UNDETECTED . . . Riveting Suspense and Romantic Intrigue

It’s the same argument used by critics of the four Gospels:  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Why four gospels, and why are they so different . . . and yet so similar?  Because the author’s were writing to different people groups, and were presenting different aspects of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There have been rumblings that “Dee Henderson is slipping; her writing has changed!  This isn’t ANYTHING like her O’Malley series!”

Well, guess what . . . this isn’t the next installment of the O’Malley series.  And I’m here to let you know . . . Dee Henderson IS NOT SLIPPING!  The romantic suspense is still there, stronger than ever but better; because of its subtlety.  And the “learning curve” that Dee Henderson had to work through in order to write UNDETECTED is not something for the faint of heart.

From page one, the book had me hooked.  I’m writing this review on the strength of the first 100 pages, because I want to be able to finish the book without worrying about a review deadline . . . it’s just that good!!!

Commander Mark Bishop is in charge of the Gold Crew on board the ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada.  He is one of a handful of picked men, highly trained for a burden of command like few others jobs in the military:  keeping the crew of the Nevada trained and alert during ninety-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch nuclear weapons upon presidential authority.  It makes for a long day, and a stressful . . . and lonely . . . life.  Which is why Mark wants someone to come home to.

Gina Gray, aka “Gina The Genius,” would love to be married.  An unexpected breakup, though, has her focusing her attention on what she does best.  Gina has had more breakthroughs in ocean science research than anyone twice her age.  She’s on the cusp of yet another one . . . and if she’s right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter. 

5 stars for riveting suspense and romantic intrigue

UNDETECTED

Dee Henderson

978-0-7642-1243-7

fiction / romantic suspense

Bethany House

476 pages

$15.99 (U.S.)

TRUTH STAINED LIES: A UNIVERSAL STORY WITH AN ETERNAL MESSAGE!

One of the fundamental rules of blogging is:  “Once it’s out there, it’s out there.”  Once you hit the ENTER key, you can’t delete it, you can’t remove it, you can’t retrieve it.  And you certainly can’t deny it.

Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on local homicides.  When she finds a threatening note warning her that she’s about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out on her blog, she dismisses it as a harmless prank. 

Then her brother becomes the principal suspect in the murder investigation of his ex-wife.  Tried and convicted in the media, he is now scrutinized by the very society of bloggers and commentators of which Cathy is a card-carrying member.  And it is up to Cathy and her two sisters, Holly and Juliet, to put aside their doubts and fears and learn the art of investigation.  Because their brother is under the gun . . .and his 5-year old son is the killer’s next target.

I’ll confess . . . I read and reviewed Terri Blackstock’s second book in the Moonlighter’s Series, DISTORTION, first.  It was so well-done that I had to have the entire series.  And there was something niggling at the back of my brain; I’d seen TRUTH-STAINED LIES somewhere.  Recently.  Oh, yes . . . there it is, on my bookshelf! 

Coming to the book (both of which are stand-alone, although if you read them as I did there are some potential spoilers in Book 2) with a pre-understanding of the principal characters was interesting.  And it made reading the first book (despite the aforementioned potential spoilers) easier.  It was like slipping on a comfortable pair of old slippers . . . it just felt right.

I’ve been a fan of Terri Blackstock since collecting her Cape Refuge series, and her craftsmanship has only improved over the years.  With strong characters that nonetheless demonstrate the fatal flaws of original sin and the need for a Savior, Blackstock’s fiction is inspirational without being preachy.  And her skills as a scribe will keep you reading to the soul-satisfying conclusion.

5 stars for a universal story with an eternal message

TRUTH STAINED LIES

Terri Blackstock

ISBN  978-0-310-28313-3

Zondervan

361 pages

$ 15.99 (U.S.)

DISTORTION by Terri Blackstock - Carefully Crafted Fiction That Won't Let You Go!

Actor Danny DeVito, in the movie RENAISSANCE MAN, made the statement:  “All I know is, the choices we make dictate the lives we lead.”  Bob Cole, gunned down in the parking lot of a U-Haul dealership, learned this truth the hard way.

Unfortunately, life’s hard lessons don’t take place in a vacuum.  Juliet Cole, her two sons, and a myriad of other family, friends and colleagues are left to deal with the collateral damage.  In so doing, Juliet Cole makes chilling discoveries that lead her to believe that this was no random drive-by shooting.  A threatening voicemail merely clinches the deal.  Now Juliet realizes that she and her children are in danger, as well.

What the killers don’t realize is that they’ve just unleashed a powerful force guided by faith and driven by the need for justice.  And while the investigation continues, Juliet asks herself over and over again; was Bob an innocent victim . . . or a hardened criminal?

The quest for answers by New York Times bestselling author Terri Blackstock will keep you riveted to your seat and flipping pages to the shocking conclusion.

5 stars for carefully crafted fiction that won’t let you go.

DISTORTION

Terri Blackstock

ISBN  978-0-310-28314-0

Zondervan

361 pages

$ 15.99 (U.S.)

CRITICAL CONDITION by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

“And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”

   Zechariah 13:9 (KJV)

It’s been said, “What doesn’t kill you, will only make you stronger.”  Shannon

Frasier is discovering the truth of those words first hand.  As her fiancé lay dying in her arms, medical student Shannon Frasier received his dying words, “Help me!” as her life’s mission.  Blazing her own trail into the inner sanctum of medical surgery, Dr. Frasier has determined that never again would she allow Death to win a battle uncontested.

