Brenda Novak's The Secrets She Kept is the sequel to The Secret Sister. The two novels make up the Fairham Island series, which, to date, covers the relationships of the Lazarow family. The Secrets She Kept is a "whodunit"/mystery/romantic suspense novel that mainly focuses on Keith, a prodigal son of sorts. Keith had been quite the wild sibling in the family, rebelling against an overbearing and abusive mother, and succumbing to drug addiction as a means to cope with his family's dysfunction. Five years ago, he walked away from his mother and her controlling ways to build a life for himself on the West Coast. He returns to Fairham Island when he learns of her death, which has been ruled a suicide. However, Keith can't accept that his mother, a woman who had always been proud about appearances, would commit suicide, because it would have been a sign of weakness.
I haven't read the first novel, but apparently, it involved a secret that Keith's mother, Josephine, had kept from him and his sisters. There are more secrets that are gradually revealed throughout The Secrets She Kept, and they are pretty shocking to the remaining Lazarows as they are discovered. They could mirror the front pages of tabloid newspapers. Financial troubles. Inappropriate photographs. Adultery. As the secrets are uncovered, it becomes apparent that Josephine Lazarow held very little sacred, not even her own family ties. It also starts to appear that Josephine did not commit suicide, but may have been murdered by someone whom Keith cares about.
Josephine had been a proud, stubborn woman who was unwilling to unbend, and would brow beat others to get her way, literally and figuratively. She also did things to fill her vanity, not caring about the havoc or maelstroms that would result from her actions. The destruction that she released on Keith led him to leave Fairham so that he could survive. Now clean, he returns to Fairham to determine whether Josephine was truly murdered, and if so, to catch who did it. However, returning to the island also causes him to confront his past with Nancy Dellinger, the woman who had loved him unconditionally when he was at his drugged up worst. Keith feels major regret toward Nancy. He knows that he was absolutely bad news to her in the past. Although he has cleaned up his life, he still feels incapable of offering her any semblance of a normal relationship, even though he is still drawn to her.
Nancy is a woman who has never gotten over the good looking, wealthy, bad boy who took everything from her, emotionally, physically, and financially. Presently, she is trying to find a marriageable man through online dating, but nobody can compare to the way she felt with Keith. When she meets Keith again, she tries to tell herself that she needs to maintain her dignity, and resist him, even though she knows that all he wants is a fling until the mystery of his mother's death is solved. Then he will return to the West Coast and leave her again, just as he had five years ago. For a woman who is thirty five and wanting to have children, Keith is not a good prospect. However, Nancy's lesbian sister, Jade, is Cupid's assistant, pushing Nancy and Keith together. Nancy's own heart betrays her, as she can't bring herself to feel that way with anyone else except for Keith.
The novel seemed to have two major plot threads. One was the mystery of Josephine's murder, and the other was the romance between Keith and Nancy.
As for the mystery, Ms. Novak did a fairly good job in deflecting characters as they came and went. I was kept in the dark until about three quarters of the novel when I started thinking about who had been brought out and discounted as possible suspects.
The novel is written in different third points of view. It definitely allowed the reader to see into the minds of different characters, and gave hints as to their innocence, except for one. This character, who was supposed to represent a person who Keith loved, but whom he feared was guilty, held a secret of her own. The reader was not privy to it until other characters exposed it. I found the revelation a bit jarring and felt a bit betrayed (maybe that's too strong a word...perhaps "bothered," would be a better one), because it showed that the character knew about her husband's betrayal at the time, yet she seemed to show uncertainty in her thoughts about it when the reader was allowed to look into her mind.
As for the romance, and as I mentioned before, Nancy is looking for a permanent love. However, Keith isn't, or at least, he doesn't think that he is. He considers himself too damaged by the dysfunction in his past to consider himself relationship material. After Nancy makes a declaration of love to him, he responds by saying, "I'd love you, too, if I was capable of it."
The Secrets She Kept is not a novel that I would have considered writing a review for, except for the fact that I won it through the Goodreads Giveaway program, and even though the program's policy says that I'm not obligated to leave a review, it is understood that it would be appreciated if one was given. So, here is where I will leave a few extra caveats for those who are uncomfortable with the following:
This is a secular novel.
If you are uncomfortable with reading about families which don't operate in conservative ways, then this is not the book for you. Although there are some characters that try and aspire to family unity and cohesiveness, reading about how Josephine Lazarow's actions impacted at least two family groupings got kind of depressing, especially considering what happened as a result. Everything was messy.
If you get frustrated with a man who holds a cavalier attitude towards casual sex without commitment, especially knowing that the female character is looking for something permanent, and he continues to pressure her to act against her conscience, even though he knows that he really shouldn't, then this is not the book for you. I suppose that it's supposed to be romantic that he couldn't help himself from pressuring her, but I'll call it as it is...that man is selfish.
And...if you are uncomfortable with reading sex scenes, considered yourself warned as there are a couple of them.
Before I close off this review, I'd like to mention something of interest to me. There is a reader's guide at the end of the book, and it contains questions for reflecting over the content of the book. However, I think these are interesting questions to think about even without reading the book; they are interesting enough that I want to repeat some of them here:
"One of the themes of this novel is forgiveness. What would you say each character has to forgive? And do you feel that being able to forgive will improve their lives? In what ways?"
"Some people handle adversity better than others. Why do you think that's the case? What makes the difference? How can one person thrive in spite of their difficulties while others get crushed beneath them?"
"At times, we suffer from the bad decisions of those we love. It often doesn't seem fair and can cause quite a bit of resentment. What are the dangers of harboring resentment? What's one way you believe we can overcome resentment?"
"Most people believe that, to a greater or lesser degree, forgiveness should be part of everyone's life experience. But is there a line beyond which we are justified in holding a grudge? Do you feel that certain characters in this story crossed that line? If so, which one(s)? Would you be able to forgive that person if you were in the same situation?"
"They say "time heals all wounds." Arguably, the same could be said for love. Do you believe that's true? Why?"
Finding these questions at the back of the book was kind of eyebrow raising. They captured my interest enough to look up Ms. Novak's biography online, and I discovered that she attended Brigham Young University for her studies. I wonder what her beliefs are. How much influence have they had in her writing and in the inclusion of these discussion questions in this novel? Given that Brigham Young University is connected to the Mormon Church/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would suspect that she may hold Mormon beliefs, which are different than mine.
Forgiveness, holding on through adversity, letting go of resentment, and the idea of love healing all wounds are fascinating things to think about. Unfortunately for me, I was left with a rather flat feeling after reading this book. I felt as if I was taken on a tremendous ride, but wasn't uplifted by the end, probably because I still felt blindsided by the mess that the characters found themselves with which they still would have to work through.
