An Inspiring Friendship

Jim Bradford thought he and his wife, Brenda, would start working on their bucket list when their girls were grown. Then one day he went to an out-of-the way diner for a cup of coffee. A small boy, HK Derryberry, was sitting at a table with his ear glued to an old radio. HK had braces on his legs, he was blind, and wearing ill-fitting clothes. Once Jim Bradford saw him, he couldn’t look away. This was the start of an unusual friendship and the beginning of HK Derryberry overcoming his blindness and cerebral palsy to become an intriguing young man.

This is a wonderful story. Through Bradford we get to know HK, his grandmother, Pearl, and the sad tale of his early life when his mother was killed and his father abandoned him to his grandmother. So many people did amazing things to help this small boy realize his potential. A teacher took a special interest in him and helped him to learn to use a machine to read braille with one hand. His other hand was affected by cerebral palsy.

I highly recommend this book. It’s a wonderful story of how a boy came to find a father figure and a man found a son. There are too many dreadful stories. This one is uplifting. It’s one of the best stories I’ve read lately.

I received this book from Handlebar Publishing for this review.

 

Thoughts Determine Actions

The premise of Hahn’s book is that thoughts influence actions. Our thoughts shape who we are. If our thoughts are focused on anxiety and temptations, we don’t leave room for Jesus. What the book suggests is that we can order our thought to live a more godly life, a life of peace and happiness rather than anxiety and fear.

The book makes important points for not only our individual lives but for how our communities can be better places to live. One of the most important chapters for me was Chapter 10, Replacement Therapy. Hahn makes the point that God wants us to be filled with love and peace. Too often we are encouraged to remove things from our lives, sin and wicked ways. Hahn makes the point that it’s important to fill our live and learn how to make our thoughts close to the mind Christ. When we’re full of good thoughts there is no place for sinful imaginings. Chapter 11, Who’s the Boss, is also an excellent chapter. God is the boss and we need to train our thoughts to bring them into conformity with that idea.

This is an excellent book. If you’d like to free yourself to lead a happier more peace life in conformity with God, I highly recommend it. It’s not a particularly easy book to read. It’s filled more with Bible teaching than examples from everyday life. However, it’s well worth taking the time to read and appreciate it.

I received this book from Handlebar for this review.  

A Teenage Couple Died Too Young

Fifteen years ago, Leo and Diana were struck by a train. Were they playing chicken with the locomotive; was it bad luck; or something more sinister?Detective Napoleon, Nap, Dumas wants to know why his twin brother, Leo, died. The same night, Nap’s girlfriend, Maura disappeared. Now her finger prints have appeared in another murder scene and the victim is another classmate. Nap wants to know what happened to his brother, and particularly why Maura disappeared.

This is a great mystery. I didn’t figure out all the connections until the very end. Nap is a good character. You can’t help liking him and rooting for him to solve the old mystery even if the final solution is much darker than he wants.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. Coban is at his best. Nap is a good cop, but to solve murders, he is capable of bending the rules. In this case when Rex Canton dies, he can’t help but see the connection to his brother’s death, since Canton was a classmate. When other former classmates, feel threatened, Nap believes that he is on the track of what caused his brother’s death.

If you like thrillers with great characters and a plot that’s hard to unravel until the end, this is a very good one. The pace is fast. I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend it.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.  

Cold Cases, the Swedish Welfare System, and Murder

Denise and her young friends appear to be gaming the Swedish Welfare System. They dress well, party, and don’t want to work. Anne-Line, their case worker,is frustrated. Why should they receive benefits when they’re so clearly gaming the system? Then the young girls become the victims of a serial killer. Department Q is assigned the case.

The murder of an elderly woman in a park resembles a cold case Department Q is investigating. This puts them in conflict with the department upstairs and affects Department Q’s future. The members of the cold case team, Detective Carl, Assad, and Rose are experiencing their own problems. Rose is recovering from a mental breakdown and appears to be on her way to another one. Assad and Carl care for Rose and want to help her, but the resemblance of one of their cases to her past may be pushing her over the edge.

