An Indentured Servant Finds Love and Redemption in the New World

A captive Scot from the remnant of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s uprising, Alex MacKinnon, is sent as an indentured servant to North Carolina. Even there his plans go awry when he is claimed by Phineas Reeves, overseer of Severn Plantation owned by Edmung Carey. He is to become a blacksmith.

On the plantation he finds himself drawn to the struggles of the slaves. He is also attracted to Joanna, Edmund’s stepdaughter. She is gentle and kind to all around here. To his surprise, she is drawn to him also, although she is supposed to marry Phineas Reeves. With many crises, things get worse on the plantation and Alex is forced to flee to the mountains where he meets the Cherokee and Reverend Pauling whose wise counsel changes his life and brings him back to the Lord.

This is a beautifully written historical novel with a Christian background. In fact, according to the author it’s based on a short story in one of Paul’s epistles. It concerns Onesimus, a runaway slave of the wealthy Philemon. I thought the author did an excellent job of translating the story in to the 1800s America.

The character are complex and well-rounded. Both Joanna and Alex are conflicted, but the trials they experience open their eyes to the needs of people, particularly the slaves, around them and make them realize how much they need and love each other. Although a Christian book, the story contains some difficult topics, such as child abuse and race relations. If read by an adolescent, parents should be ready to discuss the topics to make the book more meaningful.

The descriptions are lush. They draw you into the North Carolina countryside in the 1800s. I felt as though I could see the plantation and the mountains. If you enjoy historical fiction with a Christian base, this is an excellent choice.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.

A Story of Love, Betrayal, and Family

Lena is thrilled to be marrying the man of her dreams. Everything has been planned to perfection thanks to her sister Hallie, a party planner. She and Hallie have been as close as twins, and she’s thrilled to be with her sister on this perfect day. Ready to walk down the aisle, Lena goes in search of her sister and gets the worst shock of her life. She leaves her home in Watersend and relocates to New York City where she’s a successful travel writer.

Lena has been home to see her mother, father, and brother, Shane, but she hasn’t seen Hallie for ten years. Then a devastating call comes from her brother. She has to come home. Her father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the family is needed to help. Lena returns. She still doesn’t want to see Hallie, but she’d do anything for her father.

As she siblings work together to build a memory book for their father, gaps appear in his life. There are secrets that must be faced, particularly for Lena.

This is a strong story of family and betrayal showing that in the end family bonds can overcome even the most grievous hurt. Lena is a character you can relate to. Her emotions are raw even after ten years, but her love for her father is so important that she will do anything, including try to reconcile with her sister, to help him.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Harry and Her Animal Sleuths Are Faced with Murders Past and Present

Harry Haristeen and her friend Susan Tucker are helping with cleanup at the National Beagle Club at Aldie for the Hounds for Heroes Benefit. Their efforts are hampered when a major nor’easter his Northern Virginia. Although the weather is not cooperative, Harry, Susan and her pets persevere and cleanup is well underway when Jason Holzknect, a retired foreign service officer is found dead.

Soon another murder occurs and Harry and Susan are left with the uncomfortable assumption that the killer must be someone familiar with the National Beagle Club grounds. In addition to this mystery, Harry’s church is the site of vandalism of old tombstones. When an eighteenth-century skeleton is unearthed wearing priceless pearls, this appears to be an old murder, since the skeleton’s neck was snapped and she was buried on top of the remains of the two people for whom the grave was dug.

I love the characters in this series. Harry makes a great sleuth with the help of her animal friends: Mrs Murphy, Pewter, Tee Tucker, and a new addition, Pirate. The mysteries in this book were only fair. I didn’t like the way the story toggled back and forth between past and present since there didn’t seem to be a strong relationship between the two crimes. However, if you enjoy the animal characters, this is still a fun read.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Kat Holloway Solves the Murder of a China Expert

Kat Holloway, only thirty-years-old and one of the best cooks in England is very careful about who she works for. Her current situation works very well. She likes Lady Cynthia although she’s a bit eccentric, wearing male dress. Mr Davis, the butler, and she get along very well, even though they are sharing the housekeeper duties until a new one is hired.

The mystery begins with the death of Kat’s next door neighbor, Sir Jacob Harkness. He’s a wealthy man who is supposed to be an expert on China. On her way to the market, Kat, hurrying along, runs into an old Chinese man, Mr. Li. She helps him up and makes sure that he is all right. In his gratitude, he brings her a gift. She’s not sure she should accept, but since it’s a box of tea, it seems acceptable.

The problem is that a Chinese man was seen outside Harkness’ house when the murder took place. Mr. Li is the suspect. Kat has formed a liking for the old man so she takes on his cause to solve the murder.

