Death In The Shadows by Paul McCusker - REVIEWED

About the Book:
When Father Gilbert traded in his detective's badge for an Anglican priest's collar, he never expected he would be pulled into a different kind of mystery--the mystery of the spiritual world.

Attending a conference in a seaside town, he has yet another supernatural encounter, this time with a murdered girl who worked at a local massage parlor. Details of the murder lead Father Gilbert to approach the police with clues in common with other cases, bringing him into contact with a detective from his days with Scotland Yard.

Meanwhile, a local monastery has been vandalized, with grotesque images and profane graffiti defacing the altar and walls. The head of the monastery accuses the local sex-trade industry of retaliating against his outspoken stand against it. Then, one of the brothers at the monastery is found dead in the local red-light district. All evidence points to his having been a regular at a massage parlor--the same one where the murdered girl had worked. 

My Thoughts:

“The things the clergy get up to.”  (p. 155)

Father Gilbert can’t go anywhere – not even to a religious conference where he is to be part of panel discussions – without some form of murder mystery just around the corner!  He is always gracious with his time and observational skills, and as he teams up with the local law enforcement, Father Gilbert finds himself digging through layers and layers of deception, greed and trafficking before he ever discovers the killer!

You can’t help but love the way Father Gilbert always tries to do the right thing – sometimes skirting just beyond honest for a hot second before snapping back to the straight and narrow.  He is honest about all aspects of his life, and the reader is able to struggle along beside him as he unravels whatever lies before him!  The local law always seems very appreciative – even if somewhat baffled by his choice to be a part of the clergy.

This is my second encounter with Father Gilbert, and I must say it has been highly satisfying!!  If you like a murder mystery that is solved with good old fashioned sleuthing, you will truly enjoy this novel!! I am happy to recommend it!

About the Author:

Paul McCusker has written more than forty published novels, and many radio scripts and stage plays. He is a vice president with Focus on the Family and producer of the Adventures in Odyssey series. He and his family live in Colorado Springs.

Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig - REVIEWED

About the Book:
This Is the Way the World Ends. 
Four years after a tragic mission decimated his team, Cole "Tox" Russell has been disavowed by the United States. And that's fine--he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action.
 
Tox and his former Special Forces team regroup to work with FBI deception expert, Kasey Cortes, and fiery archaeologist, Tzivia Khalon, to search the globe for answers--and a cure. As the mission leads from one continent to another, it becomes clear they're not just fighting a plague but battling an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden.
 
With time running out and the threat for a global pandemic rising, Tox and his team realize their sole chance might be to reach back through centuries of silence to find the only answer that can save them all.

My Thoughts:

“Ask them and you will find yourself engaged in a conspiracy of silence.”  (p. 247)

Readers, by the time you read this sentence you will be on the thrill ride of your life!!  Ronie Kendig has knocked it out of the park with this book! This story has so many plot twists you will have whiplash when you reach the final page!  It has been a long time since I’ve has so much fun reading!

To be honest, the conspiracy of silence is layered throughout this novel.  Folks have been covering things in silence – keeping things hidden – for centuries.  But you don’t know that at first.  You only know that things have been covered up for the past few years.  Once that secret comes to light in one part of the world, another secret gets unveiled in another part of the world. The two seem totally unrelated – and they are at first – then suddenly, it becomes relative in ways you can barely fathom! 

The past explodes into the present and before you know it the entire globe becomes a black ops mission field!  This novel moves at the speed of light!  You become totally wrapped up in page after page.  As you get to know the characters, and begin to care about them, intensity begins to build.  By the time the connections become clear, your mind is blown time after time!  This is a GREAT READ!!

Bravo! Encore! I cannon recommend this highly enough!!

About the Author:

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. She's penned over a dozen novels, including The Quiet Professionals series and the A Breed Apart series. She and her hunky hero hubby have a fun, crazy life with their children and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia.

of stillness and storm by Michele Phoenix - REVIEWED

About the Book:

It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But while Sam treks into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy, Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring. For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family’s undoing. 

At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again. But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past. It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who most keenly bears the brunt of her distraction.

Intimate and bold, Of Stillness and Storm weaves profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry.

