Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin ISBN-13: 9780764217616 Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: Oct. 4, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from the Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she's asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions hidden all these years, including the story of her one true love.

At the nearby Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of a broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after a violent storm aboard a steamship stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her.

Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.


My Review:
Waves of Mercy is Christian historical fiction. The primary story is set from 1845 to 1897 and follows the life of Geesje, a woman whose family migrated to America for religious freedom. Her family and others who came from Netherlands struggled to build a town out in the wilderness in Michigan.

The historical details about events in Netherlands and during the building of the new town were very interesting and were woven into the story. These events were seen through the eyes of a young woman struggling with why God would allow so much death and suffering in her life. It's a very good story with realistic characters of complexity and depth.

The framing story was about Anna, a young woman in 1897 who felt like she had to choose between God or an excellent marriage with a man she thought she loved. While at a lakeside resort, she strove to learn more about God and in the process became friends with a seminary student. This young man was just learning of Geesje's past and her struggles with faith, and he believed her story might help Anna. Healing is found by all as the past touches on the present.

The 1897 stories were told in first person, present tense. This was one of the few times that I didn't find this device distracting. (Authors usually end up wandering through various tenses rather than sticking to present tense, which I find distracting.) There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly 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.

Mystery in White by J Jefferson Farjeon

Mystery in White by J Jefferson Farjeon ISBN-13: 9781464206634 Paperback: 244 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Oct. 4, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
On Christmas Eve, heavy snowfall brings a train to a halt near the village of Hemmersby. Several passengers take shelter in a deserted country house, where the fire has been lit and the table laid for tea – but no one is at home. Trapped together for Christmas, the passengers start to unravel the secrets of the empty house when they realize there is a murderer in their midst.

My Review:
Mystery in White is a mystery novel that was originally published in 1937 and is set in England. Actually, it was more a mild horror or suspense novel than a mystery. Various characters get caught in a bad snow storm and end up in a house whose occupant is missing--like he just stepped out for a moment and didn't come back.

Two of the characters were psychics. The older one discreetly explains that one of the passengers from the train is a murderer and also pieces together parts of what happened at the house right before they arrived. The reader is simply along for the ride as the characters deal with spending the night in a creepy house with a known murderer in their midst.

The main characters were interesting and varied, and their interactions were mildly humorous. I enjoyed their interactions, but I'm not very fond of horror or psychic stories, so I'm probably not the target audience. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of 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: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette

Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette ISBN-13: 9780764218217 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: October 18, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God. When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira's gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart's calling to become an apprentice midwife.

When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira's people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and the foreigners fans the flames of another dangerous rebellion, Shira will come face-to-face with the heartbreak of her past that she has kept hidden for so long. How can she let go of all that has defined her to accept the love she's denied herself and embrace who she truly is?


My Review:
Shadow of the Storm is biblical fiction (with a romance) set when the Israelites were at Mount Sinai. This is the second book in the series. You can understand what's going on in this book without having read the previous book. However, this book spoils some major events in the previous book, so I'd recommend reading these books in order.

The author stayed true to the description of events given in the Bible and wove vivid, everyday-life details into the story. She's clearly done her research (thank you!). The characters acted realistically and were complex. I sympathized with their struggles. Shira feels undesirable due to a past event and the knowledge that she's barren. Her love interest has made some bad decisions in the past and is paying the price. The underlying theme was forgiving oneself for past sins once God has forgiven us.

There was no bad language. There were no sex scenes, though there was some minimally graphic descriptions leading up to "off scene" sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this novel to biblical fiction fans.


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 Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude

The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude ISBN-13: 9781464206511 Paperback: 260 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Oct. 4, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
The Reverend Dodd, vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen, spends his evenings reading detective stories by the fireside. But the vicar's peace is shattered one stormy night when his neighbor, Julius Tregarthan, is found at his house with a bullet through his head. The local police inspector is baffled by the lack of expected clues. He carefully follows each clue until the truth of it is uncovered yet gets no closer to whodunit. Luckily for Inspector Bigswell, the Reverend Dodd has an idea of how the murder was actually accomplished.


My Review:
The Cornish Coast Murder is a mystery novel that was originally published in 1935 and is set in England. The mystery was a clue-based puzzle. The clues initially could be put together several ways, but then further clues were found and the possibilities only expanded.

We mainly follow Inspector Bigswell, who carefully followed up on every clue until he knew how it got there. Reverend Dodd helped point the Inspector in the right direction with his local knowledge and an insight into how the murder was achieved. I did guess whodunit before the detectives (due to suspects getting cleared), but I still can't quite visualize how it was done. I liked the main characters, though, so it was a fun read.

