The Mother Hunt by Rex Stout

The Mother Hunt by Rex Stout ISBN: 0-553-24737-9 Mass Market Paperback: 212 pages Publisher: Bantam Books Released: 1963, 1981, 1993

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
When a baby is abandoned on the doorstep of a young socialite widow, the woman thinks she knows the identity of the father: her deceased writer husband, the cad! But who is the mother? Reluctantly, Nero Wolfe accepts the case, and Archie identifies the first clue: unusual buttons on the baby's overalls. The case seems like child's play to Wolfe until the first dead body...


My Review:
The Mother Hunt is a humorous, historical mystery. Though this book is a part of the Nero Wolfe series, each novel is a stand-alone. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one.

The setting was Manhattan, NY, in 1963 (the same year it was written, though it's "historical" now.) The story was a fast-paced, quick read with some suspense created by the number of dead-ends they hit. While the whodunit was guessable, it could have easily been one of several people, and we're not told the vital clue until the "big reveal" scene.

The main characters have very vivid personalities, and the viewpoint character is a very jaunty fellow. The characters kept me coming back, though the mystery was interesting, too. I especially like the Nero Wolfe movies, which capture the novels well.

There was some talk about people having affairs, but no sex scenes. There was a fair amount of explicit bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who like mysteries and the 60's but don't mind explicit 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.


Excerpt from Chapter One
When the doorbell rang a little after eleven that Tuesday morning in early June and I went to the hall and took a look through the one-way glass panel in the front door, I saw what, or whom, I expected to see: a face a little too narrow, gray eyes a little too big, and a figure a little too thin for the best curves. I knew who it was because she had phoned Monday afternoon for an appointment, and I knew what she looked like because I had seen her a few times at theaters or restaurants.

Also I had known enough about her, part from public record and part hearsay, to brief Nero Wolfe without doing any research.

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Jordan's Crossing by Randall Arthur

Jordan's Crossing by Randall Arthur ISBN: 0-88070-582-5 Trade Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Multnomah Books Released: 1993

Source: Bought at a library book sale.

Book Description from Back Cover:
When pastor Jordan Rau accepted a position with a European missionary agency, his decision was not based on an opportunity to serve God, but on the monetary rewards the position would bring him.

However, shortly after his family's arrival in Germany, Jordan's priorities dramatically change after his young son, Chase, is murdered. Jordan becomes obsessed with finding his son's killers and delivering justice by his own hand. Driven by hatred and revenge, he sets out on a course of action that will destroy not only the murderers, but his own family as well--and only a miracle can stop him.


My Review:
Jordan's Crossing is a Christian suspense novel. There is a character in this novel that is the main character in a previous novel, but this novel can be read as a stand-alone. It did spoil the previous novel, though, so you might wish to read them in order.

The suspense was created by the relationship tensions caused by financial worries and the death of a son/brother and from the physical danger Jordan put himself and others in while tracking his son's killers. The characters dealt with realistic problems, but I felt like I was held at a distance. The author told about the character's emotions instead of pulling the reader into them.

The whole story was basically a sermon to the reader about the problems in the modern, western church and the effect of picking and choosing what parts of the Bible to believe has on Christians. While I liked the story and agreed with a lot of what the author pointed out, I wished the story had emotionally engaged me more.

Also, I didn't really like the ending. After bringing home the point repeatedly that Christians need to leave justice to God rather than seeking revenge themselves, the ending solely focused on the justice dealt out in this world. No one mentioned the ultimate justice given by God on Judgment Day.

There was a minor amount of "he cursed" style bad language and one explicit bad word which, apparently, some people don't consider a bad word. There were no sex scenes though a rape was referred to in vague terms. Overall, I don't regret reading the book.


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 from chapter one using Google Preview.

Mrs.Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman

Mrs.Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman ISBN: 0-449-91137-3 Hardback: 205 pages Publisher: Ballantine Books Released: 1997

Source: Used book sale at lbrary.

