Miracle Drug by Richard Mabry (Review)

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 15, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-1630881184

Overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug—it will take a miracle.

The infection wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn’t. Then Dr. Josh Pearson discovers why—his patients, including the former President of the United States, have been dosed with a different strain of the original virus, one that is universally fatal. The only chance for survival is treatment with an experimental drug, but the manufacturer might already have discarded its supply.

As if treating the President of the United States isn’t stressful enough, the situation goes from bad to worse when Rachel Moore, a nurse Josh is falling in love with, falls ill. With the nation’s eyes on him, Josh must pull off a miracle to save a man who holds a good deal of power and the woman who holds his heart.


My Review:

This was an okay medical themed Christian fiction mystery/suspense book. The premise of the plot was interesting. SPOILER ALERT: I felt like the climax of the plot came way too early. The rest of the book was finding out who was behind getting the President and Rachel sick and why. END
The book moved slower than expected for a mystery/suspense book until the end which was explosive. Some of the characters needed more development. I did like the relationship between Josh and Rachel. The bad guy was easy to guess and a twist at the end did not fit the book. Overall it was not the best medical thriller by this writer. I loved his Prescription for Trouble series. I look forward to seeing what he writes next.





Richard L. Mabry, M.D. is a retired physician who writes “medical suspense with heart.” His novels have won multiple awards. He and his wife live in Central Texas. You can follow Richard online at RMabry.com, as well as on Twitter (@RichardMabry), and Facebook at RMabryBooks

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Vendetta by Lisa Harris (Review)

Series: The Nikki Boyd Files (Book 1)

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Revell (October 6, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0800724177

No one needs to push Nikki Boyd to excel on the Tennessee Missing Person Task Force. The case of her own missing sister, still unsolved after ten years, is the driving force in her work. When a Polaroid photo of a missing girl shows up at a crime scene, Nikki quickly recognizes similarities to the past. The closer she gets to the abductor, the more she feels that this case is getting personal, and that she is not the hunter at all--but actually the one being hunted.


My Review:

Vendetta starts a new series featuring Nikki Boyd. She is an agent for the TN Missing Person Taskforce. Nikki is out hiking with her deceased best friends' husband, Tyler,  when she gets a call to help with a  missing teenager. He tags along with her to help. Investigating this disappearance brings back a lot of bad memories of her sister disappearing ten years ago. Nikki is determined to do whatever it takes to get this girl back. It is a wild ride with a few twists and turns.  It held my attention from the beginning and I could not wait to find out what happened next. It had mystery, suspense, and a little romance. It was not explicit or too gritty. The faith element was not developed enough though. I hope to see more in the next book in the series. Recommended to fans of the Christian romantic suspense/mystery genre.





Lisa Harris is a Christy Award winner and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 from Romantic Times. The author of nearly thirty books, including Dangerous Passage, Fatal Exchange, and Hidden Agenda, Harris and her family have spent twelve years living as missionaries in southern Africa. They currently live in Mozambique, where Lisa leads a women's ministry and runs a nonprofit organization that works alongside their church-planting ministry. Learn more at www.lisaharriswrites.com

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at the Courthouse by A. H. Gabhart (Review)

Series: The Hidden Springs Mysteries (Book 1)

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Revell (October 20, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0800726768

After a few years as a police officer in Chicago, Michael Keane has no trouble relaxing into the far less stressful job of deputy sheriff in his small hometown. After all, nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky. Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps. Everyone in town is a little uneasy. Still, no one is terribly worried--after all the man was a stranger--until one of their own is murdered right on Main Street.

