Book Review: When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

From the publisher's website:

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she is confronted with murder, arson--and a handsome detective.

But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension you've come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series.

My thoughts: I have loved every book that I have read by Lynette Eason. She really knows how to engage a reader and build suspense throughout her stories. When I get one of her books, I wnat uninterrupted time to read it all the way through (although I never get that chance!).

When the Smoke Clears is a great read for anyone who loves clean, well-written suspense novels that you wouldn't mind your teen reading. I'm sure my copy will find its way into the hands of my 17-year-old daughter soon!

I give When the Smoke Clears 5 out of 5 stars!

(I received this book from Revell for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

Book Review: Unhallowed Ground by Mel Starr

 Unhallowed Ground by Mel Starr is the fourth book in the chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon and detective. 

Although this is part of a series, I didn't feel like I missed anything by not having read the first three. However, it did make me want to read the others so I could get more of the story of Hugh and his wife. I am also looking forward to reading the fifth so I can find out what happens next (especially to the baby that Hugh's wife, Kate, is carrying).

Synopsis of the book from the publisher's website:

Thomas atte Bridge, a man no one likes, is found hanging from a tree near Cow-leys Corner. All assume he has taken his own life, but Master Hugh and Kate find evidence that this may not be so. Many of the town had been harmed by Thomas, and Hugh is not eager to send one of them to the gallows. Then he discovers that the priest John Kellet, atte Bridge's partner in crime in A CORPSE AT ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL, was covertly in Bampton at the time atte Bridge died. Master Hugh is convinced that Kellet has murdered atte Bridge - one rogue slaughtering another. He sets out for Exeter, where Kellet now works. But there he discovers that the priest is an emaciated skeleton of a man, who mourns the folly of his past life. Hugh must return to Bampton and discover which of his friends has murdered his enemy ...


ISBN: 9780857210586

Published: 21st October 2011

Format: Paperback

Unhallowed Ground is a delightful mystery set in 14th century England. The main character, Hugh de Singleton, is a surgeon who is caught up in a murder mystery when the death of a rogue is discovered near Hugh's hometown. I enjoyed learning many medieval terms and the culture of this area during that time. I found the book a little hard to get into at the beginning, but I soon became swept into the story and didn't want to put the book down until I was finished.

I give Unhallowed Ground 4 1/2 out of 5 stars!

(I received this book from Kregel for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

Book Review: Far From Here by Nicole Baart

Far From Here Video from Todd Montsma on Vimeo.

I love to fly. Ever since I flew on a plane for the first time when I was 27, I have wanted to go everywhere by plane. The feeling of soaring above the clouds and the beautiful views of sunrises and sunsets have been such amazing experiences for me. It's funny to think that I am afraid of heights, yet I enjoy flying so much.

That's why I couldn't identify with the main character of this book, Far From Here, when it tells of how she is petrified of flying and doesn't want anything to do with her husband's airplanes or his dream of being a bush pilot in the wilds of Alaska.

After her husband, Etsell, goes on a trip to Alaska, Danica Greene receives a phone call telling her that her husband is missing. His plane disappears shortly after takeoff when he is on his last flight before going back home. For weeks, Danica doesn't know whether she is a widow or a wife abandoned by her husband.

Dani eventually learns that Etsell was not alone when he left the Alaskan airport. A woman had been with him and has also vanished.

The rest of the book is about how Dani struggles with the idea that her husband may have been unfaithful to her. The more she learns about what happened in the Alaskan wilderness, the more she must come to grips with who she really is and what she is going to do with the rest of her life.

The book also portrays her family as highly disfunctional, which adds a lot of color to the tale. I love her mother, even though I would probably want to strangle her even more than Dani does. And her sisters are women you just love to hate, yet at the same time I felt much pity for the whole bunch.

I enjoyed the book, but I felt like it had a weak ending. I would have liked to have a little more detail about what happened to Dani, her family, and her neighbor.

I give Far From Here 4 out of 5 stars!

(I received this book for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)