Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black

Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black

With each novel Stephanie writes, she keeps getting better. I absolutely love her cliffhangers, she is so good at what she does, as she grabs you from the start and pulls you in. Way to go, cousin!!!

Abigail Wyatt is beginning to believe her younger brother Derek has left his demons behind him by starting over. He's getting his career off to a good start by making jewelry with stones. When a dinner party with his parents fizzles after not talking with them in five years, he literally runs, leaving Abigail tied up. His pushy landlord is after the back rent Derek owes and when she is found murdered in a nearby park, he knows he will be the number one suspect.

When the police question Abigail about her brother, she gives up more information that puts her brother in a darker light. When it looks more and more like Derek is being setup, with the help of friends, she digs into the troubled murdered woman's past, finding a long ago murder that could tie-in to this murder.

When Abigail and her brother are injured, things begin to get suspicious and that she is getting too close to the truth and that someone will stop at nothing to silence her. Abigail even seeks for the murdered woman's mother to find out what was troubling her daughter and finds more than she bargains for.

I highly recommend this nail-biter of an ending. If you enjoy top-notch suspense, you'll love this newest from the queen of LDS suspense. As the title says, it reminds us of the hit song "Cold As Ice" throughout the novel.

I received my copy from Stephanie Black.

Published by: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Date Published: August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60861-013-6
296pp

Tennis Shoes Adventure Series: Sorcerers and Seers by Chris Heimerdinger

Tennis Shoes Adventure Series: Vol. 11: Sorcerers And Seers by Chris Heimerdinger

Well, it's about time we get to read more about the adventures of Jim Hawkins, his sister Jenny and Garth Plimpton, plus all their children and the Book of Mormon and New Testament characters we've come to love. The first time I heard Chris was close to finishing this Volume was last year and the deadline came and went, so we found out it was being released early Sep of this year. Well, the wait was well worth it, but Chris, please not keep us in suspense another five years!!!!

For those not familiar with the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series, the first Volume is entitled Tennis Shoes Among The Nephites. Jim, Garth and Jenny embark on a fascinating and terribly exciting journey into Book of Mormon and New Testament lands, winding up in Frost Cave, Wyoming that takes them on a time travel journey of mass proportions.

In this volume, we find Jim and Jenny side by side with the Mortal Messiah in Gethsemane and Golgatha, while witnessing the wrath and rejection of His followers, ones who cannot comprehend His full earthly mission to save mankind.

Joshua Plimpton, Chief Captain of the Nephites, is on a quest to destroy the vilest of villains to rescue the Golden Plates. He has both the sword of Laban and the Liahona with him. He has times of struggling with his faith, but he manages to realize whose side he is fighting for and his faith becomes strong with the aid of Hamira, one of King Omer's granddaughters. They come in contact with huge Mastadon's as they journey towards Cumorah.

We continue to savor the exploits of Appollus, our fearless andcourageous Roman Centurion, who shows Meagan just how much he loves her when she is seriously injured by a "Gadianton Ghost."

It's surprising for the group when they find how adept Huracan, the black jaguar is, who has been with the group for a long time as well as Rafa, Harry's constant companion and a Perigrine Falcon, who appears to know when things will happen to warn the group ahead of time.

Other characters we're friends with are Gidgiddonihah, who died and was brought back to life to change history, Rebecca, Josh's 10 year old sister, who was also born in Book of Mormon days, Marcos,a former Gadianton Robber, Mahonri Moriancumr, the brother of Jared, Pagag, son of Mahonri Moriancomr and Ryan Champion, former boyfriend of Meagan. And,then we have Steffani, Jim's daughter and the most athletic of the Hawkins children and constant companion to Pagag.

If you love time travel as I do, you'll love this series and if you want to know more about The Book of Mormon and its characters, you'll love this series and book. Also, for those who have listvened to tvhe book on CD, you miss out on the Chapter notes at the end of each chapter. I very highly recommend this next installment, but hope to see it come to a huge climax soon, especially since one main character has ended up back home in Utah where he started out from.

I bought my autographed copy from Chris.

