Never Let Go by Elizabeth Goddard

"Never Let Go" by Elizabeth Goddard is the first in the Uncommon Justice series.  The story is about Willow Anderson a forensic genealogist who decides to finish the job her grandfather's death left behind which is the case of a woman who was kidnapped as a newborn from her mother.  And of course, it has the standard stereotypical romance of the main character and old flame, in this case, one named Austin McKade.  The first couple chapters were pretty good then it got confusing in the middle and really got confusing right near the end.  I am still not completely sure of the ending but the story might be more clear in the next book.  The story had potential but why can't Chrisitan mystery authors just leave the romance section out.  That was what was the main issue I had with this story is it was just like what seems like every other Christian mystery where good potential story but the main character are either newly met soon to be couple or a former couple who now thanks to this mystery will get back together (no I am not giving anything way its the normal of these style of books).  I will recommend if that is what you are looking for me I just want a good mystery with no romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

American Omens by Travis Thrasher

"American Omens" by Travis Thrasher is Christian American dystopian novel about the year 2038 where Christianity and free thought is now against the law.  The main character is Cheyenne Burne a intelligent programmer who ends up working with a group of believers.  A group of high profile believers are hiding and following a leader they call the Reckoner.    This book is fiction novel on what the author thinks is going to happen to America without saying that.   It is an interesting story about what American Christians may think is coming down the pipeline the belief that Christianity is going to be illegal.  What is interesting to me on that thought is that yes that prospect might be scary as an American but why the scriptures say we will not be liked for far too long Christianity has been the popular thing which has been bad for the gospel as it has become easy believism. This book I know is going to be a first in a series just by the way it is wrote. It seems to me to be a more modern version with similarities of the Left Behind series.  As of this book it's main focus is on American Christianity and I hope the author will write in the next books more about the faith of others in this world not just us Americans.  I will recommend this book as it is an ok dystopian novel but with the hope the next book will be better and more world focused.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Multnomah publisher.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Serial Killers Daughter by Kerri Rawson

"A Serial Killer's Daughter" by Kerri Rawson is the story of Kerri, not just her dad who is the convicted BTK killer.    Before you throw this book out saying oh she is just trying to make her dad look no that is not it at all.  She is sharing how she grew up with a man as a dad that she had no idea led a behind the scenes life of being a serial killer. It does start out with her giving some history of her dad's life before he married her mom and their life together before she was born.  But most of the book is about her life with her dad and how she thought he was a normal dad.  I chose to read this book because we have a tendency as a society that serial killers also create victims of their family.  What do I mean by that well their families think everything is normal and that serial killers are someone else.  They have hopes and dreams of a normal life and the serial killer especially when they are caught have killed their hopes and dreams.  She writes on how she was broken by her dad's arrest and how she did at first did not think it could be true.  But over time she had to come to terms with how her dad is a psychopath and that she was also a victim.  She never glorifies her dad she just talks about him like he was any other dad but she does realize as the years go on past his arrest that he was emotionally abusive to her family and that was a hard pill to swallow.  I liked this book as she focuses on her faith helping thru things and it was a reminder to me not to treat the families or friends of serial killers horrible as most of the time they had no idea and they are victims of the killer themselves.  I highly recommend this book especially since we never truly know every person in our lives.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

We Hope For Better Things by Erin Bartels

"We Hope For Better Things" by Erin Bartels is about a journalist Elizabeth Balsam who has been asked by an elderly man to return an important item of a relative of hers, she has never known about.  While she is learning about the man connected to her elderly relative, she also learns even more about her family history.  One part of the story takes place in modern times, one part takes place in the mid-1960's and the other part takes place in the mid-1860's.  Each chapter takes place in the one of the different eras which is a feature I really enjoy because then it is much easier to follow the different story lines.   Each story was so powerful and good that I could not out the book down just so I could finish each story to find out what would happen.  Truthfully each story could have been their own bookmaking this a series with one in 1860's, one in 1960's and one in the present.  This book deals with racism, love, betrayal, and lost in an era which makes it a very powerful book.  I highly recommend this as it was a great novel and I am glad it was my first book to read in 2019.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Enclave by Thomas Locke

"Enclave" by Thomas Locke is a futuristic book about 100 years from a great crash and now America is a bunch of enclaves.  In one of the largest named Catawba a vein of Gold is discovered under neath it and now their fate is up to a trader named Caleb.  Right off the bat I had a hard time getting into this book it really started out as if you would have to have read a book before this one to understand what is going on.  I really got lost right off the bat as for the story was all over the place.  Plus at times with the speech patterns I would forget that I am in the future not in the old west. It went back and forth with the characters I just could not get into this book.  I am realizing this author is just not for me but you can try him for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hidden Peril by Irene Hannon

"Hidden Peril" by Irene Hannon is the second in the Men of Valor in this one we find Kristin Dane as a teenager wanting to change the world well as an adult does in a small way with her fair trade store but internationals problems hit her doorstep.  Her problems start when people connected to her shop start dying and we meet Detective Luke Carter who needs to solve this international mystery before more die or Kristin dies.  This was an ok paced book, normally her books have great pace to them making me want to sit and read in one sitting. Not this one I really had a hard time getting into the story.  It might be I am getting tired of the typical international terrorist story that is now the norm.   I mean seriously can't we just have a murder mystery that is just about a local mystery not so much an international one.  This book also put the romance of Kristin and Luke as a main point of the story.  I am just not a romance book or movie person just give me a good mystery without romance.  I am on the fence on recommending this book she normally writes great books but this one seemed rushed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Light Before Day by Suzanne Woods Fisher

 "The Light Before Day" by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the third in the Natucket Legacy series.  Henry Macy returns to Nantucket after three years on a whaling ship.  Henry and his sister Hitty's grandmother has passed away leaving them a vast fortune however there are some rules they must do to get that fortune.  While the siblings are not too thrilled with the rules they don't want it to go to their dad's form thieving business partner.  This book is a good stand alone book that you do not have to read the previous ones to understand it. Their relationship with their grandmother was not always a good as she was big into only the best people in her family.  The story is interesting even though at times it can be slow.  I am really enjoying how we are starting to see more quaker stories instead of only Amish.  As at this time in history 1700's and 1800's the Quakers were more common than the Amish.  I highly recommend this book as a good story about how sometimes people push us for the wrong reasons but good can come out of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.