Category Archives: Book Talk

Baker’s Fatal Dozen by Lisa Harris

From the back cover:

Get ready to cook up a second helping of Pricilla Crumb and her hilarious schemes to serve up justice.

When Reggie Pierce, who runs Pricilla Crumb’s favorite bakery, is found dead, Pricilla finds herself hot on the trail of another sticky scandal that begins with murder. Bus asPricilla chases after clues to catch a killer, will hte road to her long-distance romance with Max hit a permanent detour?
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This book was a light, entertaining read. When Pricilla walks into her favorite bakery, she finds the owner (Reggie) lying on the floor….dead! She’s determined to prove to the investigator that Annabelle, Reggie’s wife, is innocent of murdering her husband. However, clues unravel as she finds out questionable information about Reggie’s two children, his employees…as well as Annabelle. As she sorts through this maze of evidence, Max, her beau, is determined to make the long move from New Mexico to Colorado to have a more permanent relationship with Pricilla. However, Pricilla is not sure if she’s ready to commit to Max.

As she solves the mystery, Priscilla also needs to discover why she’s scared of love and commitment. I felt that the characters in this novel were very well developed and the story had a good flow. Like most cozies, it was suspenseful, without being too scary.

If you are interested in seeing my review of book one in this series, look here.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Dance Into Destiny

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Dance Into Destiny
by Sherri L. Lewis
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Urban Books (January 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601629508
ISBN-13: 978-1601629500

From Sherri Lewis’s website:
A purposeless socialite and a purpose-driven church mouse form an unlikely friendship that launches them on a journey of destiny and purpose.

Keeva Banks is in danger of flunking out of grad school – again. She can’t seem to get it together because she doesn’t really know why she’s in school. She’s in serious need of a sense of purpose to give meaning to her life. Shara Anderson has that sense of purpose through her relationship with God, but could use some balance in her Christian walk. The two women meet, and their lives are forever changed.

Follow them as they rediscover lost dreams, fall in and out of love, and triumph over past wounds in this story of friendship, love and pursuing an intimate relationship with God to fulfill purpose and destiny.

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Shara Anderson has led a sheltered, restricted life. Her parents were overzealous churchgoers, and she was not allowed to have much fun or socialize while growing up. However, once she’s away from home, she discovers what it means to have a true relationship with Jesus.

Due to a traumatic college experience, Shara refuses to date. However, when handsome Quinton Mercer is hired to help her with the church youth program, she struggles with their shared attraction. Can she learn to let go of her past, and learn to love Quinton Mercer?

Keeva Banks encourages Shara (her newfound friend) to give Quinton a chance. As the two women work on their graduate school project together, Keeva discovers there’s more to life than money and designer clothes. Keeva is flunking out of grad school and she needs Shara’s help so that she can get her degree. She wants a career in counseling, and she still struggles to figure out why she’s in grad school, and why she’s dating a man that she doesn’t even like. Something is missing in Keeva’s life and Shara introduces her friend to the gospel.

Meanwhile, Quinton Mercer has ghosts from his past that continue to haunt him. He’s determined to be a role-model for the youth, making sure the young people don’t make the same mistakes that he’s made while growing up. As Quinton falls for Shara, he learns that he needs to release the pain and guilt that he still harbors from a tragic experience.

As Shara, Keeva, and Quinton work through their issues, they learn to lean on God and each other in this engaging and entertaining novel!

If you are interested in other titles by this author, you can read my blog post for Sherri’s first novel, My Soul Cries Out.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Time To Dance by Karen Kingsbury

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A Time To Dance by Karen Kingsbury
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 11, 2008) – (I believe this is the re-released version)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595546200
ISBN-13: 978-1595546203

From Amazon.com:
Product Description

They celebrated their love with a dance. But will it end in divorce?

John and Abby Reynolds were the perfect couple, sharing a love born of childhood friendship and deep family ties. They are envied by their friends, cherished by their children, admired by their peers. But John and Abbey are about to lose it all. On the verge of having an affair, John is no more the man Abby married than she is the long-ago girl of his dreams. They are strangers whose days of dancing seem gone forever.

They gather their three children to announce their plans, but before they can speak, their daughter makes an announcement of her own; she’s getting married in the summer.

Abby and John determine not to ruin their daughter’s season of happiness, but as the wedding nears they are haunted by questions. Is the decision they’ve made irreversible? Are there times when marriage–even the marriage between two people of faith–is truly beyond repair? And is it possible, alone in the moonlight on an old wooden pier, to once more find…a time to dance?