Without Jesus, I think that it would be too difficult to forgive and to let go of resentment. I don't even want to think about going through adversity without Jesus. I'm just going to say that I know with certainty that Jesus can heal all wounds. This review was difficult for me to write, because I was not certain about what I would say in it. I found the story troubling because I think that the characters have messy lives without God.
If mystery/romantic suspense novels strike your interest, and if you are interested in reading something that is clean, I would recommend reading Christy Barritt's Dubiosity.
Disclaimer: I was given an advanced uncorrected proof of Brenda Novak's "The Secrets She Kept" for free through the Goodreads Giveaway program. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
Showing posts with label romantic suspense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romantic suspense. Show all posts
Thursday, 26 May 2016
Friday, 26 June 2015
Review: One Among Men by Connie Almony
One Among Men by Connie Almony, is a romantic suspense novel in which the female protagonist, Samantha (Sam) Hart, manages to become the resident director for an all male dorm at the fictional Maryland State University. She had originally applied for a similar position for the university's female dormitory, and cannot understand how she ended up with the assignment to Calvert Hall which houses 500 male students. Besides earning her graduate degree, she must oversee a staff of assistants as part of her duties in managing Calvert Hall and its inhabitants, which at times, requires her to discipline residents who break the dormitory rules, end up overly inebriated, or use banned substances on site. She finds it challenging to win and maintain the respect of the male residents who don't regard her in the same way as they would towards a male resident director. On top of that, there is a rapist loose on the campus who the police are trying to apprehend and arrest.
Chris Johnson, a music major, and one of the resident students who also has a job working as a go-to fix-it guy for the university's Facilities Department, meets Samantha when he comes to check on the outlets in her apartment. Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say that he meets...and blocks... her elbow to his gut, and a palm thrust in his face, in addition to backing away from a stomp meant to crush his foot. It takes a few minutes to convince her that he is not the rapist.
Sam is not the only one who is caught off guard by the other's appearance. Chris can't believe that the university is actually putting a female in charge of a building filled with college-aged men who would see her more as meat rather than as a serious authority figure. However, as the days and weeks, pass, he becomes intrigued and fascinated with her; he can see that she cares about the residents in the dorm.
Sam can't quite figure Chris out. Once she recovers from the scare of their first meeting, she senses something different about him; he seems older and more mature than the rest of the students at Calvert Hall. She also wonders about his ability to block all the self defense moves that her uncle, a police officer, had taught her. The looks and words of encouragement that he gives her contrast with his seemingly irresponsible behavior; he hangs out with the resident drug dealer at Calvert Hall, and consumes huge quantities of alcohol every night. Rumours start to fly about him selling for the drug dealer, but she can't stop her attraction to him. She is also puzzled by the alternation of warmth and distance in his behavior towards her.
Chris also appears to be quite a mystery to us as readers. We are privy to his thoughts; we know that he has secrets to hide and that he wants to resume another life that he once led. We also know that he harbors anger against his father, who used drugs and abandoned his family in order to pursue a career in music. He is also a bit resistant to the Gospel, although Preacher (aka Clive), one of Sam's assistants, has been sharing the message with him. Preacher knows that there definitely something strange about Chris. He sees that Chris is a leader, yet follows a known drug dealer. He is also aware that Chris has been looking out for Sam's safety and has taken measures to keep that from being made widely known.
Throughout the first half of the novel, the author drops a trail of crumbs, hinting about what Chris is really doing. We are finally informed outright about this midway through the novel, and by this time we realize that Chris is facing battles on several fronts, in his relationship with the drug dealer, in distancing himself from Sam, whom he is finding harder to resist, and in facing the challenges that Preacher keeps tossing at him over issues of faith in the Lord. Will Chris survive with both his physical and spiritual lives secure? Will he be able to convince Sam to accept him romantically when she finds out what he really is?
At first, I wasn't quite sure if the central plot of the novel was going to involve the capture of the rapist, but instead, it really is about Chris and what is happening to him spiritually. Sam impresses Chris with how she lives out her Christian life in spite of all the resistance to her leadership at Calvert Hall by its residents. Conversations with Preacher, and lots of tunes from the band, Third Day, help Chris to come to a place where he is open to attending a church to see what Christianity is about.
I thought that One Among Men, for a self published novel, was pretty good. I admire how the author laid out the plot and how she resolved most of the plot threads. The novel is written from several third person points of view, although the two major ones are those of Sam and Chris. There is quite a large cast, but it is fairly easy to keep track of who is who, and what their significance is to the story. I felt that most of the characters, even the nasty ones, were fairly believable, although the character of the drug dealer, Drake Dixon, might have had a touch of being a little over the top in his nastiness and unpleasantness, but this didn't really detract from the story.
The novel also offers a look at campus life, especially what might happen in an all male dorm, besides the issues of drug and alcohol abuse, and how some college aged men might view women.
I enjoyed reading One Among Men, and hope to read more about life at Maryland State University in the sequels, An Insignificant Life, and Flee From Evil.
Chris Johnson, a music major, and one of the resident students who also has a job working as a go-to fix-it guy for the university's Facilities Department, meets Samantha when he comes to check on the outlets in her apartment. Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say that he meets...and blocks... her elbow to his gut, and a palm thrust in his face, in addition to backing away from a stomp meant to crush his foot. It takes a few minutes to convince her that he is not the rapist.
Sam is not the only one who is caught off guard by the other's appearance. Chris can't believe that the university is actually putting a female in charge of a building filled with college-aged men who would see her more as meat rather than as a serious authority figure. However, as the days and weeks, pass, he becomes intrigued and fascinated with her; he can see that she cares about the residents in the dorm.
Sam can't quite figure Chris out. Once she recovers from the scare of their first meeting, she senses something different about him; he seems older and more mature than the rest of the students at Calvert Hall. She also wonders about his ability to block all the self defense moves that her uncle, a police officer, had taught her. The looks and words of encouragement that he gives her contrast with his seemingly irresponsible behavior; he hangs out with the resident drug dealer at Calvert Hall, and consumes huge quantities of alcohol every night. Rumours start to fly about him selling for the drug dealer, but she can't stop her attraction to him. She is also puzzled by the alternation of warmth and distance in his behavior towards her.
