Archive | May 2023

The Company Of Heaven by Catherine Fox

May19

Epic & Enjoyable

The Company Of Heaven by Catherine Fox is the fifth book in the Lindchester Chronicles series but can be read as a stand-alone. It is an epic tale set from spring 2021 to spring 2022. The reader drops in on the surrounding area of Lindchester as we follow the various characters.

It is a gentle tale as the narrator notices not only the big things but the small too. It is a social commentary on the times as you find yourself saying “gosh I had forgotten that” or “I remember that!”

We see the tail end of the COVID years that feel in some ways so very long ago. We are thankful for the freedoms we have today and which we had previously taken for granted.

All the characters are well drawn. They are an eclectic mix, such as you would find in any town. They each have their various challenges and are easy to empathise with. Each reader will identify with different characters.

The writing is amusing too. I found the maths problem with the young girl’s answer very funny – certainly something I could identify with, having found maths questions rather alien myself!

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A Mother’s War by Helen Parusel

May17

A Fabulous Debut

A Mother’s War by Helen Parusel is a marvellous historical debut that enthralled me.

The story educates as you read. It is set in Nazi occupied Norway during World War II and concerns the Lebensborn program. This was designed to re-populate Germany with Aryan looking babies – some were born in Lebensborn homes, others were kidnapped from their parents and sent to Germany to be adopted. It was an open secret and not talked about much. After the war, some mothers and their children were shunned.

Mothers entered the program for a variety of reasons – for some it was the kudos, others had genuinely fallen in love.

We see that not all Germans were Nazis. Some were abhorrent at the persecution and the horrors that they witnessed. They did what they could to help others, from inside the Nazi war machine.

There was the Norwegian resistance. We see the courage needed to stand up and make a difference.

Love happens where it will. We witness the dilemma a character faces when she meets kindness in a young German soldier.

Children are a gift from God, whatever the circumstances of their birth.

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A Contest To Kill For by E V Hunter

May17

Entertained, Glued & Guessing

A Contest To Kill For by E V Hunter is a marvellous contemporary cosy crime novel. It is the second book in The Hopwood Hall Murder Mystery series but can be read as a stand-alone. I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with familiar faces.

Once more we follow the amateur super sleuths of a P.I. and a former newspaper reporter. Together they have the brain power to unravel the clues and to see where they lead.

The pair are joined by Cosmo, a rather ferocious feline companion who is discerning about the company he keeps. He is very much a character in his own right. As a crazy cat lady, I loved Cosmo with his unique personality!

A retreat to a country hotel should bring peace and tranquility but then a body is discovered. Suspicion casts a wide net as alibis are sought.

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Captive by Michael Garrett

May15

Thrilling

Captive by Michael Garrett is a thrilling Christian contemporary suspense that drew me in from the start.

The opening chapter raised many questions, before we went back in time six days in chapter two to see what had led up to that moment. It was an edge of your seat moment as we realized something out of character had occurred.

We witness how pressures on a character over time can become a melting pot that bubbles over, causing a path down which one would not usually travel.

Actions always have consequences – for good or bad – and we must be prepared to face them.

Temptation is a major theme. “We’re all tempted; it’s how we resolve the temptation that’s important.” Even Jesus was tempted in the desert. We must stand on the word of God to defeat the enemy. Sometimes the enemy is within and it is us who need reminding of who God is. We always have the choice to repent, confess and return to the straight path.

We see the importance of trusting God. “It was all he could do for her. The rest would be in God’s hands.” We do what we can, and trust God to do what we can’t.

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