Paul McCusker

Dear Readers,

I was asked to read The Body Under the Bridge by Paul McCusker by Kregel publishing group.  To be completely honest I was not completely sure what to expect.  I had never listened to any of the other Father Gilbert mysteries, which were done by Radio theater.  I am happy to say that I enjoyed this book enough to hunt down those audios and listen to them.  

Father Gilbert is an ex-detective who could no longer handle working at Scotland Yard, not only because of what he saw and experienced on the job but also what happened in his own life.  (Paul does a good job of reviewing and reminding readers/listeners of the back story.)  He is now a Father for a small church in a small Sussex town.  He really just wants to take care of his little flock and live quietly.  

One morning he is visited by Colin Doyle.  Colin has climbed the clock tower and threatens to kill himself if Father Gilbert gets any closer.  Colin gives him a medallion to hold and then kills himself anyway.  When the police arrive, there is no evidence of a body anywhere.  Well, except that medallion that Father Gilbert has and no other explanation of how he got it. 

So starts a series of very strange murders and thefts.  

An interesting read, with several twists and turns.  It is a mixture of Agatha Christy and Frank Peretti.  There is more afoot in the quiet little church than anyone would have guessed.  Well, more than most outsiders would have guessed anyway, it seems to be the worst-kept secret in town. 

I will definitely look for more Father Gilbert books, whether in audio or book form.  It was a fun little read, but one I would not recommend reading in the dark while home alone.

Happy Reading,  

New Release

Their Two Worlds Couldn't Be Further Apart.
Can Anything Bridge the Divide Between Them?  
For years Zane Beck and his Amish neighbor Lila Lehman were best of friends. But just as Zane gathered the courage to discover if their friendship could develop into something more, her controlling father arranged for her to be courted by their bishop's son. Zane, heartbroken and frustrated, joined the Army, running away from his shattered dreams.

The passing of time and the distance between Zane and Lila haven't been enough to halt their--now completely hidden--feelings for each other. Any hope for their love grows even more impossible though as Zane's service takes a dangerous turn when he's deployed to Afghanistan. Being on the frontline, confronted with the hard choices of war, has him questioning everything, including whether he can continue to serve or not. But all choices have consequences, and with Lila preparing to marry another, will these one-time sweethearts ever find the life together that they both still long for?

New Release - One Lone Star Trail - Amanda Cabot

A woman without a future. A man running from the past.
One enchanting place where broken dreams are mended.
If there's one thing Gillian Hodge never wants to see again, it's a man on a motorcycle. Her last encounter with one left her right hand crushed, ending her promising career as a concert pianist. Unsure about the next phase in her life, she heads to Rainbow's End Resort for some R&R when a sudden thunderstorm causes a motorcycle to crash right in front of her.

When TJ Benjamin's wife died, he lost more than his best friend; he lost his faith. He has spent the past year wandering the country on his motorcycle, trying not to think about the future. When he finds himself stranded with a busted bike and a reluctant rescuer, he has to wonder about God's sense of humor.

As these broken people collide, they find that a bright future is still ahead--it just might not be the one they imagined for themselves.

New Releases - February 7 - 13

Dear Readers,

Happy Valentine's Day.

I have a few new titles for you and one of them is going to be one of my favorite books and yes I reviewed it earlier as I thought it would be on my shelves by then and couldn't wait to tell you.

Happy Reading,

The Secret to Hummingbird Cake - Celeste Fletcher McHale - 3 women, friends since 1st grade, continue to live life together.  Fun, silly at times and yet powerful.

Kissed by a Cowboy - Debra Clopton - #3 - A Four of Hearts Ranch Romance - Cassidy's faith is on rocky ground.  Divorced and determined to stay single forever, she retreats to a farm she inherited.  She is going to run the strawberry farm and open a bed and breakfast.  Jarrod missing his chance at a family and happiness years earlier, now he is determined to show Cassidy, love is worth it in the end.

Amish Sweethearts - Leslie Gould - #2 Neighbors of Lancaster County - Zane and Lila grew up best friends.  Just as Zane is ready to declare his love, Lila's father arranges to have her courted by another.  Zane in anger runs off and joins the Army.  Will these two sweethearts ever find their way back to each other?

