Amish Holiday Vendetta by Laura Scott

Amish Holiday Vendetta
by Laura Scott

ISBN-13: 9781335587398
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: November 29th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Attacked in her barn just before Christmas, Amish quilter Elizabeth Walton doesn’t know why someone wants to harm her. But when gunfire narrowly misses Elizabeth and furniture maker David McKay, the Englischer fears his past has put them both in the crosshairs. David’s determined to protect the pretty widow…but is his presence the real danger? Or is there another motive behind the deadly threats?


My Review:
Amish Holiday Vendetta is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the second in a series. These main characters played a role in the previous book, but this story still works as a standalone. This book didn't spoil the previous novel.

David accidently killed a rich, young man and was sent to prison for it. Since getting out, he's lived like the Amish but hasn't become Amish--partly because he feels like what he did was unforgivable. And what if he losses his temper and "sees red" again during a fight? Elizabeth helps him to better understand God's grace and forgiveness. It seems like the bad guys are out for revenge for that death, yet Elizabeth's also attacked and an Amish man has been spotted nearby several times. They try to sort out who is attacking who and why. The suspense came from repeated attacks on David and Elizabeth as well as damage to their property. The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. They supported and built each other up.

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

Targeted by Lynette Eason; Lynn H. Blackburn; Natalie Walters

Targeted by Lynette Eason,
Lynn H. Blackburn,
Natalie Walters

ISBN-13: 9780800740283
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: November 1st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
In On the Run, IT Specialist Daria Nevsky is a highly skilled FBI agent with the ability to hack any computer. She must go on the run to find out who wants her dead--and Dr. Ryker Donahue refuses to let her do it alone.

In Deadly Objective, physical therapist Emily Dixon and Secret Service Agent Liam Harper are committed to keeping their relationship professional. But when the vice president's son enters the crosshairs of a killer, some lines will have to be crossed in order to keep him safe.

In Caught in the Crosshairs, former Army PSYOPS officer Ari Blackman investigates CIA officer Claudia Gallegos after Claudia is implicated in the murder of a Saudi prince. But to prevent a coup that would put America at risk, they'll have to learn to trust each other--before it's too late.


My Review:
Targeted has three romantic suspense novellas. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense collection.

"On the Run" continues Daria's story. Yay! She has to survive while figuring out why the bad guys are after her. She knows of Ryker, and he helps her. The focus was on the suspense, and the romance was sort of, "oh, and they fell in love." They worked well together, appreciated the other's abilities, and Ryker challenged Daria to accept help from her friends rather than trying to do it all on her own (even as capable as she is).

"Deadly Objective" put two opposites together, yet they worked well together. Liam loves the outdoors; Emily likes high civilization. They both love to read and can deal with the difficult VP's son. When the VP's family is targeted, they take the son on a remote camping trip thinking it might be safer for him. Emily takes it all with a good attitude. Liam see her worth and admires her. They both use their unique abilities to help protect the VP's son. Fun.

"Caught in the Crosshairs" started off with Ari being sent to confirm that Claudia didn't kill the prince since she broke protocol by going to the prince's house. They help solve why the prince asked for her help and who killed him. She's repeatedly attacked by the bad guys, so Ari helps protect her. Claudia's challenged to look past his good-looks and skilled agent reputation and get to know the real man. She's also reluctant to get into a relationship since it'd add more loved ones that can be used against her. But Ari is very good looking and nice... I suppose Ari's interested in her because she didn't immediately fall under his charm?


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.

Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes

Passages of Hope
by Terri J. Haynes

ISBN-13: 9781636094069
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Released: November 1st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Gracie Kingston begins renovations on the Philadelphia house inherited from her grandmother and finds a secret room. It's located near the home of William Still, the man known as the father of the Underground Railroad. As she researches, she discovers a mystery in her house’s ownership. In 1855, Olivia Kingston helps a mother and her young child by hiding them in a secret room in her home. As she helps, she learns that there may be an impostor conductor in their community. As Gracie’s and Olivia’s stories intertwine, they learn the meaning of sacrifice and love.


