DISTORTION by TERRI BLACKSTOCK

DISTORTION by TERRI BLACKSTOCK is the second book in the MOONLIGHTERS series, and follows after Truth Stained Lies, which I reviewed on 21/3/13.
Juliet Cole is devastated when her brilliant surgeon husband, Bob, is shot and killed in front of her, and is even more devastated when she realizes that all was not as it seemed in her husband's life! As she keeps discovering more and more about  the man she has been married to for years, who seemed to be such a good husband and father, she gets really angry and determines to fight for her children's safety. They have been drawn into a dangerous situation and Juliet and her sisters, Cathy and Holly, her brother, Jay, and their friend, Michael, work hard to help uncover the truth.
Who can they trust when the very people they have always trusted have not proved to be reliable? The three sisters who work part time for Michael, the P.I, work tirelessly to solve the murder so that Juliet and her sons can live without fear.
Juliet is a strong Christian and we see the contrast between her faith and the mockery of that of her husband, who was a "pillar of society" and deacon in the church. It is reminiscent of the way she and her siblings were let down by their pastor father who left them and ran away with his secretary. We see how she manages to forgive those who have wronged her and also her unconditional love for little Robbie.
Once again this is the story of ordinary people dealing with the problems that life throws at them. It is a most exciting thriller with interesting characters. I enjoy their interaction with one another and the strong sense of family and friendship. This is contrasted with Bob's seeming indifference to his family and the danger his greed and lust have caused them. We are left with the impression that he may have been trying to make things right at the end, which action may well have led to his assassination.
This is a novel about betrayal, the importance of truth and transparency, forgiveness and compassion. It also shows the importance of the choices we make and the effect they have, not only in our own lives, but in those of our loved ones. I enjoyed this novel immensely and am hoping there will be a third one in the series. Whilst it can be read on its own, I recommend that you read Truth Stained Lies first.


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DRUMMER IN THE DARK by T. DAVIS BUNN

DRUMMER IN THE DARK by T. DAVIS BUNN takes place in the Washington political scene and is full of intrigue. It is a political thriller which is very hard to put down. We see the frantic activity in the money market as Hayek carries out his diabolical plan to cripple America, getting rid of anyone who gets in his way. He is working towards the total collapse of the United States currency.
Wynn Bryant and Jackie Havilland each have their reasons for wanting to see Pavel Hayek destroyed. Jackie is a private investigator who is employed by Esther Hutchings, wife of the United States Congressman who has been stopped by illness from carrying on with his mission to bring financial reform to America, to investigate Hayek. Congressman Hutchings, a committed Christian, has seen the imminent destruction of the American financial system, brought about by illegal activities in the banks and hedge funds. He has also been lobbying to help third world countries financially, and wants this to be a global trend. Wynn is put forward by his brother in law, Grant, as Hutching's successor, with strict instructions to fight the Jubilee Amendment, which Hutchings and his followers feel will save America's economy.
Wynn feels that he has been thrown in the deep end, but instead of playing safe and going along with what is expected of him by Grant and his cohorts, he makes it his business to find out what the Jubilee Amendment and Graham Hutchings stand for. His is a lonely road as he stands for the truth, as is Jackie's, and they form a strong bond as they strive to do what is right. There are also those like Colin and Eric, who work for Hayek, who are willing to expose the truth about his activities, at great danger to themselves.
Wynn and Jackie start out on the wrong foot, but they come to realize that they can trust each other and are on the same side. They each have issues to deal with due to their similar family situations and have much to work through. Jackie holds Hayek responsible for her brother's death. She is forced to face her worst fears when she agrees to investigate Hayek's group, and both she and Wynn find themselves in grave danger as they try to uncover the truth.
In this novel we see the ends to which men are driven by greed, and the wickedness of many who are in positions of authority, as opposed to the compassion and kindness we are called to show to others by the Lord Himself. We see these traits in Wynn's sister Sybel, who has a living relationship with God and lives to serve those less fortunate than herself. She has always been a huge influence in Wynn's life, but, whilst she has the same missionary zeal that their parents had, Wynn blames God for taking his parents' attention away from him, and also for allowing them to die in Cairo in His service. It is Sybel's greatest desire to see her little brother saved, and she hopes that all he goes through will lead him to the truth. She feels that he has just been existing for far too long, and that is why she manoeuvres him into this job.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. It is exciting and informative, and has a strong Christian message.