Chris also appears to be quite a mystery to us as readers. We are privy to his thoughts; we know that he has secrets to hide and that he wants to resume another life that he once led. We also know that he harbors anger against his father, who used drugs and abandoned his family in order to pursue a career in music. He is also a bit resistant to the Gospel, although Preacher (aka Clive), one of Sam's assistants, has been sharing the message with him. Preacher knows that there definitely something strange about Chris. He sees that Chris is a leader, yet follows a known drug dealer. He is also aware that Chris has been looking out for Sam's safety and has taken measures to keep that from being made widely known.
Throughout the first half of the novel, the author drops a trail of crumbs, hinting about what Chris is really doing. We are finally informed outright about this midway through the novel, and by this time we realize that Chris is facing battles on several fronts, in his relationship with the drug dealer, in distancing himself from Sam, whom he is finding harder to resist, and in facing the challenges that Preacher keeps tossing at him over issues of faith in the Lord. Will Chris survive with both his physical and spiritual lives secure? Will he be able to convince Sam to accept him romantically when she finds out what he really is?
At first, I wasn't quite sure if the central plot of the novel was going to involve the capture of the rapist, but instead, it really is about Chris and what is happening to him spiritually. Sam impresses Chris with how she lives out her Christian life in spite of all the resistance to her leadership at Calvert Hall by its residents. Conversations with Preacher, and lots of tunes from the band, Third Day, help Chris to come to a place where he is open to attending a church to see what Christianity is about.
I thought that One Among Men, for a self published novel, was pretty good. I admire how the author laid out the plot and how she resolved most of the plot threads. The novel is written from several third person points of view, although the two major ones are those of Sam and Chris. There is quite a large cast, but it is fairly easy to keep track of who is who, and what their significance is to the story. I felt that most of the characters, even the nasty ones, were fairly believable, although the character of the drug dealer, Drake Dixon, might have had a touch of being a little over the top in his nastiness and unpleasantness, but this didn't really detract from the story.
The novel also offers a look at campus life, especially what might happen in an all male dorm, besides the issues of drug and alcohol abuse, and how some college aged men might view women.
I enjoyed reading One Among Men, and hope to read more about life at Maryland State University in the sequels, An Insignificant Life, and Flee From Evil.
Friday, 5 June 2015
Review: Hidden Agenda by Christy Barritt
Hidden Agenda, by Christy Barritt, was released under Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense line in March 2015. I picked up this title because I liked Ms. Barritt's novel, Dubiosity, which I reviewed earlier in January of this year.
The protagonists in Hidden Agenda are Bailey Williams, a home care nurse, and Ed Carter, a CIA agent. They are brought together by the death of Ed's father, when Ed returns to Smuggler's Cove, the island which his father retired to after a lifelong career with the State Department. Bailey is less than impressed with the son who did not make it home in time for his own father's funeral. She isn't even certain of Ed's identity, because Mr. Carter, Ed's father, did not keep any photos of Ed in his home. She had been told that Ed is a lawyer, but he doesn't seem to behave or act like one. Ed, who is convinced that his father's death was actually a murder, is suspicious of Bailey, wondering if she played any part in Mr. Carter's death. One of Mr. Carter's friends had left Ed a cryptic message, but had died under mysterious circumstances, just as his father had.
As the novel progresses, the attraction between Bailey and Ed grows, but several factors prevent them from trusting each other. Ed needs to search through his father's belongings to find out if his dad was hiding classified information on his estate, and wonders why Bailey is remaining at Smuggler's Cove even though her duties towards his family are finished. Bailey has been threatened several times by an unknown assailant who also promises to hurt and kill her relatives if she does not help him to recover secret information that Mr. Carter has hidden away on his estate. She is also warned not to tell Ed about the threats, otherwise her family will be harmed. Ed, who has been burned before by an ex-girlfriend who turned out to be a spy, senses that Bailey is holding back information from him and continues to wonder if she is working for the people that were responsible for getting his father killed, even though he gets to know her character better. His mistrust doesn't encourage Bailey to ask him for help against the threats that she is facing in spite of her developing feelings for him. Will Ed and Bailey be able to trust and help each other? Will they find out who killed Mr. Carter, and will they find what he hid on his property?
I found this novel to be fairly suspenseful and fast paced. There are secrets, danger, intrigue, espionage, death threats, and attempts against people's lives, unsuccessful, and successful. I would also say that there seems to be no character that is wasted; each seems to play a fairly significant role in the plot, however minor it may be. I thought that this made the novel tightly written and I appreciated the development of the plot and the economic use of the characters that were introduced in the story. I did not guess the identities of the antagonists; I don't know if this was just laziness or fuzziness in my thinking, but when they were revealed, I had a moment of, "Yeah,...of course...that makes sense...," for one of them, and for the other, I appreciated the author's use of another character that had been fleetingly introduced earlier in the story and of whom I had not expected to hear about again.
I enjoyed reading Hidden Agenda, and will probably read more of Ms. Barritt's work in the future.
The protagonists in Hidden Agenda are Bailey Williams, a home care nurse, and Ed Carter, a CIA agent. They are brought together by the death of Ed's father, when Ed returns to Smuggler's Cove, the island which his father retired to after a lifelong career with the State Department. Bailey is less than impressed with the son who did not make it home in time for his own father's funeral. She isn't even certain of Ed's identity, because Mr. Carter, Ed's father, did not keep any photos of Ed in his home. She had been told that Ed is a lawyer, but he doesn't seem to behave or act like one. Ed, who is convinced that his father's death was actually a murder, is suspicious of Bailey, wondering if she played any part in Mr. Carter's death. One of Mr. Carter's friends had left Ed a cryptic message, but had died under mysterious circumstances, just as his father had.
As the novel progresses, the attraction between Bailey and Ed grows, but several factors prevent them from trusting each other. Ed needs to search through his father's belongings to find out if his dad was hiding classified information on his estate, and wonders why Bailey is remaining at Smuggler's Cove even though her duties towards his family are finished. Bailey has been threatened several times by an unknown assailant who also promises to hurt and kill her relatives if she does not help him to recover secret information that Mr. Carter has hidden away on his estate. She is also warned not to tell Ed about the threats, otherwise her family will be harmed. Ed, who has been burned before by an ex-girlfriend who turned out to be a spy, senses that Bailey is holding back information from him and continues to wonder if she is working for the people that were responsible for getting his father killed, even though he gets to know her character better. His mistrust doesn't encourage Bailey to ask him for help against the threats that she is facing in spite of her developing feelings for him. Will Ed and Bailey be able to trust and help each other? Will they find out who killed Mr. Carter, and will they find what he hid on his property?
