PDQ ~ Review

PDQ
By Ronald Glanz

PDQ is an interesting book.  When a series of convenience stories robberies suddenly go bad and end in murder Detectives Schultz and Finney are even more determined to find the perpetrator.

But nothing is ever simple and this story offers up a surprising twist when it comes time to charge someone with these crimes.  The characters in this book are for the most part quite pitiful in the unhappiness they seem to be stuck in.

Overall this was an attention grabbing story (except for a couple of typos that broke my reading concentration).  This book is set in Madison, Wisconsin in 1990.  Get ready for surprise.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author through TCBN/BookFun.org in exchange for my honest review.

Daisies are Forever ~ Review

Daisies are Forever
By Liz Tolsma

This is an incredibly moving story.  Set at the height of the European theater, Germany hes been closed in by the Western allies and the Russian Red Army and the Third Reich's fall is imminent.  This is the setting in which California born Gisela Crammer finds herself.  The years she has lived in Germany are not ones of happiness, but  rather sorrow and guilt.

With the Red Army mere hours away from the home of her grandfather and cousin, Gisela is forced to flee with her cousin's two young daughters.  As they flee to the west Gisela comes to the aid of an escaped British POW, claiming that she is his wife.

Mitch Edwards has been in a German prison for years and when the opportunity to escape presented itself he took it.  But he wasn't prepared for the dangers would face him starting with his accent.  When a beautiful young woman claims that they are married - Mitch is given a chance to survive in this tide of refugees.

Their journey towards freedom is fraught with dangers - air raids, SS officers, the ever approaching Red Army, the weather, and a shortage of food.  But through it all it is also a journey of faith and trust.  Gisela and Mitch have to learn to let go of their individual guilts and accept that God is in control and always had been.

Daisies are Forever is a book that should appeal to fans of the Thoenes - the characters will touch your heart as they struggle to survive in a world that is in the midst of change.  This book is not your normal historical fiction that happens to be set in World War II, but rather this is story of the lives of a small group of people trying to survive long enough to see the end of Hitler's War. This is a book you don't want to miss reading.

I was provided a copy of this book through the BookLook bloggers program in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description

Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.

Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.

However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch’s identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her “marriage.”

Their journey to Gisela’s mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.

Castles of the Heart ~ Review

Castles of the Heart
By Hale Meserow

Starlight Evelyn O'Bannion hasn't let her southern upbringing cloud her quest to find justice in the court of law.  Star is a woman who is working to create a life for herself and her daughter in the 1940's as a lawyer when an old family friend reaches out for her help.  His grandson a teenager of color has been accused of the murder of a well-known white woman.  And in the south this is a death sentence without a trial even needing to be necessary.

But Star has to cut through deep seeded prejudices and get to the truth.  To her the evidence against Samson is obviously fabricated.  And in her opinion the true murder/thief is behind these accusations.  But can she prove it before a jury?


This was an interesting and attention grabbing story that will hold yours as well.  Star is an intriguing character whom I'd like to see in a follow-up book at some future date.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author/publisher through TBCN/BookFun.org in exchange for my honest review.

A Place in His Heart ~ Review & Giveaway

A Place in His Heart
The Southold Chronicles
By Rebecca DeMarino

Mary Langton wants to marry for love, but she's been disappointed once and had her heart broken.  But when she meets Barnabas Horton she feels she may have found the man she is intended to marry.

But Barnabas's heart has been broken as well.  His wife Ann has died leaving him to care for his two young boys alone.  After a chance encounter shows Mary's caring ways with his two sons, Barnabas considers the possibility of marrying again, not that he could ever love again - not after Ann.

When Mary and Barnabas marry, Mary and her family are stunned to learn that Barnabas is contemplating leaving England behind for the freedom to worship freely in the New World.

Can a marriage survive when placed upon such a shaky foundation?  Mary and Barnabas are about to find out.