As Michael works to solve the case it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory. When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of these harebrained theories, his surprising discovery sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

My Review:

Murder at the Courthouse is the first book in a new mystery series by A. H. Gabhart. The plot line was interesting and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately I did not enjoy reading this book as much as I thought I would. The plot moved slow and the mystery part needed more development throughout the book. I guessed the bad guy early on in the book. Also the romance was extremely awkward and underdeveloped between Michael and Karen, the woman preacher in town. The minor characters were nicely done. I liked the side plot about Michael helping a troubled kid named Anthony Blake. This was a cozy mystery with a small town feel like the Mitford series by Jan Karon. I want to read book two when it comes out to see where the author takes the story and I have enjoyed reading several other books by this author.







Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she's published many books for both adults and young adults. Scent of Lilacs, her first inspirational novel, was chosen as a Top Ten Christian Fiction Book by Booklist magazine. Her Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year and was a Top Pick by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award. Ann writes about Kentucky history and small town life and as A.H. Gabhart is the author of the Hidden Springs mysteries.

Ann lives on a farm in Kentucky not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann loves hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dog, Oscar. See more about her books at www.annhgabhart.com or join the conversation on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/anngabhart

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Promise to Keep by Elizabeth Younts (Review)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Promise to Keep Howard Books (October 13, 2015) by Elizabeth Younts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word from the Author:

I’m Elizabeth, a blessed child of The King. I’m a middle-born daughter, military officer’s wife, homeschooling mama, writer, closet DIYer, and, dare I say it, Downton Abbey addict. May I also mention that I love both my history and my coffee rich.

I am formerly Amish and my heritage is very dear to me and thankful to be so accepted among my still Amish family. I can still speak PA Dutch, too! You can learn more about my Amish family in my first book Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl.

My three book series with Howard Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) is a dream come true. The series is titled The Promise of Sunrise. In this series you will live through World War 2 from an Amish perspective and experience their unique struggles as conscientious objectors during wartime. What happened if one of their members enlisted? What was it like to serve at the Civilian Public Service Camps for years with almost no compensation? How did Amish women and families cope when a son or father was drafted? I look forward to taking you back into the richness of these years of Amish history through fiction.

ABOUT THE BOOK

World War II Marine Joe Garrison returns home from war longing to be a father to his deaf daughter, Daisy, only to find that she is attached to Esther Detweiler, the Amish woman who has raised her since his wife’s death in this touching historical romance.

Orphaned as a child, Esther Detweiler is used to caring for herself and her ailing grandmother. They made the best out of a hard life and poverty without asking for help. They even take in her shunned cousin’s deaf daughter, Daisy, when her mother dies and her father goes off to war. When Esther’s grandmother dies, Daisy is all she has.

When war veteran Joe Garrison returns, all he can think about is recovering from the horrors of war and building a relationship with his seven-year-old daughter. Daisy, however, is unwilling to leave Esther, whom she loves. Joe and Daisy get to know each other again, but Joe struggles with nightmares and fatherhood is proving to be more difficult than he imagined. Esther loves Daisy and despite her Amish ways, Joe finds himself drawn to her as a woman and not just a caregiver.

As their love blossoms, Joe decides to send Daisy away to a school for the deaf which propels their lives into turmoil and a battle for love and family.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Promise to Keep, go HERE.

MY REVIEW:

Promise to Keep is the third book in the Promise of Sunrise series. I did not really enjoy reading this book. The mood was depressing and dark for most of the book. The plot moved slow and felt like it was dragging at parts. What interested me to pick it up was the story details. It did not seem like a cookie cutter Amish book. It did deliver on that aspect. It was not a traditional Christian Amish book. I felt like it pushed more boundaries especially on the romance side between Joe and Esther. Sparks flew between them. Those romance details unsettled me a little but it felt more realistic. It was a little edgy. I have not looked at the other two books to know if I was missing anything but it did not seem like it. The author did a good job on developing the main characters Joe and Esther. The ending was unexpected but fit the book.



Review copy provided by CFBA in exchange for an honest review.