My Review:
Passages of Hope is a historical set in 1855 in Philadelphia and a romance set in present day. Olivia runs a safe house along the Underground Railroad, and she tries to protect her doctor husband by telling him little about her activities. Something strange is going on, though. Runaway slaves report an unknown conductor helping them, then those runaways disappear. She needs her husband's help (and he's ready to give it) and the help of her friends when one disappearing runaway leaves behind her toddler in Olivia's care. Olivia has a hard time accepting their help, though, and must learn that she can't do it all on her own. This part of the story was suspenseful, and interesting historical details were woven into the story.

In present day, Gracie's her own worst enemy and was so very negative. Frankly, I just got tired of her attitude of "if I try and fail, it'll be a waste of my time, so why try" or "if something good happens, something horrible must be on the way" or "I don't deserve anyone's help." Whenever something bad happened, she headed for her bedroom rather than dealing with the situation. Happily, her upbeat, business-savvy cousin moved into the house with her and pushed her to do what she needed to in order to succeed. Her new boyfriend not only cared about finding out the history of her house but supported Gracie and used his connections to help her.

By the end, Gracie learned that she's loved by friends and family and to accept their love. I would have liked her to realize God's love, too, but God was barely mentioned. There was 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Sundown by Susan May Warren

Sundown
by Susan May Warren

ISBN-13: 9780800739843
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: November 1st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Former Delta Operative Colt Kingston knows when someone is lying. He may not know the truth, but he sure doesn't trust Tae, the woman who is caring for his ailing father at Sky King Ranch. Behind those beautiful blue eyes, he can tell there is a troubled--and smart--woman.

A few of her stories prove true--he's found the crashed plane and the dead body inside. Still, her story of survival seems too incredible to believe...until the thugs she claims to be hunting her show up and threaten Sky King Ranch. Now Tae must disappear, along with her secrets.

But Colt's not about to let her go it alone. And when they discover that her secrets include the antidote to a plague that threatens the world, it'll take all three Kingston brothers to save the country they've vowed to protect.


My Review:
Sundown is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the third book in a series and basically continued the stories of all three brothers, with a focus on Colt. Frankly, this was just a little too close to reality for me to enjoy it. Russian thugs were going to release an ancient strain of smallpox to start a pandemic, and the old smallpox vaccines wouldn't work against it. Tae had developed a promising vaccine, but it hadn't been tested on humans. Now, all of her notes and work have been destroyed. The Russians intend to kill her before she can reproduce it. Colt vowed to protect her, but he's still recovering from his previous injuries so characters from previous novels all get in on saving the world.

Tae was so certain that her vaccine was the only way to save the world that she didn't even consider that other things might get the job done. I understand it's her focus, but it drove me nuts. She knew vaccines usually take years of work and safety studies, but she didn't seem to think they really needed to do that with HER vaccine. She's thinking, 'my one human subject has survived 24 hours without noticeable side effects, so let's get an Emergency Use Authorization and mass vaccinate the whole world!!!!' She just seemed unrealistically, even recklessly confident. The author did somewhat redeem this by having the three brothers and Tae all learn that saving the world didn't depend solely on their abilities.

The suspense stayed high throughout the story as they battled to survive attacks and stop the terrorists. The characters were complex, realistic people, and I cared about what happened to them. They learned to trust God with their future. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

These Names Make Clues by E.C.R. Lorac

These Names Make Clues
by E.C.R. Lorac

ISBN-13: 9781728261188
Trade Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Released: November 1st 2022

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Chief Inspector Macdonald has been invited to a treasure hunt party at the house of Graham Coombe, the celebrated publisher. Despite a handful of misgivings, the inspector joins a guestlist of novelists and thriller writers disguised on the night under literary pseudonyms. The fun comes to an abrupt end, however, when 'Samuel Pepys' is found dead in the telephone room in bizarre circumstances. Amidst the confusion of too many fake names, clues, ciphers and convoluted alibis, Macdonald and his allies in the CID must unravel a truly tangled case, which returns to print for the first time since its publication in 1937.