I found this novel to be fairly suspenseful and fast paced. There are secrets, danger, intrigue, espionage, death threats, and attempts against people's lives, unsuccessful, and successful. I would also say that there seems to be no character that is wasted; each seems to play a fairly significant role in the plot, however minor it may be. I thought that this made the novel tightly written and I appreciated the development of the plot and the economic use of the characters that were introduced in the story. I did not guess the identities of the antagonists; I don't know if this was just laziness or fuzziness in my thinking, but when they were revealed, I had a moment of, "Yeah,...of course...that makes sense...," for one of them, and for the other, I appreciated the author's use of another character that had been fleetingly introduced earlier in the story and of whom I had not expected to hear about again.
I enjoyed reading Hidden Agenda, and will probably read more of Ms. Barritt's work in the future.
Monday, 11 May 2015
Review: Marina by Susan May Warren with Susan K. Downs
Marina, by Susan May Warren with Susan K. Downs, is the third novel belonging to the Heirs of Anton series. The series covers several generations of a Russian family and their faith in the Lord. Marina covers the love story of Marina (Mara) Antonovna Klassen Vasileva, a Russian partisan fighter, and Edward Neumann, an American OSS agent who has been assigned to help rout the Nazi invaders from the USSR during the Second World War.
Both Marina and Edward have had significant losses that have left them wounded in their hearts. Marina is an orphan who lost both her natural parents as a child, and now as an adult, she has also lost her husband and home to the Nazis. She fears that she has also lost her unborn baby. Her faith in the Lord is in shreds, and she renames herself, Mara (meaning, "bitterness"), as Naomi did in the Old Testament Book of Ruth. She joins a partisan group and becomes an excellent sniper.
Edward wrestles with guilt; it appears that every partisan group that he has assisted in the war against the Nazis has found death and destruction, rather than freedom. He is especially guilt ridden over the death of Katrina, his fiancée, who Nazis executed after following him to her location. Edward escaped capture, and Katrina's death has left him reluctant to accept help from partisan groups in the countries that he works in. He is afraid that he will lead them to their deaths. Unlike Marina, Edward still has a faith that clings to the Lord.
Marina and Edward meet when he comes into contact with her partisan group. He plans to blow up a bridge on a Nazi supply route, but quickly comes to realize that he cannot carry out his mission without the help of the partisans. The time spent in each other's company leads Marina and Edward to fall in love with each other as they learn to trust and rely on each other for support. Will Marina regain her faith in the Lord with Edward's help? Will Edward be able to let go of his guilt so that he can open his heart to love again?
Psalm 100:5 is a significant verse in the Heirs of Anton. It says, "For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." We can partially see how the truth of this is carried out in this installment of this series, although we do not see the completion of what the Lord will do for this family in Marina. Our protagonists must trust and wait on the Lord for the future. They are also required to make very difficult and costly sacrifices. I want to say this: I think that the character of Edward Neumann is truly a saint. In my opinion, Marina gets pretty close to being a romantic tragedy.
I also have a minor quibble about the cover. Marina is supposed to be a blonde, but the woman on the cover looks like a brunette to me.
I would not consider Marina to be a stand alone novel. I think that Ekaterina, the first book of the series, has a stronger link in the continuity with Marina than Nadia, which is the second book. Several questions raised in Ekaterina are answered in Marina, but if you read only Marina, you will be left with questions that can only be answered in Ekaterina. Having said that, there are still other questions that haven't been answered in any of the books offered so far in the continuity. Hopefully, these will be addressed in the final book, Oksana.
Both Marina and Edward have had significant losses that have left them wounded in their hearts. Marina is an orphan who lost both her natural parents as a child, and now as an adult, she has also lost her husband and home to the Nazis. She fears that she has also lost her unborn baby. Her faith in the Lord is in shreds, and she renames herself, Mara (meaning, "bitterness"), as Naomi did in the Old Testament Book of Ruth. She joins a partisan group and becomes an excellent sniper.
Edward wrestles with guilt; it appears that every partisan group that he has assisted in the war against the Nazis has found death and destruction, rather than freedom. He is especially guilt ridden over the death of Katrina, his fiancée, who Nazis executed after following him to her location. Edward escaped capture, and Katrina's death has left him reluctant to accept help from partisan groups in the countries that he works in. He is afraid that he will lead them to their deaths. Unlike Marina, Edward still has a faith that clings to the Lord.
Marina and Edward meet when he comes into contact with her partisan group. He plans to blow up a bridge on a Nazi supply route, but quickly comes to realize that he cannot carry out his mission without the help of the partisans. The time spent in each other's company leads Marina and Edward to fall in love with each other as they learn to trust and rely on each other for support. Will Marina regain her faith in the Lord with Edward's help? Will Edward be able to let go of his guilt so that he can open his heart to love again?
Psalm 100:5 is a significant verse in the Heirs of Anton. It says, "For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." We can partially see how the truth of this is carried out in this installment of this series, although we do not see the completion of what the Lord will do for this family in Marina. Our protagonists must trust and wait on the Lord for the future. They are also required to make very difficult and costly sacrifices. I want to say this: I think that the character of Edward Neumann is truly a saint. In my opinion, Marina gets pretty close to being a romantic tragedy.
I also have a minor quibble about the cover. Marina is supposed to be a blonde, but the woman on the cover looks like a brunette to me.
I would not consider Marina to be a stand alone novel. I think that Ekaterina, the first book of the series, has a stronger link in the continuity with Marina than Nadia, which is the second book. Several questions raised in Ekaterina are answered in Marina, but if you read only Marina, you will be left with questions that can only be answered in Ekaterina. Having said that, there are still other questions that haven't been answered in any of the books offered so far in the continuity. Hopefully, these will be addressed in the final book, Oksana.
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Review: Nadia by Susan May Warren with Susan K. Downs
Nadia, by Susan May Warren with Susan K. Downs, is the second installment of the Heirs of Anton series. The series covers four generations of a family of Russian background and their faith. Nadia is the immediate prequel to Ekaterina, and is the story of Kat's parents, Hope Nadezhda (Nadia) Moore and Michael (Mickey/Misha) Moore, who are both spies for the CIA.
The story is set in the USSR, in 1970. Hope has covertly entered Russia with the purpose of freeing her husband, Mickey, who had been imprisoned by the KGB and is scheduled to be executed in a matter of days. She is on her own without support from her father, spymaster Edward Neumann, who, along with the rest of the CIA in the United States, believe Mickey to be a traitor who betrayed two of their sleeper spies who were stationed in Russia. There are also the rumors that Mickey had betrayed their marriage by having an affair with another spy. Hope can't bring herself to believe that Mickey would betray their people, but she has another reason for wanting to get Mickey out of Russia; she needs him to be a father to their infant daughter, Ekaterina, even though she has doubts about his marital faithfulness. Mickey is unaware of the existence of Ekaterina; he has no knowledge of what had happened to Hope after his arrest.
