From Ash and Stone by Julie Daines

From Ash and Stone by Julie Daines ISBN-13: 9781524407469 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: Dec. 1, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lady Margaret Grey of Hartfell was the daughter of a knight with a loving family, wealth, and even a secret romance with the blacksmith's son. But all that was torn from her one fateful night when her home was attacked and her family killed. She escaped but only after a head injury leaves her with a strange and mysterious curse that allows her to feel the thoughts of anyone who touches her.

Now, after six years away, Margaret is returning home for one reason: revenge. She hopes that by avenging her family's deaths, she will somehow be freed from her curse. But the identities of the raiders are still unknown, she has little left to her name, and traveling alone in the Northumbrian hills during the border wars is dangerous. Matters are further complicated by handsome Angus Robson, a Scotsman whose charm threatens to distract her from her plans. Margaret soon realizes that what she believed to be a curse may be the key to finding those she seeks. One touch will reveal the truth.


My Review:
From Ash and Stone is a romance set in 1543 along the border of England and Scotland during the border wars. Margaret's family died in one of the raids common at that time, and she's left with the curse that every time she touches her bare skin to someone else's bare skin, she knows their thoughts but she's left with a bad headache. She wears gloves and avoids human touch, which has left her lonely and miserable. She decides to use the curse to discover who killed her family in the hopes that killing their murderer will lift the curse. And if she dies, at least she will be with her family again.

Two kind and caring neighbors, Angus Robson and his brother, help her with things like food and their watchful protection. She rejects their help and asks them to leave her alone, but their continued kindnesses slowly work on her heart. She cannot marry with her curse, so she's even more determined to get her revenge. Yet Angus repeatedly tries to stop her in order to save her life.

The characters were complex and likable, and I cared about what happened to them. The story was interesting and showed what life was like in the area at the time. The romance develops slowly. The two challenged each other to become better people and find healing from past hurts. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.

And Death Came Too by Richard Hull

And Death Came Too by Richard Hull ISBN-13: 9781912194995 ebook: 221 pages Publisher: Agora Books Released: Jan. 17, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
After three nights of celebration in the humid heat of August, four friends weigh up a very particular request to visit Y Bryn House. Tired and restless, they begrudgingly accept the invitation. But upon their arrival, their host is no where to be seen. A man plays an odd game of solitaire, a strange woman wafts in and out of the room before fleeing out of the back door. Becoming all the more concerned for their host’s welfare, their worst suspicions are confirmed when a police constable saunters in, has a drink, and announces that Mr Yeldham has been found stabbed next to a lit fireplace. Who had the motive and means to kill Yeldham?

And Death Came Too is another golden age mystery from the sardonic and sly Richard Hull. Master of the inverted mystery, here he weaves a true-to-style, classic whodunnit.


My Review:
And Death Came Too is a mystery originally published in 1939. The characters were interesting, but this was mainly a puzzle mystery with a focus on sorting out the clues. There are basically eight suspects to the murder, and each had either a motive or the means. The trick is to discover who had access to both the weapon and the man and a motive worthy of murder. The detective worked slowly, but he carefully collected information and sorted out what it meant. People withheld information or messed with the evidence, making the detective's job more difficult. The reader has more information than the detective, so it's possible to guess whodunit a little before the detective.

There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this twisty 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 Gem Thief by Sian Ann Bessey

The Gem Thief by Sian Ann Bessey ISBN-13: 9781524407735 Paperback: 267 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: Nov. 1, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Gracie Miller is a small-town girl who has landed her dream job in New York City. As jewelry designer for one of the most prestigious jewelers in the world, she completed a particularly stunning piece, a custom setting for a large pink diamond. But when her billionaire client Mrs. Katsaros comes to repair a minor issue with the setting, Gracie is horrified to realize it is not the ring she created. Someone has forged her design, and the priceless diamond is gone.