My Review:
These Names Make Clues is a mystery originally published in 1937 and set in England. The detective was likable. The first part was about the clue party, but then the author focused on the investigation by the detective and, independently, by several of the characters. The detective quickly figured out how the murder was done (as did I), but it was difficult to track down who cleaned up the crime scene--in the dark--right after the murder. Then another murder occurred. It appeared that the first victim killed the man, yet the timing wasn't right.

You couldn't trust what the suspects said even when the detective wasn't around. I guessed whodunit near the beginning, but as one of two strong suspects. I didn't stray from those two, but a number of suspects acted very suspiciously and made me wonder if I was correct. Whodunit and how were also guessable for the second death, though there were plenty of misleading clues. The reader got more clues than the detective, and we don't learn how he figured out whodunit until he arrived to confront the killer.

There was a fair amount of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.

The Call of the Sea by Sian Ann Bessey

The Call of the Sea
by Sian Ann Bessey

ISBN-13: 9781524422257
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: November 1st 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
On the eve of her betrothal to a nobleman she’s never met, Rhiannon seeks comfort on the shores of the sea she loves so well. But instead of offering peace to her uneasy heart, the ocean heralds doom with the arrival of dreaded Viking ships. A vicious raid leads to the death of her beloved father and leaves Rhiannon’s life in tatters. Heartbroken, she travels to Ynys Môn, where she takes up residence at the royal court of Owain Gwynedd.

Leif loves voyaging on the open water. As the son of a Viking chief, he’s accustomed to his people’s practice of plundering and looting. But when one of his companions ruthlessly kills an old man in front of the man’s beautiful daughter, Leif is haunted by the memory. Desperate to find forgiveness for the atrocity he allowed to occur, he’s offered a chance at redemption through the kindly teachings of an Irish priest and the unexpected arrival of a royal fugitive. Suddenly thrust into the midst of the Cymry’s political turmoil, Leif is reunited with the dead man’s daughter―Rhiannon. Forced to work side by side to uncover the truth behind the turmoil, they come to discover that love can grow from even the most tragic of beginnings. But with such incompatible backgrounds, surely a future together can never be theirs.


My Review:
The Call of the Sea is a historical romance set in 1141 in Wales and Ireland. It's based on some events that really did happen, and the author filled in the details with fictional events and characters. The main characters were engaging, interesting, and reacted realistically to events. I cared about what happened to them. Initially, Rhiannon and Leif were on opposite sides: a Viking under Leif's command killed Rhiannon's father, leaving her without immediate family, a home, or a dowry. Her mother's sister's family took her in, putting her in the middle of political scheming.

A distraught Rhiannon told Leif something like "may God have mercy on you." Leif had always been more interested in sailing than raiding, and this moment haunted him. He talked to an Irish priest to learn about Rhiannon's God, one that has mercy. As a Viking chief's son, though, he's still expected to be useful when someone needed to secretly find out the truth about who killed Rhiannon's cousin's betrothed. When they meet again, Rhiannon must decide if she should forgive this changed Norseman and help him find the truth or expose him as an enemy.

Leif and Rhiannon shared interests and values and supported each other. There were plenty of exciting bits where the good guys were in danger from the bad guys. Leif came to a saving belief in Christ. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting adventure and slowly-building 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.

A Murder at Balmoral by Chris McGeorge

A Murder at Balmoral
by Chris McGeorge

ISBN-13: 9780593544136
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Released: October 25th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Crown meets Clue. The royal family has gathered at their Scottish retreat, Balmoral Castle, for a traditional Christmas. As a blizzard gathers outside and a delicious dinner is prepared, the family circles up for a holiday toast. King Eric has something momentous to say--in fact, he is about to name his successor. But as he sips a glass of his favorite whiskey, he drops dead.

