TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: CRITICAL PURSUIT ~ JANICE CANTORE

Officer Brinna Caruso used to believe in God… before she was abducted, molested and left for dead at the tender age of six.  It wasn’t God who finally found and rescued her, it was a cop from the K9 unit.  At that very moment Brinna knew what she would do with her life, and with her rescuer as her mentor, Brinna succeeds in becoming a K9 cop early in life.  Her penchant for finding missing children soon sees Brinna dubbed the Kid Crusader, but those who love her fear that Brinna has an unhealthy obsession with bringing sex offenders to justice.   

Detective Jack O’Reiley used to believe in God… until a drunk driver killed his pregnant wife, Vicky.  As Jack sees it God abandoned him, and he is returning the favour.  Jack stopped living the day his wife did; he is only existing until the day of the driver’s sentencing.  After that, Jack has no desire to live – whether or not he kills Gil Bridges too depends on whether or not the Court delivers maximum sentencing.  The detective with a solid reputation is long gone, replaced by a washed out deadbeat other officers think should leave the force and be done with it.  Jack thought he didn’t care about life anymore, but he finds these opinions of others sting more than he would have expected.

External matters outside of their control force Brinna and Jack to become temporary partners, whether they like it or not – and neither of them like it.  Their new partnership is off to a rocky start, each distrustful of the other.  The only thing they have in common is that neither believes in God; as Brinna puts it, there are no fairy-tales in their squad car. 

Jack and Brinna’s uncomfortable partnership eventually turns into a tentative friendship, and their collective musings also lead to both of them questioning their stance on God.  Maybe, just maybe, Jack and Brinna can help each other find the way…

While on patrol, Jack struggles between his quest for personal justice and his responsibility to those around him, especially his partner - Could his death wish get her killed instead?  It is only once a copy-cat paedophile starts taunting Brinna that Jack starts focusing on something other than his own bitterness.  His new partner’s drive and determination slowly brings Jack back to life and makes him want to be the cop he once was; the kind of man Vicky would be proud of. 

Brinna has never denied that she is obsessed with tracking and catching paedophiles, she just never figured her obsession is unhealthy.  It is only once Brinna’s personal and professional life starts crumbling around her that Brinna is forced to re-evaluate her life.  Could her new partner be the key to finally finding a healthy balance?

Critical pursuit by Janice Cantore follows Brinna Caruso and Jack O’Reiley as they join forces to hunt down a paedophile.  While dealing with the reality of missing girls and a paedophile on the loose, Jack and Brinna are also each faced with personal problems that threaten to crush them both.  Their current circumstances force them to finally start answering the questions each of them harbours about God.  Cantore touches on relevant topics as the questions Jack and Brinna struggle with are legitimate questions many people, believers and non-believers alike, struggle with:  Why do bad things happen to good people?  If God is Almighty, why does he allow innocents to suffer?  Cantore subtly encourages the reader to contemplate these questions as well.

Cantore’s villain is everything you would expect this kind of villain to be.  I found it very hard reading the short chapters from his POV.  It made me so uncomfortable to be exposed to his train of thought.  Whenever a book makes you uncomfortable, it presents you with an opportunity to learn more – about certain subjects, about certain viewpoints and about yourself.  It is so disturbing to think that men like him truly exist; but it is a fact of life, and Cantore incorporated this truth skilfully to add to the intensity of the story.

I found it very refreshing that there is no hint of romance in this book.  I half-expected Brinna and Jack to fall in love, but that did not happen – to my delight.  Jack is still very much grieving his wife’s passing, and a relationship between them would not have worked.  Instead of a budding romance, we find a budding partnership and friendship – which was even better. 

Visible Threat, sequel to Critical Pursuit, is set to be released in April 2014.  I am glad we’ll get to spend more time with Brinna and Jack as by the end of the novel, while there is definite growth, neither of them are where they have the potential to be.  While I like that there is no hint of a relationship between them during this book, I also like the idea that a relationship between Jack and Brinna might be possible in the future.  While neither of them are ready for a romantic relationship just yet, I think they are a good fit for each other and I look forward to exploring where their relationship could go.

Tyndale House Publishers has graciously provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review.  I was not required to write a positive review, I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Product Information:

Title: Critical Pursuit

Author: Janice Cantore

Pages: 362

Year: 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

ISBN: 1414375530

ISBN13: 9781414375533

About the Author

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her twenty-two years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.  Visit Janice’s website at www.janicecantore.com.

