Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

★★★★✩
Goodreads | Amazon

When truth doesn't make sense, will lies prevail?

Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on high-profile homicides. When she finds a threatening note warning her that she's about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog, Cathy writes it off as mischief… until her brother's wife is murdered and all the 'facts' point to him. The killer has staged the crime to make the truth too far-fetched to believe. Working to solve the murder and clear her brother's name, Cathy and her two sisters, Holly and Juliet, moonlight as part-time private investigators. Juliet, a stay-at-home mom of two boys, and Holly, a scattered ne'er-do-well who drives a taxi, put aside their fear to hunt down the real killer.

Stakes rise when their brother's grieving five-year-old son is kidnapped. As police focus on the wrong set of clues, the three sisters and their battered detective friend are the only hope for solving this bizarre crime, saving the child, and freeing their brother.

Terri Blackstock’s Truth Stained Lies opens with intrigue and suspense. Immediately, the plot pulled me in, leaving me eagerly wondering how the sisters would ever clear their brother’s name. It seemed such a daunting conundrum. However, as the plot continues from there, I found my hooked interest waning bit by bit for a couple reasons – primarily because, throughout the novel, Blackstock uses six different characters to tell the story. To me, this felt overloaded at times, and with each transfer of perspective, it became a bit more of a challenge to continually and truly connect with the characters. Additionally, Blackstock introduces the culprit, as well as most of the motive, relatively early within the plot, so from there, much of the suspense seems to dissipate, in my opinion, as the novel neatly wraps up.

Yet, even though Truth Stained Lies did not keep me as riveted as I expected, I still did enjoy reading it. As a whole, the novel is interesting, as Blackstock offers more than just crime and mystery in her fiction, sneaking in a bit of romance and reflective spiritual discussions. It is a fun, light, well-rounded read, and I plan to check out more from Terri Blackstock, when I have the chance. Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a free digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. 

Liebster Award

Thanks, Rayleigh, for nominating my blog for this award!

Here it is: my first not-a-book-review post on Book by Book. I didn’t know this day would come, but it certainly has arrived with unexpected style.

The Rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.

2. List 11 facts about yourself.

3. Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.

4. Nominate 9 bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers.

5. Ask them 11 questions.

6. Let them know about the nomination.

11 Facts About Myself:

1. My go-to “weird” fact is “I have never used a port-a-potty.”

2. Glacier National Park is probably my favorite place on Earth. If I could snap my fingers and just be there, I would.

3. I am purposefully training myself to be a morning person.

4. If I had to pick one book to be my favorite, it would be The Giver by Lois Lowry.

5. I have absolutely no aspirations of ever skydiving - not even for my bucket list.

6. My brothers like to make fun of me because I laugh out loud when I read.

7. I love to eat out of a coffee mug.

8. I hate moths. They gross me out.

9. I habitually check out from the library more books than I could possibly have the time to actually read.

10. Mustard is my favorite condiment.

11. I have no recollection of anyone pronouncing my full name correctly on the first try.

Rayleigh’s 11 Questions:

1. Flip-flops or cowboy boots?

I’ve never worn cowboy boots, so I’ll have to go with flip-flops. Besides, I don’t think I could pull off cowboy boots.

2. If you could have absolutely any animal in the world as pet (can be extinct), which would it be and why? And just a bonus question here, what in the world would you name it?????

Definitely a polar bear. Hands down. His name would be Ronald.

3. Favorite reading genre?

I’m a sucker for historical romance, but I’ll read just about anything.

4. Your plane crashes on a deserted island that has nothing but thorns, poisonous animals, and constant rain. Which fictional character keeps you from totally losing your mind and comes up with a brilliant plan of escape?

Batman.

5. Favorite classic book?

Is The Catcher in the Rye considered a classic yet?

6. Do you prefer the story of Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows?

Where the Red Fern Grows. (But I only have experience with the movies...)

7. Favorite color?

Red.

8. Mexican food, Chinese food or seafood?

Oh, tough choice, but I’m going to say, “Chinese food.”

9. Favorite season?

Sweater season. I love to rock my thrift-store treasures.

10. Is there a book that you think needs a better title? If yes, then what would you rename it?

Honestly, I’ve never thought about this before… So, off the top of my head, I can’t think of any.

11. Favorite card game?

Gin.

Now, this is where I am supposed to nominate nine other bloggers for the Liebster Award and then give them eleven questions to answer. While I would love to promote other bloggers and their blogs, I am unfortunately not too connected within the great blogosphere and know next to zero bloggers. So, I’ll deviate from the rules and just stop here. (Lame, I know.)

Well, it's time for me to return to hiding behind the books. I'll be back soon with more book reviews. In the meantime, happy reading!

Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

When Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston from an eastern finishing school, she's stunned to find her father in ill health. Though she loves him, he's only ever focused on what she's not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run their family business, Renard Shipping.

