Category Archives: Discussion Questions

Book Review: Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley

Title: Shadows of the Past
Author: Patricia Bradley
Series: Book 1 of the Logan Point Series
Publisher: Revell
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Patricia Bradley’s debut novel, Shadows of the Past, is a must read for fans of inspirational romantic suspense interested in discovering a fresh new voice. This book is first in the brand new Logan Point series as well as winner of the Daphne de Maurier Award and the Touched by Love Award.

Summary:

Part romance, part danger, part mystery, this novel tells the story of psychology professor and victim profiler Taylor Martin’s search for her long missing father as well as her attempts to determine who is stalking her and sending threatening messages. Her prime suspect is a former student who happens to be the missing brother of Nick Sinclair, the handsome mystery writer she finds herself falling for despite her own fear of abandonment and his feelings of loss and guilt over the death of his late wife.

My reaction:

I thought the author did a great job keeping the story moving and maintaining a good balance between the romance, mystery, and suspense. I enjoy a good mystery, and was pleased to find that the clues you need for this one are all there if you’re paying attention, but cleverly camouflaged so as not to jump out and draw attention to themselves until the time is right. Then, when the ending is revealed, a host of seemingly unrelated pieces fall into place for a satisfying conclusion, where it all makes sense.

Besides the mystery, I thoroughly enjoyed the tender romantic moments between the hero and heroine. I thought the author did a great job fleshing out the characters’ personalities and backgrounds and that the pace and nature of their relationship felt natural to their situation. The chemistry was evident, as well as the internal conflict as each character struggled with his or her own uncertainties.

Many of the secondary characters were well developed and intriguing as well. I’m looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series will be taking us. I have high hopes for another great read. Meanwhile, kudos to Patricia Bradley on a well crafted and engaging first novel.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes as part of the Revell Reads program. My opinions are my own. If you’d like to read more of them, please consider subscribing to my blog.

To learn more about the author, connect with her on social media, or find some great discussion questions about this novel, check out the author’s Web site at ptbradley.com. And if you’re interested in reading this book, you’re in luck, because today is the official release date.

Audiobook Review: Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry

Title: Not in the Heart
Author: Chris Fabry
Narrator: Chris Fabry
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Publishers: Tyndale (print and electronic), and  Oasis Audio (audio)

I was excited to read and review Not in the Heart, because it is the 2013 Christy Award Winner in the Contemporary Standalone Category and I’d heard a lot of good things about it. The copy I read was an audiobook version, checked out and downloaded from my local library, so I’ll be reviewing not only the text of the book itself but also the quality of the recording and its narration.

Summary:

Not in the Heart tells the story of an out of work reporter who is estranged from his family, but is offered an opportunity to reconnect with them as well as earn some money toward paying off his mounting debts by writing the story of a death row inmate. That inmate, Terrell, is a convicted murderer who wants to donate his heart to Truman’s ailing son. But as Truman researches the story, he uncovers evidence that points to Terrell’s innocence. This raises a dilemma for Truman.  If Terrell is proven innocent, Truman’s son could die for lack of a heart transplant, but if Truman says nothing, an innocent man will be executed.

My reaction:

The complicated situations and difficult decisions explored in this book, make it a fascinating read as well as an excellent option for discussion by a book group.

The main character, Truman, is not an easy character to like.  He is a selfish man with a gambling addiction, and he has made a number of bad choices that lead to hurt and problems for him and his family.  And yet, I think the fact that the story is told in the first person from his point of view, helps the reader identify with him and feel for him, despite the negative character traits.  I have to say I enjoyed Truman’s dry and sarcastic sense of humor, which tends to keep things interesting from page one to the end.

What really resonated with me was the surprise twist at the end.  I won’t say what the twist is but I will say that I didn’t see it coming at all, and I thought it fit the rest of the story perfectly.  And yes, I cried at the end.  I couldn’t help it.  In my opinion, Chris Fabry crafted the perfect ending to a fascinating book.  There aren’t many books that I’m tempted to read a second time when there are so many other good books out there remaining to be read, but I am seriously tempted with this one.  It’s such a layered and nuanced story that I imagine a second reading would allow me to pick up on details I may have missed the first time around.  I’m also interested to check out the author’s latest book, Every Waking Moment, which sounds like it should also be an excellent read.

