Critical Pursuit by Janice Cantore

Brinna Caruso is a cop whose passion is finding missing children and catching molestors who prey on them. She has a personal stake in this issue because when she was a small child she was kidnapped by a molester and left to die in a remote location. She was miraculously rescued and she wants that outcome for all the little girls. Detective Jack O'Reilly lost his wife and unborn child to a drunk driver and he is questioning everything in life right now. He wants off the homicide beat for a while and becomes Caruso's partner. Together they pursue the bad guys and hash out the meaning of life and the existence of God which both are skeptical about after what they have been through.

This book is well written and keeps you waiting to know more. The struggle with the issue of God's existence is woven into the story and is not clunky or irrelevant to the plot. It is a natural conclusion to the feelings being generated by the action. The fact that Ms. Cantore was a cop herself makes it all real and helps the reader get a feel for the job at hand. I felt there could have been a little more conflict if Brinna had actually met up with her molester in the final pages of this story but it was not diminished by the fact that she didn't. It was still a very satisfying read.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale for review. I did not receive any compensation for completing the review. All opinions are my own.

The Cry of My Heart

Babies and God-breathed Life are subjects close to my heart. What is breaking my heart is the abortion culture in our country today. I have always known at a gut level that life and babies are precious and that we have no right to mess with that. From the moment the sperm meets the egg in the womb and the baby begins to form a separate life has been created. To willingly murder that baby is an act of evil. Yes, I've heard all the arguments about rape and incest. In truth only about 1% of abortions are results of rape / incest. A similar percentage are due to trying to save the life of the mother. The rest are performed entirely for "convenience." The baby in the womb is a person in its own right. It has its own fingerprints, DNA, blood type etc., separate from the mother. He or she is not an extension of its mother's body parts. The baby is not responsible for the act that was committed to start its life. That baby has as much right to live as the selfish mother or father who wants it aborted for whatever reason they think they have.

Life and babies are so precious to me that it hurts my heart to see the things that are going on in our society today. So many people would love to adopt a newborn but instead they are being brutally murdered. I had three difficult pregnancies in my life. On the second one I miscarried. The devastation of losing those little lives (there were 3) was devastating to me for years afterward. I cannot imagine the pain there would have been if I had been responsible for that miscarriage. I still mourn for those little lives. My daughter has had similar difficulty with her pregnancies. She has had several miscarriages and 3 live births. All of her pregnancies have been high risk and one of the live births resulted in the baby dying almost immediately after birth. The baby died in her arms. That was 10 years ago and we still mourn that little life and the lives of the others that she miscarried. To both of us the thought of anyone deliberately taking the life of a baby in utero is horrifying. My daughter was offered an abortion when it became apparent that her baby had serious problems but she wouldn't even consider it. The opportunity we had to hold that precious life in our arms as she went to meet her Maker was something we would not trade for anything in the world. When I was pregnant with my daughter, the medical personnel told me since I was having a difficult pregnancy and there was the possibility of something being wrong with the baby, I should consider an abortion. I told them in no uncertain terms that would not ever happen and I would die first before I let something happen to my baby. And through some genuine miracles, she was born beautiful and perfect and is, along with her brother, the joy of my life.

A Simple Change by Judith Miller

A Simple Change is the 2nd book in the Home to Amana Series by Judith Miller. I had the privilege of reviewing Book 1 as well. One might think that as simple as life was in the Amana colonies, the books would be very similar. Not so -- only in location. The stories are quite different and both very compelling. In Book 2, Jancey Rhoder returns to the Amana Colonies with her parents, who left the Colonies when they were very young. Now Jancey's mother is ill and her parents have decided to return to their roots. Although Jancey's life has been very different from life in the Amana Colonies, she does not want to be separated from her mother during her mother's illness so she decides to go with them. Her ambitious boyfriend had hoped to end up with her father's company and was not pleased with this move. As Jancey settles into the new life, another young man catches her attention and she sees in him the gentleness and kindness of her father. Now she needs to choose. Several other complications along the way make it a shaky path to travel but her trust in God leads her to the correct destination.

This book is very well written and could certainly be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys historical novels. This book makes you want to keep reading till you figure it all out. I love a little mystery mixed in with the romance. I am awaiting anxiously now for Book 3.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for review. I did not receive any compensation for completing the review. All opinions are my own.

The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel by Jennifer LeClaire

Much was said about 20 years or so ago in the Christian world about the "Jezebel Spirit." Demons and evil spirits were much discussed and perhaps given a little too much glory. Jennifer LeClaire got some of her early experience with this subject through that movement. She has now experienced much along these lines and refined her take on this subject. As she mentions early in the book, many times forceful women or even just women with poor social skills have been labeled with this Jezebel spirit but this spirit is much more subtle and pervasive than that.

No matter what you choose to call it, this spirit is prevalent in the church world. Much of the mainline Christian denominations have compromised the Word of God by allowing false teachings and doctrines and just watering down and candy-coating the gospel message. "Secret" sins such as pornography and pedophilia are rampant in large sections of the church world. Cults introduce strange doctrine. Churches and ministries in many cases are more interested in their bottom line than maintaining Christian purity. All of these things simply put are idolatry and immorality.

There is much thought provoking material in this book and it is worth reading and taking to heart.

I received a copy of this book from Chosen books for review. I did not receive any compensation for completing the review. All opinions are my own.

Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge

This book was a little out of my usual scope of reading material but I found it very intriguing. Juliet Belleno, a widow, is a blogger and spends most of her time alone with her writing. She runs into her favorite author one day in the grocery store and the rest is a blur. She end up kidnapped and wondering what is happening to her. Meanwhile, her father and her husband's former partner, Chris, start looking for her and find out a whole lot that they didn't know before about how Juliet's husband died. It all builds with increasing suspense until you can't put it down till you find out all the details. You also find some insight into the minds of writers in the process. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone for an exhilarating read.


I received a copy of this book from Tyndale for review. I did not receive any compensation for completing the review. All opinions are my own.

Angels in the Fire by Dann Stadler

Angels in the Fire is the story of a couple who survived a horrific car crash and all they experienced in the process. They were visiting family in Florida and heading back to the wife's parents' house at night on a divided highway (6 lanes on their side) when a drunk driver going the wrong way on the freeway hit them head-on at a high rate of speed. By rights they should have been dead but they survived. Tracey (the wife) had an encounter with an angel and with Jesus at the scene. Both had multiple life-threatening injuries and long recoveries. The story of all the miracles God performed in their lives is inspiring. They were not miraculously healed in an instant and they are not free from pain, even to this day, but the ways the Holy Spirit touched them throughout the years following the accident is truly amazing and is well worth the read. I could not put this book down till I finished it.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for review. I did not receive any compensation for completing the review. All opinions are my own.

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

Another fun book from Karen Witemeyer. Not too long ago I read her previous book, Short-Straw Bride. This book is about the younger brother of the "hero" in the previous book. This book, however, will stand alone. If this is the only one you read you will still have a great read! Joanna's father, a reformed outlaw, kidnaps a preacher for her off the train for her birthday because her dream is to fill the pulpit in their tiny church. The preacher in question is on the way to try out for a position in a neighboring town. His name is Crockett Archer. Not pleased with the turn of events, he eventually gets pulled in to Joanna's dreams anyway and pastors her church. There is the predictable marriage-hungry young lady and her mama to throw a monkey wrench into the works but Crockett and Joanna only have eyes for each other. Just a fun tale. I highly recommend it for some light reading.


I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for review. I did not receive any compensation for completing the review. All opinions are my own.