A Place in His Heart takes place over a 10 year time period starting in 1630.  This is a journey of faith, trust, family, and love.  There are struggles and heartbreaks along the way, but determination and the desire to serve God are key to this book.  Mary and Barnabas have to discover for themselves what love truly is and what trust in God means.

I found several interesting facts in this book, including a way to grow corn, beans, and squash in ones garden that I'd like to try next year.  Rebecca DeMarion's debut has me looking forward to the second book in the Southold Chronicles.  Take a step back in time and have an enjoyable reading experience.

About the Book:
She could cross an ocean, but could she ever win his heart?

Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Left at the altar and disgraced in her small hamlet, she is being pressured to marry the eligible son of the London milliner. Puritan Barnabas Horton still grieves the loss of his beloved wife, but he knows his two young sons need a mother.

With tender hearts, Mary and Barnabas take a leap of faith and wed. But when Barnabas's secret plans to move his family to the New World to escape persecution come to light, Mary's world is upended. How could she possibly leave her papa and her dear sister?

And will she ever reach the secret places of her husband's broken heart?  

Rebecca DeMarino is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and The Southold Long Island Historical Society. She was a 2011 Genesis Award semi-finalist and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Tom. A Place in His Heart isbased on DeMarino's ancestors, who came to Long Island in the mid-1600s to establish a life--and a legacy--in the New World. Learn more atwww.rebeccademarino.com.

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Quantum Breach ~ Review

Quantum Breach

by Denver Acey

Quantum Breach opens with action as someone (we don't know who) is keeping track of Tanner Zane. And then it happens Tanner and his parents are taken hostage.  Tanner is being forced to use skills from his past.  A past that he thought was hidden and long forgotten.  But someone knows and they are going to force him to breach - hack a secret government lab.  And quantum computing's most powerful secret is at stake!

But with the lives of his parents at stake Tanner Zane has no choice but to do what his captors demand of him.  He knows these men will do anything to get him cooperate, but Tanner is willing to take a risk to thwart them.  And Tanner's old skills are about to play another role - one that his captors don't know he possesses. 

With unexpected twists and turns one is taken on a journey with Tanner as he faces his fears and uses his skills to trap his captors in their own game.  But the bigger question is will the man behind this group be discovered or will he get away with the misdeeds he is behind.

Fans of thrillers and suspense will be on the edge of their seats throughout.

I was provided a digital copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my participation in this blog tour and for my honest review.
  

About  the Book:
Tanner Zane is an upstanding Mormon with a secret criminal past—extensive computer hacking. When kidnappers force him to breach a top-security government facility, Tanner engages in an intense game of intellectual cat-and-mouse with his captors. This thrilling tale will change the way you reveal information online!

About the Author:

Few people understand the terrifying, yet realistic threat of computer hacking like Denver Acey. Acey has spent his entire professional career in the information technology industry where he has witnessed and even thwarted actual cybercrime. From his top-secret job working for the US government to securing computer networks at Fortune 500 companies, Acey is personally familiar with hackers and their unscrupulous activities.

But over the years, Acey has become increasingly frustrated with Hollywood’s inaccurate portrayal of cybercrime. Hackers are more intelligent and more sophisticated than simple teenagers, who guzzle down Mountain Dew while playing video games. Cybercrime is a billion-dollar business that encompasses organized crime and foreign governments. For these elite hackers, the fruits of success are iconic trademarks, innovative patents, and government secrets.

Because of his unique background, Acey decided to write a book to dispel hacking myths while highlighting the tenacity of cybercriminals. Utilizing actual computer hacking concepts and scenarios that he has experienced firsthand, Acey illustrates  — in a simple way for even the non-techie to understand — how vulnerable we all are to cybercrime.

The Advocate ~ Review

The Advocate
Randy Singer

He defied an emperor

and inspired a faith

I've read Randy Singer in the past and have enjoyed his legal thrillers, so I was intrigued by the premise of The Advocate.  A young man determined to bring justice to an empire that willingly sacrifices the blood of the "guilty" for pleasure.