With the help of friend who is a KGB mole, Aranoff Chornov, Hope springs Mickey from prison, but they narrowly escape capture when their escape route out of the country is blocked by KGB agents. Will Hope and Mickey be able to evade capture and make it out of the Soviet Union? Is Mickey a double agent who betrayed his own people? Or was he betrayed and framed by another?
One of the spiritual themes that is prevalent in Nadia is the need for both our protagonists to "let go and let God (do as He wills)." They need to surrender their own plans and agendas and trust God for whatever outcomes will result, even though what God has in plan for them may not be entirely clear. Hope is determined to get Mickey safely out of the USSR so that she and Ekaterina can have Mickey play the role of a father at home in the States. However, she runs into the brick wall that is Mickey's desire to make an impact as spy who has served his country well. Can she leave Mickey behind so that he can make his own way with his life and fulfill his career objectives? As for Mickey, can he give up his desire to find significance in making a difference for his country by serving as a spy, or can he settle for a quiet and less exciting life as a father to Ekaterina in the States? In addition to that dilemma, his struggle also involves his desires to exonerate himself and get revenge on whoever betrayed him.
While our heroine and hero work these things out, they continue to encounter danger and intrigue, including the mysterious appearance of Hope's father, Edward Neumann, in the USSR. One of the reasons for Edward's appearance is to support the continuity between the books in the series. There are other hints of information that are mentioned in Nadia that are revealed more fully in Ekaterina, but there are still puzzles and mysteries regarding the Heirs of Anton series that are still unanswered even in this second installment.
I enjoyed the novel for the espionage story that it was. There are enough tidbits provided so that I'm interested enough to find out what happens in the remainder of the series, which includes Marina and Oksana, parts three and four of the Heirs of Anton.
The story is set in the USSR, in 1970. Hope has covertly entered Russia with the purpose of freeing her husband, Mickey, who had been imprisoned by the KGB and is scheduled to be executed in a matter of days. She is on her own without support from her father, spymaster Edward Neumann, who, along with the rest of the CIA in the United States, believe Mickey to be a traitor who betrayed two of their sleeper spies who were stationed in Russia. There are also the rumors that Mickey had betrayed their marriage by having an affair with another spy. Hope can't bring herself to believe that Mickey would betray their people, but she has another reason for wanting to get Mickey out of Russia; she needs him to be a father to their infant daughter, Ekaterina, even though she has doubts about his marital faithfulness. Mickey is unaware of the existence of Ekaterina; he has no knowledge of what had happened to Hope after his arrest.
With the help of friend who is a KGB mole, Aranoff Chornov, Hope springs Mickey from prison, but they narrowly escape capture when their escape route out of the country is blocked by KGB agents. Will Hope and Mickey be able to evade capture and make it out of the Soviet Union? Is Mickey a double agent who betrayed his own people? Or was he betrayed and framed by another?
One of the spiritual themes that is prevalent in Nadia is the need for both our protagonists to "let go and let God (do as He wills)." They need to surrender their own plans and agendas and trust God for whatever outcomes will result, even though what God has in plan for them may not be entirely clear. Hope is determined to get Mickey safely out of the USSR so that she and Ekaterina can have Mickey play the role of a father at home in the States. However, she runs into the brick wall that is Mickey's desire to make an impact as spy who has served his country well. Can she leave Mickey behind so that he can make his own way with his life and fulfill his career objectives? As for Mickey, can he give up his desire to find significance in making a difference for his country by serving as a spy, or can he settle for a quiet and less exciting life as a father to Ekaterina in the States? In addition to that dilemma, his struggle also involves his desires to exonerate himself and get revenge on whoever betrayed him.
While our heroine and hero work these things out, they continue to encounter danger and intrigue, including the mysterious appearance of Hope's father, Edward Neumann, in the USSR. One of the reasons for Edward's appearance is to support the continuity between the books in the series. There are other hints of information that are mentioned in Nadia that are revealed more fully in Ekaterina, but there are still puzzles and mysteries regarding the Heirs of Anton series that are still unanswered even in this second installment.
I enjoyed the novel for the espionage story that it was. There are enough tidbits provided so that I'm interested enough to find out what happens in the remainder of the series, which includes Marina and Oksana, parts three and four of the Heirs of Anton.
Thursday, 23 April 2015
Review: Ekaterina by Susan May Warren with Susan K. Downs
Ekaterina, by Susan May Warren with Susan K. Downs, is the first installment of the Heirs of Anton series. Ekaterina is followed by Nadia, Marina, and Oksana, in that order. The series follows several generations of a family of Russian background and their faith in God. It is also about the faithfulness of the Lord. I found the Heirs of Anton to be a bit different; in most series, the story is usually presented in forward chronological order. In the Heirs of Anton, the story is covered in reverse chronological order, beginning with Ekaterina, which is set in the present day, and ending with Oksana, which is set in 1917, at the time of the Russian Revolution. This reverse order allows us to know what the present concluding circumstances are for this family by the end of the first volume, but we are left with several mysteries and unanswered questions that are gradually revealed with each subsequent volume.
Ekaterina (Kat) Moore, the namesake of the book's title, has come to Russia to discover her family's roots. She also brings along a key which was sent to her by a monk, Brother Timofea, who sent it to her from a monastery near Pskov, Russia. She is hoping that he will be able to direct her in a search for her relatives so that she can discover her family tree and her heritage. She had been orphaned as a child, and had been raised by her grandfather, a retired CIA spy who has also been very secretive over information about their family's past. Unfortunately, as she passes through the metal detector at the customs booth at the airport, the key sets off the alarm, and she gets detained for questioning.
Captain Vadeem Spasonov, a FSB agent (a member of the international security force of Russia, the organization that succeeded the KGB) is at the airport watching out for Ivan Grazovich, an Abkhazian smuggler and terrorist who steals priceless Russian artifacts to finance the purchase of armaments. When he finds Grazovich, he notices that the terrorist has been conversing with Kat, and the FSB agent's suspicions of Kat being a mule are raised when she sets off the alarm. He brings her to an interrogation room, but she escapes when one of Grazovich's moles in customs sets her free before Vadeem clears her.
Vadeem tracks Kat down, intending to deport her, but before he can take her back to the airport, she is mugged and her key is stolen. The longer Vadeem speaks to and interacts with Kat, the more he is convinced that she is just an innocent tourist, although his initial suspicions of her are not entirely quenched. His concern for her safety has been set off by the suspicious events of her "accidental" meeting with Grazovich and the targeted theft of her key. He is right to be concerned; Kat's life is endangered even though she has lost the key. The thieves want more than what they have already taken, but Vadeem cannot convince Kat to leave Russia.
