Jeanie D

A Very special Mission

Reviewed: 06-22-24 Listener received this title free

This delightful story is of young Marcus, who accompanied his father on a very special mission during the days when Jesus was teaching and ministering to people, almost two thousand years ago. Marcus wants to please his father and understands that his father doesn’t want anything to go wrong on this journey. Knowing that he is clumsy at times, he is very concerned that he could do something to hinder the mission without meaning to. Marcus was eager to go someplace new and try things he hadn’t done before, so his experiences on the journey and at each stop would stay with him for a long time.

I appreciated how the author included the mint where the coins were made, and said how they were made. Marcus had a great learning experience there, and subsequently on the trip to deliver the coins to Jerusalem. While there, he had experienced the high point in the journey, an event that helped grow his faith, ask questions about what he heard, and have a profound effect on his life.

This audiobook would be a fun activity for parents (or teachers) and children together. It could be a lead-in for Bible stories about Jesus and the child’s faith. For children who ever feel clumsy when they want to be at their best, impress their parents, and try new activities, it could bring confidence and acceptance. With the section of information especially for the adults in the young readers’ lives, the parents can understand the word choices made to embrace the child’s skill level. Learning a little about coins and how to help a child or children begin coin collecting if they are interested could be an adventure for a family or an individual child. The audiobook narrator speaks clearly, is easy to understand, and includes inflections and individual character “voices”. I highly recommend this!

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher through Celebrate Lit and Audible, and this is my honest review.

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First in a Southwest Desert Cozy Mystery Series

Reviewed: 01-20-24 Listener received this title free

This is a very good, solid first cozy mystery in a new series! One of the things that drew me to it is a Midwest woman’s first experience in the Southwest Desert. Except it wasn’t where she planned to be…ever. It is a fast-paced tale that introduces us to the likable, engaging Violet and Hugh, and a passel of quirky folks preparing for the coatimundi festival. What’s a coatimundi and why is there a festival? Come along to Coatimundi, New Mexico, one of only two states in the US where they can be found.

Violet left for New Mexico when finding out that her not-quite-ex-husband had stolen what she had anticipated for living expenses after he moved to a little town in New Mexico. The only way she could survive on her income was to get that money back from him, so she got a low-priced, old, camper for the trip. Along the way, she met Hugh, visiting from across the pond and driving a much nicer RV than she could dream of.

The people in Coatimundi are mostly welcoming, and definitely eccentric. Their brand of quirky is entertaining and completely harmless. . . except for whoever killed Violet’s not-quite-ex-husband. She was unfortunate enough to find his body, and really unfortunate enough to be the main person of interest in his death, as is her new friend, Hugh. With law enforcement who wants an easy solve, and new friends who are willing to help her, will she be able to find whodunit and find the money Jim had to have hidden somewhere on his property?

I quickly became invested in Violet, a woman who works hard, is intelligent, and personable. The festival sounded like it would be a lot of fun. Violet rescued a dog with Hugh’s help, and many of her new friends want her to stay. They are very excited about the shop they want her to open. Just her luck, the sheriff who didn’t like her hated the product, also.

I like the tie-in to missing and/or murdered indigenous women, especially as it is the first time it has been part of a plot in a cozy mystery I have read. That is the only mystery not solved at the end of this intriguing cozy, so I am looking forward to seeing them work on this too long neglected crisis of Native American women. All other mysteries were resolved and whodunit revealed.

The narrator was very good, and I can now pronounce coatimundi in my sleep! The second mystery in the series has been recently released in Kindle, which I eagerly picked up, and I hope there will be many more to come – and that more audiobooks are forthcoming with the same narrator, Erin Anderson. I highly recommend this first in a new series!

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this audiobook from the author, and this is my honest review.

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A Game Store and a Bracelet

Reviewed: 07-22-21 Listener received this title free

I really enjoyed hearing this 5th cozy mystery in the Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series! It is finely plotted and executed, with excellent clues and fascinating, endearing characters. It held caught my attention from the beginning and held it throughout. The narrator does a wonderful job, especially with conversations and various character voices.

I first met and liked Ainsley in The Inn at Holiday Bay series early in her search about her past. She has learned a substantial amount since moving to Gooseberry Bay, leading to more and bigger questions. Ainsley isn’t used to being an heiress yet and is far more concerned with where her sister might have ended up after she herself was found, then raised by, a police officer who recently passed away.

This cozy is fifth in the Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series, and for those new to the series, there is a summary at the beginning of the novel that tells what she has learned about her birth family so far. She has made good friends in the short time she’s lived here. As a young woman with a background as an investigative journalist, Ainsley investigates various cases for others, and is slowly getting new clients.