Mrs. Katsaros has no desire to bring media attention to the jewelry heist, so she recruits her nephew, Quinn, and his FBI agent friend, Steve, to do some sleuthing off the record. When they discover that the missing ring is just one of many forgeries in the widow's collection, they look to Gracie for help. They need her to act the part of Quinn's fiancée. From New York to the shimmering islands of the Mediterranean, amid the search for the elusive thief, she and Quinn find themselves increasingly distracted by their growing feelings for each other.


My Review:
The Gem Thief is a romance with a mystery. Gracie is a jewelry designer who spots that one of her unique designs has been forged and the original piece stolen. The owner of the missing jewelry asked her nephew (Quinn) and his FBI agent friend to discreetly discover who did this. They asked Gracie to check the woman's other jewelry, only to discover that the last three pieces that were bought in Venice have been forged and stolen. They asked Gracie to pose as Quinn's fiancée and accompany them to the yearly jewelry show where those pieces were bought. She regularly checked the newly bought pieces to identify when they were switched out.

Quinn and Gracie spent a lot of time together and started to fall in love while at the jewelry show and on the Mediterranean cruise afterward. They encouraged and supported each other, but Gracie's convinced that Quinn has only fallen in love with her due to the ambience and their acting engaged. Gracie, Quinn, and his FBI friend work together to spot potential bad guys and uncover just how the jewelry is being forged and switched out. It was an interesting mystery and an enjoyable romance. The main characters were all very kind and likable people. Gracie and Quinn are well suited to each other and built each other up. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mix of romance and 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.

All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill

All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill ISBN-13: 9781925700053 Paperback: 378 pages Publisher: Pantera Press Released: Jan. 21, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Shanghai in 1935 is a 20th century Babylon, an expatriate playground where fortunes are made and lost, where East and West collide, and the stakes include life itself. Into this cultural melting pot, Rowland Sinclair arrives from Sydney to represent his brother at international wool negotiations. The black sheep of the family, Rowland is under strict instructions to commit to nothing. A brutal murder makes that difficult.

As suspicion falls on him, Rowland enters a desperate bid to find answers in a city ruled by taipans and tycoons, where politics and vice are entwined with commerce, and where the only people he can truly trust are an artist, a poet and a free-spirited sculptress.


My Review:
All the Tears in China is a mystery set in 1935 in Australia and Shanghai. This is the ninth novel in a series. This story referred back to events that happened in previous books, but it can be read as a standalone novel. This book did not spoil the whodunits of the previous mysteries. The main characters were interesting, caring people. Interesting historical details were woven into the the story.

Rowland Sinclair is sent to Shanghai to represent the family in a wool deal with the Japanese. He supposed to keep good relations while not committing to any deal. Of course, he's not willing to play nice with the Japanese once he realizes they're friends with the Germans. They don't take his attitude well. Also, someone makes it look like Rowland murdered a Russian woman who claimed to be one of the royal family in exile. He has to clear his name of murder before returning home.

He and his friends search for clues as to who may have wanted to kill the woman. They pass the information they find on to the detective, who clearly wants to put him in jail. Rowland's life is in danger, so they must solve the mystery as soon as possible. I strongly suspected two people of being the murderer, and it became clear which it was by that character's behavior at the end. The main characters took a little longer to figure it out. Of course, it ends with an exciting, suspenseful race to save Rowland's life.

There was some bad language (if you're American) to a fair amount of bad language (if you count British/Australia bad words). There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting, suspenseful 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.

Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble

Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble ISBN-13: 9780718085865 Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: Jan. 22, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Running for her life in the wake of her mother’s murder, Bailey Fleming escapes to the only place she can think of—a remote, dilapidated cabin in Lavender Tides. Intending to finally get to the truth behind the lies of her past, Bailey only finds more questions when bodies are discovered near her cabin hideout along with traces of a dangerous human trafficking ring. In an unlikely partnership with FBI agent Lance Phoenix, Bailey races to find the truth before the murderer tracks her down.

Meanwhile, Lance is determined to rescue his sister, Ava, who was abducted after running away from home as a teenager. An unexpected lead brings him to the remote cabin, and he wonders if Bailey—with her suspicious past and strange connections to his sister’s case—is really who she claims to be.


