Murder in the Appalachians by Susan Furlong

Murder in the Appalachians
by Susan Furlong

ISBN-13: 9781335980533
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: April 1, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
After unearthing secrets from her late brother’s police notebook, journalist Emma Hayes discovers his death was no accident—he was murdered. Only someone doesn’t want Emma to find out the connection to the cold case her brother was investigating…and they’ll kill to keep it that way. Now Emma must rely on local ER doctor Logan Greer to help her stay alive and follow a trail of elusive evidence. But as they unravel a conspiracy, they realize that the killer could be anyone.


My Review:
Murder in the Appalachians is a Christian romantic suspense. Emma's an investigative journalist whose detective brother was looking into an old, closed case. The murderer's in prison, so Emma had to figure out from his police notebook just what got him killed. ER doctor Logan helped protect her while she investigated, and he had an interest in it as his sister went missing during that old murder. They came to admire each other as they worked together.

The main characters were engaging, interesting, and generally reacted realistically to events. The suspense was created by ongoing attacks on Emma, some intended to be deadly. Emma and Logan supported each other and built each other up. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting romantic suspense.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

A Constant Love by Tracie Peterson

A Constant Love
by Tracie Peterson

ISBN-13: 9780764241109
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: March 4, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the wake of a harsh winter, Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich are grappling with loss and guilt after the disaster that took the lives of their loved ones. Struggling to cope with his grief, Micah abandons his father's dreams of a prosperous ranch and cuts himself off from the rest of the world.

Charlotte has loved Micah her entire life and is determined not to lose him as well. With her mother's help, she begins coaxing Micah to live again. Despite their enduring heartache, the affection between them deepens, but just as Charlotte thinks her dreams may come true, a scorned suitor threatens everything she holds dear. Micah and Charlotte will have to embark on a journey of healing and restoration if they want to forge a future built on love, faith, and hope.


My Review:
A Constant Love is a Christian romance set in 1888 in Wyoming. In 1887, the area suffered a drought followed by a horrible winter, resulting in thousands of cattle dying. Charlotte's rancher father promised her in marriage to a business associate. She loves Micah and hotly refused the arranged marriage. Then Charlotte's father and brother headed out into the winter storm. Micah and his father searched for them, only to find them dead. Micah's father committed suicide after so many losses. Worried that Christians will condemn Micah for his father's actions, Charlotte's mother encouraged him to bury his father on his own land, and she told the officials that he died with her husband and son (which is technically true).

Charlotte refused to forgive herself for the argument with her father until her mother talked with her about God's forgiveness. Micah struggled over if his father was in heaven or not. He eventually found verses that assured him that his father was forgiven for committing suicide. I liked how this was worked into the story.

But some things didn't feel realistic. The bad man that Charlotte was supposed to marry was determined to marry her for her money. Since everyone suffered great loss, how can he know that she's still wealthy enough? He wanted a submissive bride, but he's determined to force feisty Charlotte to marry him even if he has to resort to blackmail. Charlotte talked to her mother and Micah about everything, but she refused to tell either about the blackmail or ask someone else for help.

Spoiler paragraph: Micah was willing to go to prison under false charges and Charlotte to marry a horrible man, all to save her mother's reputation for honesty. Seriously? Her mother was a smart woman and their elder. But neither was willing to let her decide what she valued more.

Anyway, I did like the main characters and their story of healing and love. The blackmail angle just seemed forced. There was no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Murder and Meaning by Jimmy Wallace and J. Warner Wallace

Case Files Vol 1:
Murder and Meaning
by Jimmy Wallace and J. Warner Wallace

ISBN-13: 9780830786152
ebook: 162 pages
Publisher: David C Cook
Released: April 1, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Detective Michael “Murph” Murphy is near retirement. After twenty-five years as a sworn peace officer in Los Angeles County, he joins his team—with a few newbies along—to comb the cliffs of San Pedro for any clues to a recent murder there. But when a fresh murder in Palos Verdes occurs, and a mysterious subject starts calling the police department to talk to Murph, the stakes get higher. A third killing leads the team to suspect one person is behind all the murders—and still on the loose. Worse, the crimes have happened at one-week intervals, which means Murph and his colleagues have only a few days left to keep the killer from striking again.