I found this book hard to get into. It’s part of a series and while it can be read as a standalone, I found parts confusing. The opening is devoted primarily to the welfare system and the young girls who are gaming it. When Department Q comes in, they’re trying to wrap up an old case and worried about the existence of their department. In the end all the threads come together for a satisfying ending, but you have to get well into the book to become immersed in the cases.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Murder, Corruption, and the Mistral

Captaine Roger Blanc specializes in ferreting our corruption. He thinks he’s solved an important case in Paris when suddenly he’s transferred to Provence, to a small provincial hamlet. His wife decides to stay behind in Paris with her lover, so he’s alone in a crumbling house that was once housed an olive olive press.

On his first day on the job, the Commandant assigns a murder case that looks like a drug related death that will go immediately to Marseilles. Unfortunately, Blanc’s partner Tonon recognizes the body as belonging to a local thug who delights in terrorizing his neighbors. The Commandant expects the case to go away, but when another body turns up, this time a builder who may or may not have been accidentally killed on his sailboat, Blanc can’t give up the hunt.

The best part of this book is the scenes of Provence, the scent of wild thyme, and the haunting winds of the Mistral. I enjoyed the way Blanc, the Parisian, begins to appreciate his new home. He’s a character you can’t help but relate to. He knows that he may be getting himself crosswise with his new superior, but when he scents the mystery, he has to go after the culprit.

The mystery is not hard to figure out. The author gives us all the clues early in the novel. However, because the French police and criminal justice system are

so different from ours, it’s a fascinating read. If you enjoy a good mystery, and likable characters in an exotic local, you’ll enjoy this book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.   

A Legal Thriller with an Intertwined Romance

Mason Pharmaceutical Company (MPC) is being sued by numerous plaintiffs. Their drug, Celix , taken by migraine sufferers, allegedly causes brain tumors. Kate Sullivan, a rising star in the Atlanta legal community, wants to be chief counsel on the combined cases. She achieves her wish, but is thrown into a dangerous situation.

One of the chief scientists at MPC, Ellie Proctor, contacts her about possible problems with the testing of the drug. Kate hires a professional investigator, Landon James, to find whether Ellie can be trusted. When the scientist is murdered, Kate and Landon are thrown into a deadly struggle to keep Kate safe.

The plot in this book is fast paced and keeps you wondering how the case will be resolved. For me the best part was seeing the detailed workings of a big law firm preparing for a civil case. It was very realistic. I was a little disappointed in the conclusion. I thought is was a little too violent for the pace of the novel. 

Kate is a character you can relate to. She is consumed by her job and sincerely wants the best for her clients. Landon is likewise a good character. He’s pursued by his demons from his time as an Army Ranger in Iraq, but he wants to keep Kate safe and gradually he begins to fall in love with her. It’s not easy for these two serious people to finally admit to the feelings they have for each other.

This book is Christian fiction, but Kate’s belief fits well into the story and is not overpowering. If you enjoy a good thriller without sex and little violence, you’ll like this book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.   

An English Village Full of Secrets

Miss Seeton is back. In this, the twenty-second Miss Seeton mystery, she’s returned in the same form as before. For those unfamiliar with Miss Seeton, she carries a sketch pad, umbrella, and her pictures help the police to solve crimes.

Back from a tour of the North where a golden heron was one of the featured sights, Miss Seeton is ready for another adventure. Nigel Colveden has married a French girl, the daughter of a count. The couple plans to live in local cottage and the ladies have decided that a quilt where each lady provides a square in her choice of embroidery or applique will be the perfect gift. While sketching the newlyweds cottage for inspiration on her part of the quilt, Miss Seeton’s drawing reveals something quite unexpected. This is in addition to the mural portrait of Henry VII found when renovating the Tudor cottage.

Happenings in the village are not the only secrets. Scotland yard and Miss Seeton’s old friends, Chief Superintendent Delphick and Sargeant Ranger, are involved in international secrets. Miss Seeton is helpful as usual.

If you enjoy English village mysteries, this is a fun one. The plot is full of complications, the characters are quirky, and Miss Seeton overcomes all to solve the case. I found the book rather slow. The characters take their time gossiping about Miss Seeton, the village happenings, and in the case of Scotland Yard, the new case.

If you’re a Miss Seeton fan, this book will be a delight. It’s also standalone, if you’re new to the series, but you have to love the slower pace of English mysteries. It can get a bit tiresome waiting for all the village ladies to have their gossip and get on with the action.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.