Beauty in Flight by Robin Patchen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Robin Patchen has brought out another book that kept me turning the pages! Harper isn’t someone I could identify with in any way other than Patchen’s magic in bringing such a character to life. A woman who has made so many truly terrible choices in her life, paid a heavy price, and is trying to pull herself together. But her past includes some very dangerous elements and at least one of those elements won’t let her go.
Twisted Lies by Robin Patchen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Here’s “the rest of the story” on Nate Boyle from book #1, Convenient Lies. (Which is good, because I really, really liked him in that book.) In true Patchen fashion, the story peels back its layers amid intrigue, sometimes gut-wrenching emotion, and danger. A great combination! Marisa Vega – the heroine – will grab your heart as she works to help others while burying herself. (You’ll have to read the book to understand.) I recommend reading Convenient Lies first for more insight into the character of Nate Boyle. Because you’ll want to know what this guy has already been through!
Convenient Lies by Robin Patchen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you like international intrigue with a strong romantic element, this is the book for you. It’s got danger, a handsome hero, a perplexing villain, a body count, and a heroine you’ll be cheering on throughout the book.
Reagan McAdams returns to her old home, and her old name. Fleeing Paris with her infant son, she arrives at her grandmother’s house only to learn that the dear woman passed away days ago. Her husband has lied to her, her grandmother has left her, and her high school boyfriend is trying to get too close to her. She knows the danger she’s in, she just doesn’t know how she’s going to get out of it, or if she will.
Before the Apocalypse: A Young Adult Christian Suspense by Taylor Jaxon
The only reason this book is classified as YA fiction, is because of the age of the main characters. But don’t kid yourself (pun intended), this book is also a great read for adults. Lots of suspense, a bit of romance, and a solid background of Biblical prophesy.
Sam is the high school football star. He’s dating the head cheerleader. If he can keep his grades up and get the football into the end zone, he’s got a great shot at a college scholarship. Everything is going his way … until the dreams start.
Jayden is the mousy girl who attends Christian school. She either knows that answers at youth group or asks the right questions to get them. Even she knows she’s not “cool.” But when Sam asks for her help getting answers to his dreams, she decides to lend a hand.
Hud lost his spot on the football team to Sam, and then his girl decided she liked Sam better too. His parents have no time for him. His friends are lame. But when he learns about a new religion and how it’s a family, a place to belong, he’s all in.
The times are changing and these three high school kids are in the thick of it. Buckle your seat belt and hang on for the ride!
Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The last in the “Men of Honor” trilogy, “Tangled Webs” is a nice wrap-up of the McGregors brothers series. Plenty of drama, tension, and personal struggles to keep the reader turning each page. A little bit predictable, but worth reading for the insight into the relationships and how hurting people react to the world around them. Some will rise above, and some will succumb to the pressures.
The youngest McGregor brother, Finn secludes himself in a cabin in the woods to rest, recuperate, and remove himself from his overbearing – if well meaning – family. The plan works well for the first two days, and then Finn has second thoughts about a month spent all alone. Until a shriek in the distance sends him charging through the forest in the night. What – who – he finds will change his life forever.
Dana Lewis hopes that her grandparents’ cabin will bring the peace she hasn’t been able to find since that day in New York City. Hurt both mentally and physically, she buries herself in the woods by the lake without even cell service. But that doesn’t stop the nightmares. And then one night a stranger comes crashing through her window.
While the books stand well alone, reading them in order adds more layers to this final story. See my review of book #2, “Thin Ice.”
Murder Comes by Mail by A.H. Gabhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another fine mystery from Ann Gabhart! The characters from Hidden Springs are back for another round of who-done-it.
Deputy Michael Keane is wondering why he ever thought Hidden Springs was a sleepy like town. He saves a man from jumping off a bridge, only to start a wave of murders tied to … Deputy Keane himself. While the body count rises, Michael works to find the monster who photographs his victims and mails the photos.
Mysteries are not my go-to genre, but I’m really enjoying this series by Ann Gabhart. Looking forward to the next one!
What Happened on Beale Street by Mary Ellis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in the “Secrets of the South Mysteries” series. There are actually two mysteries to be solved in this one. Private investigator Nicki Price and her cousin/boss Nate Price are back on the job. When an old friend from high school calls for help, the cousins head to Memphis. They arrive too late to help Danny. They stay to help his sister, the same Isabelle Andre who had scorned the high school aged Nate Price so long ago. While living in the lap of luxury at the Carlton Hotel, the cousins work to find Danny’s killer and Nicki gets swept up into a fifty-year-old mystery at the hotel. Meanwhile, a crazy man is stalking Isabelle and Nate finds he cares too much for his new client. Wrapping up all the loose ends with take team effort and some old-fashioned PI sleuthing.
Lots of stuff going on in this book and lots of characters. Some we remember from “Midnight on the Mississippi” while others are natives of Memphis. While it would be nice to read the first book in the series, it’s not necessary. Mary Ellis does a good job of making this story stand on its own.
Pegg Thomas