This highly engaging, full-color graphic novel for adults is one of the first available that Christian comic book enthusiasts can feel great about reading and recommending to friends. Written by the real-life detectives and Christian apologists behind Cold-Case Christianity, and featuring art from the renowned creators of The Chosen comic book series, Case Murder and Meaning has all the action and intrigue comic book readers want laced with questions about the purpose and value of human life.


My Review:
Murder and Meaning is a graphic novel following 4 homicide detectives working on a series of murders. Detective Murph and his partner teach two detectives new to the homicide department while they investigate the murders. While we get scenes from the point of view of several characters (including the bad guy), we mostly follow Murph. When there's a new murder linked to the first one, it becomes clear that a man arrested in a past case took some angry words Murph said to him to heart and now, free, wants to make Murp feel that same hurt.

The focus of the story was on solving the cases, but there's an underlying theme about what gives a person or a thing worth. The first murder victim was a drug addict that was valued by his girlfriend but few others. A later murder victim was someone well known, and suddenly the pressure was on. Is it popularity give you more value? Is your worth dependent on how much you contribute to the case? That sort of thing. At the end, a minor character stated that God says he's valuable, so he focuses on that rather than on human opinions.

There were some bloody wounds shown, but it wasn't gory. The illustrations were clear and easy to follow, but occasionally it wasn't clear to me which word bubble was the next one to read. This wasn't necessarily confusing, but it did take me out of the story while I sorted out the order. This novel is aimed at adults, not kids. Overall, I'd recommend it to adults who enjoy detective novels.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Cat Got Your Killer by Sofie Ryan

Cat Got Your Killer
by Sofie Ryan

ISBN-13: 9780593550267
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: March 25, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sarah is making sure the store is stocked and ready for tourist season. But while the weather’s heating up, Sarah gets involved in a case when a man who was linked to a drowning death years ago is found dead himself, on the same stretch of beach. Some of Sarah’s friends from the store knew the victim.

It’s beginning to look like the drowning death might in fact be the work of a killer who has struck again. Between Charlotte’s Angels, the group of senior citizen private detectives who operate out of the store, and Elvis’s abilities to sniff out trouble, Sarah won’t let a second chance at catching this purr-petrator pass her by.


My Review:
Cat Got Your Killer is a cozy mystery. It's the 12th book in the series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This book didn't spoil any of the previous mysteries.

The main characters were generally nice people. More time was spent describing refurbishing furniture and eating food than on actual detection. Sarah and the PI detectives asked questions, mostly about the past murder. I identified whodunit for the current murder, how, and why from the first time we met that character. Whodunit for the old murder was a little less clear-cut, though the clues did point a certain way and I had that correct. However, no one suspected whodunit because Sarah made a bad assumption. I was a little annoyed with several main characters, too. For example, Mac tried to control his little brother and just couldn't understand why he (an adult) might want to make some decisions on his own.

There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery, but the earlier mysteries were better.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

Break My Fall
by Lynn H. Blackburn

ISBN-13: 9780800745370
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: March 18, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Dr. Meredith Quinn always planned to return to Gossamer Falls to practice dentistry. Now that she's back home, she's made it a point to offer clinics to children and adults in nearby underserved areas. Unfortunately, those same areas are known to harbor drug traffickers, and Police Chief Grayson Ward suspects that local law enforcement is looking the other way.

After too many losses, Grayson has closed off his heart. But when Meredith enters his life, his walls crumble, and he's left exposed and vulnerable. To keep her alive, he must keep her close, but that makes it impossible for him to retreat and rebuild. Will she be the one who finally helps him emerge from isolation?


My Review:
Break My Fall is a Christian romantic suspense. This is the second book (and third story) in the series, but it works as a standalone. Grayson has lost everyone he loves, so he decided to never marry and have kids because of the risk of losing them. But he notices every detail about what Meredith likes and doesn't, and he works hard to keep her safe when she visits the neighboring county to put on free dental clinics. Everyone knows there's a drug problem in that county and even some of the police officers are corrupt.

