Mystery Books - Page 9

Merciless (Dominion Trilogy #3)

Robin Parrish

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

That's How You Finish a Trilogy! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Grant Borrows has fallen into the depths of the earth. Out of the darkness climbs the unstoppable evil known as Oblivion to take his place. Oblivion has one goal: to destroy the Earth and bring torment and death to all humanity. However, a small remnant remains that refuses to give up. Armed with nothing more than hope they set off on one final mission to stop Oblivion and save the world from his destruction.

When I come to the end of a trilogy or a series it is always with some trepidation. Too often even the greatest writers don't know how to end the incredible sagas they have begun. Storylines are left dangling, we get no sense of closure, or alas they have to leave it wide open just in case they want to revisit the story later. All of these writers should pick up a copy of Merciless to see how it's done.

With the Dominion Trilogy, Parrish has proven not only to be a top notch writer, but a writer who knows how to tell a story. Each installment of this trilogy is simply incredible, and Merciless is everything you want in a finale. I was quite surprised that Parrish manages to answer all of our questions (and there are a lot of questions), and every storyline is tied up giving us the perfect amount of closure. The action and intensity never let up from the beginning and there are delightful surprises around every corner.

Strong spiritual themes abound in this installment and I was completely awed by the messages of hope, sacrifice, and redemption that are so beautifully displayed within these pages. Days after reading the last lines I still get chills from the final scenes with the characters that have become so dear to me.

I can't recommend this trilogy enough to anyone who loves quality storytelling at the highest level. I would encourage everyone to start at the beginning to really get the full experience of this amazing story. Robin Parrish has stormed his way to the top of my Must-Read List and he deserves to be at the top of yours as well.

Editorial Review:

From the earth's depths crawls a figure with skin like granite, flames for eyes, and the face of Grant Borrows.

Oblivion has arrived.

Every clock around the world has stopped. Time has frozen.

The Secretum have fulfilled the prophecy, unleashing on earth the most powerful being to walk the earth in thousands of years. His name is Oblivion and his touch is death.

He can't be slowed He can't be stopped. And he can't be killed.

But as long as any live who trust in hope and love and freedom, the fight is not over.

They have only one chance before he brings forth the Darkworld.

Oblivion is: Merciless

The Tender Vine (Diamond of the Rockies #3)

Kristen Heitzmann

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The series ends but the characters live on...... 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Quillan has agreed to take Carina back to her beloved Sonoma and family. Their journey is nothing compared to what awaits them when they finally do arrive.... Here is your typical Italian family who demands that protocol be followed, a very handsome (and faithless) ex-lover for whom we have been waiting 3 whole books to find out about, and then there is Papa. All of them will surprise and alternately anger and please the reader.

This last book of the series is probably my favorite. The real, deep and eternal love between Carina and Quillan shows so clearly I just wanted to SHAKE the whole family for their negativity, but, in the process I learned to respect and love Quillan and Carina all the more. Total love is being willing to let go if necessary, however painful.

Filled with lots of action and suspense, obviously, the author could not allow this to be a "happily ever after" without a firey trial of pain, raw emotions and near death for some of the main characters.....without revealing anything, I will just say, buy all three books at one time and you will never have to wait for the sequel..

A very excellent historical, Christian fiction love story and one that older teens should definitely read. Thank you Kristen!

Editorial Review:

Book 3 of Diamond of the Rockies historical fiction series. The ache of her recent loss is a constant companion, and Carina longs to return to her family and her former home. With Quillan at her side, they make the journey to the California vineyards and to the closely-knit Italian American family Carina left when she moved to Crystal, Colorado. But Carina's parents are ignortant of their daughters marriage, and Quillan is far different from the husband they had in mind. With Quillan uncomfortable, her parents unhappy, and her former beau determined to have her back, where can she turn for help?

The Distant Beacon (Song of Acadia #4)

Janette Oke, T. Davis Bunn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best of the 'Song of Acadia' Series..... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This may very well be the best book yet in the series. The story line is very believable and unpredictable. I must say that all the books in the series are great and once started are almost impossible to put down. I am excited that another book in the series is coming out in the fall of 2002.
As the other reviewer mentioned, I too would like more involvement of the Acadian parents.

Editorial Review:

"Anne's sorrow over her husband's death has been eased by the unexpected discovery of his heritage in the Harrow family and by her marriage to a brilliant young theologian. But Nicole is as restless as ever and has decided to retutn to North America. Should she go to the Acadian family of her childhood in Louisiana's bayous? Or should she settle in Nova Scotia near her birth parents? The American colonies are in revolt against England, and Uncle Charles asks her to go to Massachusetts to oversee his extensive landholdings. The attentions of the ship's captain during the crossing touch a yearning deep within her, but she also realizes all her loyalties are about to be tested. Is she French? Is she English? Is she a supporter of the American cause? Nicole's unique legacy will allow her to play an extraordinary role in the unfolding historic events, but will she be able to find a home for her heart?"