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: I'M NO ANGEL ~ KYLIE BISUTTI

I quit being a VS model to become a Proverbs 31 wife – Kylie Bisutti

LEAVING FAME FOR FAITH

I knew I couldn’t continue to pursue a career as a supermodel – let alone a Victoria’s Secret model – and still live a life that was honouring to God.  The desire for personal fame and glory would always stand in direct opposition to the kind of humility and modesty God desired.  And they would forever stand in the way of my becoming the kind of God-honoring wife Mike deserved – the kind of woman I read about in Proverbs 31 - Kylie Bisutti

In December 2011, 21-year-old Victoria’s Secret model Kylie Bisutti stunned the fashion industry when she chose faith over fame and fortune and made the switch from supermodel to role model.

In I’m No Angel, Kylie shares her story - from her early years struggling to make it big in the cut-throat world of modeling, her “big break” winning the Victoria’s Secret Angel competition, and the disillusionment and spiritual warfare that followed, to the moment she realized that she could no longer reconcile her career with her Christian beliefs, surrendered her life to God, turned in her Angel wings, and dedicated her life to preaching a message of modesty and inner beauty.

Along the way, Kylie talks about her personal struggles with inadequacy, low self-esteem, and her near-constant quest for approval in a world where you can never be thin enough, pretty enough, or sexy enough. She helps readers understand that true beauty lies within and that real fulfillment comes from knowing, loving, and serving Christ.

I’m no Angel by Kylie Bisutti  is the story of a Victoria’s Secret Angel, the most glamorous of models, leaving the fashion industry and modeling world behind to honour her husband, and God, with her body.  Becoming a VS Angel shortly after marrying the man of her dreams, Kylie and Mike were catapulted into a world neither of them expected.  Kylie adequately phrases it as “By taking on the persona of an Angel, I had unwittingly signed a deal with the devil”.

Kylie treats the reader to a front row seat of her entire modeling career with all its ups and downs; starting out modeling at the local mall, following opportunities that took her abroad, signing with agencies in New York, and finally hitting the big time by becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel.  As to why she wrote this book, Kylie explains:

I believe God allowed me to walk through the fire and see the best and the worst the industry had to offer so I could come out on the other side stronger and wiser, with my eyes fully opened to the truth.  And now I believe He is calling me to share what I’ve learned, with the hope that other people won’t have to learn the hard way, as I did. - Kylie Bisutti

Kylie (second row, third from right) with some of the other VS Angels

In many ways, the entire [Victoria's Secret] brand exists to create an illusion of the perfect woman - one engineered to drive men toward lust and, at the same time, drive thousands of impressionable young women toward frustration, self-hatred and despair as they try in vain to achieve an impossible ideal - Kylie Bisutti 

We follow Kylie’s harrowing experiences, including being exposed to the dangers of sex-trafficking and prostitution, the drug abuse, eating disorders and extreme surgeries some models subject themselves to in order to be skinny, and the disturbing reality that a model wanting to be a part of the fashion industry needed at least one topless photo in her portfolio: "What does posing nude have to do with fashion? I wondered.  And yet the models with the R-rated comp cards seemed to be the ones getting the jobs."

 

Then there are the horrific elements that came too close to home in Kylie’s case; verbal abuse - being called a fat pig and a cow by her agent (for the "crime" of being a size 2!), physical abuse - what is to my mind assault and a near-rape by a seedy photographer exploiting a young girl new to the business, and the infidelity, the lies, the deception, the betrayal, and the pornography that seems to be par for the course in the industry.  Kylie elaborates on the excessive and often painful beauty treatments used to get models runway-ready, and even her own surreal experience of being Photoshopped to have a  significantly smaller waist, and a bust size three times her normal one!  The reader also gets a glimpse of what the lifestyle meant for her marriage and how it affected her husband.  We don't always think how hard it must be for a man to watch his wife strut her stuff in underwear, millions of other men getting to see her that way; not to mention the comments from his friends!