My Thoughts:

“Reminders that I wasn’t dead from a man who would be soon.”  (p. 242)

This was a difficult read for me.  An all-to-familiar battleground for me.  Although I could tell from the back cover that this was a book dealing with familial issues, I never imagined it would feel like someone had stepped into my life and written about it.  The context for this story is different from my own, but the author boldly addresses issues many families battle today – the introduction of relationships within the context of social media – and how quickly things can go sideways. 

The author deals specifically with this issue within the context of a missionary family, but this is an issue that families face in all walks of life! It is a matter of putting relationships in a healthy and right order in our lives, and when we allow any type of work interfere with the family God has blessed us with and begin to substitute that with other things (people or work), well, this story gives us a plausible scenario of consequences.

This is a vividly told, well-developed story line!  The story itself, well, it’s painfully familiar to me personally, and I can vouch for its reality and plausibility.  This is a much needed reminder of God’s place in our lives and in the lives of our families.  Choices always have consequences.  Bravo!  I highly recommend this book!

About the Author:

Michele Phoenix

Born in France to a Canadian father and an American mother, Michèle Phoenix is a consultant, writer and speaker with a heart for Third Culture Kids. She taught for 20 years at Black Forest Academy (Germany) before launching her own advocacy venture under Global Outreach Mission. Michèle travels globally to consult and teach on topics related to this unique people group. She loves good conversations, mischievous students, Marvel movies and paths to healing. Learn more at michelephoenix.com Twitter: @frenchphoenix

Miscarried Joy by Tanika Fitzgerald - REVIEWED

About the book:  

Miscarried Joy: Moving Beyond Incredible Pain to Extraordinary Faith (Nyreepress Publishing, October 2016)

Faith over fear. Patience over frustration. Pain with a purpose.

In Miscarried Joy, Tanika transparently shares her deeply personal and disappointing experiences of losing her babies due to miscarriage. There were times when she felt God was the cause of her pain. However, her journey through the lives of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and Naomi, revealed quite the opposite---God had allowed her pain for a much greater purpose. Each of these women had something in common: they learned to surrender their will and trust God's plan beyond the pain. They were pushed to a posture of prayer that led them from questioning God to have total confidence in Him. Tanika discovered that this season of waiting didn't show up simply to challenge her, but to change her.

With biblical depth, heart-filled transparency and a voice of passion, you will:

-Understand God's heart in the midst of incredible pain

-Discover the importance of trusting God's plan over your own

-Arm yourself with the strength to let go of bitterness and comparison to appreciate the beauty of your story

-Learn and implement spiritual principles and strategies to walk boldly in faith

-Embrace God's delay and birth contentment in your season of waiting

What have you miscarried? What purpose have you had difficulty conceiving? Is it a calling you fear stepping into? A vision that has not yet come to pass? Miscarried Joy has something for anyone who needs help pushing through incredible pain to conquer discouragement, walk in faith and birth their purpose. God's delay in your life could be a set up for your greatest calling to be fulfilled.

Purchase you copy HERE!

My Thoughts:

“It’s the Word of God that washes out every impurity, negative thought, ungodly emotion, fear, anxiety and anything else that keeps you from living life as God has purposed you to live.”  (p.57)

I have experienced the loss of a miscarriage.  It was my first pregnancy.  That was 24 years ago.  Now, with 21 and 23 year-old sons, I was drawn to this book, because I wanted to know what someone else had to say about this experience.  No one said anything to me when I experienced this.  No one.  It was a subject that was forgotten, because, after all, I had moved on and had other children.  But, at the time I walked through loss, there were no words from others to encourage me to keep my eyes focused on Christ.

Tankia Fitzgerald writes about her experiences from both personal and biblical points of view.  I cannot begin to tell you how powerful the truths are in this book!  I’ve experienced other losses in my life, and this book gave me fresh perspective on that loss – even though the context was that of a lost pregnancy.  Tanika is speaking truth from God’s Word, and it is healing, encouraging and strengthening if you apply it to other areas of loss.

