Musings by Erin

  Jaime Jo Wright is in a class all her own. Writing in dual timeline form, Wright crafts brilliant mysteries that span and connect both timelines. Her books often have a serious creep-factor with a touch of macabre, great character development, a touch of romance, a faith thread, and even a happy ending. Night Falls on Predicament Avenue is one of my favorites of hers and was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Here's a bit about the book: As the walls of the house at Predicament Avenue reveal their hidden truths, two women--generations apart--discover that fear and foreboding are no respecters of time. In 1910, Effie James is committed to doing anything to save her younger sister, who witnessed a shocking murder, leaving her mute and in danger of the killer's retribution. Effie must prove what her sister saw, but when a British gentleman arrives, he disrupts Effie's quest with his attempts to locate his wife, Isabelle Addington, who was last seen at the supposed crime scene in t

  Steven James has long been among my favorites when it comes to suspense novels. With intense and intricate plot-lines, his characters race against the clock to save the world - of course that over-simplifies things. But his characters are always wonderful, there is always growth, intensity, and suspense. And I always feel smarter after reading his books. This one was no exception. Here's a bit about the book: When the past scratches its way into the present, it can leave deep scars. A series of cryptic clues leads Department of Defense redactor Travis Brock to suspect that a grim chapter from his past is not yet over. With the help of his eidetic memory and his newly formed team, he must unearth the truth and stop a terrorist group from stealing one of the military’s most highly guarded technological breakthroughs. With it, the group commit a daring act of espionage that could upend the work of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms and impact millions of people worldwid

  When it comes to historical fiction, Roseanna M. White tops the charts of authors that I have to read. Her stories are filled with complex characters, great development, intriguing plots, great banter, solid faith elements and beautiful story arcs. A Noble Scheme is now one of my favorites of hers. Though it does not have as much light humor in it as some of her others, this dealt with greater spiritual depth and the full gamut of emotions. This is book 2 in The Imposters series and though the story stands alone, I do recommend reading book 1 first in order to get a feel for who The Imposters are and their dynamics. Here's a bit about this book: 1909 In the opulent and perilous world of high society’s most elite–and most dangerous–families, two investigators must set aside their broken hearts to uncover the truth. Gemma Parks is known to the London elite as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talents to ai

  Amanda Wen is a relatively new author on the scene of Christian fiction. She pens beautiful women's fiction in a dual timeline setting with a light romance thread, a solid faith thread and wonderful character development. The Rhythm of Fractured Grace is the 3rd book in the Sedgwick County Chronicles, but can be read as a stand-alone. However, it's best when read with the other 2, though, as you get a richer picture of the main character's history. This story had great depth with heavier subject matter (though the book itself did not feel heavy) with lots and lots of grace. Using the link of a broken violin that needs repair in both timelines, the author weaves in the healing of not only the violin, but also the major characters. The book deals heavily with themes of forgiveness and healing, including the "me too" and "church too" movements.  Here's a bit about the book: Is Siobhan too far gone to respond to the song of a God who's calling her

  Karen Witemeyer is well known for her Western historical romance novels. Her current series is a "Texas Ever After" series, which are fairytale retellings. Though they are a series, they are not inter-connected other than by fairytale retelling theme. Her upcoming release is a Cinderella story, but with a twist in that it's actually a Cinder-fella story. I thoroughly enjoyed her take on this well known tale and how she added new elements of mystery, unique villains, a solid faith element, and stayed true to her Texas western-style, while still giving a nod to the familiar fairy tale.  Here's a bit about the book: Determined to prove that cattle king Eli Dearing has no justification for evicting his stepmother and half brothers, Asher Ellis uses the cover of a fancy ball to break into the Three Cedars ranch house to search for proof of wrongdoing. On the verge of discovery, he flees, but a boy's cry compels him to make a daring rescue. Spunky and independent, Sam

  Lynn Austin has long been a favorite of mine in the world of Christian fiction. With genre-versatility, she writes beautiful prose in many different styles and excels at each one. Her upcoming release, All My Secrets, mimics the feel of a dual timeline, but not in the traditional sense. The story itself all takes place in the present, but to learn from the mistakes of the past generations, Adelaide must learn the secrets of her mother and grandmother's stories in order to make her own decisions about her life going forward. Here's a bit about the book: Bestselling author Lynn Austin returns with a luminous work of historical fiction set amid the opulence of Gilded Age New York, where three generations of women in one family must reckon with the choices they have made and their hopes for the future. New York, 1898. The only thing more shocking than Arthur Stanhope III’s unexpected death is the revelation that his will bestows his company―and most of the vast fortune that goes