Specific to the audio edition:

About a year ago, I attended a lecture at a library conference where a representative from an audiobook recording studio discussed the audiobook production process at her company. She commented that while many authors wish to narrate their own audiobooks, it’s not usually a good idea.  She prefers to hire professional actors to narrate audiobooks.  In many cases, I think she’s right, but I think this audiobook proved to be an exception to that rule.  Chris Fabry did an amazing job narrating his book.  Perhaps his experience hosting his own radio show came into play.  At any rate, the listener gets to hear the author’s “voice” literally as well as figuratively, and I think in this case it adds to the enjoyment.  The sarcasm and dry humor in the main character’s words comes through loud and clear in the author’s narration.

The various character voices are well differentiated and pleasant to listen to.  Even the female characters’ voices are well done.  When male narrators try too hard to make their female characters sound distinctively female, they can come across sounding nasal or falsetto in a way that no human voice should sound.  Thankfully, that’s not the case here.  Instead female voices are mostly mid-range and sound fairly gender neutral, which in my opinion works perfectly.  You know from context they’re female, but the voice doesn’t get in the way of the story.

Conclusion:

In short, I would highly recommend this book.  If you’re an audiobook fan or you’re looking for listening material for an extended car ride or while doing chores or errands, this one gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me.  For those who prefer to read in print or ebook format, those editions should be good too.

Links:

Compact disc and downloadable audio editions of this title (as well as print and electronic editions) are available from christianaudio, christianbook.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, and may also be available from your local library.

Author, Chris Fabry’s Web site includes a blog, links where you can connect with him on Facebook and Twitter, and a link to his Youtube channel featuring book trailers and clips where the author discusses his books.  There’s also a link to a discussion guide that’s not to be missed if you plan to discuss this book with a group.

Book Review: Trapped by Irene Hannon

Title: Trapped
Author: Irene Hannon
Series: Book 2 of the Private Justice Series
Publisher: Revell
Genre(s): Christian Fiction, Inspirational Romantic Suspense, Mystery

When Laura Griffith’s teenage sister Darcy runs away from home, Laura is determined to track her down and bring her back safely. Laura hires private investigator and former ATF agent James “Dev” Devlin in the hope that with his help, they will be able to find Darcy quickly, before she becomes victim to the winter weather or to unsavory characters. But as time goes on and the trail gets cold, Dev and Laura begin to suspect the worst. Will they be able to find Darcy before it’s too late?

Fraught with danger, brimming with suspense, this tale is one that kept me turning the pages. I’m already a big fan of Irene Hannon’s novels, and I’ve looked forward to reading Trapped with a great deal of anticipation, particularly since learning that this latest novel features a librarian as its heroine. Yes, I am slightly biased on that point, being a librarian myself, but there you have it. I’m pleased to report that Trapped did not disappoint. Once again, Hannon has lived up to her reputation as queen of inspirational romantic suspense.

I enjoyed watching the romance blossom between hero and heroine over the course of the book, but the element that made this story stand out in my mind was Hannon’s portrayal of the villain. Early on, you know that there’s something not quite right about him, but the more you learn about his background and the current situation over the course of the story, the creepier the situation becomes and the more the suspense is heightened. I am impressed with Hannon’s ability to craft a complex believable villain who is capable of committing heinous crimes and yet believes that what he’s doing is for the best. It makes for a fascinating read.

I read and reviewed Vanished, the first book in this series, not that long ago. As I read this one, I was struck by how similar the two novels are to each other. There were quite a few deja vu moments for me, as I read scenes that felt eerily familiar because of their parallels to similar scenes in the earlier novel. If you have read Vanished, you will enjoy getting reacquainted with a number of familiar characters and meeting some new ones. If you have not read it yet, don’t worry. The books complement each other but do not depend upon each other to understand and follow the story. In my opinion, you won’t be missing anything should you decide to read them out of order.

For those who enjoy reading inspirational romantic suspense, I highly recommend Trapped, as well as its predecessor Vanished. I’m looking forward to reading the next in this series. From what I’ve heard, Deceived is due out this summer, and if it’s anything like the first two in the Private Justice series, it should be a treat.

Thank you to the publisher, Revell, for providing me with a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.  For some great discussion questions, check out the author’s web site.

