Review of Murder Comes by Mail by A. H. Gabhart

This blog post is a review of the book Murder Comes by Mail by A. H. Gabhart.
Front Cover:

Back cover synopsis:
Doing a good deed never felt so bad
Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane doesn't particularly enjoy being touted as the hero of Hidden Springs after pulling a suicidal man back from the edge of the Eagle River bridge in front of dozens of witnesses--a few of whom caught the breathtaking moments with their cameras. But the media hype doesn't last long as a new story pushes its way into the public consciousness of Hidden Springs' concerned citizens. 

Photos of a dead girl arrive in the mail, and Michael becomes convinced she was murdered by the man he saved. With a killer one step ahead, things in Hidden Springs begin to unravel. Now Michael must protect the people he loves--because the killer could be targeting one of them next.

About the Author :
A. H. Gabhart is the author of Murder at the Courthouse. As Ann H. Gabhart, she is the bestselling author of many novels, including Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, and Love Comes Home, and several popular Shaker novels such as The Outsider, The Believer, andThe Innocent. Ann grew up in a small rural town in Kentucky much like Hidden Springs. She and her husband still live on a farm near that same Kentucky town. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.

My thoughts:
  This was a clean and well written book. It was a "cozy mystery" and book two in the Hidden Springs Mysteries series. Though it was book two it could easily be read on its own. I didn't feel like I was having to play catch up or missing an integral part of the story. That was a big plus for me. This book is written by a christian author but doesn’t contain an overtly christian message. I like books with a message so that was a negative for me. Overall I did enjoy the book. The characters were realistic and believable and drew you into the story. The story kept you guessing and was entertaining. It was a murder mystery so there was some thematic material in the book but it wasn't overly descriptive and it was pretty clean. No bad words, not too much violence and in general a decent read. It was a book that guys as well as girls could get into. I can see my husband reading this book and enjoying it. I enjoyed this book and give it a 4 out of 5. If it had more of a christian message I would give it a perfect score because it was really well written and interesting. I received this book in exchange for my honest review through the Revell Reads blogger review program.

Review of A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton

This blog post is a review of A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton. It is the second book in the Path Finders series.

Back cover synopsis:

        Hearts are divided. 

        Loyalties will be tested. 

        The fates of two families 

        hang in the balance. 

Twenty years ago, during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry in 1757, a young Redcoat named Reginald Aubrey stole a newborn boy - the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins - and raised him as his own.

    No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime. Not his adopted daughter Anna. Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back. Not Two Hawks, William's twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna. Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God's forgiveness - and her love.

      Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army. The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York, and the Continentals, aided by Two Hawks and the Oneida warriors, rally to defend it. As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture but united by love and faith must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies. 

About the Author:

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, and The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn.

My thoughts: 

     A Flight of Arrows was a decent enough book and had a wonderful redemptive message. With that being said it was hard for me to get into. I had trouble connecting with the characters and and felt like I was trying to play catch up the whole book. That was most likely due to the fact that it was the second book in the series and it obviously built on what had happened in the first. I would not say it was a stand alone book by any means. I would probably have enjoyed it much more if I had read the first book. Now the book was well written and the plot line was good. It was well researched and very believable. My only real complaint was my lack of connection with the characters which would probably be fixed by reading the first book. The book was bitter sweet. If you read the book to the end you will find that it is wonderful in giving you a new perspective on the age old question why does God allow bad things to happen to good people. It clearly advertises the redemptive power of Christ and gives a clear message that no matter what happens we can trust in Him and that He always has a plan. I loved the message behind the book and give it a big thumbs up for that. I would recommend this book with the caveat that you read the first book before you read this. All in all I enjoyed the book fairly well. I have read this author before and enjoyed her writing. I received this book in exchange for my honest review through the blogging for books review program. You can download the first chapter of this book here for free. You can find out more about the author and her other books here. 