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WINNER TAKE ALL by T. DAVIS BUNN

WINNER TAKE ALL by T. DAVIS BUNN is a sequel to THE GREAT DIVIDE and is every bit as good. It is a Marcus Greenwood courtroom drama with many of the same characters as in the first book, and I highly recommend that the novels be read in sequence, although they can each stand alone.
I particularly enjoy Davis' descriptions which make the settings and the different characters' emotions come alive! This, added to an exciting plot and a strong Christian message, makes this an extremely good read.
In The Great Divide we see Marcus facing up to his demons, and in Winner Take All it is Kirsten's turn to face up to her past. We see the importance of honesty, especially as far as relationships are concerned, and of not expecting perfection of one's partner or of oneself.
When Marcus is asked by Dale Steadman to represent him in a child custody case, his first instinct is to refuse, as Dale is now head of New Horizons, the factory that he does battle with in The Great Divide. Dale's ex-wife, Erin, is a beautiful opera singer, who seduces Dale and then kidnaps their child, Celeste, who she has never taken notice of before. Dale adores his baby daughter and is willing to do anything to get her back.
There is a definite undercurrent in the case - why would a woman, who doesn't love her child, kidnap her and try and overturn Dale's custody order, making him out to be an unfit father?
It is while Kirsten is involved in helping Marcus with the case, and while she has to revisit places that evoke nothing but bad memories, that the healing begins and she is able to feel love for Marcus at last.
Their relationship is in stark contrast with that of Dale and Erin and even with that of Kedrick and Evelyn Lloyd. Both Erin and Kedrick are obsessed with their love of opera and with their sense of self-importance.
The novel is fast-paced and exciting and we are kept in suspense till the end. I guarantee you won't be able to put it down!



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NO LEGAL GROUNDS by JAMES SCOTT BELL

To really see the wickedness of man personified, look at the character of Nicky Oberlin in NO LEGAL GROUNDS by JAMES SCOTT BELL. Whilst he has the excuse of an abusive childhood and a hard and lonely time in college, he is an evil man with no time for God and is out to wreak revenge on Sam for no apparent reason.
Sam Trask is a successful lawyer with a lovely wife, a rebellious teenage daughter and a sensitive and loving younger son. While he is dealing with his daughter's rebellion and a heavy work load, he is contacted by Nicky Oberlin, who he barely remembers from college. Things become ugly fast and the Trask family realize that they are dealing with a dangerous sociopath.
Sam and his family are believers, although his daughter, Heather, only really comes to a serious commitment when her life is in danger.
In this novel we see the importance of trusting God, especially when things are going from bad to worse and also of not allowing the past to destroy the present, We see the ends to which Sam will go to keep his family safe in the nightmare in which they are living.
It is a gripping story with a strong Christian message. Another thriller that is hard to put down.




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FINAL WITNESS by JAMES SCOTT BELL

