Shattered Silence by Margaret Daley - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Shattered Silence Abingdon Press (September 2012) by Margaret Daley

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Margaret Daley is an award winning, multi-published author in the romance genre. One of her romantic suspense books, Hearts on the Line, won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Contest. Recently she has won the Golden Quill Contest, FHL’s Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, Holt Medallion and the Barclay Gold Contest. She wrote for various secular publishers before the Lord led her to the Christian romance market. She currently writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense books for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired lines, romantic suspense for Abingdon Press and historical romance for Summerside Press. She has sold eighty-three books to date.

Margaret is currently the President for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization of over 2300 members. She was one of the founding members of the first ACFW local chapter, WIN in Oklahoma. She has taught numerous classes for online groups, ACFW and RWA chapters. She enjoys mentoring other authors.

Until she retired a few years ago, she was a teacher of students with special needs for twenty-seven years and volunteered with Special Olympics as a coach. She currently is on the Outreach committee at her church, working on several projects in her community as well as serving on her church’s vestry.

On a more personal note, she has been married for over forty years to Mike and has one son and four granddaughters. She treasures her time with her family and friends.



ABOUT THE BOOK

A serial killer is targeting illegal aliens in southern Texas. Texas Ranger Cody Jackson is paired with a local police officer, Liliana Rodriguez, to investigate the murders.

While the case brings Cody and Liliana ever closer, the tension between Americans and Mexican Americans heightens. As Cody and Liliana race to discover who is behind the murders and bring peace to the area, what they uncover isn't what they expected. Will Cody and Liliana's faith and love be strong enough to survive the storm of violence?


My Thoughts:

“The only one who is really in control is God.  Once we realize that, we can give it over to him and not fight life so much.” (p. 305)

A Texas Ranger, a local police officer a string of unsolved murders, an abusive spouse, a dead parent….sounds like too many elements for one story to pull together, doesn’t  it?  Well, it’s not too much for Margaret Daley to deal with!  Shattered Silence is a book filled with realistically flawed characters who are in some pretty high-stress situations.  Forced to examine their lives and their faith, Cody Jackson and Liliana Rodriguez are brought together to try and solve a sudden rash of murders in their usually quiet town.  In tandem with their murder investigations, both of their personal lives have taken a serious hit, leaving them in an emotionally painful place.

When the silence of the murderer is finally broken, the reader is brought face to face with the frailty and wickedness of the human heart.  In fact, there is no way to deny that God alone is in control, and without Him, none of us are able to withstand the evil choices perpetrated against us and our loved ones.

Margaret Daley does a great job weaving the pieces of these characters life together into a mystery that will keep you engaged from first page to last.  I appreciated the way she allowed her characters to be so emotionally transparent.  This is both a powerful and entertaining read!

If you would like to read the first chapter of Shattered Silence, go HERE.