Book Description from Google Books:
Working with her retired CIA friend John Farrell, Mrs. Pollifax must smuggle a manuscript out of Jordan, a document that encodes the shocking truth of Saddam Hussein's reign.

Hardly are the two airborne when the coils of Middle Eastern intrigue begin to unwind. Mrs. Pollifax's seatmate is not the affable Arab businessman he pretends to be. It is not imagination that persuades Mrs. P. that wherever they go, she and Farrell are followed. To elude their pursuers in such a politically volatile country isn't easy. In fact, it can be downright deadly. . . .


My Review:
Mrs.Pollifax, Innocent Tourist is a suspense/spy novel that doesn't take itself to seriously. Apparently, this book is the thirteenth in the series, but you can follow the story without having read the previous books, and this book didn't spoil details of the previous novels.

The characters were interesting and engaging. There wasn't a lot of detail to the action, but there was some nice setting detail. While this would qualify as a spy novel, they didn't have neat gadgets nor were they sneaky. They're extremely careful to do everything needed to look like innocent tourists, but then they talk about CIA connections and other suspicious details in front of their previously unsuspecting tour guide. It's also a suspense novel, but it was hard for me to take the physical danger to the main characters seriously. The suspense (for me) was more about would the guy with the manuscript make it, and would they manage to connect up with him?

There was a fair amount of explicit bad language. There was no sex. Overall, it's a fast, fun read.


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.

Line of Duty by Terri Blackstock

Line of Duty by Terri Blackstock ISBN: 0-310-25064-1 Trade Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: 2003

Source: Library book sale.

Book Description from Goodreads:
A bomb explodes at the Icon International building in New Orleans while lawyer Jill Clark Nichols is in the top floor boardroom. The thirty-story building goes up in flames and fire departments from all around the area are called in. The firefighters from Newpointe are especially concerned since they know Jill is inside the building. Dan, her husband, rushes in to save her. But as firefighters work to evacuate the upper floors of the building, a second and third bomb explode, causing the lower floors to cave in. Firefighters and civilians are buried beneath the rubble.

When the smoke finally clears, a count is taken. Jill narrowly escapes the chaos of the explosions and fire only to find Dan missing.

Were the bombs the act of a terrorist, or a scheme coming from a heart of greed? Can Jills faith carry her through these long days of pain and uncertainty? And will Dan survive this tragedy . . . or sacrifice his life in the line of duty?


My Review:
Line of Duty is a Christian suspense novel that turns into a general fiction with a mystery. This is the fifth book in the series, but it reads like a stand-alone.

The suspense in the first part was mainly created by the physical danger that the various characters were in and then wondering which characters survived. After that, the suspense was created by relationship tension, regret and sorrow leading characters toward potentially bad decisions, and the side mystery of who blew up the building. The mystery was handled realistically and was not easily guessable ahead of time.

The characters were varied, interesting, and dealt with realistic problems. The story's focus was mainly on dealing with loss (and why God would allow it) and on loving people who are different. Most of the characters were Christians who were mutually struggling to understand why God allowed some to live, some to die, and some to have life-changing injuries.

There were no sex scenes. There was a very minor amount of "he cussed" style of 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 from Chapter One
Ashley Morris sensed the doom in the Icon International Building. She had listened to the news reports of layoffs and the companies crashing stock value with the detached interest of a sixteen-year-old, but it was hard to ignore the reality now. In the lobby, grim-faced employees spoke in low voices. Some wiped tears as they carried boxes out to their cars. Reporters with camera crews waited outside, interviewing exiting employees who'd just gotten the ax.

She'd picked a lousy day to hit her mother up for money.

Popping her gum, Ashley got into the elevator with two women and a man. One of the women gave her a look as if she had just parachuted out of a UFO. Ashley looked right back at her an blew a bubble. The woman looked away.

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Prairie Storm by Catherine Palmer

Prairie Storm by Catherine Palmer ISBN-13: 0-8423-7058-7 Trade Paperback: 262 pages Publisher: Tyndale Released: 1999

Source: From my personal library.