Last Chance Hero by Cathleen Armstrong (Review)

Series: A Place to Call Home (Book 4)

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Revell (September 15, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0800726478

The inhabitants of Last Chance, New Mexico, could not be more pleased. Dr. Jessica McLeod has opened an office right on Main Street. Andy Ryan, the best athlete the little town ever produced, has ended his short career in the NFL and has come home to coach the mighty Pumas of Last Chance High. Unfortunately, Dr. Jess immediately gets off on the wrong foot when she admits that she's never seen a football game, isn't really interested in doing so, and, in fact, doesn't know a first down from a home run. Meanwhile, Coach Ryan is discovering that it's not easy to balance atop the pedestal the town has put him on. When this unlikely pair is drawn together over the future of a young player--whose gifts may lie in the laboratory rather than on the football field--they begin to wonder if they might have a future together as well.

With the flair that has made her Last Chance books a favorite among readers of contemporary fiction, Cathleen Armstrong draws on the passion Americans have for the traditions of small-town high school football.

My Review:

I enjoyed reading this light romance book. Although it is the fourth book in A Place to Call Home series it can stand alone. The supporting characters are great and repeat from previous books. At first Dr. Jessica does not fit in so hot in Last Chance. Football is huge for this small town and she does not get it at all. I am not a huge sports fan either so I understood her. I also understand the town being from one kind of like that in a different part of the country. I loved Coach Andy as the hero. He had good chemistry with Jessica from the beginning. The author does a good job with descriptions and character development. I felt like I was there many times. This was a great series and I hope the author revisits the town of Last Chance again. Recommended.





Cathleen Armstrong lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Ed, and their corgi. Though she has been in California for many years now, her roots remain deep in New Mexico. Her debut novel Welcome to Last Chance won the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for Women's Fiction. She is also the author of One More Last Chance and At Home in Last Chance. Learn more at www.cathleenarmstrong.com

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

24 Hour Read a thon October 2015

I am a little late getting my start up post done but it has been  busy morning. I have not read a lot yet and I am getting ready to go to a family dinner then hair appointment. I have a whole stack of books on my nightstand waiting for me when I get home. My favorite place to read is in my bed with my cats. They love to read. ;) My goal is just to read! I have a hard time focusing lately and there is always something else that needs to be done. I love having an official excuse to sit and read for awhile. lol I need my sleep so I will probably go to bed around 10:30. I will post a finish post tomorrow morning. If you would like more information go to this site:
http://www.24hourreadathon.com/

The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry (Review)

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Kregel Publications (September 27, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0825443879

In World War II, German scientists began many experiments. One never ended.

 Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed―until the day he's shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy.

 When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success―but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn't aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn't Captain America―just a lousy existence only made passable by a newfound faith. The Bible provides the only reliable anchor for Roger's sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there's no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It's 2015―and the world has become an unrecognizable place.

 Katherine Mueller―crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle―offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he's trying to flee?

My Review:

This was an interesting fiction book. Roger Greene was a pilot in WWII and got shot down in a firefight  with German planes. Instead of going to a regular pow camp he was taken to a special jail where he underwent an anti aging experiment. It worked but the doctor died and most of his research burned. So poor Roger spent the next 70 years of his life in another jail with researchers trying to recreate it. The characters and plot were interesting and unique. I loved Roger. I thought the spiritual aspect needed more development though. There was a lot of buildup to the meeting of Roger and Katherine. We learned about her present story in between the telling of Roger's years in captivity. The first meeting happened later in the book than I expected. It was a good transition for the book to a faster paced race to the end. It was a good conclusion but the opposite would have fit the book better in my opinion. Overall a good different kind of book. I liked reading it. Recommended.





 Rick Barry is the author of Gunner’s Run, another World War II novel, Kiriath’s Quest, and over 200 articles and fiction stories. In addition to being a World War II buff, he is the director of church planting ministries at BIEM, a Christian ministry operating in Eastern Europe. He holds a degree in foreign languages, speaks Russian, and has visited Europe more than fifty times. Rick lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. Visit him at facebook.com/AuthorRickBarry, or on Twitter (@WriterRickBarry)

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.