I'm Reviewing If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock at Suspense Sisters Reviews!

Today I'm visiting Suspense Sisters Reviews, to review If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock.

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I'm Reviewing at Suspense Sisters Reviews: If I Run by Terri Blackstock

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Review: Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock

Twisted Innocence is the final book in a trilogy, and the three books do need to be read in order, and (I believe) in quick succession, because Twisted Innocence builds on and concludes the overall series story arc. While I have read the previous two books, it was several months ago, and I had forgotten most of the details. As a result, I found the first quarter of Twisted Innocence slow, as though it was trying to tell new readers what had gone before without falling into an excess of backstory that those who did remember the earlier novels would find tedious and unnecessary.
 
Twisted Innocence focuses on Holly Cramer, the once-irresponsible younger sister of Cathy, Juliet and Jay. She’s now a more responsible woman: a single mother to five-week-old Lily who is working two jobs to try and earn enough money to cover her bills. She is mugged one night, and then finds out that one-night-stand Creed Kershaw knows he is Lily’s father, and is wanted in relation to a drug-related murder. And it seems Leonard Miller, the man who murdered Cathy’s fiance, is back in town …

There were good parts and bad parts to the story. The pace picked up once I got past the first quarter, which made it easier to read. The whole subplot about Michael in prison seemed unnecessary, as though he was only there so someone could observe one specific incident (the scenes where Cathy was petitioning to have Michael released were particularly tedious). However, there were flashes of brilliance:

“How come I didn’t get the decorating gene?”
“It’s not genetic. It’s Pinterest.”

Who can’t relate to that?

There were also reminders that despite the “global village”, some things are still country-specific:

“She scooped [baby] formula into the only clean bottle she had and mixed it with bottled water.”

When I had my babies, while living in London, it was impressed upon us that we were always to fill the bottle, then add the formula powder (so we knew exactly how much water we had, to ensure we added the correct number of scoops) and never to use bottled water. Any midwives care to comment on this?



Overall, while Twisted Innocence was a good finish to the series, it would be better if I’d read all three books in quick succession, as it didn’t work well as a standalone thriller. Thankfully, now you can, and for the same price as buying one of the books: Zondervan has released a three-in-one volume.

Thanks to Zonvervan and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Terri Blackstock at her website. 

Review and Giveaway: Distortion by Terri Blackstock

Don't miss Terri Blackstock's latest release in the Moonlighters series, Distortion.

The book releases March 11th, and Terri will be kicking off the release with a fun Facebook Distortion party and giving away a Kindle Fire HDX. PLUS readers can pre-order the ebook for just $4.99 between now and 3/11 everywhere ebooks are sold.

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HDX
• Distortion and Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 11th. Winner will be announced at the Distortion Facebook Party on March 11th. Connect with Terri for a "suspenseful" book launch party with prizes, a book chat, and more.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

My Review

Bob and Juliet Cole have just finished helping Holly, Juliet’s sister, move house when Bob is murdered as they return their U-Haul. It soon becomes apparent that this is more than a standard drive-by shooting, as Bob’s computer reveals a lot of information Juliet never knew about him and the investigation is handed over to the FBI.

Distortion is the sequel to Truth Stained Lies, which featured Cathy and Jay (Juliet’s sister and brother) working with Michael, a local PI, to solve the murder of Jay’s wife. Now Michael and Cathy are working with Juliet and Holly to find out the details of Bob’s secret life. However, it’s not necessary to have read Truth-Stained Lies before this, as Distortion works well as a standalone novel.

It’s a cross between a mystery and a thriller, in that the first half of the story is about finding the murderer and discovering Bob’s secrets, while the second half adds more suspense by introducing new viewpoint characters … and a link back to Truth Stained Lies. It’s well-written, tightly plotted with solid and interesting characters, and plenty of suspense. Recommended for suspense fans.

Thanks to Zondervan and Litfuse Publicity for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Terri Blackstock at her website.

Review: Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock

Terri Blackstock is a bit of a hit-or-miss author for me. I really enjoyed her standalone romance novel, Emerald Windows, and her romantic suspense series, Suncoast Chronicles Seriesand Cape Refuge, but I loathed Last Light, the first in her futuristic Restoration series, so much that I didn’t read the sequels. I felt Last Light was marred by a TSTL (too-stupid-to-live) heroine who gave new meaning to the term 'shallow'. So what about Shadow in Serenity?

Con man Logan Brisco breezes into Serenity, Texas, with the aim of relieving it's good citizens of their cash. Carny Sullivan is a widowed single mom who grew up surrounded by con artists, and who is not about to let her friends get ripped off by Logan, despite his good looks and endless charm. Carny makes no secret of her desire to bring Logan down a peg or two, and her challenge both amuses and intrigues him, setting the scene for some colourful goings-on.

But trying to persuade a town full of honest people that Logan is running a con might be more than Carny can manage. Meanwhile, Logan is excited by the challenge Carny presents, and stays in town even though it is against the 'rules' of a good con. However, as Logan spends longer in Serenity, he develops relationships with more of the people, and his perceptions gradually begin to change. Meanwhile, Carny knows from her own life that God can change anyone, even a con artist, and begins to doubt her initial impressions of Logan.

Basically, this was a hoot. The scenes between Carny and Logan were consistently underpinned by an amusing combination of mistrust and attraction, the story was fun, and the book had the desired ending without in any way appearing predictable. I really enjoyed Shadow in Serenity as a fun read underpinned by a sound Christian message.

Like Christian authors such as Francine Rivers and Robin Lee Hatcher, Terri Blackstock was published in the general market before she became a Christian. Shadow in Serenitywas previously published with another title and under a pseudonym. Now the copyright has reverted back to her, Terri has revised and updated it for the Christian market. I have no idea what the previous title was (if you know, leave a comment), but I would say that the new and revised passages are well integrated into the overall story, and there is no sign that you are actually reading an updated book.

Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.  For more books by Terri Blackstock, visit her website.