Years later, another gun-shot victim lay in her front lawn.  Once again, Shannon’s hands are covered in blood.  Once again, Death had claimed another victory.  But what happens in the ensuing weeks will make this event seem as peaceful as a Sunday morning.

For the man who lay dying on her lawn held a secret; a secret that he whispered with his last breath.  A secret that will rock Shannon’s world, which is already complicated enough.  Struggling with the return of her sister, a recovering addict; her pastor father’s recent sudden weight loss; and her seeming inability to commit to a long-term relationship with her “almost- fiancé,” Shannon finally comes to the conclusion that she is the one who needs help.  And there’s only One Person who could possibly bring her through this crucible in one peace.

The twists and turns that author and retired physician Richard Mabry bring to this book will keep you turning the pages to the stunning conclusion.

5 stars for a fine combination of suspense, faith and romance

Critical Condition

Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

ISBN 978-1-4016-8740-3

Fiction/Christian/Suspense

328 pages   

$15.99 US

THE MANUAL TO MANHOOD . . . EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

A plethora of miscellany.  Or “Much Ado About Everything.”  You pays your money, and you takes your choice.  The Manual To Manhood is almost encyclopedic in the things that it covers, and it claims to cover all the skills that “a man” needs to survive. 

Each “skill” is organized sequentially step-by-step.  For most men this is a bonus – it’s idiot-proof!  If you can read, you can do it.  Whatever “it” happens to be.  And they don’t just throw it out there; they actually explain “why” you need to be doing whatever “it” happens to be at the time.

I just wish I’d had this manual when I was growing up.  The school of hard knocks provides a sterling diploma – but you really have to earn it.  This book will take some of the lumps out of life for many a young man. 

5 stars for a manual that I wished I’d had growing up.

The Manual To Manhood

Jonathan Catherman

Revell

ISBN 978-0-8007-2229-6

Youth / Nonfiction

284 pages

$14.99

IT'S SWEEPSTAKES TIME!!! FOLLOW THE LINKS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN FABULOUS PRIZES FROM DAVIS BUNN!

“Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

                                                                                     Matthew 26:38-39 (NKJV)

A relationship with the Lord God Almighty is not for the faint of heart.  It is not so much a series of tasks as it is a lifelong commitment which demands ones best at every instance.  Five individuals are about to discover the truth of these words.

Five unique people.  Five very different walks of life.  Yet they have two things in common; they believe that they have heard the voice of God, and they have responded in obedience.

As John, Ruth, Alisha, Jenny and Yusuuf simultaneously arrive in New York for very different reasons, they are inextricably drawn together to the same hotel lobby.  Led by the Spirit, introductions are made and the purpose for their meeting is revealed in a flash mob:  Hope Is Dead.

Trent Cooper has his priorities in order.  Me, myself . . . and I.  He lives with the fury of one who sees, and has been denied, his hearts desires.  Always striving, Trent is never going to be content with a brass ring.  Visionary, and with a clear understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, Trent Cooper will not rest until he has it all.  Trent lays it all on the line for the one roll of the dice that will either make him . . . or break him.  He doesn’t realize that in so doing, he’s already lost.

The Turning is a contemporary allegory of an eternal story; a story of rebellion and reconciliation, of romance and redemption.  A story of sin and salvation, and the eternal struggle between the god of this world and the King of Kings.  And while the adversary may wish you to believe that there is a pitched battle raging throughout the ages, and the outcome is precariously balanced on the edge of a knife . . . nothing could be further from the truth. One little word shall fell him. 

I received a complimentary copy of The Turning from River North Fiction in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars, for a story that reveals the impossible . . . and makes it possible.

The Impossible . . . is made possible! The Turning by Davis Bunn Available April 1, 2014

"Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."       Matthew 26:38-39 (NKJV)

A relationship with the Lord God Almighty is not for the faint of heart.  It is not so much a series of tasks as it is a lifelong commitment which demands one's best at every instance.  Five individuals are about to discover the truth of these words.

Five unique people.  Five very different walks of life.  Yet they have two things in common; they believe that they have heard the voice of God, and they have responded in obedience.

As John, Ruth, Alisha, Jenny and Yusuuf simultaneously arrive in New York for very different reasons, they are inextricably drawn together to the same hotel lobby.  Led by the Spirit, introductions are made and the purpose for their meeting is revealed in a flash mob:  Hope Is Dead.

Trent Cooper has his priorties in order.  Me, myself . . . and I.  He lives with the fury of one who sees, and has been denied, his hearts desires.  Always striving, Trent is never going to be content with a brass ring.  Visionary, and with a clear understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, Trent Cooper will not rest until he has it all.  Trent lays it all on the line for the one roll of the dice that will either make him . . . or break him.  He doesn’t realize that in so doing, he’s already lost.

The Turning is a contemporary allegory of an eternal story; a story of rebellion and reconciliation, of romance and redemption.  A story of sin and salvation, and the eternal struggle between the god of this world and the King of Kings.  And while the adversary may wish you to believe that there is a pitched battle raging throughout the ages, and the outcome is precariously balanced on the edge of a knife . . . nothing could be further from the truth. One little word shall fell him. 

I received a complimentary copy of The Turning from River North Fiction in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars, for a story that reveals the impossible . . . and makes it possible.

THE TURNING

Davis Bunn

ISBN 978-0-8024-1168-7

Fiction/General/Contemporary

River North Fiction

292 pages

$14.99 U.S.