Playing the Part

With Spring around the corner and the theme of love in our book, I am recalling Alfred Lord Tennyson's quote, "in the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."  Our book is a compilation of romance, deception, mystery and suspense with an unexpected ending.  The story contains a villain, a heroine, a knight, a mausoleum that serves as entrance to a castle with a moat, a dungeon with torture implements and a roaming ghost in full body armor.  The heroine, Miss. Lucella Plum, is a leading lady performing in plays in New York City.  Mr. Bran Haverstein, said knight and castle owner, and Mr. Silas Ruff is the story villain.  A friend of Miss. Plum escorts her to Mr. Bram's castle as protection from the dangerous pursuits of Mr. Ruff.  Our heroine and knight have some wild adventures at the castle.  Each perceive the other person to be someone they are not, and their interaction is part of the mystery of the story.  Neither are looking for love, but they find it in each other..  The story and characters were interesting.  However I had trouble getting lost in the complicated plot.  If you are looking for a book with lots of action I recommend you read "Playing the Part".   This is the third book in the series called, "A Class of Their Own".  I received this as a free book from Bethany Publishing House.  The above is my own opinions.  I give "Playing the Part" four stars.

Risen

Angela Hunt has written the book "Risen" which is a Christian fiction.  The author is qualified in this genre because she has her doctorate in Biblical studies.  In 30 AD the Jewish religious leaders encourage Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea to seal and post guards at the tomb of Jesus of Nazarath.   Jesus had foretold that he would rise from the grave three days after his death.  Our story begins with Jesus missing from the tomb.  The author tells her story in the first person through two main characters.  Clavius who was a Roman Tribunal under Pontius Pilate, and Rachel who was a Jewish widow.  Pilate had ordered Clavius to investigate the disappearance of Jesus and to find his body.  Clavius questions the guards posted at the tomb, and many others who claimed to have witnessed the resurrected Jesus.  He eventually meets with the disciples of Jesus.  Even though they came from different cultural backgrounds Clavius and Rachel's lives became intertwined because both are driven to learn more about this Jesus.  What they found profoundly changed their lives.  The characters seem real and fit will into the Biblical story.  I liked the fact that the author tells about the history and culture of the Roman and Jewish people of that time period.  The author gives many scriptural quotes from both Jesus and his disciples through out the story.  The quotes seem accurate, but the author does take literary license as to when and where the words  were spoken.  I purchased "Risen" from Amazon and would give it four stars.  I enjoyed the story and would recommend reading it.  The story has been made into a movie, and I am looking forward to viewing the movie to see whether it follows Angela Hunt's work.

A Worthy Heart

Welcome once again.  Hope your Christmas was a blessed one.  Have you ever been in a relationship that family and or friends said could be unhealthy or harmful.  Well that is the underlining premise for our story, "A Worth Heart" by Susan Anne Mason.  This is her second book in a series called Courage To Dream.  The first book being "Irish Meadows". 
A brother named Gabe and his sister Maggie Montgomery leave Ireland for the summer and travel to New York to visit with their older brother and his family.  While in New York both Gabe and Maggie fall in love with someone their families don't approve of.  The story continues with their adventures through the summer visit.  I had a little trouble at the beginning sorting out the various characters and their relationship to each other.  However once that was accomplished I couldn't put the book down.  The author uses suspense, action and tragedy in her story to keep you turning to the next page.
Mrs. Mason writes Christian fiction.  So the lives of her characters portray Christian values.  The verse Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" is repeated by various characters through out the story.  This verse is meaningful to me.  So I enjoyed seeing it used in this story.  The author does a good  job at developing the personality of the characters, and they seemed real, and their conversations between them natural.  I highly recommend reading " A Worthy Heart".  Determine for yourself which character meets that criteria.  I received this book free from Bethany Publishing Company, and the opinions stated above are my own.  I give "A Worthy Heart" five stars.