Published by: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published Date: 7 September 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60861-087-7
491pp

Defensive Tactics by Steve Westover

Defensive Tactics by Steve Westover

In this riveting debut novel, we find both Paul Stephens and Emily Mathews, rookie FBI Agents, working together on an assignment that will bring a corrupt judge down.

When Jimmy Younger, a friend of Paul's high school days comes into his life, he knows he needs to help him, as Jimmy has been in the depth of despair for years, after a tragic accident takes the lives of his sisters. Then, when his father comes close to taking his own life as well, it causes Jimmy to lose all hope he'll ever have a forever family. Both Paul and Emily help Jimmy regain his faith while Jimmy unknowingly helps Emily thwart some mobsters from harming her. Emily is set up as a pawn to bring down the corrupt Judge Craven, but when she is required to compromise her moral standards, she has doubts about whether she should do what is required because it is her job.

When Paul is sent to the Oklahoma City Office to work on an assignment, he finds that by flushing out the corruptness, he could be jeopardising his career.

When Jimmy's new bishop has a long talk with him, he is asked to read his scriptures, pray and ponder, he comes to realize he needs to find a job and he has an interview with the bishop's friend, who hires him. When he spends the entire night helping the team apprehend the mobsters and free Emily, he panics, as he's supposed to be on the job at 6am and it's now 8:30am. He rushes to make amends as to why he's late, not realizing that Paul had saved his butt.
Emily is abducted and it is up to Paul, Jimmy and the rest of the team to free her, find the men responsible for several murders and flush out the mole on the team. The mobsters find that Emily is not the naive patsy of an agent when she is able to cleverly outwit these low-life's and save her friends and team. She also has feelings for both Paul and Jimmy and she has to search deepwithin her soul to decide which is the one she truly loves, as from what one friend says, "You can't kiss a friend."

At the end, when Emily sets up Judge Craven and gets even, really made the story in my eyes. From the beginning, when they first met, Judge Craven was all sure of himself, thinking Emily was this little naive FBI agent who would do anything he asked. What an ending!!! And, Emily shows just how ingenious she can be for a young rookie agent with morals.

I see a sequel in the making, as one of the characters is still out there, needing to be found.

I received my review copy from Steve Westover.

Published by: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published Date: August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59955-445-7
246pp

The Road Show by Braden Bell

The Road Show by Braden Bell

This superlative debut novel from Braden really puts Road Shows to a new level. We all in The Church have seen many Road Shows and know how absolutely corny they can be with the tawdry costumes and pitiful funny songs, but this puts Road Shows where they should be.

Scott Jenson, a theater teacher, who is close to losing his position due to ineffective work, is called as the new Road Show Director. He feels not worthy of directing the Ward Road Show, feeling the participants will find out his secret. He is surprised at how well the creative juices inspire him to come up with the perfect script. With the assistance of Ed, the ward outcast, they collaborate on some original music and serious scriptural passages into the script.

Stephanie, a young wife and mother of two, has been feeling such a failure as of late and needs this part in the Road Show to begin feeling alive again. Sister McDougal, an older lady, who is sick and has ward members talking about her behind her back and shunning her because of the way she dresses and the way her home looks, is enthralled by being in the Road Show.

Curtis, the Elder's Quorum President, is feeling too good for his ward. He feels that everyone else should be doing what needs to be done, that he'd much rather stay at home, rather than take his Priesthood Responsibilities seriously. He feels that the reason so many of the ward cause their own problems, he has to humble himself and really see them and their situations from a different perspective, before he can do his part convincingly.

When a cast member cannot go on at the last minute, Scott has to fill in and it's not until he steps on stage that he truly understands the Atonement and what it can do for him that he comes to really love his Road Show cast members and know that he can be healed. The cast come together at the end to bond.

Sister Cartwright, former Road Show Director, leads the cast in a very comical exercise in learning stage directions. One male member recites his part in Shakespearean English, another male member thinks he's a great actor just because he's done a few local bits. This little gem of a novel deserves a sequel. The Road Show is a very uplifting, very spiritual feast. I was totally moved, crying, as it touched my soul.

Forever Friends Rating 5 HUGE Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Date Published: June 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59955-356-6
120pp

I received my review copy from Braden.