Kylie and her husband, Mike

Despite being happily married and very much in love with her husband, Kylie was encouraged to refrain from wearing her wedding ring in order to keep the fantasy of the VS brand alive.  She was also approached by at least one celebrity through VS, who thought Kylie was his type and he wanted to “get together” – even though the fact that Kylie is married was no secret.  By all accounts neither the celebrity nor the VS exec had a problem with propositioning a married woman.  Shocking! Kylie was expected to play down her marriage, and to be a flirty, seemingly available VS model.

Angels are put on the runway with one intention: to seduce every man in eyeshot.  It would be years before the Lord would awaken me to the twisted irony in that: Angels, depicted in the Bible to be God’s messengers, being portrayed as sex symbols. - Kylie Bisutti

I wouldn't say that I'm No Angel is an exposé on the dark side of the industry; for me it's more of a testimony - in writing this book Kylie doesn’t badmouth anyone or anything, she simply tells her story.  This book is an excellent read for all women in general, and I would especially recommend it to girls considering entering the world of modeling, as well as their parents. 

More than focusing on the industry as such, Kylie is focusing on being a woman of worth – the importance of being a Proverbs 31 woman strongly comes across, and the message of inner beauty far outshines the focus on the glamorous outer beauty.  It was a pleasure following Kylie’s journey, and her spiritual growth is a joy to experience. 

I'm No Angel contains the most accurate depiction of the modeling industry nowadays, that I've ever come across.  Kylie concurs, at some point  modeling "is not about modeling clothes anymore".

I’d known for years that a big part of the industry was selling sex – especially when it came to lingerie.  But until I heard him say the words, “That’s what we’re paying you for,” it had never really hit home before.  That’s when it finally hit me.  I was being paid to tease, tempt and tantalize men.  And it wasn’t just my job.  As a Victoria’s Secret Angel I was expected to make this my whole identity.  

I simply couldn’t live the lifestyle the brand demanded and be a strong, faithful Christian wife.

Kylie doesn't hold back any of her mistakes in writing this book.  It must have been really hard for her to relay some of the things she went through, but the lessons she learned are valuable and can save many young girls from similar hurts.  More importantly, Kylie has let go of her past thanks to Christ's forgiveness.  Kylie now lives a quiet life with Mike in Montana where she volunteers at her local church, and is working on a Christian fashion line that she describes as modest clothes for women of all shapes and sizes. 

...thanks to the Internet, there would always be dozens of images of me out there I wished didn’t exist.  While those images may never go away, I can assure you that the girl in them no longer exists.  As the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5: 17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun! - Kylie Bisutti

Product Information:

Title: I’m No Angel

Author: Kylie Bisutti

Number of pages: 304

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Year: 2013

ISBN-10: 1414383096

ISBN-13: 978-1414383095

Tyndale House Publishers has kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network.

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: RESCUE TEAM ~ CANDACE CALVERT

As a teenager Kate Callison ran away – from home, from hope, from God; she never really stopped running.  Amidst a daily battle of keeping her emotions from coming to the surface and keeping her past from catching up with her, Kate faces even greater challenges at her new job where she must fill the shoes of Sunni Sprague, the missing Director of the Emergency Department at Austin Grace Hospital.  Sunni was beloved by all she came in contact with, and from the very first day Kate finds it a fairly impossible task to fill Sunny’s saintly shoes.  Taking over this position would have been a challenge for any newcomer – but for cool Kate, who keeps a firm wall between her and her staff, becoming well-liked and securing permanent employment is a battle she might not be able to win.  But then, Kate is not looking for permanence anyway… is she?

Wes Tanner loves nothing better than to rescue the lost – whether it be physically or spiritually.  He devotes most of his free time to several rescue teams, eager to tell people “You’re not lost anymore”.  When he meets Kate Callison, the prickly beauty with the sad eyes who rarely smiles and never laughs, he meets a challenge he cannot walk away from.  Whether Kate is willing to admit it or not, she needs rescuing – and he is just the man for the job.

When a tragedy in the hospital brings Kate’s past screaming back, the whole Department is under scrutiny and jobs are on the line.  The only good thing to come out of the whole mess is a tentative relationship between Kate and Wes. 

Unable to let Kate continue living in the emotionless existence she has carved out for herself to keep the pain away, Wes slowly introduces Kate to life in Texas, delicately courts her heart and gently nudges her towards reconciliations with her father and God.  Though Kate is still skittish, life is good.  Wes claims to accept Kate just as she is, but when her past unexpectedly collides with his own, can Wes overcome his own demons and forgive Kate’s biggest mistake?  Or will Kate’s haunting past also destroy her future? 

Rescue Team by Candace Calvert is the second book in the Grace Medical series.  We first met Kate in Trauma Plan and it was clear that she had a lot of emotional baggage she had to deal with.  Her tendency to ignore colleagues’ emotional distress and place the good of the Hospital first was also introduced in Trauma Plan, and it was a joy to experience Kate’s growth in Rescue Team.  Calvert pays great attention to realistic, beautiful character development – something I value in authors.  This makes Calvert one of my new favourites.

What I love most about Calvert’s work is that while her plotlines are very realistic, her characters are even more so.  I believe them, and I believe in them.  Kate and Wes are wonderful characters that complement each other perfectly.  Kate is the wounded one who thinks she’s undeserving of love, who refuses to turn to a God she is sure will reject her; but inside her is a tiny spark of hope that refuses to be extinguished.  While she generally puts on a front of a strong, independent, all-business woman, Wes glimpses the repressed Kate in unguarded moments – a vulnerable and lonely woman desperate for the love and acceptance she insists she doesn't need. 

Wes is a kind, humble gentleman of great faith, but he has a dangerous tendency to be judgmental and unforgiving regarding a certain topic.  His intense (and sometimes unreasonable) anger was disturbing to witness, but it kept him from being too perfect.  This effectively illustrated that even the most devoted Christians struggle with sin and have issues to overcome.  Nobody is perfect – we all need Christ’s guidance, forgiveness and redemption. 

Kate’s plight was especially well depicted.  My stomach was in knots whenever she experienced pain related to her past, and I cried with her when it became too much to bear.  Calvert effortlessly places the reader in the shoes of her characters, making the reading experience a very emotional affair.

Aside from Kate and Wes, Rescue Team also features wonderful supporting characters who make the story even stronger and more entertaining.  The Austin Texas landscape was wonderfully described without becoming superfluous.  The book as a whole is a combination of all the right ingredients, perfectly combined to present a wonderful journey about letting go and letting God.  Past hurts and mistakes can drag us down and keep us down.  Rescue Team reminds us of the importance of letting go of the past and entrusting our futures to an Almighty God who can make the most beautiful mosaic of the shattered pieces of our lives.

Rescue Team by Candace Calvert is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys a good love-story, medical fiction and/or stories of hope.  I enjoyed every single page, and would recommend this book to… just about anyone, truthfully.  I can’t think of anyone who would not enjoy the Grace Medical series.  Calvert has already finished the next book in the Grace Medical series, First Responder.  Sadly, publication is only expected in 2014.  Since I’m late to the Candace Calvert party (shame on me!) I can at least soothe myself by reading Calvert’s previous series in the interim.   Mercy Hospital, here I come!

Product information:

Title: Rescue Team

Author: Candace Calvert

Number of pages: 384

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Year: 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4143-6112-3

Tyndale House Publishers has kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network. 

Candace Calvert

Candace Calvert is a former ER nurse who believes that love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines.  Calvert came to know God after the triple whammy that changed her life: “A painful and unexpected divorce, the Northern California floods of 1997, and an equestrian accident that left her with fractured ribs, a bleeding lung, broken back, neck fractures and a spinal cord injury". She’ll tell you that God took drastic measures to get her attention. She is a wife, mother and proud grandmother living in Northern California.

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: BEES IN THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN ~ MAUREEN LANG

John Davenport couldn't give his daughter the life she deserved.  Without a mother to teach her the ways of a lady, he decided to have her raised by the finest of boarding schools.  So, Meg Davenport grew up in the best, most exclusive boarding school, destined to shape her into a perfect lady.  She turns into Madame Marisse’s most gifted student, but only by ruthlessly supressing the rebel inside.  Meg grew up without family, without love and without happiness.  She might outwardly be the perfect lady, but the only thing Meg truly wants is to break free, to follow her own path, to live an adventure.  After several failed escape attempts over the years, a dejected Meg finally resolves herself to her fate, but when her absentee father dies, she finally learns the truth – he was a very talented thief!  Suddenly so many things make sense; Meg finally begins to understand the rebel side of herself, and in an attempt to understand the man everybody claims loved her more than life itself, Meg is determined to follow in his footsteps.  The only problem is she needs the help of a man she can’t help but resent; Ian Maguire, her father’s substitute son – the boy he loved who grew to be his protégé, the boy who took her place in her father’s heart (or so she believes).  Loyal to the father figure who rescued him from the streets, Ian knows that John’s greatest hope in life was that his daughter become a perfect lady, marry a wealthy gentleman and live a life of luxury.  The last thing John would have tolerated was his precious daughter following in his footsteps, but when the shadier members of John’s crew learns of Meg’s connection to one of New York’s wealthiest families that could help them pull off the biggest heist of their careers, they’re all too eager to welcome her into their gang.  With Meg desperate to prove herself her father’s daughter, desperate to prove he was wrong in shutting her out of his life, and men Ian doesn’t trust willing to help her, how can he not protect her by rather helping her himself?  And if he can somehow get his hands on the famous Pemberton gold, it’s a win-win situation… right?