Directed Verdict

Randy D. Singer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the face of injustice, one person committed to a holy cause can make a difference. This is the story of how one lawyer, confronted with the martyrdom of a Christian missionary, stands up to injustice despite seemingly insurmountable odds.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, two American missionaries are targeted by the infamous religious police–the Muttawa. The man is tortured and killed; his wife arrested on trumped-up charges before being deported to the U.S.

Compelled by the injustice of her plight, young attorney Brad Carson files an unprecedented civil rights suit against Saudi Arabia and the ruthless head of the Muttawa. But the suit unleashes powerful forces that will stop at nothing to vindicate the Arabian kingdom. Witnesses are intimidated and some disappear, jurors are bribed, and a member of Brad’s own team may be attempting to sabotage the case.

As Brad navigates a maze of treachery and deception, he must gamble his case, his career, and the lives of those he loves–including brilliant co-counsel Leslie Conners–on the ability of his team to bring justice to one family, challenge the religious intolerance of a nation, and alter the course of international law.

Wiser Than Serpents (Mission: Russia #3) (Steeple Hill Women's Fiction #62)

Susan May Warren

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

TEN STARS! A WONDERFUL READ!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Susan May Warren brilliantly brings her Mission: Russia series characters to life in "Wiser Than Serpents". At the same time, she raises awareness of a serious plague attacking the world, today: human trafficking. Russian FSB (formerly KGB) Agent and IT expert, Yanna, has a problem. Her sister, Elena, has been kidnapped into the sex slavery market in Taiwan. She normally turns to her friend and American military operative, David Curtiss, when she is in need. But he is nowhere to be found. Taking matters into her own hands, Yanna arranges for her own capture by the same criminal element in the hopes of saving Elena. When she learns of David's deep undercover involvement in the operation, will it jeopardize both of their missions? Hers, to rescue her sister; his, to take down the Twin Dragons crime syndicate that deals in human trafficking.

Start this novel early in the morning on a day you have nothing to do. You will be completely swept away by Susie's narrative, caught up in the action and intertwined in the lives of her powerful - and intensely romantic - characters. David's conviction as a Christian to not be unequally yoked with a non-believer is a primary struggle in his relationship with Yanna. Susie handles this beautifully. Old friends from previous Mission: Russia novels appear in major leading roles. The horrors of human trafficking are not gruesomely described, but the tense undercurrent is very evident throughout the story. I love that part of the profits for this book go toward combating this terrifying problem. Bravo, Susie! Not only have you opened the eyes of Christian fiction readers to what horrors exist in our own backyards, you have thoroughly entertained with this novel!!! Plus, a conversation between David and Roman led me to do a Bible study on Psalm 73. This is an amazing book!

Editorial Review:

Her sister had vanished, trapped in a human slavery ring. To find her, FSB agent Yanna Andrevka arranged her own kidnapping into Taiwan's sex-trafficking trade. And found herself with no way out.

Until Yanna discovered an ally deep undercover: Delta Force captain David Curtiss. He was after the kingpin of the Twin Serpents, the organized crime syndicate that had Yanna—and hundreds of others— in their clutches.

With opposite agendas, David and Yanna had to rely on each other to outwit their cold-blooded enemy.

Evidence of Mercy (Suncoast Chronicles Series #1)

Terri Blackstock

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

My Favorite 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.

EVIDENCE of MERCY is Terri Blackstock's first book in her new "Sun Coast Chronicles. Once again Blackstock has penned a memorable narrative to introduce her new series. Lynda Barrett, busy attorney, has to sell her beloved airplane to cover the debt left by her father's death. Reluctantly she agrees to let Jake Stevens, shallow, handsome, carefree playboy and potential buyer, test flight her small Piper. While in the air they discover a mutual animosity that doesn't disappear when sabotage downs the plane. Jake wakes up in the hospital with a marred face, a missing eye and no feeling in his legs. Lynda soon realizes that someone wants her dead. The captivating narrative that follows as Lynda fights for an abused client, befriends a suicidal Jake and fights to stay alive will stay long term in your memory. If EVIDENCE of MERCY is any indication of the rest of the "Sun Coast Chronicles" series, it is sure to be Blackstock's best.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever." Reviewer for Intriguing Authors and Their Books at http://www.funeralassociates.com/authors.htm

Editorial Review:

Action, suspense, romance, and the growth of Christian faith weave together in this first in a series of four novels by popular author Terri Blackstock.