When an incident in school teaches fourteen year old Theophilus the true horrors of crucifixion he determines to become a champion of the accused innocents of Rome.  

But Theophilus's chosen path is not one of ease.  In fact it takes him to one of the most troubled regions within the empire - Judea.  And during his assignment in Judea, Theophilus has a front row seat at the trial of Jesus, a rabbi accused of threatening the power and supremacy of Rome!  This is one encounter Theophilus will not be forgetting and it will set the stage for what is about to come.

 As Rome falls further into the decay brought about Caesars who are more deranged than their predecessor Theophilus comes to an understanding of the message that the Nazarene brought.  But this understanding could very well cost him his life.

If you like historical fiction that brings you into the story with all the detail you will love this book.  Randy Singer has created an incredible and moving experience that will give you a greater appreciation of the days of Jesus and the persecution the early believers faced in the first century.

I was provided a copy of this book by the Tyndale Blogger Network in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:
At the trial of Christ, Theophilus, brilliant young assessore raised in the Roman aristocracy, stands behind Pontius Pilate and whispers, “Offer to release Barabbas.” The strategy backfires, and Theophilus never forgets the sight of an innocent man unjustly suffering the worst of all possible deaths—Roman crucifixion.

Three decades later, Theophilus has proven himself in the legal ranks of the Roman Empire. He has survived the insane rule of Caligula and has weathered the cruel tyrant’s quest to control the woman he loves. He has endured the mindless violence of the gladiator games and the backstabbing intrigue of the treason trials.

Now he must face another evil Caesar, defending the man Paul in Nero’s deranged court. Can Theophilus mount a defense that will keep another innocent man from execution?

The advocate’s first trial altered the course of history. His last will change the fate of an empire.

Undetected ~ Review

Undetected
By Dee Henderson

Gina Gray is smart and can come up with solutions to problems that were thought to have no possible solution.  She has the ability to see simplicity in the complex, but when it comes to personal relationships Gina is at a loss.  And her latest break-up has her seeking her seeking her brother's help.  Asking Jeff to help her find someone who won't be threatened by the way her mind works seems like a huge favor to ask of someone, but Gina needs help and she trusts Jeff.

Mark Bishop loves his life as a commander aboard the USS Nevada - a ballistic missile submarine in the US Navy.  Mark still misses his wife, though it has only been a few years since she died.  But he needs to move on, he knows Melinda would have wanted him to.  But the life of a Navy Commander is demanding and can put an extra strain on a marriage.

When his best friend Jeff Gray approaches him about going out with his sister Gina, Mark turns him down because Gina is 10 years younger than him.  But when he starts working with Gina on her newest discovery, he realizes he may have made a mistake.  Is it too late to remedy the situation or will Jeff's second choice for Gina steal her heart before Mark can reveal his?

I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the life of a submarine crew.  It was an interesting and intriguing setting for the rest of the story.  Sometimes (for those not involved in this life) the strains that this puts on their personal  life are fully appreciated and understood.

Dee Henderson does a wonderful job weaving an engaging and entertaining story.  This can be a stand-alone story though there are a couple of characters from Unspoken who make a quick appearance in the story.  If you like intense and exciting books that will capture your attention from cover to cover you don't want to miss Undetected!

I was provided a copy of this book by Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

About

When asked what he does for a living . . .
Commander Mark Bishop is deliberately low-key: "I'm in the Navy." But commanding the ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada, keeping her crew trained and alert during ninety-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch weapons on valid presidential orders, carries a burden of command like few other jobs in the military. Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and handles it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating around the Pacific Rim, the Navy is glad to have him.

Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, with a lovely smile, and very smart. She's a civilian, yet she understands the U.S. Navy culture. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him.

Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. A breakup she didn't see coming, though, has her focusing all her attention on what she does best--ocean science research. She's on the cusp of a major breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop's perspective and help. Because what she told the Navy she's figured out is only the beginning. If she's right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter.