Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Sunken Realm by Serena Chase

Book Reviews

Title: The Sunken Realm
Author: Serena Chase
Published: September 2015, Candent Gate
Series: Eyes of E’veria, Book 4
Genre: YA Fantasy, Christian Fiction

If you saw the series of “E’veria Week” posts I shared back in June, you know I’m a big fan of Serena Chase’s Eyes of E’veria series, and that I’ve been waiting in eager anticipation for my chance to read this book. Today, I’m pleased to share my review.

About the Book (from Goodreads):

She is an outcast among knights.

Her reputation in ruins, her knighthood revoked, and her future bleak, Erielle de Gladiel would have welcomed death as her due. Captured by pirates, she was beaten, whipped, branded a thief—and worse—and then set adrift to die. She did not expect—or even want—to be rescued. Especially not by the dashing blasted pirate now calling himself her husband.

He is the King of Pirates.

His oath satisfied and his Legacy secured, Cazien vows vengeance on all who harmed Erielle. But before he can hunt them down, a strange visitor appears with an urgent message—a message that aligns with prophecy Erielle has written in her sleep: The Seahorse Pirates must reach Nirista before the famed Tournament of the Twelve . . . or hundreds of stolen children will die.

Together, they are relentless.

With the fate of many resting upon them, Cazien and Erielle sail to Nirista. Once there, they are forced to follow separate paths to achieve their aims. Treacheries are uncovered and allies are gained, but in the shadows, a hidden foe plots a grievous betrayal that could shatter not only their hope, but the Seahorse Legacy itself.

The epic conclusion of this series-within-a series, The Sunken Realm sweeps Erielle and Cazien along a pulse-pounding voyage to discover all they are meant to become, together. Giving subtle nods to several fairy tales, including an unexpected twist to the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, this romantic YA pirate adventure is the final novel in the Eyes of E’veria series . . . but the Seahorse Pirates and their friends in E’veria may yet have stories to tell.

My Thoughts:

Such a great series! This final installment in the Eyes of E’veria series is packed full of action, adventure, romance, witty banter, and a unique blend of clever piratey justice.

I loved being reunited with the charming Cazien and spunky Erielle to see their heroic quest through to its conclusion. With unexpected plot twists, vivid description, a hearty portion of danger and suspense, and some swoon-worthy romantic bits, this tale was delightfully fun to read.

But what really impressed me about this book and this series as a whole is that it’s not just a fun read. There are also powerful truths, beautifully expressed, and interwoven into the fabric of the tale. About God’s love for us, about love as a choice, about redemption, and more.

This is a story worth remembering and worth reading again. And I very much look forward to reading future books by this author, whether to revisit E’veria and Eachan Isle or to embark on a whole new reading adventure.

Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Audiobook Review: Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter

Audiobook Reviews, Book Reviews, ,

Title: Falling Like Snowflakes
Author: Denise Hunter
Series: Summer Harbor, Book 1
Print Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Audio Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Narrator: Julie Lyles Carr
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christian fiction
Published: September 2015
Length: 7 hrs, 42 minutes, Unabridged

Anyone ready for some Christmas themed reading? I just finished reading a novel that takes place during the Christmas season on a Christmas tree farm. And it’s so good, I’d recommend you read it now. Or, really, any time of year. :)

Book Description (from the publisher’s site):

Eden Martelli is too busy fleeing the clutches of danger to realize she’s running straight into the arms of a new love.

Speeding north through rural Maine, Eden Martelli wonders how her life came to this—on the run with her mute five-year-old son dozing fitfully in the passenger seat. When a breakdown leaves them stranded in Summer Harbor, Eden has no choice but to stay put through Christmas . . . even though they have no place to lay their heads.

Beau Callahan is a habitual problem solver—for other people anyway. He left the sheriff’s department to take over his family’s Christmas tree farm, but he’s still haunted by the loss of his parents and struggling to handle his first Christmas alone.

