Archive | March 2018

Who The Bishop Knows by Vannetta Chapman

The Armour Of God

Who The Bishop Knows by Vannetta Chapman is a wonderful Amish murder mystery. It is the third book in the Amish Bishop Mysteries series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Once again Bishop Henry and Emma are called upon to solve crimes in partnership with the police department. It is all very ‘Miss Marple’ as the Amish duo do the thinking and the police department provide the back-up.

The Amish are community based. “We celebrate together and we mourn together.” They are there to support each other. “Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts.” This sense of community reaches out to the reader.

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My Rock: Tabitha by Pat Simmons

The Pact

My Rock: Tabitha by Pat Simmons is a Christian contemporary read surrounding love, God and Alzheimer’s. It is the first book in the Caregivers series.

Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease, robbing us of our loved ones bit by bit. Occasionally we glimpse the person they once were but Alzheimer’s “is hard to watch.” We grieve for what we have lost even though physically the person is still there.

My Rock: Tabitha is an emotional read. The three sisters have a pact to care for their aunt. It is too much for one person to shoulder. The sisters give “not out of a sense of duty, but… of… enduring love.” Many memories were formed in the past as the sisters all had a close bond with their aunt. Her mind may be failing but the love remains.

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Red Sky Over America by Tamera Lynn Kraft

When God Opens Your Eyes

Red Sky Over America by Tamera Lynn Kraft is a Christian historical romance. It is the first book in the Ladies Of Oberlin series and is a marvellous read.

The novel deals with the evils of slavery. America was very much divided over this abhorrent evil practice but the abolitionists were gaining ground.

Seemingly God fearing men were ignorant about owning slaves, believing they were possessions’. But “slaves were not livestock. They were people.” A fact many in the South ignored. When challenged “it’s just the way things are in the South.” “The magnificence of nature… contrasted with the ugliness of slavery.”

The book has some hard to read scenes with lynching, beatings and general cruelty. People seen to be helping slaves were treated in a similar fashion.

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Forward To What Lies Ahead by Chloe S Flanagan

The Gateway

Forward To What Lies Ahead by Chloe S Flanagan is a Christian contemporary suspense that focuses on the goodness and steadfastness of God.

God is ever present. He longs to take our burdens and turn them into blessings but He cannot do that if we hold on tightly to our troubles.

Our past is in the past but if we continually revisit it, we will never move forward into the future that God has planned for us.

Revenge is not good for us. “You want to hurt him… to ease your pain… it won’t work.” Revenge weighs us down and will destroy us.

There are themes of grace and forgiveness. We need to extend forgiveness because Jesus tells us to. We will feel better if we do. Grace is a free gift from God. “You can’t accept it [grace] when your hands are full of burdens.” We cannot earn grace no matter how good we are. We need to receive it and live forgiven.

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