A Sweet Misfortune - Maggie Brendan - #2 Virtues and Vices - Rachel will take care of herself.  She will find a way to get the money to buy back her family ranch.  When her brother finds out what she is up to he sends her away to John McIntyre's home for safekeeping.  When she finds out he is the reason they lost the ranch to begin with she knows she can't stay.

On Lone Star Trail - Amanda Cabot - #3 Texas crossroads - The last time Gillian had anything to do with a man on a motorcycle she lost the use of her right hand and her promising career as a concert pianist.  TJ has been wandering the country after his wife died, when his broken motorcycle lands him in with a rescuer who would rather never have met him, he wonders about God's sense of humor. Two hurting people who need each other, but will they figure it out for themselves?

Bookstore in Florence

Dear Readers,

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year since my trip to Italy.  I would go back in a minute if given the chance.  But I did manage to find a bookstore in almost every city we visited.  The one in Florence was right next door to where we picked up our tickets to see Michelangelo's David.  We ducked in there when it started to rain and enjoy many pleasurable minutes.  It is a warm and very welcoming place.  If you find yourself in Florence and visiting David and the Duomo, stop in and breath deeply of a place that loves books.

Happy Reading,

 

Ann Tatlock

Dear Readers,

Once Beyond a Time by Ann Tatlock won the Christy award last year for Visionary category.  Visionary would be fantasy/sci fi.  Now I had never heard of this book and yet Ann is one of my favorite authors.  So of course I went looking for it and found a different type of book for Ann.  It's a book that I did enjoy. I had to get past the fact that it was Ann and I was used to her writing issue-driven books, usually contemporary or historical.  In Once Beyond a Time, she kind of combines all of those genres together.  This is a book set in the 60’s with parts happening in 1919 and others happening in 2005.  It makes for a very difficult plot line to explain. 

Meg and Sheldon have moved their family to a small town in Black Mountain, NC.  Sheldon has had an affair. It has cost him his job as a pastor and it is almost costing him his family.  His teenage daughter is angry and not afraid to let everyone know it.  His wife is hurt and unable to forgive him for his transgression.  The only one that sees the move as an adventure is his youngest, “Digger.”  Digger loves the new house and acreage they have moved to.  He is also the first to experience what is wrong with their house.  His new friend Mac?  Oh, he lived in the early 1900’s and yet he and Digger hang out together all the time. 

Each member of the family has a ‘ghost’ friend.  One only they can see.  One that they can visit with and talk to about what is going on, even if they do not fully understand why they can see each other.  As Meg and Linda dig deeper into why this is happening they discover an old folk lore that there are places in the Black Mountains where all of time is happening at once and that is why they can meet people from the past or future.   They are told it is God’s gift to them.  But they are not sure why.

Okay, I know that sounds like a very strange plot, but it really does work.  I found myself drawn into each storyline and really enjoying how they interacted with each other.  I also was glad that Ann stayed away from the idea that if those in the past could find something about the future it would make them rich or powerful.  That is an old and very tired plot.  Instead she used those visitors to help in other ways.  They became a sounding board.  They became a close friend that had different experiences but yet could be the one who understood the most. 

I will admit that I was a bit dubious when I first started the book, but I found myself drawn in and wondering how Ann was going to draw this all together.  She does a good job of making sure we understand that time is not the point of the story, but forgiveness.  No matter what time or age you live in, forgiveness and grace are gifts from God and we need to make use of them.

Happy Reading,  

New Release - Renovating the Richards - Virgina Smith

Dear readers,

I am always looking for those sweet little stories that you can share with many different readers.  I think Virginia Smith's series, Tales from the Goose Creek B&B, is just such a series.  Light hearted, cute and just fun to read this series makes you want to move to Goose Creek just to join the neighborhood.

Book#2, Renovating the Richardson finds Millie still busily getting the Bed and Breakfast ready and all Al seems to find to do is write the checks.  When Millie volunteers him to be one of the managers for the team for the inter-county softball team.  The team is terrible and the only way to make them even a little better is to have Justin play.  The problem?  Justin doesn't live in town.

That is where the rumors and gossip really starts going.  Not only is there rumors about Justin and the new vet, but the new massage parlor is really getting them going.  Will cooler head prevale?  Will the softball team keep from embarrassing themselves?  Will the B&B ever get done?

Life is a small town is never dull.

Happy Reading,