Discover the resiliency of boundless love, the power of commitment, and the amazing faithfulness of God in A Time to Dance.
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Although I enjoyed this book, I liked Kingsbury’s A Moment Of Weakness and When Joy Came To Stay better.
John and Abby Reynolds have a perfect, storybook marriage. They have three kids and both of them are believers in Christ. However, when life gets in the way, and they start spending time apart, too weary to make time for each other, they start having marital problems. John’s coworker, Charlene, is anxious to start a relationship with him. John tries his best to resist, but when Abby spends more time holed up in her office writing, corresponding with her editor online, he feels that their relationship has taken a turn for the worse. John pacifies Charlene, stating that he and Abby will be getting a divorce, making the announcement after their daughter’s marriage. Charlene’s behavior was very irritating throughout the story, and I felt John should have made more of an effort to resist Charlene, especially when she’s bold enough to call his house!
Abby also makes matters worse when she entertains the idea of starting a relationship with her editor. She feels threatened by John’s feelings for Charlene, however, she is guilty of accusing John of things he’s never done.
The story gives lots of flashbacks with backstory as to how John and Charlene met, and when they fell in love. A Moment Of Weakness is a great example of how a couple can overcome problems as long as they trust in the Lord and honor Him.
~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Wedding Caper

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The Wedding Caper by Janice Thompson

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (October 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597895245
ISBN-13: 978-1597895248

From the back cover:
When a $25,000 night deposit mysteriously disappears from the Clark County Savings and Loan, Annie Peterson has reason to be concerned and to assume the role of amateur sleuth. Her husband’s job at the bank makes him a potential suspect, but knowing him to be a godly man, she can’t imagine it. Then again, there is that matter of the weddings to factor in. Twin daughters Brandi and Candy have just received proposals and two weddings are pending. Sure, Warren occasionally jokes about robbing the bank to pay for the ceremonies, but Annie knows him better than that. . .doesn’t she?
Just about the time Annie thinks she can wriggle Warren off the suspect hoook, he shows up with enough cash to cover the cost of both weddings.
Annie dives into the investigation, and the suspects pile up. One by one they fall, leaving her with only one logical choice. Who will it be: a somber-faced loan officer, a security guard with a shady past, a drifter with local ties – or the man she loves.==

This cozy mystery was a fun read. Especially as you see Annie sign up on the internet for a mystery-solvers course, she gathers advice on how to search for clues to solve her crime. She finds herself befriending the young security guard (a young single mother) at the bank, while suspecting her of stealing the $25,000 from the night deposit drop-off box. She also suspects her own husband since he shows up with $25,000 cash to pay for their twin daughters weddings, with no explanation as to where he obtained the funds.

Then there’s the saddened bank loan officer. His wife is dying and she needs urgent medical treatment. Would he do anything to save his wife’s life? She also suspects a caterer who handles money in a not-so-ordinary way, and the caterer’s troubled teen-aged son, who ran away from home, but returns to make amends with his family.

Annie’s sleuthing takes her back to the scene of the crime, and all the way to Amish territory. As the list of suspects gets longer, you’ll be drawn into the story, wanting to solve Annie’s case.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Blue Blessed Heart

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Blue Heart Blessed by Susan Meissner
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (February 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736919171
ISBN-13: 978-0736919173
From Amazon.com
Product Description

In this moving new novel by critically acclaimed author Susan Meissner, readers will once again delight in the masterful storytelling that resulted in the author’s A Window to the World (2005) being named among the top ten Christian novels of the year by Booklist Magazine.

Left standing at the altar, Daisy Murien, a wounded but hopeful romantic, opens a secondhand wedding dress boutique, hoping to soothe her broken heart while giving doomed wedding dresses a second chance at love. Her predictable days take a sharp turn, though, when the retired Episcopal priest who blesses the tiny, blue satin heart she sews into each dress falls ill. When the priest’s brooding and recently divorced son arrives with plans to take his ailing father away, a contest of wills begins between two stubborn—and hurting—souls. While fighting to keep Father Laurent close by, Daisy finally begins to understand why she has routinely convinced potential buyers not to buy the one gown that started her business—her own: She doesn’t want to give up on the dream of a fairytale romance.

This compelling story is about the magnificence of unconditional love and God’s impeccable timing in bringing it about.==

I loved this book! I thought it was much better than the mystery I read by the same author entitled Sticks and Stones. It was a fairly quick read, and I could really sympathize with Daisy being nearly stood up at the altar by her ex. To heal her aching spirit, she opens up a bridal shop, selling used wedding gowns. Her store is set up in a renovated hotel, and the rooms have been converted into apartments. The tenants include Daisy’s widowed mother and Daisy’s widowed aunt, both whom assist her in running her shop. When the anniversary of Daisy’s breakup with her ex-fiancé looms, she finds herself feeling depressed, especially since she can’t find the courage to sell her wedding dress.