Double Blind

If you enjoy a good mystery story you will enjoy reading the book "Double Blind" by Hannah Alexander.  Hannah Alexander is the pseudonym of a husband - wife writing team, Cheryl and Mel Hodde.  Mel, a medical doctor by profession, interjects his medical knowledge into the story.
Our story opens with the main character Sheila, an RN living and working in Hideaway, Mo.  As a small child she spent several years attending a Christian Boarding School on a Navajo Reservation in Twin Mesas', Ariz.  Sheila's Mother also and RN worked in the clinic in the school, and her father helped the Indian people living on the reservation.  After her mother's mysterious death, Sheila's father relocated the family to Hideway, Mo.  Upon learning of several more unexpected deaths at the school, Sheila drives to Twin Mesas' to try to discover the reason for the death of her mother and the others who died.
The authors do an excellent job of keeping you guessing with a blend of suspense, superstition and a lust for power and money right up to the end of the book.  Also their character development is well done.  I felt the story line was sometimes a little slow, and the authors used medical terms, which I didn't understand, not having a medical background.  Having said this I enjoyed the book which I received from a good friend.  The friend gave me several more books by this same writing team which I intend to read.  I recommend reading "Double Blind", and I would give this book three stars.  Enjoy

Rising Darkness

Hi again.  Let us chat about another book, "Rising Darkness", by Nancy Mehl.  Do you enjoy mysteries with characters who live their life with Christian values?  A suspenseful story with a love theme threading its way through the story line?  If so "Rising Darkness" is the next book to add to your reading list.
Our main character Sophie Wittenbauer, a person with enormous unhealthy baggage moved from Kingdom, Mo. to St. Louis, Mo.  After receiving an internship, she accepted a position with the St. Louis Times writing obituaries and restaurant reviews.  However, her life ambition was to become an investigative crime solving writer.  Pursuing  this goal led Sophie into action that resulted in changes to her life beyond her imagination.  By the author writing her story in the first person, you get into Sophie's head.  You are kept in suspense as she attempts to bring a killer to justice.  In the process she runs into someone from her past who she is trying to avoid.  The author was successful at keeping me in suspense as to the outcome.  Find out Sophie's story by reading "Rising Darkness".  Does Sophie find the light at the end of the tunnel?  This is a fun easy read.
I received this book free from Bethany Publishing House.  The above review is strictly my own thoughts.  Join me next month on a journey through another book.

On This Foundation

Have you read the  Bible book Nehemiah?  If not indulge me to share a brief historical note.  Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian's in 586 B.C., and the captives were taken back to Babylon.  There were three groups of captives that returned to Jerusalem.  In 445 B.C. Nehemiah, a Jewish captive and later cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I of Persia, obtained permission to return to Jerusalem with a third contingent of Jews.  Their goals were to repair and rebuild the walls around the city, replace burned gates in the walls, and repopulate the city.  Along with being  fellow traveler, Nehemiah also acted as military leader for the peoples protection as the walls were rebuilt as well as a spiritual leader.  The Biblical text is the story of this event.
What are my reasons for sharing the above information?  Because Lynn Austin has written the book "On This Foundation"  which is a historical novel about the Biblical Book, Nehemiah.  If you enjoy historical fiction, than I highly recommend this book.  It is an excellent read.  The author is true to the Biblical text as well as being easy and interesting to read.
True to history the author reveals how small farmers were forced to turn over a portion of their poor yield, their livestock, farms and even members of their household who became bondservants as tax payment to the landowning Jewish nobility.  Nehemiah worked at social reforms as well as spiritual reforms.  The author ties her fictional story in well the actual Biblical text.  She interweaves three fictional families who were all involved in the rebuilding project.
Add "On This Foundation" to your fall reading list.  I give this book five stars.  I received this book free from Bethany Publishing House, and the above views are strictly my own.  See you next month on another review.

My Brother's Crown

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Like a diamond this book has many facets:  history, faith religion, persecution, mystery, drama and love.  All of which are tied together by a pamphlet of French poetry containing a secret.  The authors have masterfully woven all of these elements together into this story.  It pertains to two French families caught up in the Huguenot persecution in 1685 France intertwined with one of their descendants in modern day Richmond, Va.
Read "My Brother's Crown" to see how the book of poetry called the Persecution Pamphlet binds the families from different time periods together.  Also why the authors choose this particular title which you don't learn until the end of the book.  This book was a Jewel for me, and I give it five stars or five polished surfaces which sparkle.  I received this free book from Net Galley, and this review is my own opinions.  Thanks