Great Christian suspense/myster

Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow is book one of the Tides of Truth series. This is the first Whitlow book I've read and I came across it as a free kindle download via the Vessel Project.



Tammy Lynn Taylor is from a devout Christian family with some rather strict beliefs: females wear dresses and skirts below the knee, no makeup except on rare and special occasions, children must consult their parents for decisions, and the Sabbath is strictly reserved for resting. She was homeschooled until high school when she was allowed to attend the public high school and play sports while wearing very modest sports uniforms. As a second or third year law student, she is preparing for an internship of sorts.



Moses Jones lives in a shack on the Ogeechee River. When he goes fishing, he sees faces in the water. He wonders why they haunt him so and when they will pull him under with them.



Normally I don’t care for a female main character, but Robert Whitlow has done an excellent job of not only creating memorable characters but also mystery and suspense. I became so emotionally wrapped up in the story that I wanted to sit down and talk to some of the characters and I cried through the last two chapters. Tammy, though in her second or third year of college, came across as much younger, but I’m sure that is due to her family’s beliefs and convictions and the more I read the more I could relate. While in some ways she comes across as shy and timid, at others, especially when her convictions are on the line, she has steadfast confidence. Though I find it hard to believe that a law firm would manage to take on 3 such religious summer clerks, I am not surprised that two rather different Christian men (Zach and Vince) would find her attractive.



Moses and Tammy’s paths cross when Judge Cannon assigns each summer clerk with a misdemeanor case. Moses Jones is accused of twenty-four counts of trespassing. As she researches the charges, she discovers connections between Moses Jones and one of the partners of the law firm, Joe Carpenter and an unsolved missing child case. Zach Mays, her supervising lawyer, cautions against digging any deeper than the relevant charges. Vince Colbert, a fellow summer clerk, passes along any info he stumbles across, including warning her that he has overheard the partners talking about her and her case. Tammy believes that God put her in that law firm with that case to uncover the unresolved death of a little girl from years ago and to tie up the loose ends, even if it means the end of her career and possibly her life.



This is one of the few Christian fiction books I have read that was not overly preachy except what fit each of the characters. While the main character is a young woman and two men are attracted to her, romance is kept as a shadow in the background. Whitlow’s knack for mystery and suspense are fantastic—one of the best Christian mystery/suspense I have ever read. I will definitely be reading the next one in this series and will look for more books by Robert Whitlow.





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I wish I had this book when I was a teen

The Truth About Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends by Thomas Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Truth About Dating, Love & Just Being Friends by Chad Eastham

Chad Eastham uses a lot of the questions he receives from teens as a springboard and answers them honestly from his opinion, experience, and documented evidence. The teenage years are about relationships and Eastham covers the popular questions of when to start dating, being friends, what is love, what is dating, how to know if someone is into you, and more.

This is an informative book, packed with humor and I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager. Eastham presents answers to typical questions in a normal, down-to-earth fashion that I think is quite palatable to teens. He presents Biblical principles without being preachy. My favorite part is when he addressed the issue of a lot of teens being miserable and suffering through high school. Eastham gave practical advice about what makes happy people happy and how to be positive. This book was an enjoyable read that I didn’t want to put down. He answers questions I remember having, I just wish someone had delivered the answers the way he does. Not only will I be recommending this book to anyone with teens, works with teens, but also a few who just left their teenage years and it will become a permanent part of my library. I look forward to passing it along to my daughters when they enter their teens.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”





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Kinda cute, but

Little Star by Anthony DeStefano

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


*Spoiler Alert*



This is a story about the special star that showed the way to find baby Jesus. I like the parallels the author draws between a tiny, seemingly insignificant and overlooked star and the birth of Jesus. The illustrations are very nice with depth even in muted colors and does a fair job of differentiating between fantasy (more cartoon-like drawings of the stars) and real life (more life-like drawings of people). I also like the parallel of the tiny star giving its life for Jesus. However, like other reviewers, I don’t care for the fact that the star burns out by dawn. The Biblical star did not burn out after one night and we as Christians do not burn out when we are shining with God’s light. The book says there was to be “a special reward … given to the star who could shine the brightest on the night the baby king was born.” If the reward is that some people put a star on their tree at Christmas, I’m sorry but that’s a let down. I could see where some children would be very sensitive to this ending. Biblically, I think the ending should have been different. I would not recommend this book and I don’t know if I will keep it.



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review





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Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze

Forget Me Not: A Novel by Vicki Hinze

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


We begin with an unidentified (her name changes three times through the story) main character who loses her identity. She was carjacked, beaten, kidnapped and dumped. She’s left with a spotty memory, gut feelings and her faith in God.



