Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale ISBN-13: 9781599908731 Hardcover: 323 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Released: August 21, 2012

Source: Bought through Half.com..

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Miri and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding. There, Miri also has a chance to attend school at the Queen's Castle. As Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting, she also learns that they have some frightening plans. Torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place.


My Review:
Palace of Stone is a young adult fantasy novel. It's the second book in a trilogy. You can understand this story without reading the previous novel. However, this story does spoil the ending of the previous novel. That story is also a good read, so I'd recommend starting with "Princess Academy" and then read this one.

The characters were engaging, varied, and acted realistically. I like how the author presents her characters with situations with no easy answers. Miri is determined enough that she doesn't settle for the either-or choice that others insist that she make. Both are good things, and choosing one would mean losing the other. There's always another path, even if it's risky, and Miri has the courage to look for those answers and learn from past mistakes.

There was no sex or bad language. I'd highly recommend this enjoyable 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.

Crisis Shot by Janice Cantore

Crisis Shot by Janice Cantore ISBN-13: 9781496423702 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: September 5, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Tess O'Rourke dreams of becoming the first female chief of police in Long Beach, California. As commander of the East Division, she is well on her way, until the night she responds to an officer-needs-assistance call and fatally shoots a teenager. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury, Tess is so hounded by the public that she takes a job in Oregon to escape the bad press.

Winning over the residents of Rogue's Hollow might be more difficult than adjusting to her new role as police chief in the small, backwater town. Especially when her closest friend, the pastor's wife, goes missing and the woman's cousin is found shot. Tess finds an ally in sheriff's deputy Steve Logan as they track down Rogue's Hollow's first murderer.


My Review:
Crisis Shot is a Christian suspense novel. The two main characters were Tess, the new chief of police in the small town, and the pastor of the town. Logan, a sheriff's deputy, has caught Tess's romantic interest. However, in this book, he's basically a nice guy who backs her up but has very little "screen time."

Due to a controversial but justified shooting incident, Tess has to win over the people in this new, small town while solving a series of time-urgent crimes. She has to deal with a murder, a missing person, a runaway teen, a kidnapping, etc. The pastor and Logan support her, which helps get the cooperation of the locals.

Tess has worked Homicide in the past, so she followed up the available clues and tried to piece the puzzle together. Are some of the incidences connected and what's behind it all? The characters acted realistically, and I liked Tess's level head and competence.

Tess wondered why God saves some people but not others, and the pastor demonstrated his trust in God through his actions. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this engaging, suspenseful story.


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.

A Tangled Yarn by Betty Hechtman

A Tangled Yarn by Betty Hechtman ISBN-13: 9780425282687 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Aug. 1, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Casey Feldstein has her hands full with preparations at the Vista Del Mar hotel on the scenic Monterey Peninsula as another yarn retreat begins. The retreaters will be thrown for a loop this time, learning the trendy art of arm knitting and finger crocheting. But not everyone is enthusiastic about trying something new, and Casey is forced to come up with an alternative project.

Things go from worst to worsted when a travel writer from a neighboring retreat group is found dead in his room among a sea of feathers. When one of the owners of Vista Del Mar pleads for help, Casey gets hooked into the case and must unravel a delicate skein of secrets to catch a killer.


My Review:
A Tangled Yarn is a cozy mystery. It's the fifth book in a series, but you can understand this book without reading the previous ones. This book didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

The main characters were interesting and nice people. Casey asked questions and listened to people talk, but the clues didn't connect together to point to a whodunit but rather hinted at what had happened and why. Casey did figure out whodunit right before whodunit confronts her, and whodunit actually had a good reason for confronting her (rather than just fleeing).

There were no sex scenes. There was a very minor amount of bad language. Overall, it was an interesting 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.

Steal Away Home by Matt Carter, Aaron Ivey

Steal Away Home by Matt Carter, Aaron Ivey ISBN-13: 9781433690655 Paperback: 152 pages Publisher: B&H Books Released: Aug. 1, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Thomas Johnson and Charles Spurgeon lived worlds apart. Johnson, an American slave, born into captivity and longing for freedom--- Spurgeon, an Englishman born into relative ease and comfort, but, longing too for a freedom of his own. Their respective journeys led to an unlikely meeting and an even more unlikely friendship, forged by fate and mutual love for the mission of Christ. Steal Away Home is a story set in the 1800s about an African-American missionary and one of the greatest preachers to ever live.


My Review:
Steal Away Home is a Christian historical novel set in 1841 to 1892 in England and America. It's a novel, not a biography or history book. According to the authors, they often used quotations from Spurgeon's or Johnson's own writing and most of the persons, places, and dates were based on real events.