When Eden shows up looking for work just as Beau’s feisty aunt gets out of the hospital, Beau thinks he’s finally caught a break. Eden is competent and dedicated—if a little guarded—and a knockout to boot. But, as he soon finds out, she also comes with a boatload of secrets.

Eden has been through too much to trust her heart to another man, but Beau is impossible to resist, and the feeling seems to be mutual. As Christmas Eve approaches, Eden’s past catches up to her.

Beau will go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe. But who’s going to protect his heart from a woman who can’t seem to trust again?

My Thoughts:

Falling Like Snowflakes is a sweet contemporary romance with substance. Some of its best features are the loveable characters, the sense of community and family, and the characters’ growth and healing over the course of the story.

On top of all that, there’s a suspense thread woven in that serves to raise the stakes and makes for some page turning plot twists near the end of the book. Even so, I’d call this more romance than romantic suspense, since it’s the romance that really drives the story. Eve and Beau definitely have some great chemistry, and it’s fun watching them come to terms with that over the course of the book.

Fans of sweet contemporary romance won’t want to miss this one. And I, for one, am already on the lookout for Books 2 and 3 in the Summer Harbor series. I look forward to spending more time getting to know the Callahan family and seeing how the love stories already hinted at in this book will play out in future installments.

The audio edition of Falling Like Snowflakes is narrated by Julie Lyles Carr who does an admirable job of clearly and consistently enunciating the text. Just be aware, the reading doesn’t distinguish between character voices. It’s more a straightforward reading like you might find in a non-fiction audiobook. While I might have preferred a more elaborate and emotionally charged performance, this reading did get the job done, allowing me to “read” the book with hands and eyes free.

Thank you to Brilliance Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook for review purposes.

Book Review: Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn Austin

Book Reviews,

Title: Keepers of the Covenant
Author: Lynn Austin
Published: October 2014 by Bethany House
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Series: The Restoration Chronicles, Book 2

About the Book (publisher’s description):

In Their Darkest Hour, Where Would Hope Be Found?

In one life-changing moment, the lives of the exiles in Babylon are thrown into despair when a decree from the king’s palace calls for the annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout the empire in less than one year.

Ezra, a quiet but brilliant scholar, soon finds himself called upon to become the leader of his people. Forced to rally an army when all his training has been in the Torah, he struggles to bring hope in a time of utter despair, when dreams of the future–of family and love–seem impossible.

In Keepers of the Covenant, acclaimed novelist Lynn Austin weaves together the struggles and stories of both Jews and Gentiles, creating a tapestry of faith and doubt, love and loss. Here, the Old Testament comes to life, demonstrating the everlasting hope displayed in God’s unwavering love for His people.

My Thoughts on the Book:

This epic tale of Biblical fiction has so much to offer the reader. The story takes place in multiple locations in and near Babylon and Jerusalem, with several sets of characters and a variety of viewpoints whose stories intersect over the course of the book. And there are many valuable lessons the characters learn along the way, many of which are applicable in our own time period as well.

As second in the series, Keepers of the Covenant continues Austin’s retelling of the Jewish return from exile in Babylon that began with Return to Me. While the two stories follow chronologically, they’re not overly dependent on each other, so either could be read as a standalone (though I did enjoy seeing a few of the characters make a second appearance). This book picks up in the time of Queen Esther and tells the story of Ezra, a Torah scholar turned leader.

What I enjoyed most about this book, was that it gave me a greater appreciation for and understanding of Jewish history, and showed a consistency between certain aspects of the Old and New Covenants that hadn’t seemed quite so clear before. I loved the way the different story threads wove together to create a picture of God’s plan to save both Jew and Gentile.

Much as I liked Ezra, Reuben, Amina, and Hodaya, I think my favorite character was Devorah, Ezra’s wife. She was portrayed as a strong and intelligent woman, a trusted advisor to Ezra, and a voice for grace, balancing her husband’s focus on law, and I found her particularly relatable and likeable.