The first client in this novel is searching for her birth mother. Ellery was found as a newborn in a church in Washington with only the blanket she is wrapped in and a charm bracelet. She loved her adoptive family, but with them gone, she wants to find her birth mother if possible. One of the charms leads her to Gooseberry Bay, and in Ainsley, Ellery finds someone who completely understands her quest.

The second case is for three teen boys who go missing over the course of a couple days. They attend the same high school but are not in the same circles of friends. The police think the boys left on their own, but the more Ainsley, the sister of one of the boys, and Ainsley’s friends, there is something deeper and darker going on. Something, or someone, lured them away with coined phrases guaranteed to appeal to young people who are going through difficult times.

The characters are endearing and defined very well per their roles. I like Ainsley and her friends and how in a short time they have grown extremely close and work together on searches. Jemma is genuinely interested in how Ainsley’s own family search progresses; each of the friends have a sincere give and take relationship.

I was fascinated to watch the friends work together on these cases. What I heard was realistic, from conversations to steps of their searches. It is amazing to me how much they could uncover, especially in Ellery’s case, and I was sad when they came to what looked like the end of the road for it. I highly recommend this book in any format to fans of the author, of well-written cozy mysteries, and the company of friends who prove that folks don’t have to be related by blood to be family.

From a thankful heart: I won a copy of this audiobook from the author; a review was not required.

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Haunting at Henderson House

Reviewed: 10-28-20

What a fun Halloween story, made even better by listening to it rather than reading it! Zoe is in the thick of decorating for Halloween as she and boyfriend Zak prepare for the annual festivities in Ashton Falls. Nobody thought it possible that anyone love Halloween as much as Zoe, but Zak can even out-decorate her!

Zoe is at the infamous local haunted Henderson House property, where a murder took place last year when Zoe was preparing for the annual event and found a body. It couldn’t possible happen again, yet she is hesitant at first about going into the house for any reason. Or could it? Yes, it could happen again. Zoe found the body of a man who seems to have fallen down the stairs inside the mansion. The man turned out to not only be a reputed ghost chaser, but he was present more than a decade earlier when several counselors from a local summer camp went there to party, and three died. That’s more than a coincidence, and Zoe can’t let it go.

Swamped with finding a way to replace the festival that could not now be taking place at Henderson House, oversee preparations for the various related events, and still do her work at the animal shelter, Zoe tries to fit another murder into her schedule. Actually, four murders – the man who died this year, and the three who died 13 years earlier when he was present.

I enjoyed how much the author details the Halloween events, including the decorations. Her love for the holiday makes the mystery more interesting and realistic. I also enjoyed the various characters and returning to the earlier days of the series. Meeting Zak’s ex-girlfriend who seems to want back into his life brings another dimension to the story.

To me, the narrator spoke a little faster than I could listen at times, but that’s just my opinion. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery and the narration, bringing the author’s word to life. I highly recommend this to those who are fans of the author and series, cozy mysteries set at Halloween, dogs, and romance.

From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook; a review was not required.

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His Way of Leading Us Home

Reviewed: 11-21-19

This is one of the best Christian non-fiction / inspirational books I have studied this year! Lysa TerKeurst is a Christian woman, wife, mom, ministry leader, book and Bible study author who found herself in three major life crises in a short time. The situations highlighted in this book to show the power and love of God when we endure similar – or entirely different – circumstances that just weren’t supposed to happen. Circumstances that He can and does use for our good.

The author takes us through her feelings and faith challenges she experienced as a result of those situations, and how she wrestled through with scripture, prayer, and reliance on the Lord. Her vulnerability is refreshing, her wisdom inspired by the Lord. “Disappointment isn’t proof that God is withholding good from us. Sometimes it’s His way of leading us home.” (pg. 5)

Lysa doesn’t mince words. She does not minimize the Lord in any way, rather, He is everything! She is honest, showing that bad things do happen to Christians even while believing that God is good. She writes in a manner that someone who has been a Christian for any length of time, whether new or seasoned, can grasp when in the midst of a trauma. There are stories of people from scripture, and parts of her own life. The wisdom imparted comes from serious wrestling in a walk with God through painful disappointments. I could see myself in some of her feelings and reactions – not in circumstances like she was experiencing, but things going on in my own life. It isn’t the situations that are front and center, it is how we can learn to respond despite times that simply weren’t what that should have been.

Those responses may sound overly simple to those not going through a trauma but are profound to the person who is trying to put one foot in front of the other for one more day. There are two ways we can get through – with God, or giving in to our flawed desires. One quote that is important is “We must set our minds and our hearts on things above by choosing to remember God’s words, repeat God’s words, and believe God’s word about us.” (pg. 65)

I listened to the audiobook and read the print copy while doing the associated Bible study (and purchased the e-book), and I feel it is a valuable resource to the person going through struggles or the friend of someone struggling through hard times. Don’t compare the author’s situations to yours; instead, compare your reactions, feelings, and responses. I very much like the writer’s approach to seeking God, wrestling, praying, and getting into scripture. Our responses in times of crisis are vital to how we live our lives from those times forward.

Regarding the audiobook, it is read by the author. I felt in many ways as if we were sitting in her kitchen over coffee or tea from the writing style and simply hearing her word sin her voice. Why did I get three formats? Because some things I learn better by repetitive hearing. Other times it is easier to open the book and search for the relevant pages, including chapter endings of “Going to the Well”, “Receive (a scripture)”, “Reflect”, and prayer. Back sections include scripture and helps for situations.

I highly recommend this unique and timely book to Christians who are going through trauma of any kind and want to know that God is still in control and appreciate solid biblical teaching.

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Puzzle Solvers are Back!

Reviewed: 10-26-19

What a delightful mystery! I enjoyed the setting of Brilliant, Minnesota as Christmas fast approaches and the preparations for the upcoming Christmas pageant with the ever-joyful message of Christ’s birth. The characters are fun, and I am so relieved to meet those who are a bit older than the average puzzle solvers. The mystery is challenging; I couldn’t figure out whodunit and was in for a surprise!

Jezabelle and her friend / business partner Lizzy run the Brilliant Bistro, a central meeting place in town. Mornings and afternoons, they serve coffee and food, evenings are for wine and food. Hick handles the baking. Early one morning, Miranda, the local mystery writer, found a “statue” wrapped in Christmas lights in the park that turned out to be Ernest the “elf”. Who would have killed the man who is shorter in stature than many, and is this a puzzle that Jezabelle and her friends can solve? Since Hank, the police chief, shut down the Penderghast Puzzle Protectors, they aren’t supposed to be doing those kinds of puzzles any longer.

The Discombobulated Decipherers are formed. Whether or not they can solve this puzzle, there are plenty to be deciphered. Our friends are finding glass blocks each bearing the name of one of the three wisemen. Snoop, the flashy photographer/ reporter seems to be missing. A homeless man has been hanging around town, but nobody knows where he is staying. George, the church custodian, is missing, and Jezabelle has a secret admirer who sends extravagant gifts to her at the Bistro.

In this novel, many are not who they seem to be. Jezabelle, Lizzy, and their friends try to uncover the secrets, including secrets hidden by the original founders of the town, the Brilliant brothers. Surprises are everywhere, leading up to a satisfying conclusion leaving no loose ends. Those who have read the author’s Fuchsia mysteries will appreciate the references to Granny.

The audiobook narrator brought the characters to life in some ways. Some of the voices seemed almost too old for the folks represented. Overall, I enjoyed this cozy mystery and highly recommend it in audio, print, or ebook to those who enjoy well-written mysteries with a Christian Christmas message.

From a thankful heart: I won a copy of this audiobook; a review was not requested.

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Woman of Faith and Courage

Reviewed: 12-31-18

Before listening to this audiobook, I knew very little about either our first president, George Washington, or his bride, Martha Washington. I learned more about the time period and family in this interesting account of their lives.

This novel is written from the perspective of Martha Washington, and the audio version has a narrator whose voice, inflections, and moderation are very well done, one that I could easily listen to.

I wasn’t aware of the tragedies faced by the Washington’s, more specifically Martha. Their faith in the Lord made a huge difference in how they went through each crisis. Martha was an amazing woman to be able to provide the support George Washington needed throughout the Revolutionary War and his presidency. The devastating conditions faced through the war were not detailed. I was surprised at how much Martha was able to help George and his troops. She was definitely a woman I would have liked to know and was very well portrayed in this novel. I highly recommend this to those who appreciate historical novels about people who made huge contributions to our country and how their relationship with the Lord helped them through the challenges they faced.

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A Sister's Love

Reviewed: 12-29-18

Camille Di Maio is an author that we will see a lot of in the future. This work of women’s literature shows unusual character depth, insight of a woman’s heart, and what women will do for her family members. There are surprises throughout, but the ending is beyond what I could have guessed.

Readers will go back and forth from the mid-to-late 1940’s to present day Puerto Pesar, and various years between at Goree State, then Mountain View prisons in Texas. Della Lee has been in prison for 70 years for the murder of her sister Eula Lee, the Songbird of Puerto Pesar. She has just been released and goes back to the home she lived in with her family many decades earlier…actually, until her wedding day, when Eula Lee died and Della was arrested.

Mick Anders is a down-and-out journalist whose desire to get the biggest scoops overcame his desire for telling the truth about people and events in a way that the common man can grasp. He went to Puerto Pesar, a far cry from Boston, to do a piece on a painting of Eula Lee hanging at the local parish that appears to be weeping. His intention is to get the story and get out of the hot desert town, until two things occur. He meets Dr. Paloma Vega. He also hears about Della Lee Trujillo’s recent release from seven decades in prison. Perhaps he can get a story on the elderly lady and get back in the good graces of an editor.

Paloma is a recent graduate with a new position awaiting in New York City. She is in town to help her younger sister Mercedes care for Abuela, recovering from a heart attack. She has many memories of Abuela and how she took in two orphaned grandchildren. Paloma sees how frail Abuela is and begins to understand Mercedes’ animosity towards her, how she felt abandoned when Paloma left her to go to college. Yet she has a job to return to, a life in New York. Meeting Mick and accompanying him to meet Miss Lee.

Della, Paloma, and Mick and the primary characters, and I grew fond of each of them throughout the novel. They are very well defined, and while their friendship might be unconventional, it will change each of them. Della and Paloma are my favorites, and in some ways the story ended far too quickly.

This is a fabulous novel that is at times very dark and painful, and at other times showing what has become important in each of the characters’ lives and if those jewels of goals are really worth the cost. The end brought surprises I would never have anticipated, and the end is more than satisfactory. I really enjoyed this novel, and highly recommend it to those who appreciate women’s literature with strong characters, struggles, and ultimately joy.

The narrator is excellent; she enhances the novel through voice inflections, character changes, and a clear voice that rings through both dark memories and sunlit prose.

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Loved this audiobook!!

Reviewed: 12-28-13

The Beloved Daughter by Alana Terry is a compelling read. The first few chapters were hard to read as Chung-Cha, a 12-year old girl living in North Korea and her parents were arrested, abused to force the father to recant his Christian faith, and finally imprisoned. Soon I found myself listening to the novel well into the night and wishing that I could speed up the audiobook!
As a Christian in America, I didn’t quite comprehend what those imprisoned for their faith in Jesus endured around the world. Voice of the Martyrs had educated me somewhat as I had in the past used their prayer calendar. The Beloved Daughter pulled my fingers from my eyes and ears, telling of detainment and prison camp, hiding and running for one’s life, written in first-person as a woman for her infant daughter if she were unable to return to her. Chung-Cha, meaning Righteous Daughter, was the daughter of a Christian man who openly believed in Christ, a crime which was the reason for their arrest.
One thing I appreciated is the author’s inclusion of brief historical and cultural insights of the beautiful Korean peninsula, which helped this reader better understand the world in which Chung-Cha lived.
There are many twists and ironies in Chung Cha’s life, especially in relationships with her father, the Old Woman, the best friend in her early years in detention, Mr. Kim and his daughter, and her husband. Some of the plot twists are examples of the lies of the enemy – not enemies of flesh and blood, but satan and how he lies with just enough of hints of truth that our frail flesh reacts to from emotion rather than discernment. Based on the knowledge that Chung-Cha was given early in her imprisonment and lies told her, she gave up believing in God and did what was necessary for her survival in that dark place.
She had been betrayed many times. We see a young woman who eventually had to choose to return to the faith of her father, or remain bitter and adrift without anchor in the storm of unbelief. Her choice would lead to the monumental task given to her later by Moses.
As much as I grieved Chung-Cha’s turning her back on God in the early chapters, could I have done differently? Would I later have lived in her self-imposed cell of anxieties? Or like the Old Woman, would I praise and worship God in solitary confinement and exude the joy of my salvation? I fear that while I want to be like the Old Woman, I might have rejected the Lord for a season as Chung-Cha did.
This novel had great emotional impact on me – at times turning off the Audible player with an ache in my heart, or eagerly listening to chapter after chapter to see what would happen next, or receiving challenges to my outlook. Alana Terry has done a phenomenal literary work for her first novel. The characters are well-developed; there were many unexpected occurrences.
Today I remembered a small book distributed by Voice of the Martyrs several years ago about North Korea. That little book is now waiting to be read with new understanding; prayers for our suffering brothers and sisters will not be the same because of this author’s work.
Audio books are a great way to “read”! Whether you listen to relax, to learn, or to catch up with favorite authors’ books during windshield time, it is time well-spent. The Beloved Daughter was narrated by Kathy Garver, who did a most excellent job with a clear, fresh voice that changed to reflect the character who might be speaking.
I appreciated this book so much that this morning I purchased the Kindle version of the “Bonus Material” about The Beloved Daughter, and I eagerly await Ms. Terry’s next book. I have learned through this story to be incredibly grateful for the freedoms we still have to worship God openly. I highly recommend this book! Thank you, Alana Terry, Fred and Norma St. Laurent for making this available!
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

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