Book Review: The Prodigal by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

Title: The Prodigal: A Ragamuffin Story
Authors: Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Jack Chisholm was lead pastor for a megachurch with three campuses and thousands of members.  He was a best-selling author and a public figure known by some as “America’s pastor.”  Then some poor decisions he made one night off the coast of Cancun lead him into sin he would not have thought himself capable of.  When his actions come to light he is disgraced, and he loses his job and his family.  Jack’s life is in a tailspin, until his estranged father seeks him out and brings him home.  It’s in the small town in Texas where he grew up that Jack reconnects with friends and family, learns some important lessons about grace and forgiveness, and discovers that God may not be through with him after all.

I know a lot of people, both Christian and non-Christian, who have misconceptions about what it means to be Christian.  I wish those people would read this book.  It’s that good.  Seriously.  The story is character driven, based on believable three dimensional “people,” primarily Jack, his father, and the local priest called Father Frank.  While the take home message of the story will not surprise anyone familiar with Manning’s work, it was skillfully woven into the story, seeming to arise naturally from the characters and situations, not tacked on as an afterthought, so it didn’t feel intrusive or overbearing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid and out of the box  descriptions found in this book.  I’m reminded of the way Charles Dickens could paint a memorable secondary character in just a few brush strokes.  Here’s a particularly vivid example from The Prodigal:

“Carlene Petsch was the city secretary.  Carlene had been called ‘Petshop’ in their youth, if only rarely to her face.  It made her cry, got people sent to the office.  She had grown into a hard, hefty woman, the kind of hausfrau who could bake an apple pie and then beat you to death with her rolling pin.”

The ending of The Prodigal  felt a little abrupt to me.  I would have liked to see a little more resolution following Jack’s moment of epiphany, in a few specific areas that I probably shouldn’t mention for fear of spoiling the ending.  That said, if you’re going to err one way or the other, better to leave us wanting more than to make us beg for it to end.  And, much as I wanted more closure, I do think this approach left things hopeful without downplaying the consequences of Jack’s actions by tying everything up in a neat little bow.  It also left room for speculation on where the story might have gone next had it continued.  Which would be great fodder for a book discussion group.  All in all, an excellent read, and I would highly recommend it.

I would like to thank the publisher, Zondervan, for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for my review.

Discussion Questions:

This book comes with some excellent discussion questions for consideration, but I couldn’t resist coming up with a few questions of my own as well.

  1. How and why did Jack’s beliefs and behavior change over the course of the story?  Did you find his decision at the end of the book consistent with what we know about him?
  2. In what ways was this story similar to and different from the story of the Prodigal Son as told in the Bible (Luke 15:11-32)?  Given the definition of the word “prodigal” as well as its usage in the Bible story, do you think The Prodigal as title is a good fit for this book?  Why or why not?  Can you think of an alternative title?
  3. Where do you think the story could have gone from here, had it continued beyond “The End”?  Were you satisfied with the conclusion as it was, or did you want to know more of what the future held for the characters?

Book Review: Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

Title: Where Courage Calls: A When Calls the Heart Novel
Author: Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan
Genre(s): Inpirational Fiction, Prairie Romance
Publisher: Bethany House

Janette Oke has long been considered an influential author within the Christian fiction publishing industry, so I was excited to have the opportunity to read and review her latest book.  Where Courage Calls, was co-written with her daughter Laurel Oke Logan, and is scheduled to be released in February 2014.  It is described as a prairie romance, and is set in the Canadian west during the early twentieth century.

The story’s heroine, Beth Thatcher is a pampered daughter from a wealthy family from Toronto, and has accepted a year-long teaching position in a humble coal mining town far from the comforts of home.  She believes she is following God’s will for her life and is determined to prove to her overly protective mother that she is equal to the task, even after the conditions in the town prove more challenging and potentially dangerous than she had anticipated.  Her luggage is stolen in her travels, and she arrives to find that modern conveniences like plumbing and electricity are unavailable.  Nevertheless, she is determined to persevere.

The story is inspiring in that Beth adapts to her circumstances, continually seeks God’s will for her life, and ultimately makes a huge difference in the lives of her students and in the community.  Christians looking for a safe and comfortable read, exploring the joys of leading a Godly life will find much to like in this sequel to When Calls the Heart.