The main characters were engaging and reacted realistically to events. But, seriously, Gray never even asked Meredith on a date, but when he told her why he avoided relationships, she reacted like he'd left her at the altar. I know she's supposed to be emotional and she felt like his rejection meant she was horribly flawed, but it just seemed overboard for the level of relationship they actually had. Once Gray realized he loved her so he'd better try to win her, he built her up every time she tore herself down with her words. She thrived under his attentions. Once they figured out that Meredith was in danger (and why), Gray and her family had to keep her safe from repeated attempts to harm her.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I would recommend this enjoyable suspense novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli

The Four Queens of Crime
by Rosanne Limoncelli

ISBN-13: 9798892420600
Hardback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: March 11, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Volunteer Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning Sir Henry is found dead in the library.

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary.

Quietly recruiting the four queens of crime, DCI Wyles must sort through the messy aftermath of Sir Henry’s death to solve the mystery and identify the killer.


My Review:
The Four Queens of Crime is a mystery set in 1938. Except everyone's convinced that Britain will soon go to war against Hitler. Actually, in 1938, British politicians expected to keep Britain out of Hitler's war. One character says, "Hitler's about to knock on our door and at least the Communists are on our side against him." This was before the Soviet Union was at war, let alone helping out anyone but themselves. Anyway. We see various events from the party and aftermath from the viewpoints of Agatha, Dorothy, Ngaio, Margery, a few of the servants, and the two Scotland Yard detectives. Sir Henry had arguments with every member of his family and was making business deals with known 5th columnists, so there are plenty of suspects.

The two lesbian teenagers would have had the least to complain about as it was still illegal to be openly homosexual (which is not mentioned in the book), so, duh, a Baronet would obviously object to their public display. Everyone else seemed touched by their love for each other and fully supported them. Several times, I felt like the author didn't have a good feel for the actual history of the time....though she did do some research into female cops!

As for the mystery, the four writers eavesdropped and casually asked questions and reported their discoveries to the female detective, Lilian. The detectives interviewed everyone and poked around. At the end, Lilian asked pointed questions about motives in a group setting (a sort of 'big reveal' scene), revealing the last needed clue and prompting a confession. Whodunit and why was my main suspect all along. There was no real arrest, and everyone's satisfied. Except me. I prefer actual justice served. There were only a couple of uses of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery to those intrigued by the idea of the Queens of Crime being involved a mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller

The Filling Station
by Vanessa Miller

ISBN-13: 9781400344123
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Released: March 11, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice have grown up in the prosperous Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma--also known as Black Wall Street. In Greenwood, the Justice sisters had it all--movie theaters and entertainment venues, beauty shops and clothing stores, high-profile businesses like law offices, medical clinics, and banks, all owned by blacks. While Evelyn aspires to head off to the East Coast to study fashion design, recent college grad Margaret plans to settle in Greenwood, teaching at the local high school and eventually raising a family.

Then the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre upends everything they know and brings them unspeakable loss. Left with nothing but each other, the sisters flee along what would eventually become iconic Route 66 and stumble upon the Threatt Filling Station, a safe haven and the only place where they can find a shred of hope in oppressive Jim Crow America. At the filling station, they are able to process their pain and wrestle with a God that has left them feeling abandoned.

But Greenwood needs to be rebuilt. The search for their father and their former life may not give them easy answers, but it can propel them--and their community--to a place where their voices are stronger...strong enough to build a future that honors the legacy of those who were lost.


My Review:
The Filling Station is a Christian historical set in 1921 in Oklahoma and continued for several years after the Tulsa Race Massacre. While well-written, it's not an easy story to read. The point-of-view characters, Margaret and Evelyn, go through the massacre and struggled through the aftermath of rebuilding, when it seemed like no one wanted to help or give them justice. For most of the story, Margaret was full of anger and bitterness while Evelyn just wanted to forget the trauma they'd experienced and seemed determined to self-destruct. Margaret was determined to make things right herself because she didn't believe that God cared or would do so. It's not really until the last 10% of the story that things started to turn around for them.

The main characters were complex and likable, and I cared about what happened to them. They felt like real people. The vivid historical details brought the time and place alive in my imagination without slowing the pacing. Margaret and Evelyn questioned why a good God would allow such injustice and evil to happen. There were no sex scenes. There was no written bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written historical novel.