A Secret Courage

I just finished reading A Secret Courage (The London Chronicles Book 1) by Tricia Goyer.  Travel with me to the countryside from London circa 1943 to Danesfield House.  Hidden behind the doors of this beautiful manor estate are men and women doing their part to win the war in Europe. What they didn't know could have crippled their work and cost them their lives because a spy was in their midst!  Espionage and intrigue made for those special discoveries that led to usurping air strikes that could have decimated Great Britain following the terrible blitz on London.

The cast of characters were brilliantly written and each part played a role that suited their surroundings. Emma, our heroine was an American who traveled to England to study at Oxford. Her mother hailed from England and emigrated to America after marrying a soldier from the states after W.W.I.  Emma joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force soon after war broke out.  Stationed at Danesfield House, her job was carefully studying aerial photographs taken over Germany for signs of anything out of the ordinary.

Will Fleming, is a handsome Englishman who worked for the British government recording the changes in the landscape of the country through his painting.  He and Emma met by chance at a bookstore while she and her friend Vera were on leave for a day.

Vera, along with Georgette are Emma's friends and coworkers. These women work closely together and also share living quarters.  The ladies lived in Nissen huts, which are what I grew up knowing as "Quonset huts.  

Adding to the intrigue was Berndt, who, as a handyman, seemed to be everywhere.  Edward, the sergeant who was Emma's superior officer, supervised Emma and her coworkers.  The work being done on this estate was paramount to the cause and security was strict. People who worked together didn't necessarily know all the pieces of a project or why locations of study were chosen.  The timing was just as cryptic, making it difficult for the information to be cracked.

Emma was a dedicated member of the W.A.A.F. who was vigilant in the secret nature of her work.  Her only brother, Samuel, a pilot lost his life when his plane was downed.  She mourned his loss greatly and she worked all the harder to contribute her best to the war effort. It was her fervent hope that if she could find an important clue while studying the photographs perhaps she could help save the lives of others.

The plot of A Secret Courage was well constructed and the characters well written.  All mysteries seem to have a red herring or two and while I had some suspicions, I'll admit I was surprised more than once.  It is fun to guess an outcome but much better find that the author truly kept a mystery, creating a better book.  I heartily recommend this book. I am glad that it is only book one in a series because I feel there is more to unfold in this story.  

The Elite Guardians Rock It In "Without Warning"

Without Warning, Book 2 in Lynette Eason's Elite Guardian Series is without a doubt one thrilling suspense ride beginning with page one.  Daniel Matthews, owner of a few restaurants called A Taste of Yesterday is working late when he hears sounds in the cellar of the historical building.  Unable to concentrate, he treads downstairs only to find the door partially open, tail lights moving away and the body of a chef he had recently fired hanging from a chain.

Katie Singleton, bodyguard by profession is on the scene quickly after she noticed law enforcement lights near Daniel Matthews restaurant. His niece Riley is one of Katie's self defense students, making this incident one she just can't drive by.  Her work with the Elite Guardians frequently links her with local law enforcement members so it was no surprise to find Detective Quinn Holcombe leading the investigation.  The surprise came after she met Daniel and they received a call about a second crime, this one about a fire at his other store location.

Someone was after Daniel. That much he knew but was at a loss to fathom. The only person who had a complaint was already dead.  As the Guardians are hired by his niece Riley for protection the mystery just gets bigger.  Fearing for Riley's safety he agreed to the protection but not until after the perpetrator goes to further lengths to try to kill him.

Layer by layer this case is solved and while there were a few red herrings, I was surprised at how neatly Lynette tied up the case. I barely guessed the killer until the end.  In the meantime, this is a good read with good interaction between well developed characters.  I recommend this for your fall reading list complete with a mug of your favorite tea or coffee.  If you haven't already read the first book of  the series, Always Watching I recommend it as well. Both books can be read stand alone or one after the other. (After all, Fall is a good time for reading)

Vendetta....A Harrowing Story That Will Keep You Turning Pages!

  

I stayed up again the other night to finish a  page turner called Vendetta by Lisa Harris.  I purposely waited a day or two to begin the book because I knew once I started a new book by Lisa I was bound to get hooked right away and find every excuse to get back to it every chance I could.  The book didn't disappoint and when I had 35 or so pages left past midnight I pressed on to find how the story would end.

Nikki Boyd is  on the Tennessee Missing Persons Task Force and has a particular reason for her commitment to her new job.  Her own sister disappeared in front of her school while waiting for Nikki to pick her up.  Now a case that is all to similar captures the attention of Nikki and her team of experts, taking them on the hunt through the Smoky Mountains National Park. 

This case, though, begins with social media and the profile of an unsuspecting teen. A young girl who is lonely and seeking friendship and understanding meets a young man who is perfect, just the right age and as an added bonus, his pictures prove he is good looking and a model brother.  What more could a girl ask for and why not agree to meet him for a hike while visiting at a remote cabin?

 

Vendetta is the first book in the new Nikki Boyd Files series.  The story is a good lesson on privacy, trusting social media and how important your teen knows how to safeguard themselves. The world we live in can be sinister and while I am an optimist, we can learn a thing or two to stay safe.  Lisa Harris tells the story like it is and I admire that about her writing.  She develops her characters well and her plots are thoroughly researched and carried out so that the reader is transported into the midst of the case. My heart sped up at times, tears fell at times and if the author's goal is to get the reader to become thus engaged in her book, Lisa Harris has accomplished just that!

Reviewing....Murder At the Courthouse!

If you are looking for that story of a crime most inconvenient look no further than between the covers of  Murder At The Courthouse.  A.H. Gabhart's latest novel set in the heart of the south begins as slowly as the old lady who mistakes a body for a drunkard asleep on the courthouse steps. What follows picks up to be a page turner that kept me up past my bed time on Wednesday night!

You'll get no spoilers from me but this first in the new Hidden Springs Mystery series kept me guessing close to the end. It wraps up to a neat ending of a web of deceit nobody in Hidden Springs could have imagined.

Former Columbus police officer Michael Keane has returned home to Hidden Springs for a quieter lifestyle. That all changed when a deputy finds the identity of the corpse who died on the courthouse steps. that identity leads Michael on search fare greater than he bargained for.

A good plot with good characters in a sleepy little town make for one good book. Add this one to your list, I think it will be a hit.

Reviewing No Place To Hide

I enjoy a good, suspenseful mystery so when the opportunity to review No Place To Hide by Lynette Eason came along I couldn't pass it up. The story begins with Jackie Sellers breaking into a home. Once inside Ian Lockwood's darkened home....the story unfolds and the reader begins to guess what and who is behind a sinister plot to instill terror.  I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I have read Lynettte's novels before and this one lived up to my expectations. I was surprised by the ending and pleased with how well the puzzle went together. Lynette weaves a tale so well that I can't find any cracks in the plot. As the story grows, so does a love story that seems impossible for all the unresolved emotions and surrounding deception. If you are looking for a good mystery, pick up a copy of No Place to Hide today! 

Mysteries....

Watching a good mystery is fun and some of the best are solved by women. I liked Nancy Drew as a girl. Nowadays I enjoy streaming Murder She Wrote episodes from Netflix. How fun to see the 80's clothes and wild hair while trying to stay one step ahead of Jessica Fletcher in solving the crime. How much more innocent these shows are than what we have available today. Less sex, violence and unnecessary foul language. Styles may change but a good story endures.