If you, or someone you know, has experienced a miscarried joy, share this book with them.  It will be the best and most loving gift you can give them!  Healing from loss takes time, and sometimes you just want someone to acknowledge that you are grieving and give you time to heal.  Be patient with others.  Love them through their loss.  God’s Word has the answers and strength and guidance everyone needs to walk their journey. 

I HIGHLY recommend this book!!

About the Author:

Tanika Fitzgerald is a lover of Christ, a wife to her husband, Maurice, a loving daughter and sister. She is passionate about equipping women to grow spiritually, live balanced lives and helping them to be ARMED for victory in every area of life. Tanika has been called to minister to others through her passion and gift of writing to inspire women all over the globe. She is also the visionary behind ARMED Magazine---a publication created to "Spiritually Equip for you Victory in Battle." Her inspirational writing has been featured in numerous publications including Hope for Women Magazine, Black and Married with Kids, and more. Tanika has also interviewed powerful voices in the Christian community, including Lady Serita Jakes, Sheryl Brady, Charles Jenkins, Earnest Pugh, and more! Tanika is a woman who is passionate about her relationship with Jesus Christ, family, giving to others, laughter, having fun, and enjoying every moment that life brings!

Lucifer's Harvest by Mel Starr - REVEIWED

About the Book:
King Charles of France has announced that he is confiscating Aquitaine, and Prince Edward has sent for knights and men-at-arms from England to assist him in opposing the French king. Lord Gilbert Talbot is required to provide five knights, twelve squires, and twenty archers and men-at-arms, and he wishes his surgeon--Hugh de Singleton--to travel with the party, leaving Hugh's wife Kate to oversee the castle in their absence.

It won't be an easy journey. Among the party will be Sir Simon Trillowe, Kate's former suitor, who had once set fire to Hugh's house. After a brawl on the streets of Oxford, Sir Simon had nearly lost an ear; Hugh had sewn it back on, but when it healed crooked, Simon blamed Hugh for the disfigurement.

Finding himself in the company of his old nemesis, Hugh resolves not to turn his back on the knight--but it is Sir Simon who should not have turned his back. 

My Thoughts:

“Proving a man guilty of a felony is difficult enough.  Proving innocence can be even more onerous.”       (p. 56)

Hugh de Singleton surely has his work cut out for him in Mel Starr’s latest medieval mystery!  I have been a huge fan of Starr’s work and his created surgeon’s work since I read the genesis of this series!  The ONLY thing I could even begin to find fault with at this point is the length of Lucifer’s Harvest  - a mere 160 pages!  My venerable surgeon gets in quite the quagmire in this brief tale, so maybe the shorter length preserves his life for more adventures – at least I hope so!

I never cease to be amazed at the ancient science that provides all that is needed for Master Singleton to discover the answers he so desperately needs to find in this story.  He is in a totally foreign place when he is all but forced to solve a murder.  Believe you me, a LOT is riding on the answers he must find! You will be alarmed at how quickly this end of this novella approaches!

If you love a well-told murder mystery – medieval style – you will adore this entire series just as I do! Once again, I HIGHLY recommend Mel Starr’s novels!

About the Author:

Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years--thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he chaired the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel retired in 2003. He and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren.

Pray A to Z by Amelia Rhodes - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Pray A to Z: Practical Guide to Pray for Your Community (Worthy, November 2016)

Change the world one prayer at a time.

How would our community change if instead of absently saying, "I'll pray for you," we actually did pray---deeply, intensely, and purposefully?

Pray A to Z: A Practical Guide to Praying for Your Community will help you topically organize your prayer requests and lay the burdens of your community at the feet of our Heavenly Father.

With compassion and encouragement, Amelia Rhodes offers Bible verses and prayer prompts, organized topically for every letter of the alphabet. There are five topics per letter---three prayers of petition asking God to work in a certain area of need, and two more prayers of praise to reflect gratitude for God's presence in the daily issues and relationships of life. Through petition and praise, your specific, focused communion with God will lighten your heart as you place the heaviness of those prayer requests where they belong---on His strong shoulders.

Whether you are praying for a friend's adoption journey, a neighbor's bankruptcy, or a family member's cancer, this book will give you Bible verses, prayer prompts, and prayer starts to guide you through praying for even the most difficult issues that affect the people you know and love. Perfect for either individual or group prayer, Pray A to Z will help you experience the peace that comes from communicating with God.