Light On Fire Island by Marlene Bateman

Light On Fire Island by Marlene Bateman

When I first saw this book advertised, I knew I would love it, because I love lighthouses. And, since this was a suspense novel, all the better, as they always seem to have a certain mystery about them.

Celena Jackson had fled from her home on Fire Island five years earlier to get away from her unyielding father, who was totally against her joining The Mormon Church along with her mother. With her mother's death and her father's bitterness, she flees to her grandparents home until her younger brother begs her to come home to take her injured father's place as the Lighthouse Keeper. As soon as she arrives, unexplained accidents start occuring, even sightings of a "ghostly" figure appearing on the beach.

When Celena meets Andrew, the son of Gerald, she has feelings for him, but Andrew seems aloof and secretive at times. Several townsfolk seem to not want herc running the lighthouse, especially once she finds her father's accident was not an accident. When she finds there is rumrunning occuring, she doesn't know who to suspect, but when her life is threatened more than once, she knows she needs to find out who is behind the "accidents" before her life is ended. She also finds out a friend's wife's death years earlier, was not an accident. It seems as if Celena can trust no one but herself, her brother and her father, but things aren't always as they seem.

This is a mystery that leaves you wondering who the villain is up until the end, whichis the way I like my suspense novels to end. I highly recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys a great suspense.

I received my review copy from Marlene Bateman.

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Date Published: February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59811-552-9
305pp

Trapped by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

Trapped by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

This second novel by Ronda is a stunning portrait in suspense, deceit, sacrifice and courage. Emi Warrin is awakened in the night to find a thief in her mother's house. She is not aware that a trap has been set for her, that a mysterious forged letter, a golden vial and an ancient curse will change her life forever. When she decides to go looking for clues about her deceased father, she finds all sorts of deceit. things not as they seem, and she finds a mafia-type family living in the ancestral manor in the Austrian Alps.

To find out who is behind the break-in at her mother's house, she must act as a spy to save her self, her family and her best friend Daniel. When she finds out that she is the First born She in a long line of ancesters who had sons first, she must thwart those close to her who wait to deceive her. Emi is the only one who can free the centuries old curse from her family and save Daniel and the rest of her family.

The Austrian Alps makes a fascinating setting for this breathtakingly suspenseful thrill ride of a novel to a shocking climax. There are big surprises galore.

I received my review copy from Ronda and Walnut Springs.

Forever Friends Rating 5 Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.

Publisher: Walnut Springs Press
Date Published: July 2010
ISBN: 978-1-935217-64-0
293pp

Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell

Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell

This second in Michele's Butterfly Box series is my favorite of the two, mainly because the setting takes place in a small town by Seattle, Washington, which is about two hundred miles from where I live, which also happens to be a small town.

The story evolves around Jocelyn, the Art Teacher, who was responsible for the Butterfly Box in the first place. Her grandmother died, leaving Jocelyn her old house. When the mayor of Milford Falls calls to tell her the house is in disrepair, that the property has become an eyesore to the community, Jocelyn is torn, as she is comfortable in her hometown of St. George. When the Butterfly Girls get together for their annual get together, her friends encourage her to move to Milford Falls.

When she arrives, she is given a ticket for going 13 miles over the speed limit, a parking ticket, then has major issues with her car. To make matters worse, she finds her ceiling caving in because of old pipes, birds in her bedroom, so she gets the local handyman, Jack Emerson, to fix the repairs while she does the painting and refinishing of new furniture she finds in town. She finds a friend in her neighbor Harry, a widower, who helps her in a business venture by growing a Raspberry Farm, utilizing both properties.

When things are looking promising for Jocelyn and Jack, the town and ward busybody lets Jack know Jocelyn's long ago secret she's been having difficulty dealing with and she feels the reason he has been shunning her is because of this, but when she finds out the real reason, that Jack has had secrets himself, it is a shock, but is a startling revelation for each.

When a teaching position opens up in Milford Falls, she knows that her prayers are being answered and she realizes living in a small town is what she has needed to really belong and feel loved and to put the past behind her.

Forever Friends Rating 5 Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.

I received this review copy from Michele.

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Date Published: July 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59811-922-0
282pp