I think I'd have preferred a nonfiction account so I'd know what Spurgeon actually thought versus what parts were the authors' take on the situation. This story just left me with questions. For example, Spurgeon's grandfather was portrayed as good preacher whom Spurgeon frequently heard preach. Yet their young Spurgeon thought of God as angry, condemning, and disgusted with him until a guest preach explained how much Jesus loved him. They have Spurgeon preaching that you find peace or find love in Jesus, yet we're repeatedly told that throughout his life he felt lost, more dead than alive, was crippled with depression and sorrow, and wished he was dead. I can understand why he struggled with depression, but it just came across like he preached a hope that he didn't feel in his own life. (Thomas helped him with this near the end of Spurgeon's life.)

Anyway, the story followed Charles Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson from their youth until Spurgeon's death, showing the defining incidents in their lives. The story took a few chapters before it started moving smoothly forward (as the beginning was description-heavy and jumped around in time). At that point, it was interesting and moved along pretty quickly, but it was still narration-heavy. This book made me want to read a real biography of these two men.


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 Soldier Who Killed a King by David Kitz

The Soldier Who Killed a King by David Kitz ISBN-13: 9780825444852 Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Kregel Publications Released: July 25, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Watch the triumphal entry of the donkey-riding king through the eyes of Marcus Longinus, a centurion charged with keeping the streets from erupting into open rebellion. If you've heard the story of Passion Week so often it's become stale, now is the time to rediscover the terrible events leading from Jesus's humble ride into the city to his crucifixion.


My Review:
The Soldier Who Killed a King is biblical fiction set during Jesus' triumphal entry to resurrection. Our point of view character is Marcus Longinus, a centurion in charge of a gate near the Temple but who ended up present at every significant event. He struggled with profound guilt over his part in Jesus' scourging and crucifixion.

The characters used modern phrases like "wow" and "yeah," and the main characters had modern sensibilities about the value of human life. The Romans clearly saw who Jesus was while the Jews didn't. All of the religious leaders were called Pharisees, and every report we got about them painted them all as horrible, cruel hypocrites. The chain of command seemed meaningless as Pilate's soldiers were ordered about by anyone of superior rank. A visiting ruler (Herod) threatened to kill Pilate's centurion if the centurion didn't follow his orders, and the priests held four of Pilate's soldiers captive for a while without Pilate taking any action.

While the author generally stayed true to the gospel accounts of Jesus' Passion Week, he did change some things. He didn't have Jesus preaching every day in the temple. He had Herod order one of his soldiers to put the crown of thorns on Jesus when it was Pilate's soldiers who later did this. Herod and Pilate became friends before Jesus' trial. So Herod was sleeping at Pilate's place (unclean!) when Jesus was brought to trial, and Herod ended up judging Jesus in a bedroom while practically naked (not to mention demon-possessed). Jesus even paid a bodily visit to a boy during the period when he's dead and in the tomb.

The author provided great detail about the soldier's armor, the scourging, and the crucifixion. The scourging and crucifixion were described in such gory, drawn-out detail that I ended up skipping over it. There was a minor amount of British bad language. There were no graphic sex scenes. Overall, it was a decent story, but I'd expected a higher level of accuracy based on the subtitle.


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.

Hunting Hour by Margaret Mizushima

Hunting Hour by Margaret Mizushima ISBN-13: 9781683312772 Hardback: 320 pages Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Released: Aug. 8, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Deputy Mattie Cobb is working through issues from her past and has withdrawn from Cole Walker and his family to focus on herself, when she and her K-9 partner Robo get called to track a missing junior high student. They find the girl on Smoker's Hill behind the high school, dead. But that's only the start of trouble in Timber Creek, because soon another girl goes missing--and this time it's Sophie Walker.


My Review:
Hunting Hour is a K9-detective mystery. It's the third in a series. You can follow this book without reading the previous ones, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

Robo is a talented, well-trained working dog, and it's fun to see him "on the job" with Mattie. The main characters were likable and had depth and complexity. Events have had a realistic impact on them, and they dealt with personal struggles at the same time they're dealing with crime. Events hit a little close to home for Mattie, and she struggled to stay objective during the investigation.

The crime was a clue-based, puzzle mystery. I guessed whodunit based on those clues, yet it wasn't obvious. There was also the suspense of finding the kidnapped girl before something bad happened to her, as bad things have happened to reoccurring characters in these books.

There were no sex scenes. The was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting and exciting 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.

Wedded for the Baby by Dorothy Clark

Wedded for the Baby by Dorothy Clark ISBN-13: 9780373425341 Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Love Inspired Historicals Released: Aug. 8, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
For widower and ex-doctor Trace Warren, a fresh start in Whisper Creek comes with a catch: to save his home and apothecary shop, Trace must remarry. While making Katherine Fleming his wife is simple enough, he refuses to fall in love again. But keeping his distance from the kind, beautiful woman and the infant she brings with her is dangerously difficult…

Katherine promised to protect the baby left in her care, and a marriage of convenience to Trace is the only way to do that. But all too soon, Trace possesses Katherine's heart, even as he still carefully guards his own. With hopes of turning their arrangement into a true love match, can Katherine convince Trace to forgive himself for his past mistakes and embrace his new family?


