowan in this book. She is building into a strong character.

This is a lovely book, but it is the second in the series and to take full advantage of the saga, it is important to have familiarity with the first book. If you enjoy well written fantasy, this is a book for you.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Anorexia is not Just for Teenagers

Anna is a ballerina, but she hasn’t danced since she injured her knee. She’s married to Matthias, a caring man who loves her. Anna is also anorexic. She’s twenty-six, not a teenager, but anorexia doesn’t respect age.

Anna is in a treatment center, 17 Swann Street, for women with anorexia and other eating disorders. Anna knows that she must conquer her problem, and she has Matthias' love to sustain her, but getting beyond anorexia, like any other mental illness, is not easy. Besides her husband, Anna has the friends she makes in the treatment center. All the women are struggling with eating disorders, but they are supportive of each other. It’s what helps bring them through.

This is not an easy novel to read. The author has done a good job getting into Anna’s mind showing how difficult it is to eat once you have built up a wall against food. The description of the treatment facility and the diets were realistic.

The other important part of the story is the role the men in her life, lover, father, husband, played in Anna’s disease and recovery. Anna was lucky. Although her lover was a man who made her ashamed of her body, she has a loving husband and father who support her and help her recover. I finished the book hoping her recovery lasts.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

The Quest to Save an Old Military School Turns Deadly

The Bordentown Military Institute, now defunct, is embroiled in a controversy about whether to sell the building, once the home of Napoleon’s elder brother, to a developer. Many of the prominent men in Bordentown were once cadets at the school. Now they want to preserve it, or is it the extensive tunnels under the school?

Beth Swahn is an attorney in her stepfather’s law firm. He’s an alum who wants to preserve the old school. Beth gets the assignment to keep the sale from going through. As the case progresses, she becomes increasingly concerned about how far someone will go to stop the demolition and more important, why.

This is a moderately entertaining legal thriller. The plot is a good one with plenty of complexity and twists. However, it is marred by uninspiring dialog and long passages of description. Beth is a good character, but the effect is dulled by a great deal of somewhat arcane legal procedure information that slows the story and may not be interesting to the average reader.

If you love legal thrillers with lots of concentration on legal procedure, you may enjoy this book. However, for the average reader, I found it rather slow going.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Romance During Texas’ Fight for Independence

Clay Gentry is in New Orleans. He has been entrusted with a mission for Andrew Jackson, but somehow he has been betrayed. Hating that he was unable to accomplish his mission he enlists in the New Orleans Grays to get to Texas and try to complete his mission.

Ellis Valmont and her family live in Quintana, Texas. Clay only gets as far as the Valmont property. He’s wounded and when Ellis finds him he’s feverish and out of his mind muttering about his mission. When he wakes up he can’t remember who he is, and with Ellis’ help they try to piece his story together.

Although the era of this novel was filled with action: armies clashing, and, of course, the Alamo, the story has little action. Much of it is taken up with talk between Clay and Ellis trying to solve the puzzle of who he is and what he was doing in Texas. If you like action, this story may not be for you.

However, the novel is well written. Historical detail is usually accurate, although as the author points out in her discussion at the end, she has taken liberties with the time line. If you enjoy history, I highly recommend reading this section.

The characters are well done. Ellis is brave and headstrong wanting to play her part in history. Clay is a more vague character. He doesn’t know who he is and finds out through his conversations and stories with Ellis. I particularly enjoyed Ellis’ grandfather. He made the book memorable.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review.

Three Romantic Tales Set in the 19th Century

Each of the three tales is a love story with some mystery. One couple is engaged. The other two have just met, but each couple has a complete story.

The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady pairs Helen, a governess returning to England to care for her pastor father, with Issac, a smuggler. However, the smuggler is also the owner of an estate who has given her father a cottage to live in and the sustenance to care for him in his illness. Helen doesn’t want to hide a lawbreaker, but she is beholden to him for her father’s care.

The Doctor’s Woman brings Emmy Nelson, the daughter of a missionary doctor, into contact with Dr. James Clark, the new doctor at Fort Snelling. During a Dakota uprising the doctor has no one to help him except Emmy. They find a new respect for each other and love.

A House of Secrets features an engaged couple, Amanda and Joseph. Both want to help the poor of the city. Amanda, Ladies Aide Chairman, wants to start a school. Joseph want to help young women escape from prostitution. Although their aims are the same, a secret separates them.

The three stories are delightful romances. I have to admit the first was my favorite probably because of the action. However, the other two are well done with characters you can relate to and well described settings. All three are true to the era. They showcase Christian ideals and the romance is clean and delightful. If you enjoy historical romance, these are good novellas.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review