Kat refuses to leave before she finds the answers to her questions about her heritage; she wants to find out who she is, where she comes from, and to whom she belongs to. Vadeem, on the other hand, knows about the risks that come from wanting too much to belong; the mistakes of his youth had led to consequences that have left him too angry and ashamed to be on speaking terms with the Lord. Will Kat be able to find out her family's history and figure out who she is? Why was Kat's key stolen? What connection does the key have with Kat's family? Who is Anton Klassen, and what exactly is his connection to Kat? What material and spiritual legacies did he leave for his descendants and heirs, and how have these affected their lives? Will Vadeem be able to protect Kat from those who are trying to harm her? Will his heart survive Kat's departure if he can get her safely out of Russia? Will Vadeem come to terms with the tragic circumstances of his youth and reconnect with the Lord? As I mentioned before, even though this novel provides many answers that are revealed by the conclusion of Ekaterina, there are enough hints of mysteries still yet to be unraveled and uncovered in the following volumes of the series.
I know very little about what law enforcement is like in Russia, but Ekaterina did not seem too different from other novels that I have read involving characters in law enforcement set in the United States (e.g. some Love Inspired Suspense titles). The way that FSB was depicted seemed similar in tone to stories that I've previously read with characters in the FBI or the U.S. Marshals. What made Ekaterina feel a bit different for me are the flashbacks that Vadeem had of his family experiencing persecution for being believers. I feel blessed to live in a country, which, at this present time, allows its citizens the freedom to worship God.
As for the spiritual conflicts in the book, Kat needs to realize that her life only needs to be defined by Christ alone in spite of all the pesky unknown details. Vadeem needs to come to terms with the mistakes that he made in his past, come back to the Lord and identify himself with Him. Personally, I feel very strongly about the point that the author is making about how it is enough to identify ourselves with the Lord. In Him, we discover who we truly are. In Him, we find forgiveness, acceptance, security, belonging, and purpose. In Him, we are beloved children of God.
I enjoyed the romance in Ekaterina, although one week is a pretty narrow time frame for Vadeem to fall deeply in love. However, it's possible that adrenalin inducing situations can hype up romantic attraction. Vadeem is an interesting romantic figure. For a former special ops soldier, he seemed to be quite a strong yet vulnerable man. I liked Kat for her gutsy determination and faith in the Lord. The novel also tosses in the reunion of two long lost lovers who had been tragically separated for many years, but I won't reveal who they are.
I found Ekaterina to be interesting and am looking forward to finding out what happens in the rest of the Heirs of Anton series.
Ekaterina (Kat) Moore, the namesake of the book's title, has come to Russia to discover her family's roots. She also brings along a key which was sent to her by a monk, Brother Timofea, who sent it to her from a monastery near Pskov, Russia. She is hoping that he will be able to direct her in a search for her relatives so that she can discover her family tree and her heritage. She had been orphaned as a child, and had been raised by her grandfather, a retired CIA spy who has also been very secretive over information about their family's past. Unfortunately, as she passes through the metal detector at the customs booth at the airport, the key sets off the alarm, and she gets detained for questioning.
Captain Vadeem Spasonov, a FSB agent (a member of the international security force of Russia, the organization that succeeded the KGB) is at the airport watching out for Ivan Grazovich, an Abkhazian smuggler and terrorist who steals priceless Russian artifacts to finance the purchase of armaments. When he finds Grazovich, he notices that the terrorist has been conversing with Kat, and the FSB agent's suspicions of Kat being a mule are raised when she sets off the alarm. He brings her to an interrogation room, but she escapes when one of Grazovich's moles in customs sets her free before Vadeem clears her.
Vadeem tracks Kat down, intending to deport her, but before he can take her back to the airport, she is mugged and her key is stolen. The longer Vadeem speaks to and interacts with Kat, the more he is convinced that she is just an innocent tourist, although his initial suspicions of her are not entirely quenched. His concern for her safety has been set off by the suspicious events of her "accidental" meeting with Grazovich and the targeted theft of her key. He is right to be concerned; Kat's life is endangered even though she has lost the key. The thieves want more than what they have already taken, but Vadeem cannot convince Kat to leave Russia.
Kat refuses to leave before she finds the answers to her questions about her heritage; she wants to find out who she is, where she comes from, and to whom she belongs to. Vadeem, on the other hand, knows about the risks that come from wanting too much to belong; the mistakes of his youth had led to consequences that have left him too angry and ashamed to be on speaking terms with the Lord. Will Kat be able to find out her family's history and figure out who she is? Why was Kat's key stolen? What connection does the key have with Kat's family? Who is Anton Klassen, and what exactly is his connection to Kat? What material and spiritual legacies did he leave for his descendants and heirs, and how have these affected their lives? Will Vadeem be able to protect Kat from those who are trying to harm her? Will his heart survive Kat's departure if he can get her safely out of Russia? Will Vadeem come to terms with the tragic circumstances of his youth and reconnect with the Lord? As I mentioned before, even though this novel provides many answers that are revealed by the conclusion of Ekaterina, there are enough hints of mysteries still yet to be unraveled and uncovered in the following volumes of the series.
I know very little about what law enforcement is like in Russia, but Ekaterina did not seem too different from other novels that I have read involving characters in law enforcement set in the United States (e.g. some Love Inspired Suspense titles). The way that FSB was depicted seemed similar in tone to stories that I've previously read with characters in the FBI or the U.S. Marshals. What made Ekaterina feel a bit different for me are the flashbacks that Vadeem had of his family experiencing persecution for being believers. I feel blessed to live in a country, which, at this present time, allows its citizens the freedom to worship God.
As for the spiritual conflicts in the book, Kat needs to realize that her life only needs to be defined by Christ alone in spite of all the pesky unknown details. Vadeem needs to come to terms with the mistakes that he made in his past, come back to the Lord and identify himself with Him. Personally, I feel very strongly about the point that the author is making about how it is enough to identify ourselves with the Lord. In Him, we discover who we truly are. In Him, we find forgiveness, acceptance, security, belonging, and purpose. In Him, we are beloved children of God.
I enjoyed the romance in Ekaterina, although one week is a pretty narrow time frame for Vadeem to fall deeply in love. However, it's possible that adrenalin inducing situations can hype up romantic attraction. Vadeem is an interesting romantic figure. For a former special ops soldier, he seemed to be quite a strong yet vulnerable man. I liked Kat for her gutsy determination and faith in the Lord. The novel also tosses in the reunion of two long lost lovers who had been tragically separated for many years, but I won't reveal who they are.