My Review:
Secrets at Cedar Cabin is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the third book in the series. While it can work as a stand-alone novel, the main characters from the previous books play a fairly large role in the current suspense story.

FBI agent Lance works to end human trafficking operations in his efforts to find his missing sister. Bailey's mother has been on the run Bailey's whole life, and now she's been murdered and Bailey shot at. The suspense came from the repeated attempts to kill or kidnap Bailey and the danger that Lance's sister was in as a high-class slave prostitute. The characters were engaging and acted realistically. I cared about what happened to them. Bailey struggled with trusting others because of all the lies that she's been told by the people she loved, but she's still very kind in how she interacts with others (especially elderly people).

The main characters prayed a couple "God, help me" type prayers. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting 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.

Noah Drake And The Return Of The Dragon Hunters by Ben Russell

Noah Drake And The Return Of The Dragon Hunters by Ben Russell ISBN: 198129080X ebook: 169 pages Publisher: Creation Tales Released: March 1, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the author.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
What if you discovered a real, living dinosaur? Noah Drake, and his annoying brother Nathan, return to Lake Champlain and hope to see the legendary lake monster named Champ. The two boys soon realize the sea dragon is in danger when an escaped convict takes their family hostage. Will the criminals catch and kill a legend? Not if Noah and Nathan can put aside their differences to work together.


My Review:
Noah Drake And The Return Of The Dragon Hunters is a Christian middle grade adventure novel. This is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. However, you will better understand who the characters are if you've read the previous book.

Noah and Nathan are two boys who really like dinosaurs, so they were thrilled to see the local sea monster (Champ) in the last book and to help save her and her babies from dragon hunters. They're now returning to the lake, and they hope to see the sea monster again. Only, the bad guys are also back in another attempt to kill the sea monster. The two boys argued a lot in this book. They must learn to work together to save themselves and the sea monster.

Noah's family was likable while the "bad guy" characters were comical (though still convincing as potentially dangerous). Several characters were Christians who believed that God created dinosaurs about 6,000 years ago and that we knew them by the name "dragons" until the 1800s. There was also some discussion about what the world was like before the worldwide flood and about how dinosaurs might still be alive in modern times. There was no sex, gore, or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun, 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.

In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson

In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson ISBN-13: 9780785223665 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: Jan. 15, 2019

Source: ARC review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sybil Delafield jumps at the opportunity for a position at Croft Towers because she believes someone there knows who her parents are. She's hired to act as companion to a dying woman, but a highway robbery and her errands to secretly deliver letters at a nearby town cause her to wonder if she was actually hired to help someone spy for France.

An unsolved murder adds mystery to this already secretive family, and Sybil recognizes Mrs. Chalcroft’s handsome godson as one of the infamous highwaymen who robbed her. Sybil must determine if this man's earnest eyes speak the truth or if he is simply using her like others in the house. Everyone seems to have something to hide, and Sybil must decide who to trust while also coming to terms with the truth about her own past.


My Review:
In the Shadow of Croft Towers is a romance set in 1813 in England. Sybil is not the brightest bulb in the pack. It takes her a while to realize that anything suspicious is going on, and even then she obediently does as she's told rather than investigate. Her employer's dashing godson is a highwayman who robbed her, but she agrees to keep his secret. He has wonderful timing when it comes to rescuing her as she gets into all sorts of scrapes. She does help rescue him once or twice, but she really needs his constant watch to stay alive. He sees all these wonderful qualities in her before she has ever demonstrated them, but she did start to live up to his ideal of her as time passed.

The mystery had so many twists and turns that even when it was completely explained at the end, it only worked because Mrs. Chalcroft wasn't really in her right mind and so wasn't making rational decisions. The author also used some very odd word choices which slowed the reading as I tried to figure out what she really meant to say. Still, I enjoyed the characters and guessing what was going on despite the many twists. The historical details were mostly about the war with Napoleon and his spies in England.

Though from a Christian publisher, there was no noticeable Christian content. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel, but I hope the final copy has those odd word choices fixed.