The king has been poisoned, someone in the family must have done it, and each one of them had opportunity and motive. Eric's beloved head chef, Jonathan, must now play detective. Why would one of the king's own family members want to kill him? What happens in the castle usually stays in the castle, but this secret might be too big for these battlements. Jon is determined to expose the truth, even if it puts him in a killer's crosshairs--and shakes the entire monarchy to its core.


My Review:
A Murder at Balmoral is a soap opera with a mystery and doesn't have satisfactory ending. The prologue was from the point of view of one of the royal family, and they admitted they had poisoned the whisky. Despite that, I was convinced by 20% that the murder weapon was really That and either Person One or Person Two did it. Way before the end, I'd narrowed those two suspects down to the correct whodunit. Personally, I thought the whole poison-in-the-whisky explanation made no sense (especially why there were so many jars of poison if only one person was intended as a target). The chef--who is logical, but tired, in poor health, and not trained as a detective--investigated who poisoned the whisky and did eventually track down who poisoned it and then what was really going on.

The problem (as least with the Advanced Reader Copy) was that it felt like the author changed some things and forgot to fix it so everything in this twisty soap opera made sense. Because a whole heck of a lot made little sense. It also didn't seem realistic. To use the least spoiler-creating example, they're in the middle of a white-out blizzard. Jon went outside without a coat to chase a suspected killer. It's very deep snow and he's outside a long time, but he doesn't freeze. He never even changed out of his wet clothes. And if he felt his main job was to protect the royal family from harm, why was he running into the snow (and getting lost) rather than going back to the family, leaving the suspected killer out in the deadly snow?

The ending hinted at the future of the characters, but it left things open-ended--this MIGHT happen, but what did they actually do? For example, one character was desperate to escape being crowned monarch even if it meant suicide, yet we never find out if they accept their crown or do escape. Another character died. We're told that the public was informed that person stepped out of public life to focus on running a business. Yet the employees in that person's business would have noticed that he never showed up. Anyway. This book will probably mostly appeal to those who love to follow the lives the royal family (even if this one is fictional). There was some bad language. There was no sex.


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 Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar

The Hidden Prince
by Tessa Afshar

ISBN-13: 9781496458223
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Released: November 8th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The beloved daughter of Jewish captives in Babylon, Keren is sold into Daniel’s household to help her family survive. She becomes Daniel’s most trusted scribe, while taking lessons and swordsmanship training alongside Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared.

But after a tragic accident changes the course of her life, Keren's sent to a foreign country and charged with a mysterious task: teaching a shepherd boy how to become a noble. When she overhears whispers that hint at his true identity, she recognizes the name from the writings of Hebrew prophets and realizes she must protect him from the schemes of a bloodthirsty king.

Jared struggles to forgive Keren. Still, he finds himself traveling over mountains to fetch her back to the safety of home. When he discovers the secret identity of Keren’s pupil, Jared knows he must help protect him. Love battles bitterness as they flee from the king’s agents, trying to save the boy who could one day deliver their people from captivity.


My Review:
The Hidden Prince is biblical fiction set halfway into the Babylon captivity and is set in Babylon, Media, and Persia. Keren is content assisting Daniel while furthering her education as a scribe. True, she loves her childhood friend, Jared, but her family and position are too humble for him to marry her. Jared cares about her, but when she accidently badly injures him during sword practice, he feels betrayed by her and by God. Now he'll always struggle to do what once came so easily and he's rejected by others as no longer good enough or desirable. So he finds it baffling that God has clearly chosen him and Keren to train and protect Cyrus, the future king that will end the Jewish captivity.

The main characters were complex, likable, and reacted realistically to events. Keren struggled with forgiving herself for what she did to Jared, and Jared struggled with bitterness and confusion about why God would allow his injury yet also prevent it from being even worse. As they worked through these issues, Keren taught the future king and Jared healed. When they came together again, they protected Cyrus from a king who wanted to eliminate a boy he considers a threat.

Jared and Keren learned to trust in God's love and power even when things confused them. There was no bad language or sex scenes. Overall, I'd highly recommend this exciting and engaging historical 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.

