Truth Stained Lies: A Review

When Jay gets an email from his soon-to-be ex-wife asking him to come over to work out the custody arrangement for their son, he rushes over.....just to be set up for her murder. Will his family be able to clear his name before his son is the next target?

With her latest, Blackstock gives readers another thrilling read, full of action, suspense, and character development. The action starts in chapter one when Jay finds his ex-wife dead and a clown fleeing from the scene and the action continues until the last page where hints of book two are revealed. 

The fact that this is the start of a new series is exciting to faithful fans like myself because it's the characters and their relationships with each other that make this book stand out in the suspense (with a hint of romance) sea of novels. Jay's sisters each have their own hangups, and I hope the next few books give us more insight into their pasts as we read about their future. 

Fans of Christian fiction will enjoy this latest novel by the fan favorite Terri Blackstock. 

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

Covenant Child: A Review

In this modern spin on the parable of the prodigal son, Blackstock introduces readers to Lizzie and Kara, twin girls who are heiresses to a large fortune. When their father dies, the girls are ripped from the arms of Amanda, the stepmom who loves them as her own, and given to their grandparents, who care nothing for the girls. Will Amanda be able to get her girls back, or will they live without ever knowing their true worth?

Told from Kara's point of view, this novel beautifully shares the story of unending love: the love of a mother who never gives up just like the heavenly Father never gives up on His children. Without being preachy, the novel reminds readers of God's open arms waiting to embrace the ones who walked away from the fortune He has for them.

The book starts when the girls are three and continues past their 18th birthdays, but the plot doesn't feel choppy or rushed. The characters are authentic, and I felt such sympathy for the girls and rooted for them to overcome the odds. I also loved that this book was about the love of a parent, not a romantic love. So many Christian fiction books focus on the love between a man and woman, but the love of a parent is so important too and it's nice to see that relationship explored in fiction.

Overall, this a great book. Fans of Christian fiction will enjoy this book about unwavering love, but Terri Blackstock fans should be warned that this is not one of her suspense books....just as good though.

I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

Downfall: A Review

In the final book of the Intervention series, Emily, who has been sober for two years, is still trying to convince herself and her family that she has put her drug use behind her. When she finds a bomb under her car, leaving her past behind gets a little harder, especially when people connected to her start dying….and Emily is blamed. Will her mom and Kent be able to find the killer before Emily is the next victim?

What I have enjoyed most about this series is that it realistically shows the struggle of a former addict to stay clean. Although most addicts don’t run from killers literally, the daily choice to stay clean is a difficult journey. Blackstock’s portrayal of addiction’s effect on everyone involved is poignant and real. As always with a Blackstock novel, there’s an adventurous ride towards finding the killer.

Fans of Blackstock will enjoy this conclusion to Covington family’s story. I recommend reading the books in order.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Vicious Cycle: A Review

When fifteen-year old Lance finds out his friend Jordan has left drug rehab, he goes to her house to check on her. After being threatened, he leaves, only to find a newborn baby in his back sea. Jordan's baby. Thinking he will have his mom help figure out what to do, he takes the baby home. When he's arrested, the family finds themselves involved in a baby smuggling ring in addition to drug abuse. Can the family work together to prove Lance's innocence as well as protect a helpless baby?

As always, Blackstock tells a thrilling tale of adventure, but what stood out to me most in this book was the honest, realistic look at drug abuse and human trafficking. Lance's sister is finding it hard to cope after graduating from a year-long rehab facility. The storyline of baby traffickers getting drug abusers pregnant in hopes of selling their babies is a real issue, and Blackstock handled it with grace while still sharing a intriguing story.

Fans of Christian fiction will enjoy this book. I know I look forward to more books in this series.

Shadow in Serenity

When Logan comes to the small town of Serenity to swindle a naive town out of its hard-earned money, he didn't count on meeting Carny, a former con artist herself. Will he be able to pull of the ruse without losing his heart in the process? 

Terri Blackstock is one of my favorite Christian suspense authors, so I found this book a little slow as it focused more on a romance than a mystery. The characters are vivid, the town is enrapturing, but the plot dragged on for a little too long.

Fans of Terri Blackstock will enjoy this book, but it's definitely not my favorite by her.

Book Giveaway!

Congrats to Melanie for winning Try Dying.
This week I'm giving away Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock.
To enter to win, tell me what makes you feel serene. Be sure to leave an email address. Get a second entry by following the blog (leave a second comment). I can only ship to the US.
I'll pull a name next week.

If you won in the last few weeks, I've been really busy and haven't shipped the books. I'm going to do it tomorrow, I promise!

Predator by Terri Blackstock

Summary: Krista Carmichael is on a mission: to catch the man who kidnapped and killed her sister. When other young women are stalked and kidnapped in the area, the cops are led to GrapeVyne, a social network where the girls left detailed "thought bubbles" about their day. Ryan, the CEO of GrapeVyne, joins Krista on the search for the killer and online predator.

My thoughts: This book is great! In addition to the plot about Krista and Ryan finding the murderer, there are also several intriguing subplots: social networks and what information people, teenagers in particular, put out for anyone to see; the grief of a father who has lost his wife and now his daughter; Krista's mission work in a low-income area; and the corruption of GrapeVyne's partners.

The book leaves the reader wondering what exactly these ad companies have access to on our social networking pages. Remember to only add friends that you actually know, and always keep your page private!

Author's website: http://www.terriblackstock.com/