TITLE:  Murder Mezzo Forte: A Preston Barclay Mystery
AUTHOR:  Donn E. Taylor
DATE:  2016
PUBLISHER: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
STARS:  ****

He is a reclusive history professor with musical hallucinations, she a headstrong professor of religion, a converted Wiccan. Earlier, they solved a campus murder, but now police say they formed two-thirds of an illicit love triangle with a newly murdered female colleague and they're probably guilty of her murder. A leak of the alleged scandal to the college administration threatens their jobs. Their desperate attempt to prove themselves innocent of the triangle and the murder plunges them into a tangle of unsavory corporate relationships among college trustees. And it puts their lives in danger from a mysterious criminal organization that seems to have tentacles everywhere. 

Can this ill-matched pair's stumbling efforts succeed against the entrenched forces of the police, the college's incompetent administration, and that powerful but unseen criminal organization? If not, they may end up unemployed, in prison, or suffering a fate much worse .
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A complicated mystery, untrustworthy police officers, and a heroine and hero with their own deep issues all combine to make a great whodunit. Murder Mezzo Forte is the second Preston Barclay mystery, but the author gives enough detail from the previous book to fill in any blanks. I appreciate that. In fact, my only negative about this story is not the author’s fault. The hero’s musical hallucinations are fascinating, but his references to what was playing at any time emphasized my lack of education in the fine arts. However, this did not detract from my pleasure in the problematical twists and turns of the story, and I hope to read more of this series.
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Murder Mezzo Forte earns four solid stars. Disclaimer: I obtained this book from the publisher.
 

TITLE:  The Christmas Angel Project
AUTHOR:  Melody Carlson
DATE:  2016
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS:  *****

Five women from different walks of life have become close friends through their book club--enjoying one another's company even more than they enjoy the books. So when the leader of the book club unexpectedly passes away on the cusp of the Christmas season, the four remaining friends are stunned. They relied on Abby for inspiration and motivation. She was the glue that held them together, and they're sure that without her the group can't continue. 

When the group gathers "one last time" to open a bag Abby's husband gives them, they find Abby had made each of them an angel ornament for Christmas, crafted especially for each woman and accompanied by a sweet and personal note. Inspired by their beloved friend, together Cassidy, Louisa, Grace, and Belinda decide to commit themselves to becoming Christmas Angels to others in need. Each woman will use her life situation and talents to reach out and help others in her own unique way--little knowing that her own life and her relationships will be changed forever. 

Abby Wentworth appears only briefly in this story, but her influence carries the tale. She isn’t just the glue that holds the little band of friends together, she is the hub, the center to which each woman clings. So when Abby is taken suddenly, the women left behind are lost, unsure of their friendships and their own value.

I loved The Christmas Angel Project. The women of the group are so diverse and their grief so strong, it appears as though they can’t possibly continue the book club. How the angels made by their beloved friend affects each life, and how the choices made thereafter bring even more change, kept me eagerly reading.

Melody Carlson has a gift of creating real people, so realistic I feel I would recognize any of these women if I could meet them on the street. They are totally appealing with their flaws and insecurities, and their growth renewed my sense of wonder.

The Christmas Angel Project is a charming tale of faith and renewal, and it earns five stars. Highly recommended.
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Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

TITLE:  Finding Sarah, Finding Me (A Birth Mother’s Story)
AUTHOR:  Christine Lindsay
DATE:  2016
PUBLISHER: WhiteFire Publishing
STARS:  *****

Sometimes it is only through giving up our hearts that we learn to trust the Lord. 

Adoption. It’s something that touches one in three people today, a word that will conjure different emotions in those people touched by it. A word that might represent the greatest hope…the greatest question…the greatest sacrifice. But most of all, it’s a word that represents God’s immense love for his people. 

Join birth mother Christine Lindsay as she shares the heartaches, hopes, and epiphanies of her journey to reunion with the daughter she gave up...and to understanding her true identity in Christ along the way. 

