The Beginner's Quilt

I received an advanced review copy of The Beginner's Quilt from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The book will be released next month. I love Wanda Brunstetter's novels. She writes Amish fiction and has 147 books under her belt. The Beginner's Quilt is a prequel to Brunstetter's Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club series. This installment of the series focuses on Emma Bontrager's lack of interest in  performing household tasks such as cooking, sewing, and cleaning. Her mother hasn't been able to teach her daughter these skills because Emma is always busy with the outdoors. The story shows her transition to domesticity. Emma's mother hopes that she will learn how to be an Amish wife.

Emma is a tomboy who loves fishing, baseball and any outdoors activity. Her mother sends her to her grandmother’s house in Arthur, IL for the summer in order to learn to cook and sew. Emma's grandmother is a great cook and seamstress. She soon meets grandma's friend Ida Mae Yoder who is an accomplished quilter. After admiring one of Ida Mae's Quilts she is offered lessons. Emma accepts immediately and begins making a quilt from the tree of life quilt block. Her new interest blossoms into a passion and after a few successes in the kitchen, Emma concentrates more and more on learning new recipes.

Emma is shy and has many inhibitions. When she meets Ida Mae's son Ivan, Emma feels an attraction but isn't cognizant of it. She only knows that she is tongue tied around him. Ivan, on the other hand, is bold in speaking and asserting his desires. They are complete opposites. After finding their footing as a couple something awful occurs that ends up separating them. Both are learning how to practice forgiveness while they journey through their time together.

This story is strictly romance. There are no modern problems involved in the plot which we have seen from earlier Brunstetter novels. It is a relaxing story to read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Fragile Designs

I purchased a Kindle copy of Fragile Designs earlier in the year. I never got around to reading it until recently. Fortunately for me, it works for the Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge this month.  It was published on January 2, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

There’s only one thing more dangerous than family secrets.

Since her police-officer husband Eric’s mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn’t sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist. So when her grandmother proposes she and her two sisters restore the family’s large Beaufort home and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, she immediately gets to work clearing out the house. In the process, she uncovers a family secret that Eric kept hidden. And an heirloom that the wrong person wouldn’t hesitate to kill for.

Homicide detective Lucas Bennett isn’t his neighbor’s biggest fan, not since she broke his brother’s heart years ago. But when Carly turns to Lucas for help, believing she’s found a lost Fabergé egg that would be worth millions and that could put her family’s lives in danger, he can’t help but get involved. Soon, they’re entangled in a mystery with threads that lead all the way to the Russian mafia. Lucas has gotten in deep, and while he trusts his ability to keep Carly and her family safe, he begins to realize he’s vulnerable to an unexpected kind of danger. And he’s helpless to stop the freefall. As they continue working closely together, Carly and Lucas realize they may have found something more precious than gold. Yet it’s only a matter of time before Carly—or, worse, someone she loves—gets hurt.

I LOVED this story. I was unable to put it down until I finished reading. With a gripping start, the quick pace was maintained throughout the book. Several murders took place in the beginning that were later found to be connected but the connections were not revealed until the end.

Some papers and a gem were discovered by Carly as she went through her grandmother's chest. The papers revealed that Grandma had been adopted and that she had a twin. This was news to Grandma. Carly also found a toy that had been painted red. After cleaning it up, a gleaming white object was revealed. While she wondered if it was a Faberge egg that had been missing for decades, law enforcement was skeptical. However, neighbor Lucas, a police officer, is given two weeks by his boss to follow these leads. Unfortunately, every time he visits anyone who might be able to help him he finds their dead bodies. Lucas has also been searching for Grandma's twin. The twin has a common surname and finding the right person won't be easy.

Halfway through the novel we discover that Carly's husband Eric, a deceased police officer, had been unfaithful. He had gotten a neighbor pregnant. The neighbor gave birth to a daughter just six weeks before Carly had Noah. I thought he was a saint up until this point. Scum! Eric knew that there was a valuable Faberge egg in his attic but whether he told anyone else was unknown until the end of the story.

Fragile Designs was a fabulous story. While it is a contemporary romance story it is also Christian fiction. I highly recommend the book to cozy, mystery and Christian fiction fans. 5 out of 5 stars.