Death on a Deadline by Joyce St. Anthony

Death on a Deadline
by Joyce St. Anthony

ISBN-13: 9781639101153
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane
Released: November 8th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
As World War II rages in Europe and the Pacific, the small town of Progress is doing its part for the soldiers in the field with a war bond drive at the annual county fair. Town gossip Ava Dempsey rumors that Clark Gable will be among the participating stars. Instead of Gable, the headliner is Freddie Harrison, a B-movie star. When Freddie turns up dead in the dunk tank, Irene Ingram, editor-in-chief of The Progress Herald, starts chasing the real headline.

There are plenty of suspects and little evidence. Ava’s sister Angel, who was married to the dead actor, is the most obvious. The couple had argued about his affair with the young starlet Belinda Fox, and Angel was the last person known to have seen Freddie alive. Irene discovers there’s more than one person who might have wanted Freddie dead. As Irene draws on her well-honed reporter’s instincts to find the killer, her own deadline could be right around the corner.


My Review:
Death on a Deadline is a mystery set in 1942 in America. This is the second book in a series, but it can be understood without reading the previous novel and didn't spoil the previous mystery.

Irene's been left in charge of her father's newspaper business, and she's good at the job. Historical details about the war, war bonds, and such were woven into the story and created a distinct feel of the times. The mystery was clue-based. Irene decided to investigate the murder, and she kept asking questions until she found the truth. Whodunit was guessable from the clues, though it wasn't really clear until one character led Irene into a trap where the bad guys explained it all. Happily, Irene and friend rescued themselves. Go, girls!

However, Irene was rather rude to her soon-to-be-father-in-law, the police chief. For example, he came to ask her mother about the process of transferring the war bond money to the bank, and before he could fully explain why he's there, Irene was yelling at him saying he was accusing her mother of stealing money. Which he wasn't. She also demanded to be taken to a crime scene even though she had no need to be there. She also had to admit that she'd broken into someone's room and stolen a piece of evidence (which she didn't even give to him). He just shrugged it off. To me, it seemed unrealistic that the police chief was still on such good terms with her by the end.

There was no sex. There were a few uses of bad language (including b--ch). Overall, I'd recommend this historical 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.

A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge

A Trace of Poison
by Colleen Cambridge

ISBN-13: 9781496732477
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Released: October 25th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In England’s stately manor houses, murder is not generally a topic for polite conversation. Mallowan Hall, home to Agatha Christie and her husband, Max, is the exception. And housekeeper Phyllida Bright delights in murder mysteries (usually of the fictional kind).

The neighboring village of Listleigh has also become a hub of grisly goings-on, thanks to a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage. Members of The Detection Club—a group of celebrated authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha herself—will congregate for charitable events, including a writing contest for aspiring authors. The winner gets an international publishing contract, and entrants have gathered for a cocktail party—managed by the inimitable Phyllida—when murder strikes too close even for her comfort.

It’s a mystery too intriguing for Phyllida to resist, but one fraught with duplicity and danger, for every guest is an expert in murder—and how to get away with it.


My Review:
A Trace of Poison is a mystery set in 1930 in England. This is the 2nd book in the series. You do not need to read the previous novel to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the mystery of the previous book.

Phyllida has many of the characteristics of Poirot, including a love of order and logic. She's also proud and arrogant. She expected people to praise her for her cleverness. She looked down on the abilities of the police and made sure they knew it while informing them of the things she discovered. Frankly, I'd like these stories better if she was a little less self-righteous, arrogant, and rude. On the other hand, I've been complaining that most mysteries these days are mostly filler, but this one is complex and full of clues and investigation.

Phyllida noticed important details and gathered information from the servant's observations, and she was eventually able to puzzle out whodunit. I guessed whodunit shortly before Phyllida's big reveal, but I'd missed a few clues and didn't get the motivation correct. Historical details were woven into the story without slowing the pacing. There was occasional use of bad language (most of it was British bad language). There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.