Through her story and glimpses into the lives of other families in the adoption triad, readers will see the beauty of our broken families, broken hearts, and broken dreams when we entrust them to our loving God. 

Finding Sarah, Finding Me affected me deeply. As a person who has experienced adoption from both sides, its raw emotions scraped at my own unanswered questions. This is a book to read slowly, to savour and contemplate. Author Christine Lindsay bravely exposes her deepest sorrow, her grandest hopes and her one step forward, two steps back journey toward reconciliation. Her prose is beautifully exquisite, word pictures that stay with me and probe my preconceived ideas.

The realness of this story gives it great power. The additional stories by other adoptees and birth parents adds broader strokes to the picture of adoption. This is not a fluffy novel; it required several days for me to work through it. But it is an important work, one that could benefit everyone touched by adoption.

For these reasons, I award Finding Sarah, Finding Me five stars. Highly recommended.
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I was given a copy of this book without any expectation of review.

TITLE:  The Christmas Challenge: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel
AUTHOR:  JoAnn Durgin
DATE:  2016
STARS:  *****

Serendipity: finding something valuable or delightful when you’re not looking for it and least expect it. 

Donovan Harper and Claire Morgan are more successful as co-owners of a thriving advertising agency in quaint Serendipity, Pennsylvania, than they were at navigating their romantic relationship. 

When an eccentric client makes an unusual request, Donovan convinces Claire their agency should participate in Serendipity’s annual Christmas Challenge. With contests and activities ranging from The Snowflake Plunge, candy cane making, snowman building, wreath and tree decorating, and a snowmobile race, could this be the opportunity Donovan has prayed for to win back the love of his life? 

The Christmas Challenge is a delight, a fun read underpinned with life-changing truth. I thoroughly enjoyed Donovan and Claire’s beautifully choreographed dance toward love and their growing faith in God and in one another.

I love small towns, with their coziness and quirky characters. Serendipity, PA, is a setting that invited me in, and I loved my visit—the first of many, I hope. Its annual Christmas Challenge, and the resulting hilarity and drama, propelled not only the main characters but their entire company closer in purposeful fun.

A few delightful cameos (I won’t spoil the surprise) added an extra layer of warmth to this heartwarming story.
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The Christmas Challenge earns five stars and is highly recommended. I purchased my copy of this book from Amazon. 

TITLE:  Fatal Frost  (Defenders of Justice, #1)
AUTHOR:  Nancy Mehl
DATE:  2016
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS:  ***1/2

Mercy Brennan followed in her father's footsteps in a law enforcement career, but she has no interest in any other connection to him. A U.S. Marshal in St. Louis, Missouri, she's assigned to a joint task force with the St. Louis PD that puts her back into contact with her father and in the sights of St. Louis's most powerful gang. 

When the gang has reason to believe Mercy has possession of some highly sensitive and incriminating information, her boss assigns Mark St. Laurent--a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Mercy's ex-boyfriend--to get her out of town until they can guarantee her safety. 

Initially unaware of the danger she's in and uncomfortable working with Mark, Mercy's frustration escalates when she discovers the extent her boss and Mark have been keeping her in the dark. It isn't until a freak ice storm hits, stranding them at a remote location and out of contact with the district office, that the full severity of their situation becomes clear. As the storm worsens, the forces of nature combine with a deadly enemy closing in to put their lives at imminent risk. Can they survive long enough for help to arrive--if help is even coming at all?

Sounds great, doesn’t it? I expected a tight, tense read from this book, the first by the author that I’ve read. However, for much of the book, I felt I was being told a story rather than being involved in it. Mercy seemed two-dimensional, and the only character I really connected with was her friend and neighbor, Tally Williams.

On the plus side, some scenes did keep me turning the pages, anxious to see what happened. The mystery of the mole was intriguing and suspenseful. I appreciate the faith message of this story, which was clearly presented.

But there were some parts that made me shake my head or even laugh, and they weren’t supposed to be funny. For these reasons, I can only award Fatal Frost three and a half stars.
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Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.