Ian is not on speaking terms with God – his father was a missionary, and on a ship from Ireland, moving to America where he would spread the Gospel, Ian’s father died along with his mother and siblings, leaving only Ian.  Ian can’t believe God is a loving Heavenly Father when God stripped him of love and security at a young age.  Meg also believes God exists, she just doesn’t believe He has much interest in her life. If He had, surely He would have answered her prayers and she would have been raised by a loving father; At the very least, He would have helped just one of her escape attempts succeed, granting her a life of freedom from the suffocating rules and regulations that held her prisoner.  While adopting this life of deception and thievery, she ruthlessly suppresses her conscience, just as she once supressed her rebellion.  Surely God doesn’t care what Meg does or does not do?

As Meg and Ian work together to pull of the heist of all heists, the unthinkable happens.  Meg gets too attached to the family she is setting up to be burglarised, and Ian grows a conscience.  With Ian suspecting he has finally come to love a person more than he loves money (how can he risk Meg’s freedom?), Meg suspecting she doesn’t have the heart to live her father’s life after all (How can she steal from people she has come to love?), and a God who does seem to care about their plans very much (why else would things start going wrong?), can Meg and Ian find a way towards love and happiness instead of prison?  Will they get over their guilt and doubt and give their hearts to each other, and more importantly, will they finally give their hearts to God?

I thoroughly enjoyed Maureen Lang’s Bees in the butterfly garden, though at first I couldn’t imagine how Christian lit could centre around thieves – surely, at the end of the day you can’t justify stealing professionally.  But that is exactly what is so striking about this book.  The reader shares Meg and Ian’s guilt.  I was quite uncomfortable being witness to their deception of the lovely Claire and Nelson Pemberton; I could never share their excitement when their plans seemed set to succeed, and several times I wished I could just sit these two down for a good, long chat.  The constant use of the painting depicting Jesus’ crucifixion between two thieves was a very clever tool Lang used to keep reminding Ian and Meg of their wrongdoing and what they were truly risking.  The painting became a central character in the novel, so strong was its presence. 

I particularly liked the characters in the novel.  Lang did a great job in creating diverse characters, each with their own motivations.  I especially enjoyed Meg and Ian's internal struggles.  On one hand I would have liked a more pronounced conversion for each of them, but then again, the gentle subtlety with which they both ultimately give their hearts to God suggests that they have been wanting and waiting to do it all along. 

Bees in the butterfly garden is a lovely story about the importance of justice, mercy and grace (the Pemberton family has a beautiful tradition which also explains the difference between the three), which is communicated through a story of thievery and deceit - An interesting and effective approach that captivates the reader.

Maureen Lang has always had a passion for writing, particularly stories that combine romance and history. Her debut inspirational novel, Pieces of Silver, was a Christy Award finalist in the historical category. She has since written seven novels, including a recent trilogy of romances set against the dramatic backdrop of WWI—Look to the East, Whisper on the Wind, and Springtime of the Spirit. She turns to more peaceful (though no less dramatic) times in Bees in the Butterfly Garden, her upcoming release set among Fifth Avenue's finest during the Gilded Age of New York.  In addition to critical acclaim, Maureen's writing has garnered numerous industry honors. She has won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award, the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, and a Holt Medallion, and has been a finalist for Romance Writers of America's Rita, the American Christian Fiction Writers' Carol awards, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence ~ Tyndale.