I’d like to end my review by sharing a couple of quotes from the book that I found particularly compelling. From page 240:

“It was easy to rise up in faith and heroism when we faced a clear-cut enemy. It’s much harder to resist the enemy of gradualism and assimilation, much harder to maintain a passion for God when we’re bogged down in the daily routine of life.”

And from page 471:

“If things ever look hopeless to you, remember how the Holy One answered our prayers. Don’t ever forget to call on Him in your time of need.”

Great advice, right? This is such a vivid and inspiring book! Highly recommended.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing a paperback copy free of charge.

Audiobook Review: Return to Me by Lynn Austin

Audiobook Reviews, Book Reviews

Title: Return to Me
Author: Lynn Austin
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Published: October 2013. Bethany House (print), Recorded Books (audio)
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Series: The Restoration Chronicles, Book 1
Duration: 15 hours, 8 minutes. Unabridged.

About the Book (From Publisher Bethany House):

After decades of exile, the prophesies are coming true–King Cyrus has declared the Jews may return to Jerusalem. Iddo, a priest, is sure this is a sign of God’s renewed favor. For too long they’ve remained in Babylon, and many, including Iddo’s sons, are losing the faith that sets them apart. And so only a few choose to leave everything to return–return to their home and their God.

Nothing about their journey to the Promised Land is easy. As hardships mount, even the faithful, like Iddo’s beloved wife, Dinah, question the sacrifice of following God’s leading. Zechariah, Iddo’s oldest grandson, feels torn between his grandfather’s ancient beliefs and the family they left behind. But one life-changing encounter with the Holy One gives him insight that will change Zechariah–and history–forever.

Bringing the Old Testament to vibrant life, Return to Me tells the compelling story of two men living by faith in the midst of doubt, the women who love them, and the faithful remnant struggling to rebuild their lives in obedience to the God who beckons them home.

My Thoughts on the Story:

Biblical fiction is at its best when it adds new life and understanding to Biblical stories by filling in cultural context and imagining details and characters that could have been. Lynn Austin’s Return to Me does that for the story of the first wave of God’s people returning from exile in Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

The story is epic, spanning multiple decades, and featuring a large cast of characters, several viewpoints, and a variety of interrelated subplots. There was Iddo, determined to do God’s will and rebuild the temple, and his wife Dinah, who wasn’t so sure about being uprooted from what had become their home and leaving much of their family behind in Babylon. Then there was Zechariah, a young man of thirteen still growing into his faith as they depart Babylon, and his childhood friend Yael, who is drawn to astrology and the pagan practices of the people of Babylon. All interesting characters facing realistic challenges, that seemed at times surprisingly applicable to modern day life and faith.

This quote by Yael (page 394) particularly resonated with me, probably because I’m in a season of child-rearing myself:

“Yes, I understand. You’ve found joy because you’re doing God’s work. And I’m trying to tell you that I’ve found joy too because if we obey God, then our lives do have meaning, even if all He asks us to do is cook lentils and raise children.”

One of my favorite aspects of the story is the way the events (both good and bad) happening in individual lives and within families parallel what’s happening on a larger scale with God and his people, and lead to the characters coming to realizations about God that deepen their faith. I thought those details were beautifully orchestrated, and really brought home the point of the story in a meaningful and memorable way.

I highly recommend this book to fans of historical and Biblical fiction, and to anyone curious to learn more about Old Testament times and cultural context.

My Thoughts on the Audio:

Suzanne Toren’s voice gives this story a dignified feel, perfect for Biblical fiction. Her reading is articulate and clear. It reflects the emotions of the characters as well as their individual attributes. Despite the sheer length of the book (464 pages in paperback), the time seemed to fly by while listening, leaving me eager to read the next book in the series, on finishing this one.

