Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon

Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon ISBN-13: 9780800734572 Trade Paperback: 340 pages Publisher: Revell Released: September 1, 2012

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
As a social worker, Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children and seeing that justice is served on their behalf. But when she starts getting harassing phone calls and bizarre "gifts," it seems she may be the one in need of protection. When her tormentor's attentions take a violent turn, her brother Cole comes to her aid, along with his new partner, an ex-Navy SEAL, Detective Mitch Morgan. As her relentless stalker turns up the heat, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Protecting Alison has become more than just a job--because his own happiness now depends on keeping her safe.


My Review:
Deadly Pursuit is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second in the series, but you don't need to read the first book to understand this one, and the first book didn't spoiled in this one.

The characters were interesting and acted realistically to the situations they were in. (Side note: I've only met one man in real life that had dimples, yet it seems like 95% of current romantic heroes have them!) The details about the setting and jobs brought the story alive in my imagination without slowing down the story's fast pacing. The suspense was created by physical danger--mainly for the heroine. All of this was combined well to make a story that I had a hard time putting down.

There were some references to prayer and going to church, but no one preached at each other or asked searching questions. The Christian element seemed to flow naturally as a part of the story but did not seem to be a large part of the story.

There was a very minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. There were no graphically described sex scenes. There was a high level of cruel violence toward animal and human, but it was not graphically described. 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.

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the Summer Giveaway Hop. Including Twitter entries, we had 40 entries. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:


Christine Jensen
who won "When the Cookie Crumbles" by Virginia Lowell


Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.

For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of these books from your favorite bookstore or see if they have them at your local library.

Accused by Janice Cantore

Accused by Janice Cantore ISBN-13: 9781414358475 eBook: 263 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: January 1, 2012

Source: Free eBook promotion.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Detective Carly Edwards hates working in juvenile—where the brass put her after an officer-involved shooting—and longs to be back on patrol. So when a troubled youth, Londy Atkins, is arrested for the murder of the mayor and Carly is summoned to the crime scene, she's eager for some action. Carly presses Londy for a confession but he swears his innocence, and despite her better judgment, Carly is inclined to believe him. Yet homicide is convinced of his guilt and is determined to convict him.

Carly's ex-husband and fellow police officer, Nick, appears to be on her side. He's determined to show Carly that he's a changed man and win her back, but she isn't convinced he won't betray her again.

As the investigation progresses, Carly suspects a cover-up and strikes out on her own, uncertain whom she can trust. But when danger mounts, she begins to wonder if she made the right choice.


My Review:
Accused is a Christian detective suspense/mystery novel. The police-action part of the story was very exciting and interesting. The details about the job and setting were vivid enough to immerse me in the story and didn't slow the fast pacing. The suspense was created by not knowing who could be trusted and by the physical danger to anyone who questioned how the case was being handled.

Carly was an engaging character who reacted in realistic ways to the situation she was in. There were a large number of characters and most were so similar that I had trouble keeping track of them. Luckily, the author usually worked in cues with the name so I'd know who was being referred to.

During the story, the suspense and police work periodically paused so that Carly could be preached at. The Christians were initially cookie-cutter Christians: they all acted the same, had the same lines (which you do hear preached at non-Christians all the time), had the same level of complete and perfect faith no matter how long they'd been a Christian, and had the inability to ask Carly what her problem was with God so they could actually address her issues. Understandably, Carly didn't react well to this, and I was not particularly interested in it, either.

Carly's hostile attitude toward Christians was so built up that I had trouble accepting her suddenly changing attitude. Later in the story, a lawyer and a roofer both came across as more realistic, living Christians, and they did talk with instead of talk at Carly. I think I would have liked the overall story better if the initial Christian scenes had been fewer and less cookie-cutter.

There was a lot of God-talk: prayer, true but cliche phrases, etc. Carly's main question seemed to be, "What good is a god that will let me and the people that I love suffer and die?" While the various characters did touch on some related issues (like the world was not created to be this way, people have the choice to do bad things, etc.), I was disappointed that the main issue was never really answered (since there is a good answer to it).

There was a minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. There were no sex scenes. There was no graphic wound or dead body descriptions. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting suspense 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.

Shadow Spinner

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher ISBN-13: 9780689830518 Trade Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Jean Karl Books Released: May 1st 1998

Source: Borrowed from the library.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Every night, Shahrazad begins a story. And every morning, the Sultan lets her live another day -- providing the story is interesting enough to capture his attention. After almost one thousand nights, Shahrazad is running out of tales. And that is how Marjan's story begins....

It falls to Marjan to help Shahrazad find new stories -- ones the Sultan has never heard before. To do that, the girl is forced to undertake a dangerous and forbidden mission: sneak from the harem and travel the city, pulling tales from strangers and bringing them back to Shahrazad. But as she searches the city, a wonderful thing happens. From a quiet spinner of tales, Marjan suddenly becomes the center of a more surprising story than she ever could have imagined.


My Review:
Shadow Spinner is a young adult fantasy. It fills in the story of Shahrazad and her 1001 nights of story-telling from the viewpoint of one of her servants.

The Persian-like setting adds an interesting backdrop and realism to the story. The heroine was clever, engaging, and acted realistically to the events dictated by the "known" details of the story about Shahrazad. The suspense remained high throughout the story because not only was Shahrazad's life on the line each night, but Marjan had to do some dangerous things to help her out.

There was a minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'm recommend this fun fantasy 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.

Summer Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Summer Giveaway Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for your choice of one of the following books:


Since there was so much interest in this book in the last hop, here's a second chance at...