Book Description, my take:
Evangelist Elijah Book agrees to raise a dying woman's now-orphaned baby, but he has no way to provide the mother's milk the baby needs to survive. When he preaches near Hope, Kansas, a woman from a traveling show agrees to nurse his baby--for money. The locals offer to pay Elijah to be their pastor, so Elijah agrees for the baby's sake. But he's certain God wants him to go to China to preach the Word. Surely that'd be easier than being a small town pastor!

Lily Nolen, a singer in a traveling show, is heart-broken of the very recent deaths of her baby and husband. When she hears a hungry baby's cry, she tracks down the baby and agrees to become his nurse. She adores the baby, but she's also certain the preacher will act just like her religious father--physically abusive and using Scripture to manipulate people for his own gain.

Since God didn't protect Lily like the Bible promises, she wants nothing to do with Him. But then she realizes that the Bible doesn't promise that God will always protect her--just that He will be with her through the storms. But why would a loving God allow suffering and hardship to happen to his followers? Is there reason to trust God, anyway? And what about the preacher that she's discovering is very unlike her father?


My Review:
Prairie Storm is a historical romance set in 1866 in Kansas. This book is the third in the series, but you can read it as a stand-alone. Reading this book before the other will spoil a few events in the previous novels, but not enough to spoil those books.

The characters were engaging, acted realistically, and had realistic struggles (even if some of the struggles weren't common ones). The setting and historical details were not highly detailed though they were enough to paint a mental picture. The suspense was created partly by relationship tensions (and not just romantic tensions--Lily and her old friend, Lily and her abusive father, etc.) and the search for answers about God.

The characters quoted a lot of Scripture and hymns, but it flowed naturally in the story (rather than feeling like it was primarily for the benefit of the reader). Lily knew Scripture well, but she initially used it in a critical way. Both main characters were searching for answers about God and, for the pastor, for God's will in his life. They looked to the Bible for answers since they realized they'd picked up wrong ideas from what religious people had told them. I liked how all of this was handled.

There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this charming 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 from Chapter One
Hope, Kansas
1866

A sudden, high-pitched cry caught Lily Nolan's attention. She sucked in a breath. A baby? Somewhere in the growing darkness, a baby was crying. Lily pushed aside the tent flap and stepped outside, listening. There it came again! Weak but insistent, the wail curled into the marrow of Lily's bones.

Abigail, she thought. Oh, my darling Abby!

No. That wasn't possible, was it? Abby was gone, buried in a little wooden box at the edge of Topeka. But whose baby was crying? Why didn't the mother rock the child?

Read more from chapter one.

Healing Waters by Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn

Healing Waters by Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn ISBN-13: 9781595544315 Trade Paperback: 423 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: 2008

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, my take:
Lucia Coffey sees herself as fat and a failure. When she looks at her thin, beautiful sister, Sonia, she sees a popular and charismatic ministry leader with a devoted following. Lucia's parents expected her to give up her dreams so that Sonia could attain hers. Lucia believes that God favors Sonia, too--He's given Sonia everything but left Lucia with only broken dreams of a husband with eyes for only her and of a child of her own. Lucia buries her fears and anger by eating food, yet she feels like a worse failure for doing so.

Then Sonia faces a major blow to her life and faith, and she asks for her sister's help. Sullivan Crisp, an offbeat but popular Christian psychologist, is trying to discovery why his wife committed suicide and if his actions played some part in her death. He hopes that finding answers will help heal his shattered confidence in his skills. A friend encourages him to offer to help Sonia cope with the changes in her life, but he ends up helping Lucia instead. Can they find healing before the person who is trying to destroy Sonia's life strikes again?


My Review:
Healing Waters is a Christian general fiction novel that deals with God's role when it comes to suffering. The characters were complex, varied, and dealt with realistic relationship problems and faith challenges. The suspense mainly came from relationship tensions--Lucia and her husband, Lucia and her sister, etc.--but there was also a mystery as to who was trying to harm Sonia. I was somewhat surprised that the authorities weren't more suspicious of the person who turned out to be "whodunit," so I wasn't surprised by the whodunit.

