A Wedding Dress for the Right Bride

Charlotte is getting married. The wedding should be perfect. She owns a bridal shop. She's an inspired bridal consultant, but she can't seem to plan her wedding, or choose a dress. On an impulse, she buys an old trunk at an auction. The trunk is in need of repair. Now that she has it, she doesn't know what to do with it. It's welded shut, so she can't open it. When her wedding plans collapse, possibly because she spent a $1,000. for the trunk, Charlotte pulls herself together and goes on with her life.

Three other women have been involved with the wedding dress Charlotte finally unearths from the trunk. Through flashbacks and Charlotte's sleuthing, we meet the ladies and find how they interact with Charlotte's story.

I thought this was a terrific book. The characters were interesting and the plot intricate enough to keep you reading to find out what happens next. The author does an excellent job of telling the stories of the three brides without losing continuity by moving back and forth in time.

I recommend this book for anyone one who loves weddings, or as a gift for that special bride.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze program.

A Touch of the Paranormal

On his twenty-first birthday Sean Corrigan receives the diary of an uncle he didn't know he had. Uncle Michael fled the US to avoid a murder charge. With his father's encouragement, Sean goes to Ireland to try to discover what happened to his uncle. In Ireland things become very strange. Sean has dreams that seem to relate to another time. He half remembers the people he meets. His cousin Anne tries to help him understand that things are not always what they seem. Some people can actually remember their past lives and the people you meet in this life may have been with you before.

I found the book very intriguing. The setting in Ireland was well done. You felt you were there. The descriptions of the Troubles when Ireland was fighting for independence made you think. I did find all the discussion of reincarnation a bit too much. For me, a taste of it would have been interesting, but in the second half of the book, Fox got rather carried away describing the philosophy of reincarnation. It bogged down the action.

If you're interested in Irish history and like Irish authors, you'll enjoy this book. However, if you find the idea of reincarnation disturbing, give it a miss.

I reviewed this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program: Until the Next Time by Kevin Fox.  

The Triple Threat Club Under Attack

Cassidy, Alison, and Nicole plan to meet for supper at a favorite Mexican restaurant, but one member of the Triple Threat Club fails to show up. She's the victim of a ruthless killer. The remaining members are devastated. They want justice for their friend. They want to help catch her killer, but the local police aren't interested in their help. When they try to convince the Portland police differently, their careers are put in jeopardy.

The police believe they have the killer. The two remaining members of the club are settling into mourning their friend when the killer strikes again. Is the killer trying to eliminate all three of them? With the remaining members of the club unable to search for the killer, a quirky investigator, Ophelia, becomes the newest member of the team,

I enjoyed this book. The death of one of the members of the Triple Threat Club is devastating. Wiehl writes convincingly about what it means to lose a special friend. It may make you cry. My disappointment with the book was the emphasis on friendship as opposed to crime detection. It was interesting, but not as fast paced as the previous books.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.

International Intrigue and Domestic Secrets

After struggling with two demanding jobs, two toddlers and a house that's falling apart, Dexter, Kate's husband, lands a lucrative job in Luxemburg. Kate has dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom. Her job as a field agent for the CIA and even her current desk job seem too fraught with danger for her young family. Feeling that she's making a good decision, she quits her job and the family moves to Europe. Then the problems start. Dexter's job has some mysterious aspects. One of the other expat moms forces a friendship that Kate isn't sure she trusts. Deceptions multiply, Kate's instincts as a spy lead her to investigate her friends and eventually her husband.

The novel is filled with puzzles and intrigue. If you like thrillers you'll enjoy trying to figure out this one. I particularly liked the setting. Pavone made the expat experience with the attendant travel to European cites come to life.

I did, however, have some problems with the book. The story is told predominantly through Kate's thoughts. As she becomes increasingly distrustful of her environment and questions her decision of quitting her job, her thoughts turn into many paragraphs of angst. I found it boring and didn't think the character rang true. This was particularly the case when there were so many hints that something wasn't right. I would have expected an ex-CIA agent to have been more alert and suspicious.