I found Ekaterina to be interesting and am looking forward to finding out what happens in the rest of the Heirs of Anton series.
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Review: Her Stolen Past by Lynette Eason
Her Stolen Past is a Love Inspired Suspense novel written by Lynette Eason. The novel is about Sonya Daniels, a hospice nurse who has a mystery to solve. While going through the personal effects of her late mother's home, she finds a birth certificate for a baby who had been kidnapped but never found. Brandon Hayes is a police detective who also works as an investigator for Finding the Lost, a private agency. He is hired by Sonya to find Heather Bradley. As Sonya and Brandon attempt to uncover the mystery of the missing child, their lives are endangered, and it becomes obvious that someone doesn't want Heather Bradley to be found.
Sonya, the daughter of a pastor and his wife, has her reasons for wanting to find out what happened to the Heather. Without finding out the truth, there will be a cloud of uncertainty over her family's past.
Having his life threatened has made Brandon more determined to discover why someone wants to keep Heather Bradley hidden. However, the more time he spends with Sonya, the more he falls in love with her, even though he knows that it is unprofessional to get into a relationship with a client. He's also gun shy about getting into a relationship with a woman since he was previously burned by his ex-fiancée. There's something about Sonya that makes him reconsider his thoughts about women, though, and he becomes interested in the idea of developing something with her, if only they can keep themselves safe from the deadly danger that results from their search for Heather.
In the past, I've found Lynette Eason's books enjoyable to read. This one was definitely filled with suspense and mystery. This novel also tossed in the issue of forgiveness; Brandon's character needed to come to a place where he could forgive the people who had hurt him in the past. The discussion of forgiveness by the characters and the resolution seemed a bit stilted and sudden, but I think that it may be due to the constraints of the smaller size of this kind of novel as compared to ones that are longer. Brandon's forgiveness of the people who hurt him took place over two months, but only over five pages in the book. I think that a longer novel would have given the forgiveness storyline a bit more developmental room to feel more natural. As it is, I'm pleased to read about a spiritual issue in addition to the suspenseful storyline.
Besides the tackling of a spiritual topic in this novel, I felt that there was something else different about Her Stolen Past as compared to other Love Inspired novels that the author had written. The first few chapters really drew me in with the mystery and plot development of the story because it starts off with a bang; Sonya is in danger of getting shot by a sniper. The danger continues in the book, but after a few chapters in, something changed in the writing style, although the pacing continued to move quickly. I'm still trying to decide if it was just a reflection of the character of Brandon with his aloof, no-nonsense, keep-to-the-point speech that gave a simpler and plainer feel to the story telling, or if the cause was due to something else.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the rest of novel; it kept my interest right to the very end. I loved the character of Sonya; she was a strong woman who stayed true to her faith in the Lord in spite of the tumult that was brought into her life because of her search for answers. I also liked that she stuck to her principles, even though it meant sacrificing the possibility of a relationship with Brandon.
Her Stolen Past is the final installment of Lynette Eason's "Family Reunion" Series.
Sonya, the daughter of a pastor and his wife, has her reasons for wanting to find out what happened to the Heather. Without finding out the truth, there will be a cloud of uncertainty over her family's past.
Having his life threatened has made Brandon more determined to discover why someone wants to keep Heather Bradley hidden. However, the more time he spends with Sonya, the more he falls in love with her, even though he knows that it is unprofessional to get into a relationship with a client. He's also gun shy about getting into a relationship with a woman since he was previously burned by his ex-fiancée. There's something about Sonya that makes him reconsider his thoughts about women, though, and he becomes interested in the idea of developing something with her, if only they can keep themselves safe from the deadly danger that results from their search for Heather.
In the past, I've found Lynette Eason's books enjoyable to read. This one was definitely filled with suspense and mystery. This novel also tossed in the issue of forgiveness; Brandon's character needed to come to a place where he could forgive the people who had hurt him in the past. The discussion of forgiveness by the characters and the resolution seemed a bit stilted and sudden, but I think that it may be due to the constraints of the smaller size of this kind of novel as compared to ones that are longer. Brandon's forgiveness of the people who hurt him took place over two months, but only over five pages in the book. I think that a longer novel would have given the forgiveness storyline a bit more developmental room to feel more natural. As it is, I'm pleased to read about a spiritual issue in addition to the suspenseful storyline.
Besides the tackling of a spiritual topic in this novel, I felt that there was something else different about Her Stolen Past as compared to other Love Inspired novels that the author had written. The first few chapters really drew me in with the mystery and plot development of the story because it starts off with a bang; Sonya is in danger of getting shot by a sniper. The danger continues in the book, but after a few chapters in, something changed in the writing style, although the pacing continued to move quickly. I'm still trying to decide if it was just a reflection of the character of Brandon with his aloof, no-nonsense, keep-to-the-point speech that gave a simpler and plainer feel to the story telling, or if the cause was due to something else.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the rest of novel; it kept my interest right to the very end. I loved the character of Sonya; she was a strong woman who stayed true to her faith in the Lord in spite of the tumult that was brought into her life because of her search for answers. I also liked that she stuck to her principles, even though it meant sacrificing the possibility of a relationship with Brandon.
Her Stolen Past is the final installment of Lynette Eason's "Family Reunion" Series.
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Review: Dubiosity by Christy Barritt
Dubiosity. Definition: doubt, uncertainty.
It is also the name of Christy Barritt's novel which is published by Waterfall Press.
Savannah Harris is an ex-investigative journalist and ex-pastor's wife who is presently working as a textbook editor. She is filled with doubt in many areas of her life because of the tragedy that resulted from digging too deeply into secrets that certain people wanted to keep hidden. As a result, she lost her baby daughter, her husband, her journalistic fervor, and her faith. Now a childless widow, her investigative abilities are called upon again when a dying migrant farm worker requests her presence at his deathbed and tells her that her that he was murdered. He utters the name of a prominent business man, the owner of a local farm, but without any explanation before he passes on. Savannah cannot believe her ears and is reluctant to look into the matter. However, with the disappearance of three more migrant workers and the mysterious attack upon the migrant workers' advocate, Marti, who happens to be Savannah's best friend, Savannah can no longer ignore that something illegal and dangerous is happening to the migrant workers at the farm where they work. It becomes more apparent that the threat is real when Savannah discovers flattened pennies in locations connected to the migrant workers who have died or disappeared, and then in the presence of her own home.
