A Tendering in the Storm

A Tendering in the Storm by Jane Kirkpatrick is part of her Change and Cherish Historical Series. Although the main character is Emma Giesy, some chapters are written from Lousia Keil's point of view. Since I find switching characters and point of view with chapters distracting, I didn't get lost in the story as I do with those that glide effortlessly between the characters.

However, it is a compelling story about the struggle of a strong-willed German American living inside a religious community and the desperate choices she makes so she can raise her children her way. A good reminder that our way isn't always the best way and may, in fact, hinder the blessings God has planned for our lives.

Whispers of Winter

Whispers of Winter by Tracie Peterson is part of her Alaskan Quest series. The main characters face fierce weather conditions in an unforgiving terrain and are challenged to trust God through unexpected losses and tragic events.

It wasn't a page turner for me, but if you enjoy reading historical fiction with adventure and romance mixed in, you'll like this one.

BoneMan's Daughters

Ted Dekker's BoneMan's Daughters is about a serial killer looking for the perfect daughter. He kidnaps teenage girls and then kills them by breaking their bones when they fail to live up to his expectations.

The main character, Ryan, is an intelligence officer who is kidnapped while in Iraq. After he escapes from his captors, he returns stateside to face the challenges of an unforgiving family. However, when his estranged daughter is kidnapped by the real BoneMan, the hunt is on to find her before she is killed and he is sent to prison for the murders.

Like his other books, this one takes you through a series of twists and turns without knowing how it will end. Once you get past the first sentence, it is a good read. The words "might have begun" were unnecessary and confusing ... not how you want to start out reading a book. However, since I'm a big fan I continued reading and was soon lost in the story. I was also glad to see it in paperback. Most of the time Christian fiction is in hardback or a large paperback edition that costs a lot more. This one was affordable without having to head to the clearance rack.

Zapped

Zapped, A Regan Reilly Mystery, by Carol Higgins Clark is a fun read without the foul language or explicit material often used by mainstream mystery writers.

It follows the main character, Regan Reilly, and her husband Jack into a New York City blackout. Regan searches for a disturbed woman who dumped her best friend Kit at a comedy club while Jack investigates an art gallery burglary. Meanwhile, they are both unaware that their apartment is the target of a planned break in to retrieve documents from a secretly-installed closet safe.