TRACES OF GUILT by Dee Henderson

Evie Blackwell loves her job as an Illinois police detective but what she really likes to do is solve puzzles.  That makes her the perfect person for heading up a new task force that will focus on unsolved crimes across Illinois.  She’ll be working closely with Sheriff Gabriel Thane in Carin County.  Gabe grew up in Carin when his dad was Sheriff and wanted to follow in his footsteps by upholding the law and protecting the citizens.  As they begin taking a closer look at the unsolved cases they discover that they’re just might be a connection.  As they work together, Gabriel and Evie begin forming a friendship that just might last longer then the end of the cases.

Traces of Guilt was a good story.  It had to do with cold cases so it was the mystery of what happened in those cases rather than any suspense.  I really liked the Thane brothers and am hoping that there will be other books to further their stories.  They’re a close knit family and well respected in their community.  I loved their camaraderie and the way they cared for each other.  Ann Falcon (from Full Disclosure) was very much a part of this story.  She’s good friends with the Thane family and also with Evie.  I really didn’t like Ann in Full Disclosure but found I liked her better in this story.  Gabriel and Evie want to find that certain someone and have the type of relationship that Anne and Paul Falcon have.  I felt like there was chemistry between Gabriel and Evie but nothing romantic developed.  That was disappointing to me.  However, the door is left open for something more in the future.  Actually, there was no romance to speak of in this story other than what was spoken about between Will Thane and Karen.  I really missed that aspect.  Overall it was a good story and would recommend it to those who have enjoyed this author’s most recent work.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A couple of quotes:

“God loves my son, and He loves Karen.  I’ve come to accept the fact that God understands better than I ever will how to seek and save Will.”

“But just remember one thing.  You want peace with a man’s mother, you bring him to church every Sunday, and when the kids come along, you bring them too.”

For more information about this book or other books by Dee Henderson I recommend you visit her website at http://www.deehenderson.com

THE STRONGHOLD by Lisa Carter

 FBI Agent Alex Torres and Apache tribal police officer Pilar To-Clanny have a long history together of ups and downs.  After being gone for years, Alex returns to Arizona when young girls come up missing from New Mexico and the reservation in Arizona.  Alex wants to help find them but, because of his faith, he also wants to make things right with Pilar.  When Manny (a boy they both love) goes missing, Pilar and Alex reluctantly work together risking their lives to rescue the boy.  What they discover along the way is not only more sinister than they ever imagined but it will also change their lives forever.

I have read several Lisa Carter books and really like her stories and The Stronghold is no exception. I will say though that this was not an easy read because of the nature of the story.  It deals with some dark subject matters.  Some scenes are pretty intense and graphic which is why it’s difficult to read.  Aside from that, I thought the story was very good.  The dynamics between Alex and Pilar were interesting, complex and edgy.  Their history together was about great love and deep hurt which you learn about through a series of flashbacks.  Pilar felt unclean and unloveable because of what happened to her so she holds everyone at arms length. I appreciated seeing Alex’s faith in action and the ways he expressed it especially to Pilar.  But I also saw the way he still struggled with certain things.  To me, that’s real life.   God never promised we would never have trouble, pain or heartache but He did promise to walk through all of it with us.  For me, the beginning of the book seemed a bit confusing but when you get to the end of the story it all makes sense and the author brings everything together in a very cohesive way.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Abingdon Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A favorite quote:

“The only thing I’ve managed to cling to, Pia, is the great love of God for his children.  A love that desires a real relationship.  The kind of relationship that offers a choice.  To love or not to love.”  Alex’s chest heaved.  “And not to love Him, I realized, was the first step on the path toward evil.  Because real love, like His, loves enough to let us choose Him or the darkness.  To make our own mistakes.  But He’s also there to pick up the pieces of our brokenness when we cry out to Him.”

For more information about this book or other books by Lisa Carter, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.lisacarterauthor.com

CLOSE TO YOU by Kara Isaac

Allison Shire thought she had found her happily ever after, that is until she finds out her husband already had a wife she knew nothing about.  In an effort to escape the whole ugly situation, she travels to New Zealand to work as a tour guide, guiding Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fans to the well know sites from the movies.  Jackson Gregory was at the top of his game.  He was about to make it big in business and had the girl of his dreams, that is until she left him to be with his biggest competitor, taking with her all his business secrets.  Left with nothing and feeling responsible for losing his investors money and wanting to someday return it to them, his only chance seems to be with his great uncle who has money enough to invest in another of his ideas.  In order to do that he volunteers to be his uncle’s assistant spending three weeks trying to convince him he’s a total Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan.  The problem? He doesn’t have a clue about any of it.  When Allison and Jackson first meet sparks fly.   She pegs him for a fake right away but as they continue to get thrown together on various outings, they begin to see a different side of each other.  The attraction between them is strong but both have things they have to get past.  Will they be able to work through those things and perhaps find something neither of them expected?

This was such a great story and I enjoyed every minute I was involved in it.  There was lots of great humor (which I love) but there was also a seriousness about it that dealt with real-life issues like love, loss, guilt, anger and family relationships, just to name a few.  There were a lot of things relating to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit which I was not familiar with because I’ve never read the books or seen the movies (I know, I know).  However, I didn’t feel like that was a distraction at all from the story itself.  I loved getting to know Allison and Jackson and seeing how they each grew and changed throughout the book.  I appreciated Jackson’s great uncle and how he handled Jackson and the whole trip with wisdom and love.  One thing I really wished was that there would have been an epilogue.  I longed for just a little more but that’s partly because I hated to see it end.  This is the author’s debut novel but it sure didn’t read that way.  If you enjoy books by Jenny B. Jones then I definitely think you should give Kara Isaac a try and keep this “Close to You” until you finish.  Loved the cover, loved the story, highly recommended

*This complimentary copy was provided by Howard Book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A couple memorable quotes:

Allie pressed the phone against her ear, leaning her head against the leather seat.  “What if I’m not supposed to be doing this?  What if I’m messing up God’s plan?” Kat laughed. “You can’t mess up God’s plan.  He’s a whole lot bigger than that…”

But you changed me.  You helped me understand that God doesn’t want me to live a life that’s defined by my mistakes.  And I’m so grateful for that.”

For more information about this book or other books by Kara Isaac I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.karaisaac.com.