False Pretenses

GIVEAWAY

HERMAN, KATHY
FALSE PRETENSES

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

Zoe Broussard stands in the shade of the live oak on rue Madeline and surveys her beloved Louisiana hometown. Wrought-iron galleries overhand the sidewalk lined with brightly colored shops, and the smell of coffee wafts from the Cajun eatery she and her husband, Pierce, own, which brings folks all the way from Lafayette for lunch or dinner. It seems like heaven.

But it's about to become hell. A series of threatening, anonymous notes is making her life miserable -- because Zoe has a secret so terrible it could leave the business in shambles and tear her marriage apart. Terrified by a stranger who seems to know her, Zoe must confront her past before it confronts her.

My Review:

A multi-faceted story filled to brimming with grace. I love the way the author tells it from the point of views of two couples -- Zoe and Pierce and Vanessa and Ethan. She weaves their diverse stories into the increasingly sinister suspense thread and in the process, creates a riveting tale of compassion and love and ultimately the forgiveness that comes from the grace Jesus offers us. Hair-raising, breath-snatching, I came to a point where I couldn't put the book down and had to finish it in one chilling sweep. So many 'aha' moments by the time I reached the triumphant conclusion.

This is book 1 (2011) in the Secrets of Roux River Bayou and you can bet, I'll be hunting down books 2 and 3! And to Kathy Herman fans -- You'll recognize Vanessa and Ethan from the Sophie Trace Trilogy.  I haven't read those books but there was enough background references that I felt compelled to check the author's website and sure enough I found Vanessa and Ethan's story in The Right Call, which I'll be reading soon as well. LOL

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Available in ebook format only

One of the down sides of retro reading is that the books aren't always available in print format. I obtained my paperback copy from the church library but discovered that the book is currently only available in ebook format now.

 If you would like an opportunity to win an ebook copy of  False Pretenses please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 23 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Not by Sight

GIVEAWAY

HERMAN, KATHY
NOT BY SIGHT

Her Sister Couldn’t Be Alive … Could She?

 

The little girl she spotted outside a store in Foggy Ridge had to be Riley Jo, her long-lost sister. Abby Cummings is certain. Almost. But her family has had their hopes dashed before and quickly dismisses the idea. After all, her father and sister have been missing for five years, and are presumed dead.

 

Abby refuses to ignore her intuition. She and her best friend, Jay, team up to track down the child in the face of scorn and doubt from all sides. But warnings from a mysterious stranger hint at a darker story, one that might not end well unless they leave it alone.

 

Abby and Jay know too much to turn back but too little to uncover the truth of what really happened. The only weapon they have is blind faith...is it enough?

 

My Review:

 

I give Kay M. a big shout out for introducing me to this author. She had Not by Sight on her Reader's Choice wish list and I was intrigued enough to hunt down a copy at my local Christian bookstore. I'm thrilled to say I have a new favourite suspense author. Woohoo!

 

This is a multi-faceted book riddled with tension and suspense. One of the most captivating aspects of the story is the way the author tells it mostly from two contrasting points of view -- Abby's and her mother, Kate's. It's fascinating to see how mother and daughter cope with their loss and grief in such completely opposite ways. They are often at odds and the friction between the two brings an added tension to an already taut plot. Unexpected twists and turns and one (for me) HUGE aha moment left me reeling. This is definitely a page turner.

 

Herman is a gifted storyteller and she brings the Cummings family to life in a memorable way. I'm thrilled to say this is the first in her Ozark Mountain Trilogy, so we'll get to see more of them in books to come. A must read for people who like a page-turning suspense lightly laced with a sweet romance.

 

 Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Not By Sight please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 6 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!