Book Review: A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes

Book Reviews

Title: A Time to Die
Author: Nadine Brandes
Published: September 2014, Enclave Publishing
Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy / Science Fiction
Series: Out of Time, Book 1

About the Book (from the publisher):

How would you live if you knew the day you’d die?

Parvin Blackwater believes she has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside. In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the government’s crooked justice system.

But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall — her people’s death sentence. What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her clock is running out.

My Thoughts on the book:

Wow. This book knocked my socks off. It took my expectations and turned them completely on their head. The outcomes of certain situations were not at all what I was expecting, which was pretty fabulous from a can’t-stop-reading must-see-what-happens-next perspective.

This book is Parvin’s biography, her pilgrimage, her quest for purpose and meaning in her life before she faces death. And she knows exactly how much time she has left. Or does she? This story’s premise is fascinating, and its text is beautiful and at times heart-wrenching.

Parvin feels like a real person with real struggles and weaknesses. I loved watching her character growth over the course of the story as she learns from her mistakes and from the people around her. And her first person present tense telling gives this story an immediacy that drew me in, both to her thinking and to her world.

And the other characters in the story? Each is unique and interesting in his or her own way. Jude makes a great hero and romantic interest. And Skelley Chase? He definitely keeps things interesting. Willow, Reid, Hawke, and the Newtons each have smaller roles in the story but their influence is definitely felt in Parvin’s life and in the world around them.

But I think the best part of this book is that it makes you think. About what constitutes a calling – “Am I supposed to make decisions? Or should I wait until I know God has told me something?” (Chapter 27) About weakness and strength – “I used to think it showed me as weak, but when I think about where I’ve come – where God’s taken me and what I’ve survived – it’s a testament to His strength.” (Chapter 34) About how we might use our time if we knew exactly how limited it was, and more.

This book is one I would highly recommend to fans of speculative and dystopian fiction. I’ve been looking forward to future books in this series with eager anticipation ever since finishing this one. And as of this month, Book 2 (A Time to Speak) is here!

Book Review: A.D. 33 by Ted Dekker

Book Reviews,

Title: A.D. 33
Author: Ted Dekker
Publisher: Center Street (Hachette Book Group)
Published: October 2015
Series: A.D., Book 2
Genre: Biblical fiction

Book Description (from Publisher Center Street):

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker delivers the gripping story of Maviah, a slave who becomes a queen in Arabia, A.D. 33.

They call her the Queen of the Outcasts. Maviah, a woman whose fate was sealed on her birth by this world-unwanted, illegitimate, female, a slave-subject to the whims of all. But then she met a man named Yeshua who opened her eyes. She found strength in his words, peace from the brutal word around her. Because of what he taught her, she has gathered her own traveling kingdom of outcasts deep in the desert, wielding an authority few have seen. But when her growing power threatens the rulers around her, they set out to crush all she loves, leaving her reeling as a slave once more. She must find Yeshua to save her people, but when she does, she will be horrified to discover that he faces his own death.

Enter a story full of intrigue, heart-wrenching defeat, uncompromising love and staggering victory-one that re-examines everything you thought you knew about the heart of Jesus’s stunning message and the power that follows for those who follow his easily forgotten way.

My Thoughts:

Like its predecessor A.D. 30, Ted Dekker’s A.D. 33 tells a fascinating tale of epic adventure, romance and political intrigue. It draws the reader in to the life and times of Jesus, primarily from the viewpoint of a Bedouin woman who follows His teachings and interacts with Him on multiple occasions. But more than that, this story makes the reader think long and hard about what Jesus meant by some of his teachings, and about what it means to follow Him.

Maviah continues to be an interesting and relatable lead character, with difficult political and personal situations standing in the way of her goals. The author does a great job interweaving Maviah’s story with that of Jesus. We get to see a fair number of recognizable moments and teachings from His ministry through her eyes, without these interactions ever becoming too much or too coincidental for plausibility.