Clive Miller is doing a little bit of investigating of his own at the farm. He is Savannah's new boarder, staying at the carriage house on her property while he tries to discover who murdered his wife six years before in the Cape Thomas area. He has a tight timeline; he has other obligations that require him to be elsewhere in a short while, and there is also the danger that people will find out who he really is before he gets the information that he wants. When Savannah is threatened in her home, Clive offers his help. Their attraction to each other grows as they spend time with each other, both helping each other in investigating the happenings at the farm. However, Clive is a believer and Savannah is filled with doubt about the existence of God since He allowed such horrible tragedy into her life. She still feels guilty about her past actions which led to the deaths of her husband and child. Clive, on the other hand, must keep his motives for finding out who murdered his wife as a means of redemption, rather than for revenge and retribution.
The stakes are raised when their adversary explodes Savannah's car, in an effort to deter her from continuing on with her investigations. The murderer of Clive's wife leaves behind a necklace to convey the message that someone knows who Clive really is, and also to gloat about her murder. Savannah finds out Clive's true identity. Will she be able to figure out who is responsible for the deaths, kidnappings, and attacks in the Cape Thomas area? Is it Clive? Is it the farm owner? Is it one of the migrant workers? Or is it someone else entirely?
"Dubiosity," is an apt title for this book. Savannah is filled with doubt about the existence and goodness of God. She is doubtful about whether she can use her journalistic gifts for good since it had resulted in so much pain and death for her personally. She is doubtful about whether or not the migrant worker's death was murder. She is doubtful about whether the farm owner could be guilty because she perceives him to be a good man. She is doubtful about Clive once she finds out who he really is, even though she has been able to get a good gauge of his character after spending time with him.
However, Savannah does come to a place of restored faith in God, when she finds that she can rely only on Him to get her out of the danger that she is in. She confesses that though she had believed in His existence before, she did not have a relationship with Him and that she finally wanted to be His disciple, using her gifts for God instead of using them for other reasons, purposes, or idols. In this spirit, I found that the Scripture that is inscribed at the start of the book to be totally appropriate. It reads: Stop doubting and believe. - John 20:27. This is necessary for Savannah to break through in her struggle with the Lord, and also in how she sees herself, her talents, and her future. She needs to believe in the existence and goodness of God. She also needs to see that without God, she can do nothing (see John 15:5). For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Dubiosity captured my attention from beginning to end. As the novel unfolded, I was able to cross a few candidates off from the "Guilty" list, but I still went back and forth for a while. There is a number of characters that I have not mentioned in this review who were possibilities as the mastermind behind the dark activities in Cape Thomas. I was pretty much kept in the dark until the end, and even then, because of what happened, I was unsure until the heroine was able to wrangle the confession out of the guilty party. This was a great romantic suspense story that I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to read.
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of "Dubiosity" from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
It is also the name of Christy Barritt's novel which is published by Waterfall Press.
Savannah Harris is an ex-investigative journalist and ex-pastor's wife who is presently working as a textbook editor. She is filled with doubt in many areas of her life because of the tragedy that resulted from digging too deeply into secrets that certain people wanted to keep hidden. As a result, she lost her baby daughter, her husband, her journalistic fervor, and her faith. Now a childless widow, her investigative abilities are called upon again when a dying migrant farm worker requests her presence at his deathbed and tells her that her that he was murdered. He utters the name of a prominent business man, the owner of a local farm, but without any explanation before he passes on. Savannah cannot believe her ears and is reluctant to look into the matter. However, with the disappearance of three more migrant workers and the mysterious attack upon the migrant workers' advocate, Marti, who happens to be Savannah's best friend, Savannah can no longer ignore that something illegal and dangerous is happening to the migrant workers at the farm where they work. It becomes more apparent that the threat is real when Savannah discovers flattened pennies in locations connected to the migrant workers who have died or disappeared, and then in the presence of her own home.
Clive Miller is doing a little bit of investigating of his own at the farm. He is Savannah's new boarder, staying at the carriage house on her property while he tries to discover who murdered his wife six years before in the Cape Thomas area. He has a tight timeline; he has other obligations that require him to be elsewhere in a short while, and there is also the danger that people will find out who he really is before he gets the information that he wants. When Savannah is threatened in her home, Clive offers his help. Their attraction to each other grows as they spend time with each other, both helping each other in investigating the happenings at the farm. However, Clive is a believer and Savannah is filled with doubt about the existence of God since He allowed such horrible tragedy into her life. She still feels guilty about her past actions which led to the deaths of her husband and child. Clive, on the other hand, must keep his motives for finding out who murdered his wife as a means of redemption, rather than for revenge and retribution.
The stakes are raised when their adversary explodes Savannah's car, in an effort to deter her from continuing on with her investigations. The murderer of Clive's wife leaves behind a necklace to convey the message that someone knows who Clive really is, and also to gloat about her murder. Savannah finds out Clive's true identity. Will she be able to figure out who is responsible for the deaths, kidnappings, and attacks in the Cape Thomas area? Is it Clive? Is it the farm owner? Is it one of the migrant workers? Or is it someone else entirely?
"Dubiosity," is an apt title for this book. Savannah is filled with doubt about the existence and goodness of God. She is doubtful about whether she can use her journalistic gifts for good since it had resulted in so much pain and death for her personally. She is doubtful about whether or not the migrant worker's death was murder. She is doubtful about whether the farm owner could be guilty because she perceives him to be a good man. She is doubtful about Clive once she finds out who he really is, even though she has been able to get a good gauge of his character after spending time with him.
However, Savannah does come to a place of restored faith in God, when she finds that she can rely only on Him to get her out of the danger that she is in. She confesses that though she had believed in His existence before, she did not have a relationship with Him and that she finally wanted to be His disciple, using her gifts for God instead of using them for other reasons, purposes, or idols. In this spirit, I found that the Scripture that is inscribed at the start of the book to be totally appropriate. It reads: Stop doubting and believe. - John 20:27. This is necessary for Savannah to break through in her struggle with the Lord, and also in how she sees herself, her talents, and her future. She needs to believe in the existence and goodness of God. She also needs to see that without God, she can do nothing (see John 15:5). For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Dubiosity captured my attention from beginning to end. As the novel unfolded, I was able to cross a few candidates off from the "Guilty" list, but I still went back and forth for a while. There is a number of characters that I have not mentioned in this review who were possibilities as the mastermind behind the dark activities in Cape Thomas. I was pretty much kept in the dark until the end, and even then, because of what happened, I was unsure until the heroine was able to wrangle the confession out of the guilty party. This was a great romantic suspense story that I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to read.
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of "Dubiosity" from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
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