Product information:
Title: Bees In The Butterfly Garden

Author: Maureen Lang

Number of pages: 432

Publisher: Tyndale House

Year: 2012

ISBN-10: 1414364466

ISBN-13: 978-1414364469 

Tyndale House Publishers has kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network. 

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: TRAUMA PLAN ~ CANDACE CALVERT



Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert

ER nurse Riley Hale has suffered an attack by an unknown assailant in the Hospital parking lot. The effects of her injury leave Riley with a weakened dominant arm and a numb dominant hand. As a result Riley has been taken off the ER team, but due to her influential family name the Hospital creates a permanent position of Hospital Chaplain to accommodate Riley. Riley is nevertheless determined to regain her strength and skills and return to the ER. It is, however, hard to regain her skills when the Hospital won’t let her use them – Riley is not allowed to work on patients.

Doctor Jack Travis is an adrenaline junkie with a passion for helping the disadvantaged. He runs a free clinic in a wealthy part of town, much to the dismay of the residents as homeless beggars, drug addicts and prostitutes are not an unusual sight in the neighbourhood, as they seek help at Jack’s clinic. Inundated with protest action and attempts to have the clinic shut down, Jack learns of Riley Hale – a wealthy, highly respected nurse with valuable family connections, desperate for a chance to work on patients. After getting off on the wrong foot he offers her a volunteer spot at his clinic, giving her the much needed patient treatment opportunities she desperately needs to hone her skills, hoping her involvement with the clinic will be good PR.

As Jack and Riley work together, she sees more than the aggressive maverick recklessly tempting fate at every turn – she sees a kind man with a good heart, a man she can believe in; Jack sees more than the broken victim – he sees a vulnerable but strong woman of faith who has a gift of helping people with her words even more than with her actions. As Jack and Riley find acceptance and comfort in each other’s arms, Riley’s overprotective family hires a private investigator to find out more about the new man in their daughter’s life.

When a horrific secret from Jack’s youth is dragged into the open it might not only mean the end of his relationship with Riley, but the end of his clinic as well. An agoraphobic patient of Riley’s carries a secret of her own – the secret that just might make everything right.

Trauma Plan (Grace Medical book 1) by Candace Calvert is a very enjoyable read. Her story centers around a theme of fear – fear of past events, fear of a repeat thereof, fear of incompetence, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of life. Fear, if left to grow, can become a debilitating reality in our lives, and Trauma Plan does a beautiful job of bringing that point across. Calvert addresses the importance of not letting fear take over your life, of trusting the One who holds you in the palm of His hand. I love how the several threads of the story ultimately come together, and once you see the bigger picture you see that everything was connected all along. Trauma Plan concurs with my belief that there is no such thing as coincidence – God has a plan and He’s bringing everything together even though we cannot see or understand what it might be.

The characters in Trauma Plan are wonderfully believable. Every single character has his or her own cross to bear, and it is an absolute joy to go through their emotional journeys with them. Calvert took great care to fully develop every character throughout the novel, and their emotional struggles are some most Christians can relate to. I especially love Jack’s friend Bandy (acting as his spiritual guide), and his little dog Hobo. The only unresolved issue, for me, is the character of Kate who does not get any kind of closure. She is still running from her past, running from her fears and running from her reality, but I suspect her story will form the foundation of the next Grace Medical book.

Calvert’s own experience as an ER nurse lends her work a level of authenticity – when she goes into medical jargon and medical procedures you can tell she knows what she’s talking about. Any fans of contemporary Christian literature will enjoy this book, as will anyone with interest in the medical field. Calvert’s work has been described as “Grey’s Anatomy with heart”, and I can’t think of a better description myself.

Trauma plan is a lovely book with a beautiful message.

Product information:
Title: Trauma Plan

Author: Candace Calvert

Number of pages: 399

Publisher: Tyndale House

Year: 2012

ISBN-13: 9781414361116

Candace Calvert

Candace Calvert is a former ER nurse who believes that love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines. She got her inspiration for writing Trauma Plan from a debilitating injury she experienced herself! Though her books are about hope and faith, Candice only came to know God after the triple whammy that changed her life: “A painful and unexpected divorce, the Northern California floods of 1997, and an equestrian accident that left her with fractured ribs, a bleeding lung, broken back, neck fractures and a spinal cord injury" (much like Riley in the novel). She’ll tell you that God took drastic measures to get her attention. She is a wife, mother and proud grandmother living in Northern California.