My Review:
Wedded for the Baby is a Christian romance set in 1868 in the Wyoming Territory. This is the second book in the series. You don't need to read the first book to understand this one. However, the couple in the first book were also major characters in this one, so you may wish to read the books in order.

Katherine helps a fatality ill woman while on a train trip to visit her sister and ends up responsible for an orphaned, unwanted baby. Trace is named the guardian of the child, but he needs to marry or he'll lose his livelihood--the only way to support the child. Katherine agrees to an "in name only" marriage and to care for the child until Trace can find an alternative. Trace treats her with kindness but tries to minimize his time with her as he still mourns his dead wife and child.

Katherine has no idea how to care for a baby, though, so Trace has to show her. They keep getting thrown together and discover they share interests and admire each other. The main characters were nice people, and I understood the reasons behind their actions. They both heal from past hurts. The historical details about everyday things, what was happening in the territory, and even some of the medical debates of the time were woven into the story. I suspect the author got her hands on a catalog of baby furniture from that time, as Trace ordered a lot for his house.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this sweet romance.


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.

Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason

Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason ISBN-13: 9780800723910 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Aug. 1, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
Elite Guardians bodyguard Haley Callaghan may be in South Carolina, but when a photo leads investigators in West Ireland to open a twenty-five-year-old cold case, her life is suddenly in danger. Haley knows how to take care of herself; after all, she's made a career out of taking care of others. But after an uncomfortably close call, Detective Steven Rothwell takes it upon himself to stay with her--and the young client she has taken under her wing. A protector at heart, he's not about to let Haley fight this battle alone.

In a sweeping plot that takes them into long-buried memories--and the depths of the heart--Haley and Steven will have to solve the mystery of Haley's past while dodging bullets, bombs, and bad guys who just won't quit.


My Review:
Chasing Secrets is a Christian romantic suspense novel. This is the fourth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil the previous novels. It didn't pay to stand too close to Haley as her enemies didn't care who got hurt in their attempts to kill her. The suspense was created by the repeated attempts to kill Haley, the uncertainty about who's trying to kill her, and some medical emergencies.

I liked the main characters as they where kind, thoughtful people who cared for others in addition to being good at their jobs. I enjoyed how Steven supported Haley and showed his friendship and caring (and all before they kissed! So many authors have people kissing before they even know each other). I found the ending a bit...extravagant and containing some unnecessary complications, but I suppose "bigger is better" in suspense. And it was exciting.

The Christian theme was about forgiving those who have hurt or wronged you. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting story.


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.

As A Shield by Danny and Wanda Pelfrey

As A Shield by Danny Pelfrey, Wanda Pelfrey ISBN-13: 9781633570917 Paperback: 216 pages Publisher: CrossLink Publishing Released: March 24, 2017

Source: A free review copy from the publisher through BookCrash.

Book Description from BookCrash:
Davis Morgan, having left the ministry after the death of his wife, Julie, returns to his hometown where he operates a used and rare bookstore while being appointed chaplain of the small police department. He and Charley, a young policeman, after discovering the body of a tattooed man find themselves in a serious battle to bring to justice two strange villains who are threatening the safety of Davis’s daughter and future son-in-law. While all this is going on, Davis is struggling with trying to interpret his relationship with a young history teacher who happens to be his daughter’s roommate.


My Review:
As A Shield is a Christian suspense novel. It's the second novel in a series. While you can read this as a stand-alone, I'd recommend reading them in order. Some things seemed long (a wedding) or fast (a relationship) since I hadn't "seen" the whole story of their relationship.

Unfortunately, everyone in this story had silted, unnatural dialogue, and some of the details about what roads people took would only interest someone who lives in Adairsville. However, the characters were interesting, and we got to know a little about the main characters.

The bad guys repeatedly tried to harm people that Davis cares about. However, the Christian theme was that God acts as a shield to protect his children, so the criminals came across as bumbling fools. We knew who the goons were, but there were only clues about who hired them. Davis and Charley uncovered what's going on by asking questions and following up on clues. While you can guess who from the clues, most of the clues given by Davis at the end weren't shown to the reader when they happened. When Davis and the Bay Guy fight at the end, the author withheld the name until the fight was done. I'd concluded it was someone he didn't know, but he did. Kinda frustrating when you can't trust your POV characters.

The main characters often thought upon their favorite verses (which are written out for the reader), and we also literally get a short sermon. 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.