Along with Maviah, this book revisits familiar characters from the last book including Judah and Saba. It also introduces a number of new characters to the story including a precocious young orphan named Talya that Maviah has adopted in the years since the last installment.

The plot is gripping, with unexpected twists and some intensely emotional moments. I had tears streaming down my cheeks during the climactic scene. So beautiful and powerfully told!

I appreciated the fact that Dekker took the time to cite Biblical references for the teachings of Jesus in this book. I can’t say I’m in complete agreement with how some of the other characters in the story interpret some of Jesus’ teachings, or with all of the conclusions drawn from them. But I enjoyed looking at those teachings from a different angle. It prompted me to think long and hard about why I believe what I do believe. It also has me itching to re-read the New Testament to re-examine Jesus’ teachings for myself in their original context.

Overall, this is a beautifully written book that does a great job blending a gripping story with an inspiring message. Highly recommended.

Thank you to publisher Center Street for providing me with an electronic advance reader copy of this novel via NetGalley for review purposes. This review represents my own honest opinion.

Book Review: A.D. 30, Abridged Edition by Ted Dekker

Book Reviews,

Title: A.D. 30, Abridged Edition
Author: Ted Dekker
Publisher: Center Street (Hachette Book Group)
Published: August 2015
Series: A.D., Book 1 (Abridged)
Genre: Biblical fiction

Book Description (from Publisher Center Street):

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker offers an exclusive, ebook original novella in this abridgment of A.D. 30, the epic historical novel about a woman who rises to lead her people after meeting Jesus.

Maviah, the outcast daughter of a powerful Arabian sheik, is called to protect the very people who rejected her. When enemies launch a sudden attack she escapes with the help of her father’s warriors. Their journey is fraught with danger and takes her to a brutal world subjugated by kings and emperors. There Maviah must form an unlikely alliance with King Herod of the Jews.

But her path also leads her to Yeshua, who offers her a way of life more powerful than any kingdom. Though following him may present an even greater danger, his may be the only way for Maviah to save her people–and herself.

My Thoughts:

Those of you who follow my blog may remember that I reviewed A.D. 30 not quite a year ago. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to go read that review first to find out my overall thoughts on the story, because here, I’m mainly going to focus on the differences I noticed between the abridged and unabridged versions, in the interest of helping readers decide which version they might prefer to read.

I’ll be upfront and say that I tend to be biased against abridged editions of anything for the same reason I prefer to read series in order, even when the individual books can be read as standalones. Because I don’t want to miss (or think I’m missing) anything. But since I’d already read the full book, and was about to read the next book in the series, I decided to give the abridged version a chance, and read it to refresh my memory of the first book before diving into the second. (And, yes, I’ll be posting my review of A.D. 33 soon….)

Going by Amazon’s estimated page counts of the two Kindle editions, the abridged version is about half the length of the original. That’s a lot to cut, and yet the primary story arc remains (in my opinion) fully intact. Pivotal scenes seem to be more or less exactly the same, while some of the connecting parts of the story are briefly summarized in the abridged version, rather than shown, as in the full version.

I’m sure there were parts left out and shortened that I didn’t even notice (considering it’s been almost a year since I read the full version). But the main thing I did miss, were some of the details of Maviah’s initial trek across the desert to Herod’s court with Judah and Saba. In the full version, these scenes did a great job of fleshing out the setting, culture, and relationships among the main characters. I loved the vivid sensory details as the characters experienced a sandstorm in the desert. And I enjoyed watching the relationship between Maviah and Judah deepen over the course of their interactions. I felt like I got to know them each better in the process. I found myself missing some of these details in the shortened version. Not so much because they’re necessary for enjoyment of the story – I don’t think they are – but because I enjoyed them so much the first time around.

For those readers all about the action, intrigue, and plot twists, the abridged edition may well be the way to go. For those who don’t mind taking the time to slow things down a bit in the interest of getting to know the characters better and exploring the setting and culture more fully, you’ll want the full version. Personally, I prefer the full version, though I did find the abridged version a convenient reminder before reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to Center Street for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book via NetGalley for review purposes.

