A Match of Wits

A Match of Wits
Jen Turano 
Bethany House Publishers 
2014 
Suspense, Romance, Fiction, Historical

After his departure from New York two years ago to meet up with his almost-fiancée, Zayne Beckett is the last person Agatha Watson wanted to stumble upon in her travels as a reporter with the New York Tribune. Quite pathetically bedraggled, he clearly needs to be taken in hand and sent back East to his family. Although she no longer has feelings for him, Agatha realizes, by hook or by crook, she'll have to be the one to get the obstinate man home.

Zayne has no desire to be taken anywhere and is prepared to drag his heels all the way home... until he finds himself slipping back into the familiar banter of his former friendship with Agatha. Once they arrive in New York, Zayne realizes Agatha's determined nose for news has earned her a few enemies, and he hopes to repay her help with some help of his own. When she rebuffs all his attempts to prove himself a knight in shining armor, the lengths to which they'll go to win this battle of wills lead to some memorable antics. 

Everyone else may think them a match, but nothing could be further from the truth--until Agatha finds herself in real trouble. Have these two stubborn, too-smart-for-their-own-good people been meant for each other all along?

At many turns this book had me laughing. At other turns I was bored. I felt like I wasn't quite following the storyline and that made it difficult to read. Turano is an engaging author but I just didn't ever get hooked on this one. 

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my real and honest review. 

Poison Town

Poison Town
Creston Mapes
David C. Cook
February 2014
Mystery, fiction, suspense 

There’s More Than One Kind of Poison in This Town People are sick and dying. Rumors are swirling. Some claim chemicals leaking from a manufacturing plant are causing the cancer that’s crippling people on the poor side of Trenton City, Ohio. Yet nothing at the plant appears amiss. The problem remains a mystery until reporter Jack Crittendon’s long-time mechanic falls ill and he investigates. Soon Jack becomes engulfed in a smokescreen of lies, setups, greed, and scandal. The deeper he digs, the more toxic the corruption he uncovers. As he faces off with the big-time players behind the scenes and tries to beat the clock before more people die, he realizes the chillingly unthinkable—he knows too much.

This book gripped me from the beginning and never let me go. It's rare to find a "Christian" mystery that will keep my attention. This did it. Mapes writes with true finesse and it's very refreshing. This is book 2 in the series and I did find myself a little confused with the characters so while it could be read as a stand-alone I would recommend reading it in order. This has enough mystery and suspense to keep you reading far into the night and enough justice to make falling asleep a little easier. 

My thanks to my friends at David C. Cook for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my real and honest review. 

Unspoken

Unspoken
Dee Henderson
Bethany House Publishers
Fiction, Romance, Suspense
October 2013

Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history. 

The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life. 

She's never said a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years.

A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn't find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years. 

Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor--she's decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she's willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She's not giving him much of an opening to work with. 

Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter...

In a world full of non discerning reviewers I feel like I need to step out against the flow and be completely honest. Oh my goodness. That was my response reading this book and that's not a positive thing.....

1. Coins. For the love of all that is good in this world how boring can you get? I mean honestly. All the intrigue and mystique the book starts out with ends quite abruptly in a showroom full of antique coins. Yawn. I'm sure the 4 people who are into extremely rare coins will appreciate the detail Henderson goes into. I, however, was less than interested. I actually skipped a number of pages hoping to escape it. 

2. Charlotte. Henderson typically writes a bit far fetched characters but they have depth and are relatable. Charlotte is far from one of those characters. I understand she was terrorized but at some point either get her counseling and lead her towards healing or make her a secondary character. She was stuck and I felt stuck reading her. 

3. Money. Oh the money. So much of it and on and on it went. Seriously, how many people really deal with that kind of money and have that kind of disposable wealth? It was laughable. The money kept coming and as it approached the billions I found myself checking to make sure I wasn't reading a comedy by mistake. It was both fantasy and comedy. Neither of which I wanted to find in this book. 

4. Characters. In general the characters were an awful mixture of cold superheroes. They were unbelievable and it was disappointing. They were also boring and broken to the point of beyond repair. Very little redemptive message here. 

There were a few bright spots and a few Henderson moments that give you hope for something more but in general this lacked in almost every area. Perhaps Henderson wrote herself into a corner niche and would like to get out, this ain't the way to do it. Clumsy, LONG, and lacking passion I don't recommend this one. It's neither easy to read or enjoyable. I'm hoping for more next time but I'm not sure I have the energy to try again.....


My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my real and honest review. 

Deployed

Deployed
Mel Odom
Tyndale Publishing
Fiction, Suspense
October 2012

Sergeant Lance Corporal Bekah Shaw joined the United States Marine reserves to help support herself and her son. On a peacekeeping mission to Somalia, Bekah and her team meet Rageh Daud, a man determined to seek revenge on the terrorists who killed his wife and son. To defeat the terrorists and bring peace to the region, Bekah and her team must convince Daud that they are on the same side.

Bekah is a single mom who just wants to provide for her son. Little did she know she would be thrust into the heart of war torn areas on a number of deployments. She has trouble at home with her ex and trouble overseas from terrorist.

Rageh was content to live with his little family in Somalia. When a terrorist attack tears his family apart he determines to avenge his loved ones whatever the cost. Intent on revenge he goes through the countryside gathering up his own army from displaced people groups. He has one thought in mind until an orphaned little boy opens his eyes.

Bekah and Rageh's lives will intersect in war torn Somalia and neither one will be the same again. 

I have always enjoyed Odom's novels. He's a good author that writes with detail and intrigue. Deployed has much detail and intrigue but it lacks a certain gripping factor. I found myself putting it down often out of boredom and because I was lost in the details. Bekah and Ragehs' stories are told separately and I found them both a little hard to follow. Rageh's character was heart-breaking but I had to dig deep to find that part of him. Bekah comes across as rather flat. Her mother's heart is sweet but there is something about her that doesn't read very true.

I found the war action a bit hard to follow but it was well written. Odom's detailed writing serves him well in that area. This is the first book in the series and I'm interested to see where book 2 might take the reader. All in all this is a decent read. Odom doesn't fully grab a win but this certainly isn't a fail. Be ready to concentrate to fully follow the storyline and I think you'll be glad you did.

My thanks to Tyndale Publishing House for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.