Five Years in Yemen

This book is the fifth installment of the Titus Ray Thriller Series by Luana Ehrlich. In this novel Titus Ray is tasked with bringing back to the USA from Yemen a rogue CIA operative. Titus must determine whether he is a traitor or a patriot.

The publisher's summary:

After Titus accepts an assignment to bring rogue CIA contractor Jacob Levin back to the States, he learns the operation has been put on hold pending Presidential approval. That’s fine with him. He’s looking forward to spending time in Oklahoma with his fiancée, Nikki Saxon.

But then, his boss needs a favor.

After that, everything changes.

It begins in Springfield, Missouri . . .
Where he interviews a former CIA employee about the missing Jacob Levin.

It continues in Detroit, Michigan . . .
Where he and Nikki spend Thanksgiving with his relatives.

It leads to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia . . .
Where he encounters a killer.

It ends in Somahi, Yemen . . .
Where he finally discovers the truth.

Along the way, he’s forced to deal with issues about his personal life, confront questions about his past, and make decisions about his future. Can he trust God for the answers? Will Nikki agree with his decision? How will he handle the outcome?

Overall this was a great spy thriller. It's a little different from most as this series is a Christian fiction series. There is no foul language, gore, or sex. There is violence but it is not gruesome. I have always thought it odd that Titus tries to live a Christian life but his job requires him to kill people. His faith is put to the test on several occasions, though, and I was intrigued with his thought process. I have been reading the series in order for the Clock Reading Challenge and have just one more book in the series to read before I switch to a different series. There are 5 more books in this series but I need a break.

Our Titus has had a lot of character growth over the years and he is now engaged to be married. In this installment of the series we see him spending more time on his relationships than on his job as a CIA spy. I prefer the spy aspect of his life more but at least there was enough spy craft in the plot to satisfy me.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match

The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match was published last month on January 23, 2024. It is the 4th book in the author's Amish Quiltmaker series. I read the first book, The Amish Quiltmaker's Unexpected Baby, and loved it so I requested this new title from Net Galley and was lucky to receive a copy of the book.

The publisher's summary:

Though Mary Yoder longs to marry someday, she finds caring for her community’s injured and sick is much easier than courting. But when Englischer Clay Markham crashes his car nearby, Mary’s nursing shows her his hidden wounds are more painful than his injuries. Though she’s irresistibly drawn to his kind nature, can she risk letting him into her heart?

On the run from his troubled past, ex-pro baseball player Clay can’t believe the quiet sanctuary he’s found under Mary’s care. Her gentle faith and knowledge are somehow giving him hope he can change his life—and offer her the love she truly deserves. But when his secrets catch up with him, can he and Mary find the courage to face the truth, set things to rights . . . and make way for a future together?

I mainly read Amish fiction written by the two icons of the genre: Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis. These two ladies are so outstanding that it is difficult for me to trust that another author can write just as well and that I will enjoy their books. I have a theory that the plots from other authors are simple in comparison. I still think that this theory is correct but without reading additional authors I can never really know. I should be trying new, to me, authors. For Jennifer Beckstrand, author of this book, I believe that her plot was simpler. Unlikely Match is a straightforward Amish romance story without any of the modern subplots that you see with Brunstetter and Lewis. 

After saying all of the above, I must admit that I enjoyed Unlikely Match. I enjoyed it immensely. There was some mystery to the story. The reader doesn't know how long Clay and Mary can remain to be friends given that Clay was not Amish. I kept waiting to read that they stopped seeing each other. However, one thing after another happened to Clay that brought him and Mary together. As with all Amish fiction, there is a happy ending. The suspension of belief that you see with cozy mysteries is evident here. I believe that suspension of belief went a little too far to be believable but hey, at least it's a happy ending. This is why I read Amish fiction. When I buy one of them I am looking for a light read and a book that I will enjoy. To date, I have enjoyed every Amish fiction novel that I have read so I will keep reading.

4 out of 5 stars.

One Day Gone

One Day Gone is the first book in the Mylas Grey Mystery Series by Luana Ehrlich. She also writes the Titus Ray Mystery Series and I read several books in that series last year. This month I needed to find a book with the number one in the title for the Clock Reading Challenge and One Day Gone was my pick. It is a gripping page turner that had me hooked from the first page. 

