Well by Alias In Town

Jun16

See Me

Well by Alias In Town is a memoir about struggles with addiction and chronic illness. It is an honest account about coping. There are exercises and questions designed to help those struggling to self examine. Too often we present a mask to the world when we are really screaming “See me!”

Addiction is a lifelong battle. It never goes away but there are coping strategies.

There are many “raw and broken people” in the world desperate for love. “Love is a language even a drug and alcohol soaked brain could understand.” We are reminded that we need to reach out to a hurting world in love.

Continue reading →

High As The Heavens by Kate Breslin

Jun15

Do You Love Me?

High As The Heavens by Kate Breslin is a fabulous Christian historical suspense set in 1917 in war torn and occupied Belgium. It is a work of fiction that has been inspired by fact.

The reader is treated to fast paced action as we journey through WWI with spies, agents, double agents etc. There is always the question of trust. Sometimes we trust the right people but not always.

War alters people. There is a different moral code. People do what they have to do in order to survive. Guilt reigns in the cold light of day. “She… allowed the tyrant guilt to keep her locked in the past, blinding her to… hope.” We cannot live in the past, carrying the burden of guilt. We must look to God and live in hope, especially in times of war.

War produces good men and women on both sides. The key is in recognising who they are.

Continue reading →

A Fatal Obsession by Faith Martin

Jun13

The WPC And The Vulture

 A Fatal Obsession by Faith Martin is a fabulous police retro novel set in 1960. The book is evocative of a bygone age where crimes were solved by legwork, questions and a healthy dose of suspicion.

A Fatal Obsession is a ‘thinking man’s’ novel. Being set in Oxford conjured up familiar landscapes for me. As a fan of the television series Morse and WPC56, I found the novel to be reminiscent of a blend of both.

An unlikely pairing of a young WPC and an aging coroner ensured the reader was entertained as the young woman learnt about crime solving from the master.

Modern murder collided with a cold case and kept the reader intrigued as we journeyed from parlors to stately homes. The reader found that secrets resided behind locked doors, requiring digging to unearth them.

Continue reading →

Destiny’s Whirlwind by Catherine Ulrich Brakefield

Jun8

A Mustard Seed

Destiny’s Whirlwind by Catherine Ulrich Brakefield is a Christian historical epic that entertains from the start.

Being set in 1898 it is the dawn of the modern age but life is still hard. People die from disease and treat others with caution. The American farmer has a hard life. Comprehensive descriptions enable the reader to ‘experience’ the rich landscape which is an unforgiving master.

A legacy of land and a deathbed promise is a heavy weight on a sixteen year olds shoulders.
The main character is an unconventional heroine with her tomboy clothes and her resilient and modern outlook on life that is underpinned by a strong faith.

Continue reading →