Many of the details were off, as though Pavone was trying too hard to create suspense and misdirect the reader. However, it is an interesting read, particularly if you love spy novels, but be prepared to wade through a lot of internal dialog.

I reviewed this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program: The Expats by Chris Pavone.

The Relationship Between the Bible and the Founder's Beliefs

The American Patriot's Bible is a wealth of information on the founding of the nation ranging from the Revolution through the Civil War and paying tribute to more recent great Americans. This Bible makes it very clear that the men who founded our country and those who fought to keep it free and guarantee the rights of all men were Christians who used the Bible to express profound thoughts.

Not only are interesting articles interspersed throughout out the Bible text, but many pages have inserts giving quotes that relied on those passages. I found these extremely interesting. Many of them I had never heard before, but it made me realize how well our ancestors knew the Bible and how important it was in their lives and thoughts.

I am particularly happy to have the King James Version. For me, it's closer to history. I highly recommend The American Patriot's Bible. It would make a wonderful gift for anyone interested in the relationship between our founding fathers and their reliance on Christian principles. This Bible is a magnificent work and can become a family heirloom. I will treasure my copy.

I reviewed this Bible as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.

Romance and Intrigue in WWII London

Instead of starting her Ph.D. in mathematics at MIT, Maggie Hope finds herself in London trying to sell her paternal grandmother's house. When one of Mr. Churchill's secretaries is murdered, Maggie is convinced to take the job. She doesn't want to be a typist even for the Prime Minister. She wants to be one of the Private Secretaries, but she's told that post is closed to women. The job turns out to be a prelude to romance, intrigue and murder, but Maggie, as Churchill says, just “Keeps Plodding On.”

I enjoyed the book. The characters of Maggie and her friends are amusing. The picture of war torn London is interesting and makes you feel the tension of the era. The book is not really a mystery. The author gives the game away in the Prologue. However, it moves quickly with lots of action and small mysteries that make it fun to read.

The ending was a bit over the top. There was a great deal of action, but Maggie seemed to be taking too much of a leading role in winding up all problems. I recommend this book if you want an escapist afternoon. If you're looking for a serious mystery, this isn't it.

I reviewed this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program.   

Mystery and Romance in the Santa Fe Art World

Alix London, estranged daughter of an art forger, gets an art consultant job that projects her into the Santa Fe art world where she finds romance, a chance to exercise her connoisseur’s eye, and murder. Chris LeMay has a contract to purchase a Georgia O'Keefe if it's genuine. When Alix sees the painting she immediately knows it's a fake, her connoisseur's eye, but proving is is another problem. The FBI is also investigating forged paintings emanating form the Santa Fe art community. Agent, Ted Ellesworth, poses as a collector to try to uncover who is responsible for the forgeries. When he sees the painting, he's convinced it's real and suspects Alix of ulterior motives in identifying it as a fake. When the gallery owner, a friend of Chris, is found dead, the trip turns deadly for Alix and Chris.

I enjoyed many things about this book. The characters, particularly Alix and Chris, are appealing. The Santa Fe art scene with gallery owners, artists and collectors is fascinating. The con-game of selling fake artworks to the unwary is well done. However, there were things I didn't like about the book. The meshing of the romance between Alix and Ted with the mystery seemed strained. He kept trying too hard to consider her guilty when all the facts pointed in another direction. I also found the mystery too easy to solve. The murderer is identifiable very early in the book.

This book is a fun read. However, the romance and mystery don't mesh well. If you're a fan of either, you may be disappointed. It feels as if the two authors each wrote their own specialty. I was very disappointed that the mystery was so easy to solve. If you are a mystery reader who likes to try to beat the detective to the solution of the crime, this book is not challenge.

I reviewed this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program.

A Dangerous Talent by Charlotte and Aaron Elkins