The publisher's summary:

Mylas Grey is a private investigator but don’t call him a private detective. That title belongs to his father—not to him. Mylas is the Chief Investigator for Senator Davis Allen, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His job is to do background investigations for the President’s judicial nominees, and that’s the only kind of investigation he’s interested in doing.

But then Lizzie, the Senator’s daughter, goes missing from her campus apartment. And suddenly, just like that, Mylas finds himself back in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, investigating her disappearance as if he were a run-of-the-mill private detective. Lizzie has a reputation for doing the unexpected, and she could have just left town for a few days without telling anyone. On the other hand, she could have done something stupid and gotten herself into serious trouble.

When Mylas meets a beautiful photographer at his brother’s church, and she offers to help him find Lizzie, he finds himself getting a little distracted from the investigation—well, maybe more than a little distracted. As Mylas is forced to spend time in his hometown, he begins to question his career choice, his rejection of Christianity, and his failed personal relationships.

Solving the mystery of Lizzie’s disappearance isn’t easy. It gets even more complicated when Mylas learns Lizzie was researching an article for her campus newspaper about a judge with a secret past. Is the judge connected to Lizzie’s disappearance? Did Lizzie’s boyfriend play a role? What about Lizzie’s roommate?

I loved this story! As I mentioned above, I was hooked from the first page. The story is more than a suspense novel. It is also Christian fiction which I was not expecting. It began as any other suspense thriller would. More than halfway into the story Mylas meets a woman he likes at his brother’s church and this is the point where faith issues become prominent. After Lizzy is found, the remaining two chapters are devoted to Mylas' faith journey. The blending of the mystery and faith seemed awkward because there was no mention of faith until the story was moving along at a fairly fast pace. It was surprising that the plot included it. The mystery of  Lizzy's whereabouts as well as what she was up to was a wild ride and made the book worth reading. 

4 out of 5 stars.

The Path of the Crooked

The Path of the Crooked is a charming Christian cozy mystery. It is the first book in the Hope Street Church Mystery Series by Ellery Adams. It was originally published under the pen name Jennifer Stanley but the author revised the story and has published it under the pen name Ellery Adams. There were only three books in the original series and I am not sure whether she will continue to write novels for the series.

The main character is Cooper Lee. She is a copy machine repairman who has recently been dumped by her boyfriend of five years. While repairing a copier at a client's office Cooper meets Brooke Hughes, a member of the Hope Street Church. The two ladies have a short conversation wherein Brooke gives Cooper a church brochure and invites her to church. Cooper accepts the brochure and leaves.

Later that evening she considers whether to visit the church on the next Sunday. Her family sees the brochure and asks her if she will go. They also are devout Christians who hope Cooper will return to church after a several year absence. When she visits Hope Street Church a few weeks later Cooper meets the members of the Sunrise Bible Study group. During that initial meeting the news broke that Brooke Hughes had been murdered. Brooke's husband Wesley had been arrested for the murder and the group cannot believe that he killed his wife. They begin their own investigation hoping that they can free Wesley Hughes.

I absolutely loved this story. There were plenty of clues for the group to follow up on. I was surprised that the police did not play much into the investigation but perhaps they will in future installments of the series. The pace was perfect, not too fast and not too slow. The characters were memorable. Each Bible study member were quirky characters that made the sleuthing entertaining. Savannah is legally blind and is the leader of the group. Nathan is a love interest for Cooper. TV meteorologist Bryant, realtor Trish, Jake and Quinton complete the group. It was fascinating that the group did the sleuthing together. I have never read a book where there was more than one amateur sleuth. However, in this instance, it works. Cooper's family was also memorable. Her mother is constantly cooking and baking for people in need and reading about her foods made me hungry. There are recipes of hers at the back of the book. Cooper's sister Ashley is also quirky. Ashley is an overbearing lover of fashion, expensive restaurants and is a social climber. Cooper herself is interesting. She is a smoker who dresses in a masculine style and is fine to be by herself alot. All of these folks will contribute to fantastic storylines in the future.

The Path of the Crooked was an excellent read and I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.