Book Review: Found and Lost by Amanda G Stevens

Book Reviews,

Title: Found and Lost
Author: Amanda G. Stevens
Published: February 2015 by David C Cook
Series: Haven Seekers, #2
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Inspirational

About the Book (from the author’s site):

When Violet DuBay’s friend Khloe confides that her dad is a Christian, it’s the one secret Violet can’t keep. Turning in Khloe’s dad to the Constabulary is her duty. Her decision becomes an opportunity to infiltrate the Christian resistance; but as she gets to know Marcus, Lee, and the others, she’s compelled to question the things her society has taught her about God and His followers.

Clay Hansen persuades his family to join him at an underground church meeting and brings Violet, his teen daughter Khloe’s best friend. That night, the church is raided. He and his wife escape, but in the chaos, he loses Violet and Khloe. How can he find them with the Constabulary monitoring his every move? If the God who once spared Khloe won’t intervene, Clay will have to save her himself.

My Thoughts on the Book:

Found and Lost (Book 2 in the Haven Seekers series) is just as amazing as Seek and Hide (Book 1) was, and together they’ve left me eager to read more from this series. Thankfully, Take and Give (Book 3) has recently released, with a fourth book (Far and Near) on the way!

So what’s to love? For starters, the series has a fascinating (and chilling) premise. The books take place in a near-future society in which there’s a government sanctioned church and a revised Bible, but Christianity as we know it is illegal, as are traditional Bibles. Citizens are led to believe that Christians are extremists in need of re-education. And that’s exactly what they get, if they’re caught. It’s the kind of premise that grips you and really makes you think.

Then there are the characters. While Book 1 focused on Marcus, Aubrey, and Lee, Book 2 focuses more on Clay, Violet, and Khloe who bring along a whole new set of personalities and challenges. Clay’s desperation to restore his family and Violet’s journey of discovery both feel so real, it’s easy to get caught up in their stories. I found myself marveling at the unique perspectives each character brings to the series and how their viewpoints complement each other, giving a clearer picture of their society as a whole.

I think my favorite part of this book is the scene where a character reads a black market Bible and discovers that “This Jesus was different.” (Chapter 36) That scene in particular is so well done. The details, the emotion, the truth. It’s powerful.

I highly recommend this book. You’ll want to start with the first in the series though, since they build on each other. Oh, and fair warning, loose ends are not all tied up by the end of this one, and you will be left wanting more. Which is a good thing, considering there’s more to come!

Thank you to publisher David C Cook for providing an electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Quick Links: Goodreads | Author’s Site

Audiobook Review: Burning Sky by Lori Benton

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Title: Burning Sky
Author: Lori Benton
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Published: August 2013 by WaterBrook Press (print) and April 2015 by Recorded Books (audio)
Genre: Historical Romance, Christian Fiction
Audio Length: 13.75 hours, Unabridged

About the Book (publisher’s description):

Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path. Feeling obliged to nurse his injuries, the two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.

When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into in her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.

Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage–the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?

My Thoughts on the Book:

Burning Sky came to my attention quite some time ago, when it won not one, but three Christy Awards in the 2014 awards cycle. It won in both the first novel and historical categories, as well as receiving recognition as Book of the Year. Wow! So this one was already on my wish list when I saw that Recorded Books was releasing an audio edition. As you might expect from an audiobook lover like me, I was thrilled to learn about the new edition and I leapt at the chance for a review copy.

This book is well worth the listen! The story lived up to my expectations, with a deep and multifaceted plot, believable characters who have a lot at stake, and immersion in vivid historical details from a fascinating time in American history. Willa / Burning Sky is a strong and compelling heroine, caught between two worlds, facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, but determined to make a life for herself, even after suffering heartbreaking losses. Her character growth and healing make for a great story. And the suspense, mystery, and romance unfolding along the way makes it all the more captivating. This book is a must-read for fans of historical fiction who haven’t already read it.