Tyndale House Publishers kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, neither did this review lead to any personal gain, other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network.

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: THE LAST PLEA BARGAIN ~ RANDY SINGER

Plea bargains – deals cut by Prosecutors in 90 percent of their cases that usually allow the Defendants to serve less jail time in exchange for a guilty plea. Some people find the notion of plea bargaining a disgrace to justice, but what few realize is that without plea bargains the legal system would shut down - There is simply not enough manpower to accommodate trial by jury for every single Defendant. So, what would happen if Defendants suddenly refused to cut deals? What would happen if those few who went against the majority were murdered because they plea bargained? What would happen to the legal system if all Defendants then decide to take their chances, and insist on trial by jury? This is the foundation on which Randy Singer builds his latest legal thriller, The Last Plea Bargain.

The Last Plea Bargain

Caleb Tate, one of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal Defense Attorneys is suspected of killing his trophy wife.  Jamie Brock, Assistant District Attorney of Milton County is determined to prove his guilt, prejudiced by a personal connection - Caleb Tate once defended Antoine Marshall, the man convicted of killing Jamie’s mother. Mace James, a Defense Attorney once framed for a crime, is determined to prove that Antoine, too, was framed. Throw these storylines together and you’re sure to have an interesting, multi-layered read on your hands.

Apart from the pressures of her job, Jamie faces several emotional challenges throughout the novel. While dealing with hate and bitterness over her mother’s murder, Jamie must bear the repeated attempts of Mace James to prevent the execution of her mother’s killer. Jamie is furthermore tasked with prosecuting the man who previously defended her mother’s killer. Determined to the point of obsession, Jamie falls into a spell of insomnia and depression. During her investigation, Jamie is confronted with evidence questioning her father’s character and integrity. When it is suspected that evidence has been corrupted, Jamie is also unsure whether or not she can trust the Detective assigned to work the Tate case with her. Amidst all of Jamie's personal turmoil, the Milton County justice system threatens to crumble when Defendants suddenly refuse to cut deals. At first Jamie isn't too concerned - she is, after all, the one Prosecutor who always refuses to cut deals herself. But it soon becomes clear that the justice system cannot accommodate trial by jury for every single Defendant, and the backlog soon throws the Courts into disarray. Things only get more complicated when the few Defendants who do plea bargain end up dead only hours after their release. Uncertainty clouding every decision Jamie must make, the reader is swept along an emotional journey as Jamie fights for justice, peace and ultimately her life.

What I like about Singer’s writing is that he explores both sides of an issue; it gives the reader a lot to think about. The Last Plea Bargain questions the death penalty and confronts the reader with the moral issues surrounding it. Singer presents both sides of the coin, and I found myself pondering my own beliefs about the death penalty. I love when a book challenges me to look inside myself and ask some tough questions – this is exactly what The Last Plea Bargain does. Singer himself remains neutral on the issue, giving the reader enough information to decide for themselves. Not many authors can effectively do this.

Any lovers of courtroom drama will love this book. Singer explores every angle of the job of a prosecutor, and along with the process of building a case the reader gets to be in the courtroom for the most part of this case – from jury selection and opening statements, to witness statements and cross examination. The courtroom scenes are brilliantly written, very believable and realistic. Singer’s own experience in the courtroom gives his writing an edge few other legal drama authors can boast of.

Singer didn’t pull the rug out from under me once, but twice! The ending was quite spectacular and revealed truths that I quite simply did not see coming. One thing this book is not, is predictable. The Last Plea Bargain was my first Randy Singer read, but it will most definitely not be my last.

Product information:

Title: The Last Plea Bargain

Author: Randy Singer

Number of pages: 432

Publisher: Tyndale House

Year: 2012

ISBN-10: 1414333218

ISBN-13: 978-1414333212 

Randy Singer

Randy Singer is a man of many talents. He is a veteran trial attorney who runs his own practice, has been named on of the “Legal Elite” litigation attorneys by Virginia Business Magazine (and also teaches classes in advocacy and civil litigation), a teaching pastor and critically acclaimed, award winning author of legal thrillers! According to Randy's website “When he grows up, he will decide what he really wants to do”. Furthermore, he is a husband to his wife of 34 years, and father to their 2 children.

Tyndale House Publishers kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, neither did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network.