The Whole Truth

James Scott Bell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A great beginning, a solid ending, a slow middle. A good book, not great. 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Steve Conroy, 30 years old, is the miserable lead character in James Scott Bell's new legal thriller, THE WHOLE TRUTH. Miserable, meaning his marriage is falling apart, he's a former drug addict, he's been evicted from his law office, and he has no money or clients. Steve's tragic adult life can be traced back to when he was five years old. One night, two strangers broke into his house and kidnapped his brother. Steve was too afraid to say anything until the morning. That event has haunted him every single day since then.

One day, a prisoner named Johnny LaSalle contacts Johnny and claims he is Robert, the brother that disappeared so many years ago. Steve knows it can't be possible because his brother was later found dead. However, Johnny knows things that only his brother would know. Then Johnny offers Steve a large amount of money to be his lawyer, and the lawyer to his religious group living at a mountain compound. The middle of the novel consists of Steve fighting to stay off drugs and trying to cope with the idea that Johnny could be his long lost brother. If Johnny is his brother, then Steve has to reconcile his sense of morality with Johnny and his friends' white-supremicist beliefs. Can Steve be the lawyer that the White Supremicist group wants him to be? Can he stay off drugs? Can he convice young law clerk Sienna Ciccone to take a chance and go out with him? Will ex-wife Ashley give him another chance?

In my opinion, this novel had a great beginning, a strong ending, and struggled in the middle, thus only 3 stars. Bell describes vividly the closeness Steve feels to Robert and how he idolizes his older brother. Then Robert is taken and Steve must live with the devestation that the kidnapping was somehow his own fault. Then the middle comes and Steve comes off as an obnoxious character. He tries to be funny, peppering many of his jokes with pop culture references that will soon be out of date. I feel like Steve needed more of a seriousness about him since his life was in such dire straights. Perhaps Bell wrote Steve as a comedian as a way of coping with his pain, but for me there was too much of it. Once the final act arrives, and the novel picks back up again. Steve has been attacked, betrayed, saved, shot at, rescued and lied to. He's been through the ringer. He meets a girl named Bethany that had been held captive at the LaSalle compound. He finds out the truth about his brother, and he even begins to believe in God. I liked the end. It had plenty of twists and turns and packed an emotional punch.

This book isn't as good as some of Bell's recent novels. The opening kidnapping is such an emotional tragedy and what follows just doesn't have the same feeling. However, the ending is good and makes the novel worth reading.

Editorial Review:

At the age of five, Steve Conroy saw his seven-year-old brother kidnapped from the very bedroom they shared. Now thirty years old with a failing law practice, Steve’s last chance to overcome his past just might come from a convicted criminal. But can Steve get the truth he needs from this con man?

Coral Moon (Kanner Lake Series #2)

Brandilyn Collins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Don't Read On A Dark and Stormy Night- Totally Amazing! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Leslie Brymes, reporter for the Kanner Lake Times has dreams of going national. Hoping her coverage of actress Edna San's murder last year would raise her to the stardom she dreams of. But when she awakens one morning to find seventy something year old Vesta Johnson, a woman loved by all murdered and put in her car she has second thoughts about being a reporter.

Police Chief Vince Edwards is at a lost as to who would murder Vesta. But all clues point to one person and that is impossible, that person being Henry Johnson, Vesta's late husband who passed away fourteen months ago! But what of the eerie feelings he has experienced? And even Leslie feels an evil presence is trying to kill her.

With a police department of only five men and with the Idaho State Police looking for clues at the crime scene Vince must figure this out, does he have a serial killer on his hands, a ghost or a one time murder? But what of the note found pinned on Vesta's chest? Vince is racing against time will the murderer strike again and what does Leslie have to do with all of this?

Leslie feels that she can't trust anyone but has to find out if in someway Vesta's murder is her fault. The second body appears and the notes begin to appear what does all this have to do with the new proposed hotel? And what about the teenager that calls Leslie with information that Leslie has to pursue? What of the evil that seems to have fallen on Kenner Lake? After all the twists and turns the climax will have you seating on the edge of your seat.

If you love mystery, intrigue and suspense than hold onto your seat as author Brandilyn Collins gives you a glimpse of the unseen realm of demonic forces and how God places prayer on the hearts of His people even those who question who He is and has everyone looking to the pastor for guidance.

Coral Moon is the second book of the author's new series, the first being Violet Dawn all revolve around the sleepy little Town of Kenner Lake. Brandilyn Collins has a way with words so much so that you find yourself not being able to put down this awesome page turner. The characters jump right off the page at you, characters or people you feel you know and become entangled in their lives.

If you're new to Brandilyn Collins as this reviewer is you'll find yourself wanting to read all ten of her other 3 series of books, while waiting in anticipation as to what is in store next for the people of Kenner Lake in the third book Crimson Eve. Word of advice don't read Coral Moon alone on a dark and stormy night!