That said, I was not as impressed with this story as I had hoped I might be, given the author’s reputation.  I found the heroine hard to relate to.  Her continual self-sacrifice and nobility made her come across more as a caricature or an ideal to be aspired to than as a real person.  She is painted as selfless to the point where I’m not sure I could identify anything she wants for herself, with the possible exception of being out from under her mother’s thumb.  Most of her desires seem to be for a better life for her students and to be able to better help her new friends and neighbors.  Laudable, to be sure, but realistic?  I’m not so sure.

The story started out slowly, with a lot of introspection and reflection on the heroine’s childhood as she traveled to her new home.  Her day to day life in the mining town, and the details of what her life and career there turned out to be were very well developed and interesting.  However, for a book described as a romance, the romantic element seemed lacking.  I thought that Beth’s relationships with each of the potential suitors felt underdeveloped and her interactions with each of them limited, to the extent that I wasn’t sure who the hero would turn out to be until the book was nearly over.  Even then, the outcome felt contrived, because it did not hinge on her relationship with either suitor, but rather on an outside circumstance introduced at the last minute, seemingly to tidy things up.

Overall, Where Courage Calls was a thoroughly sweet and innocent story and a pleasant enough read.  Fans of historical fiction will appreciate the historical detail, and Christians seeking a clean and uplifting story about the good that can be accomplished by someone persevering in God’s will, need look no further.  This is your story.  Additionally, fans of Janette Oke’s Canadian West series or the Hallmark Channel’s new When Calls the Heart TV series, will likely want to give this book a read.  Just don’t go into this story expecting a great deal of emphasis on the romance, or you may be disappointed.

I would like to thank the publisher, Bethany House, for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for my review.

Discussion Questions:

Since I did not find any discussion questions for Where Courage Calls available elsewhere at this time, I have written a few for your consideration.  If additional discussion questions occur to you, feel free to share them in the comments.

  1. How do Beth’s relationships with family and friends help or hinder her ability to reach her goals?
  2. In what ways is Beth’s relationship with Molly similar and different from her relationship with her mother?  How do these relationships compare to mother-daughter relationships you have experienced or observed?
  3. In what ways did Beth change over the course of the story?  In what ways did Edward change?
  4. Was there a moral to the story?  What do you think the intended message is, and do you agree or disagree?  How could this message be applied outside of the context of this story?

Book Review: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Title: Redeeming Love
Author: Francine Rivers
Genre(s): Inspirational Romance, Historical
Publisher: Multnomah Books

Redeeming Love has over a million copies in print and has been through several editions since it was originally published in 1991.  I just finished reading the 2005 edition, which includes a study guide by Peggy Lynch with some really thought provoking discussion questions.  As I write this review in December 2013, Redeeming Love remains on the ECPA and CBA Best Seller Lists.  I think the case can be made that this book has become a classic of Christian fiction.  I am happy to have read it and I would recommend it highly to Christians and non-Christians alike.  It can be read as an allegory with significant Christian themes, exploring God’s unconditional love, even for those who don’t feel worthy of that love.  And it can be read as a beautiful and emotional love story between two very complex and memorable characters.

Redeeming Love is set in California during the time of the Gold Rush.  It tells the love story of a godly man named Michael Hosea who is called to marry a prostitute known as Angel.  She is a beautiful woman who was sold into prostitution as a child, and feels herself incapable of loving Michael back or living any other kind of life than the one to which she is accustomed, despite the unhappiness it brings her.  Michael loves her continually and forgives her repeatedly, despite the pain she brings him, and God uses this to begin the process of redemption in Angel’s life.  But it isn’t until she comes to know God’s unconditional love for herself that her redemption can be complete.

I found this to be an engaging and deeply moving story that dealt with tough issues revolving around sin, shame, and forgiveness in a very tender hearted way. The allegory is there, just as it is in the Book of Hosea from the Bible on which this story is loosely based, but it’s subtly woven into the fabric of the romance and doesn’t feel at all forced or contrived.

The prologue sets up the story by describing Sarah’s childhood and how she came to be the woman Michael would know as Angel and later as Amanda.  It goes a long way toward making her feel real, believable, and sympathetic, even when her actions might tend to make her seem cold-hearted and unsympathetic, much as she is seen by Paul and other characters who do not know her well.