The tenants of her apartment complex are like an extended family to Daisy. Max, her magician childhood friend, is there help her through the rough times. Retired priest Father Laurent, another tenant, blesses the blue hearts that Daisy sews into the wedding dresses she sells at the shop. Since Daisy’s father is dead, she finds that Father Laurent is a sympathetic substitute father. She goes to him for advice, and he doles it out, in his loving, heartfelt manner.
When Father Laurent falls ill, Daisy’s world turns upside down when Ramsey, Father Laurent’s son, returns to care for his dad. Daisy finds herself smitten with the brooding man, and she wonders if they can ever settle their differences and learn to get along. Meanwhile Father Laurent continues to give advice: Daisy should not focus on earthly love, but on the heavenly love of Jesus.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

John’s Quest – Book Review

The Greatest Find

Recipe For Murder by Lisa Harris

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Recipe For Murder

Lisa Harris
From Barbour’s website:
Pricilla never expected to be involved in a real life mystery, but that’s exactly where she finds herself when she joins her son at his hunting lodge in the beautiful Colorado mountains. A superb cook and articulate hostess, Priscilla plans an informal buffet for the guests at her son’s hunting lodge. But the dinner party turns to chaos when a guest is found dead after sampling one of her salmon-filled tartlets.
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This novel took place all within the span of a few days time. Priscilla Crumb is retired, with a lot of time on her hands. When Priscilla’s son’s (Nathan), chef becomes ill, Nathan calls his mother to temporarily fill the job. Nathan owns a hunting lodge, and he must keep his guests happy with home-cooked meals amidst their game-finding excursions.

However, once Pricilla makes her salmon tartlets, one of the guests eats one, and drops dead! Pricilla is determined to find the cause of death, and she sleuths her way through the story, questioning all of the guests as well as the dead man’s widow.

This book was charming as you see how stubborn Pricilla is as she strives to solve the mystery. Her old friend, Max, is a guest at the lodge, and he’s had a crush on Pricilla for awhile. Since both Max and Pricilla are widowed, they wonder if a romance can develop between them. Also another romance brews between Nathan, and Max’s daughter Trisha, who is also staying at the lodge.

There’s a sequel to this novel entitled Baker’s Fatal Dozen. I look forward to reading book #2 within this series.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Quest by Nancy Moser

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The Quest by Nancy Moser
Paperback: 407 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (June 12, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1576734102
ISBN-13: 978-1576734100
From Amazon.com
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The Quest, book two in author Nancy Moser’s Mustard Seed series, is the continuing story of four ordinary people whose lives are forever changed after they are invited to the very supernatural town of Haven, Nebraska. The paths of Natalie, Walter, Kathy, Del, and Julia are once again joined in a quest of faith — and a battle against the forces determined to stop them — as they implement the decisions and direction they received in The Invitation and discover the meaning of Matthew 7:7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” When the heat’s turned up and the enemy unleashes his greatest opposition, the Havenites learn that it’s not enough to know what’s right — one must, with God’s help, do what’s right. No matter what the cost.
About the Author
Nancy Moser is an inspirational speaker, college instructor, and well-published writer. Her books include the three titles in The Mustard Seed series, The Invitation, The Quest, and The Temptation. A musician, needlepoint enthusiast, and antique hunter, Nancy lives with her husband, Mark, in Kansas. The couple has three children.
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I purchased this book about a year ago at a local Labor Day Festival.

When I think of this novel, the words spiritual warfare come to mind. The cast of characters are being targeted by the enemy, and they must rely on their faith in God in order to overcome evil.

Natalie has given her little girl up for adoption, and she’s now living in a rooming house, however, when Beau, a handsome and charismatic man moves into the home, she finds her life suddenly spinning out of control. Beau claims he has her best interests at heart as he promises to help her fulfill her dreams of becoming a published author. However, Jack, another tenant in the house, has affections for Natalie, but doesn’t think he can compete with the attractive Beau. As the story deepens, Natalie realizes that Beau is not what he appears to be.

Walter is still coming to terms with being a new father. His advanced age make him doubt his parenting abilities, and he finds it hard to follow the path that God has set before him. He must learn that he needs to strengthen his faith, and rely on the Lord.

Clergyman Del is called to move to another parish. When a troubled church member cries out for help, he fails to stop the impending crises. He doubts his abilities as a clergyman and wonders what he can do to stop the evil from ruining the life of one of the Havenites.

Kathy believes her husband is dead. However, after Dr. Roy Bauer steps into her life, she finds her feelings for him begin to grow. Evidence soon surfaces that suggests that her husband may still be alive. A frightening series of events threaten Kathy’s life, as she discovers a secret about Roy’s past.

Julia is running for president, but will the enemy stop her from winning a seat in the Oval Office?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. I’d be interested in reading the other books in the Mustard Seed series.

~Cecelia Dowdy~