Purchase you copy HERE!

My Thoughts:

This book has been one of those "right on time" books in my life.  It seemed every time I picked it up I could find a prayer that helped me see my way past a situation and through to the truth of God's word.  I really can hardly believe how MANY subjects this powerful book covers!  There is a scripture verse to ponder and imprint upon your heart.  There is a central thought to consider, and then the author beautifully and intimately talks with The Father.  You can pray the words she's written, but you can also use this as a template for prayers of your own.  This would be a great book for a new believer, and can help strengthen the prayer life of a long time believer.  I am happy to recommend this book to everyone!

About the Author:

Amelia Rhodes is a speaker and author of Isn't It Time for a Coffee Break: Doing Life Together in an All-About-Me Kind of World. Amelia's writing has also been featured in four Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, devotionals for the OneHope blog Undeterred and the international devotional Upper Room. Amelia has a growing speaking ministry and speaks regularly to women's groups on topics of spiritual growth, friendship, and community, offering practical tools for living our faith in the everyday. She lives in Lowell, Michigan.

When There is no Miracle by Robert L. Wise (revised and expanded) - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Times of profound darkness don't always require miracles to find the light

Sooner or later, dark days obscure everyone's lives. Heartbreak is impartial. Tragedies, global or personal, strike every day, and people discover they have been swept out to sea by waves of destruction, anxiety, and catastrophe. How can Christians who believe in divine intervention understand the times when the lights go out and no miracle of deliverance appears?

Robert Wise has more than a passing relationship with tragedy. He has not only lost loved ones; he has been on the front lines of the mayhem that seems to increase every year. Wise was the first clergyman on the scene following the Murrah Building bombing in Oklahoma City. He ministered to frightened people after 9/11. He has encountered countless people experiencing tragedy, all of them asking the same question: Why do the innocent suffer?


When There Is No Miracle imparts the lessons Wise has learned in the midst of his own questioning. Each chapter encourages those who struggle, and demonstrates unexpected positive benefits of pain and suffering. Wise shares the experiences of those he has met in his ministry who faced times that seemed to be devoid of God's involvement. Yet, as Wise shows here, God is always behind the scenes, working for the ultimate good, even when we can't understand how. In this succinct volume, Christians can find new hope, learn to reconcile their faith with times of emptiness, and discover a new depth of meaning in the crucifixion of Christ.

My Thoughts:

“When your wants are strained through the fabric of God’s larger truths, then what is real will emerge.”  (p. 120)

This is my first time reading Robert Wise’s book, and, while I understand it is revised and expanded, I can’t imagine in being any more powerful and life-transforming in the way it challenges believers to look at difficult life circumstances – outright tragedy – through the eyes of our Heavenly Father.  His vision for our life and life-purposes isn’t clouded by sin, emotion or human limitations.  His vision is found in the truths of His Word. 

God shares many Biblical examples of the truths He wants us to live out of as believers  - followers of Christ.  He loves us more than we can dare to fathom!  Wise shares both biblical and real-time examples of very difficult life situations.  From sudden loss to chronic illness and through a variety of other situations Wise asks the same questions that are universal when life’s struggles threaten to overwhelm.  The truth Wise shares is both challenging and comforting.

I think the most touching moments for me are the conversations he frames with Jesus at the end of each chapter.  I found myself reading those over and over as though I was literally present in the conversation.  I am taking my time with this book.  It has caused me to look at some of my own circumstances differently, and challenged me to let go and move past some situations that have kept me from all that God has called me to.

I am happy and pleased to recommend this book to all believers!  We have all experienced times where there was no miracle-----when, in fact, the absence of the miracle was, in fact, the miracle!  Grab a copy today and share one with a friend!  It is an amazing book!

About the Author:
Robert L. Wise is an archbishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches and director of the Office of Ecumenical Relations. He has been awarded the title of Apostolic Representative for Christian Unity by Pope Francis. In addition to his work in ecumenism, Wise is the author of thirty-four books and many articles published in several languages. Wise also publishes under the pseudonyms Spencer E. Moses and Ed Moses.