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 Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons

The Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons ISBN-13: 9781464210877 Paperback Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Jan. 8, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Lady Wainwright presides over the gothic gloom at Belting, in mourning for her two sons lost in the Second World War. Long afterwards a stranger arrives at Belting, claiming to be the missing David Wainwright - who was not killed after all, but held captive for years in a Russian prison camp. With Lady Wainwright's health fading, her inheritance is at stake, and the family is torn apart by doubts over its mysterious long-lost son. Belting is shadowed by suspicion and intrigue - and then the first body is found.

This atmospheric novel of family secrets, first published in 1964, is by a winner of the CWA Diamond Dagger.


My Review:
The Belting Inheritance is a romantic mystery originally written in 1964. The viewpoint character is a young man who gets stuck in the middle of the debate when a stranger arrives claiming to be a dead son who stands to inherit. The other heirs don't think he's actually their brother and bring others in to confirm that he is a fraud. When someone who could identify him turns up dead, the police get involved.

The main characters asked the stranger questions to determine if he was genuine or a fraud. The main character and his girlfriend end up going to France in pursuit of proof of who he really is and almost by accident uncover what really happened in the past and present. Two couples end up married by the end of the story. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting crime story, though it's not a typical 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 Truth About Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker

The Truth About Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker ISBN-13: 9781524406646 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: Nov. 1, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Governess Juliana Ashbourne has dreams reaching far beyond the confines of her current position, hoping to someday establish her own school for girls. Then she inherits a fortune from her late grandfather, but there is one condition: she must spend a month at the estate of Havenfield—with the very family who disowned her mother. Juliana finally accepts the invitation even though resenting those who shunned her all her life. But Havenfield is far from what she expects. She discovers a grandmother seeking forgiveness, a cold and disapproving aunt, and a painfully shy cousin. And then there is Mr. William Rowley. Though the heir to the estate is a merciless tease, Juliana finds in him a friend and confidant—and perhaps something more. As she struggles to make sense of her new place in the world, her stubborn independence clashes with a yearning to belong and the even more confusing desires of her heart.


My Review:
The Truth About Miss Ashbourne is a romance set in 1820 in England. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it'd started with her arriving at the empty house. I ended up really enjoying the story, but I didn't particularly like or understand Juliana at first. She defied her employers' wishes as to how their children should be educated and taught the children feminist principles and to resent their parents. She had so much resentment against her relatives because of how her grandfather treated her parents that she refused to spend a month with them. Even in order to receive a fortune that would allow her to open a progressive school for girls. She's in the wrong when she runs into the hero, then she's rude to him when he tries to be kind. Helping her required a lot of negotiation.

Then she's fired and has no choice except to visit her relatives. All but one are surprisingly kind. She starts to thaw, accept family and love, and become much more likable. We learn why she's had to be independent even as she works with the hero to bring about her dream of a school for girls. And, of course, they fall in love as they spend time together. But she still feels powerless, like she's "just the governess," so she makes a hurtful (though kindly meant) decision at the end that has to be overcome before she finds happiness. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable 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.

With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander

With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander ISBN-13: 978-0718081836 Paperback: 448 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: Jan. 8, 2019

Source: ARC review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
On the night of November 30, 1864, a brutal battle in Franklin, Tennessee, all but decimates the Confederacy and nearly kills Captain Roland Ward Jones. A decorated Mississippi sharpshooter, Jones has a vision on the battlefield and, despite the severity of his wounds, believes his life will be spared. He compels Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston—governess to the McGavock family at the Carnton mansion—to intervene should the surgeon decide to amputate. True to her word, Lizzie speaks on his behalf and saves not only the captain's leg but also his life. As he coalesces at Carnton, romance has blossomed between him and Lizzie—a woman already betrothed to a man she does not love.

But a fourteen-year-old soldier dies in Lizzie's arms that night, and the boy's final words, whispered with urgency, demand that Lizzie deliver them to their intended recipient. All she has is the boy's first name, and there's no record of him ever having enlisted. How can she find his family and deliver the message?

