Archive | March 2020

The Girl With The Amber Comb by Linda Finlay

Full Circle

The Girl With The Amber Comb by Linda Finlay is an historical saga set in Somerset in 1834. It is a fascinating account surrounding a kind hearted, plucky young woman.

The reader is full of admiration for the heroine with a huge heart. Although her head is turned, we see the lengths she goes to, to survive. The poor were taken advantage of. Jobs were poorly paid with long hours. A little bit of kindness goes a long way.

On life’s journey, friendships are forged. Life is always better when we do it with friends.

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Roll Back The Clouds by Terri Wangard

It Is Well With My Soul

Roll Back The Clouds by Terri Wangard is a marvellous Christian historical epic surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 off the coast of Ireland. Terri Wangard has taken the facts and woven a powerful tale around them.

The hand of God is visible throughout the novel, even though at times, His presence is questioned. “Where was God?… God was right there with the passengers and crew.” God never leaves us. If we do not feel Him, the fault is ours. “You’re never alone. God hears you before you call.” God knows the desires of our hearts and our prayers.

The novel shows the importance of church. We need to find a church that functions as Jesus intended. A church where relationships are built vertically (with God) and horizontally (with each other). The church was never meant to be a social club but a place where we get to discover the heart of God, and to care for each other.

Following the sinking, we see the effects on the characters in the form of nightmares and PTSD, as people are haunted by events experienced.

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The Prized Girl by Amy K Green

Nail Biting

The Prized Girl by Amy K Green is a marvellous contemporary psychological murder suspense that had my heart racing.

The action has two distinct time periods – before and after the murder – from the point of view of the victim and her sister. The elder sister tries to piece together the truth but sometimes the truth is buried by so many lies. Some amateur sleuthing enables the reader to join the clues together – I failed, again, to predict the outcome!

There are the difficult themes of preying on the young and vulnerable, blackmail and abusing ones position of authority. There is a merry go round of abuse that never ceases.

Family dynamics are explosive as a controlling family member loses their power and love turns to hate.

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One Little Lie by Colleen Coble

Uncovering The Truth

One Little Lie by Colleen Coble is a marvellous contemporary Christian murder suspense. It is the first book in the Pelican Harbor series and what a cracking series that promises to be.

The reader’s heart races as the tension rises. Once again I got completely absorbed in the action. As the body count rose, I totally failed in predicting the outcome.

When lives are built on lies, sooner or later there will be a fall as the truth must come out. We must face the consequences and answer for our choices.

There is the theme of cults and churches. Cults enforce their wills on people, manipulating and controlling others. They can be dangerous. In contrast churches are safe places when they function as God intended. It is in the church community that we build relationships with each other and with God.

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