Vowing to secure a suitable marriage partner, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure: a dagger personally gifted to Nicole's father by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Many believe the legend that the dagger is the source of all Renard Shipping's good fortune, though Nicole is sure her father's work ethic and honorable business practices are the keys to their success. Before she can board the steamer to New Orleans, Nicole finds her father's rivals – the Jenkins brothers – on either side of the gangplank, ready to grab her and steal the dagger. Quickly, she decides to instead travel north, to Liberty, Texas, where she can decide what to do next.

Darius Thornton needs a secretary – someone to help him get his notes in order. Ever since the boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana, Darius has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. The pretty young socialite who applies for the job baffles him with her knowledge of mathematics and steamships. He decides to take a risk and hire her, but he's determined her attractive face and fancy clothes won't distract him from his important research.

The job offer comes at exactly the right time for Nicole. With what Darius is paying her, she'll be able to afford passage to New Orleans in mere weeks. But Mr. Thornton is so reclusive, so distant, so unusual. He can create complex scientific equations but can't remember to comb his hair. And his experiments are growing more and more dangerous. Still, there are undeniable sparks of attraction between them. But Nicole is leaving soon, and if she marries, it must be to a man who can manage a shipping empire. Darius certainly doesn't fit that description. And the Jenkins brothers have not given up on kidnapping Nicole and seizing the Lafitte dagger for themselves.

I can definitively say, I have not yet read a Karen Witemeyer novel I have not loved (– and I have read all of them). She always manages to create, time and time again, captivating storylines, filled with fast-paced action and heart-melting romance set against intriguing history. Always a pleasure. Needless to say, Full Steam Ahead is another exceptional Witemeyer read, and I absolutely loved every bit of it. The brilliantly quirky hero, Darius Thornton, and the clever and capable heroine, Nicole Renard, run the show beautifully. With their witty dialogue and outrageously fantastic antics, I could not help but root for these two as they navigated the difficulties of a haunting past and an inescapable future. Their story is all-around sweet and fun and exciting. It is definitely an entertaining read for fans of historical romance, and I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read more from Karen Witemeyer!

Thanks to Bethany House, I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. 

The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother’s possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family’s past and finally uncover the reasons why.

Her inquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher. He was among her mother’s circle of friends during the Second World War but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he meets a violent death. 

Detective Patrik Hedström, Erica’s husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Who would kill so ruthlessly to bury secrets so old? Reluctantly Erica must read her mother’s wartime diaries. But within the pages is a painful revelation about Erica’s past. Could what little knowledge she has be enough to endanger her husband and newborn baby? 

The dark past is coming to light, and no one will escape the truth of how they came to be...

When I first started reading Camilla Läckberg’s The Hidden Child, I had no idea of the series of novels containing Patrik, Erica and the town of Fjällbacka. However, despite my lack of previous experience with Läckberg novels, The Hidden Child easily drew me into its twisting and turning storyline. From Läckberg’s narrative, I could easily glean sufficient material to feel comfortable and satisfied with each character – even without knowing all the details from prior stories. At no point did I feel I approached this novel with a disadvantage. Both the past-to-present mystery and the character interactions held me intrigued, and the methodical pace kept me turning page after page just to find the next revealed piece of the daunting puzzle. The Hidden Child is worth a read – I recommend this novel to lovers of thrillers and intrigue, and I certainly plan to read more from Camilla Läckberg in the foreseeable future. 

Thanks to Pegasus Books and a contest on Bookreporter.com, I received a copy of this novel and the chance to share my impressions.

Heart Wide Open: Trading Mundane Faith for an Exuberant Life with Jesus by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

★★★★★
Start reading here.
Goodreads | Amazon

You believe in God. You’re trying to serve Him. But do you know how to truly love Him — and let Him love you?

As a Bible-believing churchgoer, author Shellie Tomlinson harbored a secret in her good-girl heart. She longed for something more than routine faith; she wanted to love God with a genuine, all-consuming passion. So she got honest with Him: “I admit it. I don’t love you like I should, but I want to love you. Help me!”

In Heart Wide Open, Shellie invites you to answer the call of your restless heart and refuse to settle for anything less than the intimate friendship of God. Through her heartfelt and honest words, you’ll find practical inspiration to help you…

·   exchange your “just enough Jesus” mindset for an all-out pursuit of Him

·   put sizzle in your Bible study by asking God to show you the wonder of His Word

·   trade formulaic devotions for a devoted life

Are you ready to stop struggling to make time for God and instead live every moment with God? Discover how to live with your heart wide open.

Shellie Rushing Tomlinson’s Heart Wide Open is definitely an encouraging, thought-provoking read. Tomlinson provides some genuine and passionate insight, gleaned from and highlighted by her own personal experiences. I found many of the topics she addresses – like Bible reading, quiet time and prayer – very relevant for my life, and I am glad she presents the material so accessibly. Though this book is, in many ways, instructional, Tomlinson speaks openly and honestly from her journey of falling in love with Jesus, avoiding any pointing of fingers and condescension. I would recommend Heart Wide Open to those looking for more in their relationship with God. It certainly presents a worthwhile challenge. I thank the Blogging for Books program for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for a review.