The characters in this series are wonderful. You can’t help liking Kat and Daniel, a mysterious man who keeps showing up to help her solve crimes. The new housekeeper, Mrs. Daley, makes Kat’s life miserable. One of those characters you love to hate. Kat’s daughter is adorable. In short the whole cast makes the book fun to read.

The mystery was a little light, but with several sub-plots the story moves along swiftly. This is one of my favorite series. I do love the romantic interludes between Kat and Daniel. I just wish there were more of them.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Cold Case Starts a Chain of Death

It’s been three years since Bridget Quinn, retired FBI agent, married Carlo, a former priest and university philosophy professor. They’re living in Tuscon, trying to adjust at retirement age to the emotional demands of marriage.

Bridget has always been fascinated by the murder of the Walker family in Florida in 1959. The case had much in common with the Clutter case immortalized by Truman Capote in his epic novel, In Cold Blood. Although the cases were similar and the murderers in the Kansas case were in the area at the time, no one was ever charged. One other remaining mystery is whether a third person was with the murderers in Kansas. It has never been proved and the person has never been located.

Jerry Beaufort, a long term prisoner, who has been jailed for drug dealing among other crimes, wants to live out his life in peace, but he fears that papers may lead investigators to his involvement in the Walker killings. Carlo, who was at times a priest at the prison where the Clutter killers were held, may have papers relating to the old crime. Jerry needs those papers.

This is not a book where the reader doesn’t know who the killer is. It’s plain from early on that Jerry was involved in the crimes. The question is whether he can be stopped before he commits other crimes in trying to erase the evidence. I found the connections between the Walker and Clutter crimes fascinating. However, the book was rather slow.

I found Bridget hard to relate to. She is obsessed with Carlo’s first wife. She spends a great deal of energy on her obsession, rather than the crime. Carlo is much more likable. He is very patient with Bridget.

For me, the most interesting part of this book was the information on the older crimes. However, it’s an easy read for if you like cold case novels.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

A Family Haunted by Mistakes in the Present – and in the Past

The Sorenson’s need money. Matt, a lawyer, has been offered a partnership in his law firm, but he’ll have to buy in. Elise dreams of being an Olympic Equestrienne, but the expense of the horse and her competitive travel are a burden on the family. Gracie, their daughter, has special needs due to an accident Elise suffered before her birth.

Their big asset is a cabin on Lake Placid left to Matt by his grandfather Nate. Nate brought him up and Matt has pangs about selling the cabin. However, he is ready to do what he must for his family. They head to Lake Placid for the summer to enjoy the cabin one last time and to come together as a family after all Elis

e’s travel.

But things go awry. Nate has secrets that Matt didn’t know about, and half way through the summer Gracie goes missing. Plus Matt’s high school sweetheart lives next door and is too available.

The scenes of Lake Placid are enticing. I also enjoyed the characters. Matt was a favorite. He’s a super dad, having to fill in for Elise, who is pursuing her dreams. Elise is much harder to like, but you have to admire her for trying to reach the peak of her profession.

This is primarily a story of a family in transition. There is a mystery about what happens to Gracie, but her disappearance doesn’t happen until about half way through the book. Until that point the story explores the problems in Elise and Matt’s relationship. If you want a fast paced mystery, this is not it. However, if you enjoy a psychological study of a family, you’ll enjoy this book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Romantic 1938 Summer Turns to Tragedy

Beatrice, married to Harry for five years, feels that her marriage has become stale. She’s looking to rekindle some of the closeness that has been missing, and perhaps conceive a child. Her hopes for a summer of togetherness are dashed when Harry informs her that she will be staying at the hotel in Montauk while he commutes to New York during the week.

Beatrice is disappointed but hopes to make the best of it. The problem is that she doesn’t fit with the rich women staying at the hotel for the summer. Their major preoccupations are gossip, planning fund raising events, and enjoying leisure activities like golf and tennis. Beatrice, who comes from a modest background, feels more at home with the people of Montauk and befriends a laundress, Elizabeth, who has four children to care for. She’s also drawn to the working men who seem so much sturdier than Harry and his friends. She is particularly drawn to Thomas, the lighthouse keeper, with disastrous results.

The author does a good job of portraying the period of the 1930s as the country begins to recover from the great depression. The contrast between the society women and the average citizens of Montauk is instructive. The women are vain and silly with little to occupy them while people, like Elizabeth, struggle in the real world of work and family.

Perhaps the best part of the book is the lovely descriptions of Montauk. As Beatrice falls in love with the scenery, we do, too. I was less drawn to the way the story is told. It is all first person. Therefore, we great a clear picture of Beatrice’s thoughts, but I felt there was a lack of dialog, which for me makes the characters interesting.

The is primarily a romance novel although it touches on the manners and mores of the time in which women had a place and were expected to keep to it and bigotry and snobbishness were rampant in the uppers classes. If you enjoy leisurely romance novels, this is a good choice.

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