From the pages of history and the personal accounts of those who endured the Battle of Franklin, Tamera Alexander weaves the real-life love letters between Captain Roland Ward Jones and Elizabeth Clouston into a story of unlikely romance first kindled amid the shadows of war


My Review:
With This Pledge is a romance set mostly in December of 1864 in Franklin, Tennessee. Apparently, the story is based off of the real-life letters between Captain Roland Ward Jones and Elizabeth Clouston as well as other personal accounts of the battle of Franklin. Note that the descriptions of the aftermath of the battle and the details about the amputations were somewhat gory and graphic, though not as graphic as they could have been. The characters were interesting, acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. The historical details were woven into the story and brought the setting to life in my imagination.

Elizabeth lives in the South but doesn't believe that slavery is moral. Her fiancé has joined the Confederate army even though he doesn't own slaves. Elizabeth agreed to marry him because they are best friends and she wants children, but she doesn't romantically love him. So she doesn't know what to do when she starts to fall in love with a wounded soldier who may die and who does own slaves. She courageously and compassionately does her best to help during the battle and afterward, when critically ill soldiers are left in the care of those at Carnton.

The captain is initially rebellious against God because he lost his wife and child while he was off fighting. However, he comes to realize his attitude is based on his own guilty feelings and frustration and reaches out to God. There is no sex or bad language. 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.

The Hanging Psalm by Chris Nickson

The Hanging Psalm by Chris Nickson ISBN-13: 9780727888310 Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: Severn House Publishers Released: Jan. 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Leeds, 1820. Thief-taker Simon Westow knows all about lost property. A boy from the workhouse, he now has a comfortable business finding and returning his clients' stolen possessions. But when John Milner, a successful Leeds businessman, seeks out Simon's services to find his kidnapped daughter, Hannah, it's clear he faces a challenge like no other.

Accompanied by his enigmatic and capable young assistant, Jane, Simon takes to the dark, shadowy streets of Leeds for information - streets he knows like the back of his hand. But his enquiries lead Simon and Jane into great danger. Could the answers lie in Simon's own past, and an old enemy seeking revenge?


My Review:
The Hanging Psalm is a dark suspense set in 1820 in Leeds, England. Details about the time period and the city were woven into the story and brought it alive in my imagination. We follow a team--the husband finds and returns stolen goods for a reward and he is assisted by his wife and a street girl with a traumatic past and habit of cutting.

We start with a rich man who wants his kidnapped daughter found and returned so he doesn't have to pay a ransom for her safe return. There's a time limit and the kidnapping is to remain a secret, so they rush around asking questions and following leads. Things don't go as expected, and soon they learn that a murderer from their past with friends in high places is out to get his revenge by killing them. He's very clever, so they must find and defeat him before his assassins kill them.

There was some bad language. Simon interrupts a man having sex with a whore, so there was a brief mention of how they were positioned and his sending her away (only vaguely described). Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful story to those who don't mind darker, damaged main characters.


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.

Code of Valor by Lynette Eason

Code of Valor by Lynette Eason ISBN-13: 9780800727048 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Jan. 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
What Detective Brady St. John really needs is a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, just as the sun is setting on his second day at a friend's cabin on Lake Henley, he hears a scream and races to rescue a woman from her would-be killer. When the killer escapes only to return to finish the job, Brady vows to utilize all of his many resources to keep her safe--and catch those who would see her dead.

Financial crimes investigator Emily Chastain doesn't trust many people. And even though she let the detective who saved her life in on a few pertinent facts about why she was being attacked, there are some things you just don't share with a stranger. Little does she suspect that the secret she is keeping just might get them both killed.


My Review:
Code of Valor is a Christian romantic suspense. Emily is repeatedly kidnapped and shot at, but she keeps her wits about her and leaves clues about where she is so that it's easier to find and rescue her. Several people have been hired to come after her, and some seem intent on killing her while the others want information from her. Unfortunately, she doesn't know the information that they want. In addition to surviving, she needs to uncover the information that her friend risked her life to obtain.

The main characters acted realistically and were kind people that I cared about. Emily's past includes an abusive father, running away, and an addiction to pain medication that she has overcome. Emily believes in God even though she's had a hard past, and her faith draws Brady closer to God. 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.