Review of Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

Today I have another book review, Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin.
                             
Back Cover Synopsis:
In a time of sacrifice, what price can one put on true love?
Nothing slows Lillian Avery down--not her personal challenges and certainly not America's entry into World War II. She finally has a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The demands of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg's attentions only annoy--even if he is her brother's best friend. 

     During the darkest days of the war, Arch's destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves--and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions Lillian has been filling? 
      As the danger rises on both land and sea, the two must work together to answer that question. But can Arch ever earn Lillian's trust and affection? 

About the Author:  

   Sarah Sundin is the award-winning author of the Wings of Glory and Wings of the Nightingale series, as well as Through Waters Deep. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Airforce in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. Learn more at www.sarahsundin.com. 

My thoughts:

        I had never read a book by Sarah Sundin before so I didn't know what to expect, but I loved this book. She is a phenomenal writer. I will definitely be looking for more of her books. Her characters had depth to them and grew throughout the story. The plot was well written and unfolded naturally. Some stories are drowning in romance and just too sticky sweet to read. I have never been a fan of those books. This book was not like that in the least. It had romance in it but just enough to add some flavor and round it out. It had enough mystery, suspense, action, and history in it to make the romance a nice addition. Anchor in the Storm was a pretty clean book with definite Christian themes and Scripture throughout. There is a murder in the book and the climax of the story is a bit tense, but overall it's not bad. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to adults and older teens. Any book that was labeled romance was off limits to me without my parents review and permission until I was an older teen, that's why I usually recommend most books with romance or thematic elements to older teens and adults. I received this book in exchange for my honest review as part of the Revell Reads blogger review program. 

Youth Retreat and keeping busy

By the time we all got over being sick youth retreat had rolled around. I wasn't planning on going originally but Ruthie volunteered to keep the kids for me and mom wasn't able to go and she asked me to go and look out for Francie. So I got to go! I loved it.
        When you have little ones who need so much attention and help and your husband is deployed you can get so drained and exhausted so quickly. There is no break because you are the only one there. Hunter has gotten to be such a handful lately and no matter how much training I do something is missing and that's his Daddy. He needs a man. He does really well with Papa and his uncle's but they don't live with us. He listens ok but he seems to be constantly testing the limits. I have to be on him all the time. It wears me out. Youth retreat was a nice break for me. My only responsibility was leading worship a couple times and keeping a general eye on Francie. It was so refreshing to be able to pray without having to keep an eye and ear open for kid's getting in trouble and to not have anything to do other than spend time with Jesus and fellowship with young people.
      Sometimes I feel so old and wore out that I forget that I'm still a part of the youth group. It's hard to participate when everything is scheduled during nap time or you can't bring your little ones. It was nice to visit with some other young people around my age with little kids and realize that I'm not the only one. It's nice to be able to talk and visit with people in the same stage of life as you are. Then it's nice to be able to encourage some of the younger ones as well. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend and came home feeling spiritually, emotionally, and mentally refreshed if a bit physically tired. I'm so glad I was able to go. It was just what I needed.
       Since then I have been staying busy with house work, chasing kids, and straining my eyes over the church books.
        Sunday was Mother's day. I got a little basket with candy and flower seeds in it from church. Beau didn't have internet connection last week so I didn't get anything from him or the kids this year. He normally spoils me but I knew he wouldn't be able to this year so didn't expect anything.
    We went out with the family after church to the Chinese restaurant and Austin came along with us. I think he was feeling a little lonely being so far from his family. He's getting married pretty soon. We are going to have a pre wedding reception for him and Claudia next Sunday. He said we couldn't call it a shower because  Brother Dustin Hays wouldn't like it. LOL
     Anyway that's about it other than a trip down to Orlando for a military family event last Saturday and then dinner with Josh and Sissy afterwards at Chikfila. We had a good time. And got some info on some different things. We are steadily getting closer to the end of this deployment though we still have a little ways to go.