“Head-hopping” is a storytelling technique that has fallen out of vogue in recent years, in which the viewpoint from which the story is told jumps from one character’s thoughts to another character’s thoughts and back within a single scene.  The argument against head-hopping, is that these jumps can confuse the reader and prevent him or her from developing a close rapport with a single character.  In some cases, I think that can be an issue.  In this case, I thought the technique was handled deftly with clear clues provided each time the viewpoint was changed preventing confusion.  And I thought it added depth to the story to be able to see it from multiple viewpoints more or less at once.  Given the dichotomy between Angel’s thoughts and actions and the way her actions were interpreted by other characters, I think the technique played a useful role.

This story moved me to tears at a couple of points near the end of the book.  I felt my heart breaking right along with Michael at some of the decisions Angel made over the course of the story, but I just had to keep reading to see how it would end.  Redeeming Love was a beautiful exploration of love in all its manifestations from the platonic love of friends to the love between a husband and wife, to self-sacrificial love, to the love of God for mankind.  All in all, an enjoyable and thought provoking read. Highly recommended.

Discussion Questions:

As I mentioned before, the 2005 edition of Redeeming Love comes with a study guide with scripture references and some excellent questions for book discussion groups at the back of the book.  Some of the questions deal with the story itself, and others deal with applying its themes to our lives.  For those with a different edition of the book, many of those same discussion questions can also be found on the author’s Web site.

Book Review: Vanished by Irene Hannon

Cover of Vanished by Irene HannonTitle: Vanished
Author: Irene Hannon
Series: Book 1 of the Private Justice Series
Genre(s): Christian Fiction, Inspirational Romantic Suspense, Mystery

Readers of Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense should find Vanished by Irene Hannon to be an interesting read.  The story begins with an unusual car accident.  Moira Harrison, the story’s heroine, is driving on an unfamiliar country road at night in the rain, when a terrified woman jumps in front of her car.  But when this woman disappears without a trace, no one believes that Moira saw her at all.  People think she must have seen a deer and mistaken it for a person given the bad conditions and her missing glasses, or that she became confused from the head injury she suffered in the accident.

But Moira knows what she saw and is convinced the woman was in some kind of trouble.  The rest of the story follows Moira’s quest for answers as she seeks to help the unknown woman she encountered on that dark country road.  Enter handsome Private Investigator and ex-detective Cal Burke, the one person inclined to believe Moira’s story.  As Moira and Cal work together to investigate the disappearance, they uncover incriminating evidence that points in an unlikely, but dangerous direction.

The suspense element is minimal in the first half of the book, but the mystery and romance elements keep the reader turning the pages.  Sufficient hints and foreshadowing allow the reader to keep a step ahead of the characters in their investigation, if you’re paying close attention.  But each question answered raises more questions in turn, pulling you continually further into the story, and making it way too hard to put down.  The romance between Cal and Moira is sweet and satisfying.  It moves at a believable pace with challenges arising from Cal’s lingering feelings for his deceased wife, and Moira’s status as a client.

As their investigation uncovers more and more evidence against their suspect, he becomes aware that Moira knows too much.  That’s when the suspense kicks into high gear, and the reader begins to wonder if Moira would have been better off letting this mystery go unsolved.

One plot twist in particular felt a little reminiscent of a Nancy Drew mystery, with the heroine rushing in where she shouldn’t and getting herself into trouble, before ultimately turning the situation around.  Nevertheless, the circumstances and character motivations surrounding her decisions felt plausible if a bit foolish, promoting a willing suspension of disbelief.

All in all, a fascinating read featuring romance, mystery, and suspense.  The characters were three dimensional and interesting, with believable motivations and reactions, even in the case of the bad guy.  The fascinating characters seem to be one of the best features of Irene Hannon’s work, along with the way she interweaves plot and character development throughout each scene, such that nothing is wasted.  It seems that everything on the page contributes something significant toward building a well crafted work of art.  Also impressive is the amount of detail in both the investigative and medical spheres, indicating the extensive research that must have gone into the writing of this book. Highly recommended for fans of Christian fiction, particularly those who enjoy romantic suspense.

For those interested in the discussability of Vanished, note that it raises a number of interesting questions about complicated issues like assisted suicide, and the ethics of using “pretexts” in private investigative work.  This book could be a good choice for stimulating discussion by a book group.  The author’s Web site, provides a number of excellent discussion questions for your consideration, but watch out for spoilers if you haven’t read the book yet!