Mistress of Mourning by Karen Harper is a historical novel. You can read my review.

London, 1501. In a time of political unrest, Varina Westcott, a young widow and candle maker for court and church, agrees to perform a clandestine service for Queen Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII. The queen’s eldest child and heir to the throne, newly married Prince Arthur, has died suddenly under mysterious circumstances. Elizabeth wants Varina and royal aid Nicholas Sutton to travel into the Welsh wilderness to investigate the death. But as the couple unearths one unsettling clue after another, they begin to fear that the conspiracy they’re confronting is far more ambitious and treacherous than even the queen imagined.


When the Cookie Crumbles by Virginia Lowell is a cozy mystery. You can read my review.

Tensions are running high as Chatterley Heights' 250th birthday celebration approaches, and Olivia and Maddie are working feverishly to finish a gingerbread house modeled after the famous Chatterley Mansion. When Paine Chatterley, presumed to be dead, shows up to claim his father's house, the town gossips are driven into a tizzy. Then Paine is found lifeless in the bathtub, his wife hysterical and their precious heirlooms destroyed. The hidden lives of the prestigious Chatterley family members begin to surface, and Olivia must unravel their dark past. As it turns out, the town's history isn't all that sweet...


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @genrereviewer. Enter me in the giveaway for [give the book name and author's name]."

OR

2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered and naming which book you'd like to win. Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement. I'd be fun if you also included why you're interested in reading this novel.

This giveaway ends on August 7th, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on August 8th, 2012 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop:

The Book of the King by Jerry B. Jenkins, Chris Fabry

The Book of the King by Jerry B. Jenkins, Chris Fabry ISBN-13: 9781414301556 Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: September 24, 2007

Source: Free eBook offer.

Book Description from Goodreads:
When a stranger visits his fathers bookstore, Owen Reeders ordinary life spirals out of control and right into a world he didnt even know existed. Owen believes the only gift he possesses is his ability to devour books, but he is about to be forced into a battle that will affect two worlds: his and the unknown world of the Lowlands.


My Review:
The Book of the King is a middle grade Christian fantasy novel, though it sometimes read like it was for upper-elementary-aged children. The authors would occasionally say things like, "...sulfurous breath--which means..." for words I think most middle schoolers would know, yet they also sometimes used words that some adults might not know with the meaning only implied by context.

The story was also told in an odd way. It's like you and the story teller are hovering above the scene and he points things out in present tense using "you" and "we" as if talking directly to the reader, then it'd slid back into past tense but it's like you're watching a movie. You never get inside the characters' heads, though you're sometimes told what they are thinking or feeling.

This gave the book a somewhat distant feel, but it still came across as an engaging story told by a (hovering) storyteller. There's plenty of fast-paced action and high suspense due to physical danger (though the distant feel made it so the really scary things weren't too scary). I'm not sure this story would really appeal to adults, but I do think kids of the right age would enjoy it. I liked its mood and subtle lessons better than I like a lot of Christian fantasy.

This book was the first in a series and it did end somewhat abruptly, but it's not left at a cliff-hanger. There was no bad language and no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel to children.


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.

Listen by Rene Gutteridge

Listen by Rene Gutteridge ISBN-13: 9781414324333 eBook: 350 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: January 25th 2010

Source: Free ebook promotion.

Book Description from Amazon:
Nothing ever happens in the small town of Marlo . . . until the residents begin seeing their private conversations posted online for everyone to read. Then it's neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, as paranoia and violence escalate. The police scramble to identify the person responsible for the posts and pull the plug on the Website before it destroys the town. But what responsibility do the people of the town have for the words they say when they think no one is listening? Life and death are in the power of the tongue.


My Review:
Listen is a Christian thriller (though the deadly disease is cruel words and the effects are confined to one town). I decided to call this a thriller because it started with a teen girl committing suicide solely because she overheard some friends criticizing her clothing and hair, and then it moved on to a cat being killed by hanging outside a pastor's house (and who did this and why is never explained), and it kept on going from one extremely violent reaction to another. For some reason, most people in this town reacted with criminal behavior when they read a posted conversation that might possibly be about them and they weren't held back by not knowing for sure who said the words.

In thrillers, it's more common for characters to act "larger than life" without their motives really being explored. That was true with this story, though once or twice we got a glimmer of why the characters acted they way they did. This works alright for action stories, but I got the feeling that the author was trying to impress on the readers the danger of hurtful words, even those spoken in private. Yet this "larger than life" style of writing left me feeling like people wouldn't really act that way, which took away from the intended impact.

This was even more so because many of the characters didn't seem very realistic. For example, the pastor is perfect--no matter what wrong was done to him, he acted lovingly and quoted Scripture about the danger of words. And I wasn't comfortable with how the main characters' justified one man stalking his ex-wife as proof of his great love for her and she should stop complaining about such a great guy.

The story did have plenty of action with suspense created from relationship tensions and physical danger. I was pleased that the author took the time to get the jail scenes correct, and she also did a god job of describing the setting in a way that was easy to visualize.

Beyond the repeated Scripture quotes about taming the tongue, you wouldn't know this was a Christian novel until near the end. Then a fellow who was a nominal Christian at best suddenly started thinking profound theological thoughts. His wife's later response to a "let's pray" was a more realistic and interesting "Why would God listen to me? or any of us? Look what this town has become."

There was a minor amount of "he cussed" style language and a very minor amount of explicit bad language. There were no sex scenes (though affairs were referred to).


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.