Life Behind the Wall by Robert Elmer

Life Behind the Wall by Robert Elmer ISBN-13: 9780310742654 Trade Paperback: 528 pages Publisher: Zonderkidz Released: May 6, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Booklook.com.

Book Description from the Back Cover:
This epic tale extends across generations and unfolds against the backdrop of a dangerous Cold War Berlin. This historically accurate, action-packed, three-books-in-one edition features three generations of resourceful teens living in the shadow of the Berlin Wall.

Titles include:
Candy Bombers: In spring 1948, teenage cousins Erich and Katarina are simply trying to survive in war-ravaged Berlin when the Soviets blockade the east side of the city, isolating its citizens---and starving them---behind the Iron Curtain.

Beetle Bunker: In August 1961, Sabine discovers a forgotten underground bunker. Though she first uses it to escape her crowded home, she soon realizes her hideout could possibly take her family under the wall to West Berlin and freedom!

Smuggler's Treasure: In spring 1989, life is good in West Germany, and even the Cold War seems to be thawing in the warmer weather. But as Liesl works on a class project about the history of the wall, she stumbles onto a startling secret no one will talk about.


My Review:
Life Behind the Wall is a historical adventure for tweens. It's set in Berlin, Germany starting in 1948 and ending in 1989. The hero and heroine in each story were 13 years old. The stories were fast-paced and suspenseful. I was impressed by how well the author wove the history into the story without bogging down the pacing. The personalities of two of the heroines seemed pretty similar to me, but I can see that a certain level of disregard for personal safety was needed or there wouldn't be much of an adventure.

Each story was a self-contained, and yet they were all interconnected and had an ongoing story that's wrapped up in the final story. There were Christian references, like Liesl smuggled New Testaments into East Berlin. It wasn't preachy but more like belief in God was a moving motive behind several people's actions.

There was no bad language and no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting and interesting novel to tweens.


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.

Wages of Sin by Yolonda Tonette Sanders

Wages of Sin by Yolonda Tonette Sanders ISBN-13: 9781593094737 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Strebor Books Released: April 15, 2014

Source: An Advanced Readed Copy from the author.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Homicide detective Troy Evans spends the majority of his time searching for a serial killer who has abducted and murdered several women. There are few forensic clues and no apparent connections between the murdered women. He's desperate to stop the killer before more women die.

His wife, Natalie, is frustrated with Troy. She can't count on his help in raising their young son, and she's also busy with her full-time job and helping her best friend deal with some serious marital issues. She doesn't feel up to having another baby--which Troy enthusiastically wants and she used to--and she can't bring herself to tell him.

Then someone Tony cares for is kidnapped by the killer...


My Review:
Wages of Sin is a Christian suspense novel. While this novel is the first in a series, it did contain some characters from the author's previous book, In Times of Trouble. This story did not spoil the mystery element of In Times of Trouble, and you don't need to read that story to understand this one.

The mystery in this story had clues that pointed toward whodunit, and the rush to save a loved one from the killer was suspenseful. However, the beginning (at least, in the Advanced Reader Copy) read more like a general fiction novel. Not much movement happened with the case, but the amount of time Troy was putting in on the case was creating relationship tensions. The beginning established various relationships so we could understand why people acted the way they did when crises hit. The story was as much about these conflicts as it was about finding whodunit.

The Christian element felt like a natural part of the story. The Christian characters and how people reacted to Christian comments were portrayed realistically. There was a minor amount of written-out bad language and even that was either cut off mid-word or was the mild word of cr--. There were frequent sexual encounters since Troy and Natalie were trying to make a baby, but there were no details of sex scenes and the characters were "decent" in the few foreplay scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Bloom and Doom by Beverly Allen

Bloom and Doom by Beverly Allen ISBN-13: 9780425264973 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: April 1, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
A designer of eye-catching bridal bouquets—many of them based on the Victorian meanings behind each flower—Audrey Bloom is used to celebrations that end with happily ever after. In fact, every couple she’s worked with is still together, living in wedded bliss. But her perfect record is about to be broken.

Her childhood friend Jenny Whitney has reeled in the most eligible bachelor in Ramble, Virginia, and she’s hired Audrey to design the bouquet. But before Jenny can walk down the aisle clutching her blend of anemone, scabious, and pussy willow (a floral disaster in Audrey’s mind), the groom is found dead—sprinkled with bits of a bouquet. Jenny is the prime suspect. Audrey knows her well enough to doubt the evidence, so she decides to do a little digging herself.


My Review:
Bloom and Doom is a cozy mystery. I enjoyed the "language of flowers" theme. The characters were interesting and engaging. I liked the humor of many of the situations and that the heroine realized the humor of it. She could have been stressed-out and snappy, but this humor made her fun instead.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle, and I was pretty sure of whodunit based on the clues. I wasn't certain until the last clue was found, though. Audrey was fairly logical and usually didn't break the law while exploring possible clues. I deeply appreciated that the author did her research on how the police--and jails and the law--really work. Jenny was a suspect because the evidence was pretty solid against her.

There was no bad language or sex. There was a brief, somewhat gory discussion, but it probably won't bother you if you watch detective shows or read non-cozy mysteries. Overall, I'd recommend this very enjoyable 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Whole Cat and Caboodle by Sofie Ryan

The Whole Cat and Caboodle by Sofie Ryan ISBN-13: 9780451419941 Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: April 1, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Sarah Grayson is the proprietor of Second Chance, a shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. She sells used items that she has lovingly refurbished and repurposed. The shop has a big, black cat named Elvis. He turned up at a local bar when the band was playing the King of Rock and Roll’s music and hopped in Sarah’s truck. Since then, he’s been her constant companion and the furry favorite of everyone who comes into the store.

When Sarah’s elderly friend Maddie is found with the body of a dead man in her garden, the kindly old lady is arrested for the murder. Even Sarah's old high school flame, investigator Nick Elliot, thinks the evidence is against Maddie. It's up to Sarah, Elvis, and a geriatric version of Charlie's Angels to clear her friend’s name.


My Review:
The Whole Cat and Caboodle is a cozy mystery. Considering the series title ("Second Chance Cat"), it won't surprise you that a very smart cat is a major character. While he has some human attributes (like nodding and shrugging, which I've never witnessed a cat do) and he does play a major role in solving the mystery, he still comes across as a cat.

There's quite a bit of comic relief in this story, so I suspect we're not intended to take the characters or story too seriously. They are fun characters, and Elvis and Mr. P stole the show in my opinion.

The heroine gets involved in the mystery because she's trying to keep her elderly friends out of danger as they sleuth. At times, she's observant and thinks things out. At other times, she (and her friends) seem to miss the obvious. I was 100% certain of whodunit within a page of first meeting whodunit and quickly figured out the motive. Yet no one made those connections even though they had the same information I did, and they only suspected after the cat clued them in.

This book had some of my pet peeves: the police arrested and charged someone based completely on circumstantial evidence that could point equally well to other people. The characters all acted like this was an air-tight case, though. And, in the end, the only way to get proof of whodunit was for a clever murderer to suddenly abandon all caution and decide to kill the heroine in a busy, public place....and confess while doing so.

There was a very minor amount of explicit bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this book to cat lovers and those who like humorous stories.


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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.