Editorial Review:

In book two of the Kanner Lake Series by Brandilyn Collins, a murder and a cryptic message plunge a small resort community in the wilds of northern Idaho into a terrifying encounter with the supernatural. And the solution appears to be one that can’t be true … but must be.

First the Dead (Bug Man Series #3)

Tim Downs

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

From J. Kaye's Book Blog 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Spoiler Alert!

FIRST THE DEAD by TIM DOWNS is the third book in the bug man series. Nick Polchak is the bug man, a forensic entomologist. He is part of the DMORT, Disaster Mortuary Response Team.

One day DMORT gets a disaster alert, hurricane Katrina is going to hit Louisiana. Usually there primary objective is to gather bodies so that they can identify them and inform there families, but this time they are sent to rescue survivors. Nick has never been very good with authorities and following the rules, so he and his friend Jerry go looking for bodies.

While trying to find bodies they come across a kid with very good eyesight, and they take him along but the kid, J.T., makes Nick promise to help him find his father. Soon J.T. spots something that catches Nick's attention, floating body. He explains to J.T. that if a boy is floating that means that the person has been dead for a long time. Nick sees something else interesting about the body; it looks as if the person was murdered.

When he takes it back to the DMORT base Denny, the leader of the DMORT, he gets in trouble and a warning to stop bringing in bodies. But that doesn't stop Nick. He soon brings in more bodies and Denny calls in the head of the DEA Turlock. Nick gets yet another warning, but is given the permission to tag the bodies instead of taking them. Nick follows that but then he finds another murdered body and instead of bringing them to the DMORT, he puts it in the bottom floor of an "abandoned" hospital. Little did Nick know that the hospital wasn't abandon and the body is soon discovered. Someone is called in and them traces the body back to Nick. Soon Jerry goes missing and so does J.T. Then Nick is almost murdered. Then deny finally has had it with Nick and he is kicked of the team, but he never goes home. With the help of Beth, his ex-girlfriend, he soon finds out who is after him.

This is the best book I have read in a long time. This combines mystery, comedy, thriller, and suspense all in one book. Normally I always read the first book in the series first, but this time I didn't have to. This book explains itself nicely.

Editorial Review:

When a national disaster strikes, "first the living" is the rule.

Unless you're the Bug Man.

When Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans, forensic entomologist Nick Polchak signs up to help with the recovery effort. He is known as the Bug Man for his knowledge of insects and what they can reveal about the dead. The government's mandate is clear--rescue the living first, recover the dead later.

But something is very wrong in the toxic soup-bowl of post-Katrina New Orleans.

Someone is using the cover of disaster to kill...hiding the victims of murder in the same watery grave as the victims of Katrina.

It's a tale only the dead can tell. But no one besides the Bug Man is listening.

But Why Shoot the Magistrate? (MacLaren Yarbrough Mysteries)

Patricia Sprinkle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Definitely worth my money and my time. 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book because the cover had a sticker that said if I did not love it, I could return it and get my money back with no questions asked. I figured what did I have to lose? Patricia Sprinkle has since become one my favorite authors. Her Maclaren Yarbrough books are easy reads. I felt like I knew her characters personally and was already missing them as I read the last few pages. If you like Perry Mason, Ben Matlock, or Jessica Fletcher, you will love Maclaren Yarbrough.

Satisifying Read 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

All of the MacLaren Yarbrough books are engaging mysteries and easy reads---the kind of book that is best enjoyed on a rainy day with hot chocolate. What Sprinkle does with clues is interesting, especially in this MadLaren book.

Delightful characters, setting and situation! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed this book very much, as I had already come to love Maclaren Yarborough from her later escapades. The characters are well-rounded, the plot beautifully executed, and the setting, Hopemore, Georgia, is a place I never want to leave. I wonder, though, if I would have enjoyed this one as much had I read it first. ("Why Shoot the Magistrate?" is Maclaren Yarbrough's debut story.) The reason for my hesitation is that this book is a bit heavy on the "preachy" kind of religion. Overall, I love Mac's philosophy, her connection with God, her staunch morality. But in this book, and the next (When Did We Lose Harriet?) the reader is made to feel that unless you believe exactly what Mac does, you are sadly misled, spiritually. Happily, every book in this series from the third one on is light on the religion angle and heavy on just basic common sense and common decency - and excellent plotting. Don't pass this one by, even if you have no religious beliefs at all, because overall the book is a winner!

Editorial Review:

In the second MacLaren Yarbrough mystery, MacLaren finds herself trying to single-handedly solve two mysteries: Was it really Pastor Luke Blessed who killed gentle young Amanda Kent -- and who shot MacLaren's husband, Joe Riddley?