FINAL WITNESS by JAMES SCOTT BELL is not only one of the most exciting thrillers I have read but it also contains a strong Christian message. Once you start reading this novel I guarantee you won't be able to put it down!
I really enjoy a courtroom drama, and this one does not disappoint.
Rachel Ybarra is a law student who is working as an assistant at the U. S. Attorney's office, and is thrilled to be asked to assist her boss, Alan Lakewood, in his prosecution of a Russian mobster, Jaroslav Supevsky, who is being tried for murder. She wants to be a federal prosecutor one day.
She and FBI agent Jeff Bunnell have something in common in that they are both feeling the effects of the murder of innocent people, and they have more in common in the end when Jeff is drawn back to the God he used to know. Rachel is a born again Christian who really lives out her faith in the face of intense danger, although she lives in fear for her own life and the lives of those she loves. The characters are very real and well portrayed. There is a sense of evil and darkness in the criminals, and we see how Jessica Osborn Holt and Grigory (The Man) react when Rachel quotes Scripture to the crooked defense lawyer and hit man respectively, when they threaten her.
We see Rachel's determination to protect Deanna Natale, how she bonds with her and even leads her to Jesus. Deanna was meant to be the final witness, but there is more truth that comes out in the end and we can't help feeling that there is more than one witness that makes a difference to the outcome of the case.
I can highly recommend this novel.

A PROMISE KEPT BY ROBIN LEE HATCHER

A PROMISE KEPT by ROBIN LEE HATCHER is a beautifully told story of forgiveness and the faithfulness of God.
Allison Kavanach, who is divorced from her husband Tony, moves to her great aunt Emma's log house in order to make a new start in life. Allison feels disillusioned as she really believed Tony would be delivered from his addiction to alcohol and that God would heal their marriage. Instead he went from bad to worse and walked out when she gave him an ultimatum. 
It is here in this beautiful place, encouraged by the secrets she finds in her great aunt Emma's journals, that the Lord restores her relationship with Him as she reads his Word and draws close to Him again. She makes some good friends and really settles in to her new community and is beginning to heal when her daughter, Meredith, asks if her father can come and spend Christmas with them. Allison is not keen on the arrangement, but agrees for her daughter's sake. The holiday goes surprisingly well and leads to them spending more time together as a family. I like the way Allison's and Emma's stories run almost parallel, although they are different. Both stories show the goodness of God and the importance of trusting Him, not only with one's own life but with that of one's loved ones.
The Lord does answer prayer, there is no doubt about that, but the answers don't always come immediately or in the way we want them to. It is in the waiting and trusting that we grow as Christians. The story is sensitively told and it is close to the author's heart as it is really her own story.

THE NOBLE FUGITIVE by T DAVIS BUNN & ISABELLA BUNN

THE NOBLE FUGITIVE by T. DAVIS BUNN and ISABELLA BUNN is the third book in the HEIRS of ACADIA series, but it can be read as a stand alone novel. The story is set in 19th century America and England, during the abolitionist movement. It is an interesting and exciting read and full of biblical truth.
John Falconer, a former slave trader, is now a fugitive because he knows too much. Although a law has been passed to stop any new slave trading, he has proof that it is still not only flourishing, but is backed by some very influential people. Since coming to salvation, nauseated by the wickedness he helped to perpetrate, he is now on a quest to see slavery abolished once and for all.
Serafina is a beautiful young Venetian girl, of noble heritage, who has escaped her parents and who ends up at Harrow Hall, near Bath in England, where Falconer is hiding out with American friends who are pamphleteers working with William Wilberforce.
There are many twists and turns in the novel and there is much intrigue. We see the magnitude of God's love and forgiveness towards even the vilest of sinners. We see repentance at work in Serafina, who has behaved so badly towards her parents, due to imagining herself in love with her art teacher. We see her grief, not only at Luca's betrayal, but also at the way she has hurt those she loves. The authors also paint a lovely picture of the grandeur of Venice during that period at the beginning of the book.
Falconer, a big man, with a scarred face, shows great tenderness, especially towards little Hannah and Serafina. He is their protector. He is amazed at the portrait that Serafina draws of him which is so different from the hideous picture on his "wanted" poster. It shows an inner beauty due to the change the Lord has brought about in him.
Falconer falls hopelessly in love with the lovely Serafina, and feels he will never be good enough for such an aristocratic young lady, whilst she has been so hurt by Luca that she feels she will never be able to love again.
I love the historical setting of the novel and the interesting characters. There is a strong message of the importance of making one's life right with God, of the battle between light and darkness, and of corruption in high places. I can highly recommend this book.



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