While the book wasn't "preachy" (except when pointing out the flaws in the "if you just had enough faith...." and "suffering is God's punishment for a sin in your life" belief system), there was a lot of God Talk ("God's going to heal me. I'm expecting a miracle.").

I would agree with Crisp's briefly-stated points about why and how Sonia's belief system wasn't correct (and neither was Lucia's view of God). However, his own stated beliefs about suffering, while sounding profound, left me uncertain as to what he actually believed. Perhaps this will become more clear in the next books in the series since this book makes the point that he's in the process of working through his own questions about suffering.

There were no sex scenes (or anything more intimate than a hug by a husband). There was a minor amount of explicit bad language and some fake bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written, 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 from Chapter One
I had done everything on my list. Everything but the last item. Neat black checks marked the first five to-dos:

paint bathroom
put last layer on torte
redo makeup
call modeling agency--say NO
shave legs

Before the traffic moved again and I made the turn into tiny Northeast Airport, I put a second check beside number five. I'd shaved twice. Chip liked my legs hairless as a fresh pear. Not that I expected him to be interested in them or in any other part of my ample anatomy, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared for a miracle. In truth, I'd probably broken out the razor again just to procrastinate--because I wasn't sure I could do the sixth thing on the list.

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The Truth-Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn

The Truth-Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn ISBN-13: 9780670060009 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Viking Children's Books Released: July 21, 2005

Source: Bought through Half.com

Book Description from Cover:
Innkeeper's daughters Adele and Eleda are "mirror twins"—identical twins whose looks reflect each other's—and their special talents are like mirrors, too. Adele is a Safe-Keeper, entrusted with hearing and never revealing others' secrets; Eleda is a Truth-Teller, who cannot tell a lie when asked a direct question. The residents of Merendon often turn to the twins— especially their best friend Roelynn Karro, whose strict, wealthy father is determined to marry her off to a prince she's never met. When the twins are 17, a handsome dancing-master and his apprentice come to stay at the inn, and thus begins a chain of romances and mistaken identity that will have readers utterly beguiled.


My Review:
The Truth-Teller's Tale is a young adult or middle-grade fantasy novel which will appeal most to girls. It's the second novel in a series, but you don't need to read the first book to understand this one. This one may spoil events in the first novel, though.

It's a charming novel, though I found it predictable. But it probably won't be predictable to a middle-grader. I was expecting a more complex story based on the "a Safe-Keeper told a secret, a Truth-Teller told a lie" beginning promise, but the moral choice was there at the end.

The story was a quick read, though it built slowly toward an action-filled ending. It was mostly about relationships--learning about the pitfalls of romantic relationships as well as loving people who are very different from you (like her twin sister and best friend). The characters were engaging, and the encounters they had due to their special skills were interesting.

I liked that the story touched on the drawbacks of getting physical (even "just" intense kissing). One couple cared about each other for years and were always true to each other, but there was one female (and two male) characters who were constantly falling in and out of love. Though our main character was rightly skeptical, it was implied that finding true love will immediately and completely break people of their habit of falling in love, growing bored with the person, and then looking elsewhere.

There was a minor amount of explicit bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd 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 from Chapter One
What would you say if I told you there was a time a Safe-Keeper told a secret, a Truth-Teller told a lie, and a Dream-Maker did everything in her power to make sure a wish went astray? Believe what I tell you, for I am a Truth-Teller, and every word I say is true.


No sisters could ever have been less alike than my twin and I. To the casual observer, we looked exactly the same, for we both had wheat blonde hair and exceptionally pale skin, and the bones of our faces had an identical structure. But Adele was right-handed; she parted her hair on the right; he right eye was blue and her left eye was green. I was left-handed; I parted my hair on the left; my left eye was blue and my right eye was green. We each saw in the other the very same face, the very same figure, we saw in the mirror every morning.

Read more from chapter one.