There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Identity Unknown by Terri Reed

Identity Unknown by Terri Reed ISBN-13: 9780373447701 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Love Inspired Released: Oct. 4, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
When a John Doe washes up on the shores of Calico Bay, no one knows who he is—including him. But one thing's instantly clear to deputy sheriff Audrey Martin: the man's marked for murder. And she's the only one who can protect him from the assassins who lurk at every turn.

The arrival of a team of men claiming he's Canadian Border Services officer Nathanial Longhorn only further complicates the matter. As his memories slowly start drifting back, Nathanial's determined to work with Audrey to uncover who wants him dead and why. But he's tangled in something that threatens to submerge them both. And unless Audrey can help him figure out what, this Christmas might be their last.


My Review:
Identity Unknown is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the fifth book in a series, but each novel can be read as a stand alone. There were plenty of gun fights as the people out to kill Nathanial were very determined. The continuous threat posed by the bad guys created suspense. However, there were a number of unrealistic details, like prying open elevator doors with one's bare hands and throwing a knife not designed for this with great precision.

The romance didn't work for me, especially as Nathanial and Audrey never learned to work as a team. I can accept that Nathanial, unable to remember any of his past, would become attached to a beautiful woman whom he knew he could trust since she's repeatedly saved his life. But Audrey? We're told repeatedly that Audrey has a deep-seated distrust of handsome, charming men. Yet she's immediately attracted to Nathanial's looks, charm, and tempting lips, and rarely remembers that, oh, yeah, she distrusts this.

We're also told repeatedly that she wants to be in control and has a chip on her shoulder about men who don't treat her as an equal as a cop. Well, Nathanial keeps knocking her to the ground to protect her rather than allowing her to do her job and protect him. She's touched that he instinctively wants to protect her. Personally, I'd be more impressed if he shot the bad guys instead of knocking her down. Anyway, based on Audrey's stated past and his actual actions, I didn't see why she would be attracted to him.

The characters occasionally prayed. There was no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Death on the Cherwell by Mavis Doriel Hay

Death on the Cherwell by Mavis Doriel Hay ISBN-13: 9781464206597 Paperback: 260 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Oct. 4, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
For Miss Cordell, principal of Persephone College, there are two great evils to be feared: unladylike behavior among her students, and bad publicity for the college. So her prim and cozy world is turned upside down when a secret society of undergraduates meets by the river on a gloomy January afternoon, only to find the drowned body of the college bursar floating in her canoe.

The police hope that it's a student prank got out of hand, but the resourceful Persephone girls suspect foul play and decide to investigate on their own. This classic mystery novel, with its evocative setting in an Oxford women’s college, is now republished for the first time since the 1930s.


My Review:
Death on the Cherwell is a mystery that was originally published in 1935 and is set in Oxford. Four girls from the women's college started investigating the mystery (giving it a cozy mystery feel), but soon Detective-Inspector Braydon arrived from Scotland Yard. He asked the girls to tell him the information they had uncovered, set them to explore potentially useful (and less disruptive) avenues, and pulled various clues together to discover whodunit.

There were many, tangled clues, but it wasn't difficult to guess whodunit by the time the detective named his suspect. It was interesting to follow how he sorted out the clues and gathered the needed evidence to arrest the suspect. The antics of the undergraduates were humorous and gave a lighthearted feel to the story.

There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language. 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.

Paws and Effect by Sofie Kelly

Paws and Effect by Sofie Kelly ISBN-13: 9780451472168 Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Oct. 4, 2016

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Magical cats Owen and Hercules and resourceful librarian Kathleen Paulson are back. Kathleen is excited to meet three old pals of her beau, Detective Marcus Gordon, while they visit charming Mayville Heights on business. But the reunion is cut short when one of the friends is killed—and the evidence points towards Marcus as the murderer.

Though it seems she doesn’t know all of Marcus’s secrets, Kathleen is sure he’s no killer. With his suspect status sidelining him from investigating the case, it’s up to Kathleen and her feline partners-in-crime to find whoever is framing Marcus—and make sure the good detective hasn’t found his last clue.


My Review:
Paws and Effect is a cozy mystery. This is the eighth book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous books.

I liked the heroine as she's not judgmental, cares about people, and is intelligent. She also knows how to ask questions without being pushy or accusing. The cats are pretty intelligent and have cat abilities (disappearing and getting out) taken to a magical degree. They provided some humor to the story.

This was a clue-based puzzle mystery. The heroine looked for clues (with some help from her cats and friends) and eventually found the evidence needed to arrest whodunit. Unfortunately, whodunit realized this and so we get a suspense sequence were the heroine showed her courage, optimism, and determination. Frankly, whodunit was my only suspect, but there was a reason why the characters took longer to suspect that person.

There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun 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.