Specific to the Audio Edition:

The narration of this audiobook by Saskia Maarleveld is excellent. The pacing is just right, narration spoken in a clear and pleasant voice, and the character voices stand out as unique and perfectly suited to the characters. The children’s voices struck me as some of the best I’ve heard among audiobooks read by adult narrators, and Neil MacGregor’s accent is simply wonderful.

Whether this is your first time reading the book, or if you’re considering reading it again, I highly recommend the audio edition.

The copy I received initially had a few tracks out of order, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a brand new and corrected copy of the audiobook on my doorstep a few weeks later. Gotta say, I’m impressed that Recorded Books went to the trouble of sending a replacement without my even having to ask. I think it really shows they care about the quality of their product and stand behind it.

A big thank you to Recorded Books for providing a complimentary copy of this audiobook for review purposes (and for sending a corrected copy). All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Quick Links: About the Book (from the publisher) | Author’s Web Site | Goodreads

Find this title at: audible | christianaudio | audiobooks.com | downpour

Book Review: Trial by Twelve by Heather Day Gilbert

Book Reviews

Title: Trial by Twelve
Author: Heather Day Gilbert
Published: May 2015
Genre: Mystery, Christian Fiction
Series: A Murder in the Mountains, Book 2

About the Book (from Goodreads):

Tess Spencer loves her low-key job at the Crystal Mountain Spa, which allows her plenty of down-time with her one-year old daughter and lawyer husband, Thomas. But when a pool installation turns up eight skeletons in the spa’s back yard, Tess becomes entangled in a sleuthing job destined to go awry.

As the investigation gets underway, someone dumps a fresh body near the excavated burial site, confirming unspeakable fears. A serial killer has returned to Buckneck, West Virginia…a skilled hunter with a unique taste in prey.

When Tess agrees to help the cunning Detective Tucker gather clues from the inside, she discovers the posh spa hides more than dead bodies. Even as she sifts through layers of deceit, Tess realizes too late that the killer’s sights have zeroed in on her.

Unpredictable psychological mystery replete with memorable characters, Trial by Twelve is Book Two in A Murder in the Mountains series.

My Thoughts on the Book:

Mystery lovers and fans of Christian fiction take note, Trial by Twelve is one story not to be missed. This second installment in Heather Day Gilbert’s A Murder in the Mountains series delivers a classic amateur sleuthing mystery, populated by fascinating characters in a vivid setting. There’s even a fun Nancy Drew reference, comparing Tess, Charlotte, and Rosemary to amateur sleuth Nancy Drew and her sidekicks George and Bess.

In my review of Miranda Warning (the first title in this series), I already mentioned how much I like the strong and spunky Tess Spencer as heroine, with her dry sense of humor and down-to-earth relatability. But it bears repeating, because this book features that same charming and witty Tess confronting a brand new mystery. Her present tense first person telling has a very personable quality to it, making the reader feel like a friend. And her interactions with her adorable daughter, friends, in-laws, and of course her handsome hubby provide just the right counterpoint to the tension (and danger!!!) accompanying the mystery she’s investigating.

With the discovery of a number of old skeletons and a collection of creepy letters presumed to have been written by the killer, there’s plenty to draw the reader into the mystery. There’s one letter included at the beginning of each of the early chapters, complete with hints that could lead to the identity of the killer. But with plenty of plausible suspects in close proximity, I was kept guessing right along with Tess. And while I did suspect the actual killer, I also suspected about half the people Tess came into contact with, so I can’t really claim to have solved this one. LOL!

I enjoyed reading this mystery from beginning to end, and look forward to accompanying Tess and her friends and family on future sleuthing escapades.

Thank you to the author for providing an advance reader copy free of charge for reviewing.

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