She was dumped in a town with plenty of drama. She looks a lot like Ben Brandt’s late wife. Three years and he’s still not over it. Mayor John Green and local philanthropist Gregory Chessman aren’t who they seem. And Vickie Hinze’s main character is still being followed, shot at, and hit. She doesn’t know who she is or why anyone would want to hurt her. She does believe God loves her and will take care of her through it all.



Hinze does a great job of building suspense and creating mystery. She knows how to create cliff hangers that make the reader keep turning pages. However, the romantic and Christian dialogue seemed forced and a bit preachy. Sometimes the point of view jumped around so quickly I didn’t know who was thinking, speaking, or where I was supposed to be in the scene.



Overall, it wasn’t bad. In fact it was good except for a few parts that dragged (the romantic and Christian dialogue, but I’m not much of a romantic).





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Looking back

Not more than two years ago, I was thinking that reading was unproductive. All my life I have loved reading, but after I had kids I somehow convinced myself that my precious time could not be wasted with useless reading. Then I researched becoming a writer and found “good writers are avid readers.” Uh-oh. So I read books 5-7 of Harry Potter and wasn’t sure where to go next. I tried Debbie Macomber, but I’m just not a Chick Lit girl.

Thankfully, Facebook had the answer. As I reconnected with old friends, I discovered I really enjoy military and police thrillers (Clive Cussler, James R. Hannibal, Michael Angley). Thus began the resolution to read a book each month and post a review—to prove I had read the book, tell friends about great new authors, and to hone my writing skills.

If I read one book each month over the last year, I would have read twelve books. I reviewed my blog and surpassed my goal with fourteen books read and reviewed! Ok, I read a couple that I didn’t review, but I have definitely rediscovered my love for reading. Military and police thrillers, nonfiction, children’s, middle grade, and fantasy—it’s been a lot of fun. I also discovered that some publishing companies (Thomas Nelson Booksneeze.com, Water Brook Multnomah Bloggingforbooks.com) will give you free books if you will blog your review. After getting a new phone this year, I downloaded the Kindle app and enjoy free books through the Vessel Project. Thanks to these resources, I think my love for reading is on the verge of obsession.

I’m looking forward to another year filled with reading and writing. You can also find my reviews on Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Goodreads.com under Jenny Rose.

I Quit!: Stop Pretending Everything Is Fine and Change Your Life by Geri Scazzero

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I Quit! Stop Pretending Everything is Fine and Change your Life by Geri Scazzero



This book is for those who think they have to live two lives: the Christian one and the other one. This book is for those who think they have to put on a Christian façade. This book is for those who think the Christian life is all about sacrifice. This book is for those who think the Christian life is fake. I also think this book is for adults with self-esteem issues.



I originally saw this book advertized in a MOPs magazine. When it became available free on Kindle, I downloaded it. While the things Scazzero was doing as a pastor’s wife and mother, she did them because she had to and she felt should “rather than a gift freely given. [She] mistakenly believed [she] didn’t have a choice.” All of us can get burned out doing things we think we should, because other people think we should, or because we think we have to. This book is about identifying falsehoods, errors in thinking, while identifying God’s call on our life and reclaiming our identity in Christ—the person God has called us to be.



Some have commented that this book does not show a balanced view between sacrifice and putting others first while saying no when necessary and appropriate. Some have commented that this book is too personal and the author vents and rants too much like a therapy session. I will agree that some of her examples and comments seem a little over the top. But rarely can you take 100% of a self-help type book and apply it exactly as the author describes. We are different people with different circumstances. Glean what you can and apply as best fits your situation.



I could relate to many of the examples Scazzero cited as well as the warning signs she mentions. Bottom line—the author is trying to communicate that we shouldn’t be so worried about what others think of us to completely ignore all our wants and needs and be fake just to make others happy. If we are unhappy, we need to identify why—this alone could be difficult and be a bigger, deeper issue than what it would seem.



I also think this is the best book I have read that can help adults with self-esteem issues.





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If you liked A Wrinkle in Time

On the Run by Bill Myers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On the Run by Bill Myers



Sixteen year-old Zach Dawkins and his thirteen year-old sister Piper are on their way to school with their six year-old little brother Elijah when they witness an accident. A little girl chasing after her run away puppy are both hit by a car. While all eyes are on the little girl, little Elijah picks up the puppy, sits on a curb rocking and whispering. Piper realizes Elijah is not with them and sees him on the curb with the puppy. She’s not the only one. A TV news van arrives on the scene and captures, to Piper’s horror, the lifeless puppy get up. It’s happened—again.



Thus begins an adventure of three kids on the run from an organization that has been tracking Elijah. In the process, they are separated from their parents who are kidnapped by the same organization. The henchmen chasing the kids are comical almost to the point of cartoonish. Throw in a bus ride, crazy inventions and hot-wiring an RV and you have the makings of an exciting adventure.



This is a hard-to-put-down read. If you enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time, you will love this as well.





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