What Rose Forgot, by Nevada Barr

I have to say that first of all when I started the book I wasn’t impressed at all. I was frustrated and wanted to stop reading. Poor Rose was so disoriented that it made me the reader also disoriented.

But I pushed through because Net Galley claimed the book was awesome. 

I got hooked about 60% of the way through. That changed my mind to go from a two star to a five star. Because of that I ended up at 4 stars.

Rose Dennis is in a Memory Care Unit with early onset dementia. She is also in an aggressive progression of dementia, or is she? She is confused, she is disoriented and she is mad. She gets the flu and because of that she has flushed most of the drugs out of her system. That means she is starting to remember. That turns out to be bad for the Memory Care Unit, but not for her.

As Rose starts to wake up things start to change. She starts to get aggressive and starts to plan her escape. But you are left wondering if she is nuts, demented, or just plan scary. She causes hurt and pain to others. But she also has paincaused to her.

I don’t want to say much else because it would be a spoiler. But let me say this. Rose ends up capturing my attention and my admiration for her determination to find out what the truth is. I think she will grab yours as well.

Enjoy!

What Should We Think About Israel, by Randall Price

In the 1960's we got Hal Lindsay's book, The Late Great Planet Earth. It was one of the first books people read about end times theology and the role Israel will play in end times. Since then there has been a lot of controversy over Israel and over how Christians should feel about the nation of Israel. Should we be supporters or should we be neutral.

This book gives us a compilation of articles by various author's to give us a very critical look at the nation of Israel. How should we feel? How should we act toward Israel and towards Jewish people in general? How should we feel about the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and the desire of some countries to see Israel annihilated?

While you might not agree with all the theories that these writers will put forth at least they will make you think about what you should feel towards the nation of Israel and the concept of End Times Theology in regards to the Bible and current social political events.

I was very intrigued by the book and grateful for Randall Price putting this together and giving us a reference book on current affairs.

Enjoy!

Until the Mountains Fall, by Connilyn Cossette

In this Historical/Romance novel we also get a great story about the "Cities of Refuge" in Old Testament Israel as well as the concept of Levirate marriage. Connilyn Cossette does a magnificent job of writing an engaging story while providing teaching points for a Biblical Custom.

Rivkah lives in a city of Refuge where her father is the Religious Ruler in charge of those who seek refuge from a Manslayer. These people come here because they have caused the untimely death of an innocent person and they need protection from the Manslayer who might seek revenge for the family who lost a loved one. As such Rivkah see's a lot of distressed and emotionally empty people coming to their city.

But in the midst of this Rivkah marries a good Jewish man but then experiences loss of her own. Her husband dies and leaves her a widow without children. According to their traditions and rules if the deceased husband had no heir and does have a brother, then that brother must marry the widow and provide a child to perpetuate the name of the deceased.

But Rivkah takes exception to the concept of marrying the brother of her deceased husband. She has never liked the young man, he is also younger than her and immature.

Before the marriage can take place she runs away to another city. Here she experiences the loss of everything she has known and everything she owns. Much like the Prodigal Son story in the New Testament. What will Rivkah do? Will she try and return to her family and her home and the arranged marriage?

The story is good and the character development leans itself to letting you feel what young women in Old Testament Israel may have felt. You get a clear picture of their dependence on others. A clear picture of arranged marriages that are not the best. A clear picture of how tradition and laws can actually be somewhat harmful to those they are meant to protect.

I think you will enjoy the story and learning more about Hebrew Culture.

Wind River Protector, by Lindsay McKenna

I asked for a review copy of this title from NetGalley because I love the Wind River area of Wyoming. For years I would take college students up to Lander, Wyoming and we would go out on the Wind River Reservation for volunteer work. We hiked the mountain trails around that area and all of us fell in love with the place.

Lindsay McKenna gives us a novel about several hot topics in today's culture. One hot topic is "the role of women in the workforce." Her character Andy is a feminist who wants equality in all she does. She feels that men should treat women as equal's, and she is so correct about that. What I truly appreciate about the character and the dialog of the issue is that Andy is not someone who you can't love because of her feminist qualities, but she is someone you fall in love with because she is a genuine, caring, loving, loyal and faithful friend, woman, worker, soldier, etc.

A second topic of the book is "Adoption." Andy and her three siblings are all foster kids who were adopted by Maud and Steven when they were just young children, either infants or toddlers. These "Adopted" kids were loved as you would think only a biologic parent would love their child. They were accepted without condition. Nurtured to face the trials of daily living as mature, well adjusted adults who love and care for their fellow human beings.

Another topic though is the adopted child's view of "Abandonment." Each of the four siblings had to struggle with the concept of having been "abandoned" or maybe their term is better, "tossed aside without regard." You feel their pain. You feel their sorrow. You feel their hurt.

The final topic would be "Trust." Each of the four siblings, because of their abandonment issues has a problem trusting other humans. They have to work hard at it. It doesn't make them unpleasant or boring or secessionist. But because of their adoptive parents good upbringing they are all well adjusted and are able to trust, it's just that the trust has to be earned.

Each of these topics makes the book awesome.

Now, the gist of the story. Andy, a woman, is also a Combat Warthog Pilot offering close-in air support for the troops on the ground in our current battles with the Taliban. She is driven, loyal, aggressive and determined to win at all costs. But when she is shot down she is thrown into a whole new world.

In the same conflict a battle helicopter is also shot down, but with only one survivor. Dev Mitchell finds Andy on the ground and together they outsmart and outrun the Taliban for five days to make it on their own back to a Forward Operating Base and safety. Along the way, Andy learns she can trust Dev. But once back at the base they are separated to never see each other again, or will they?

The story of their relationship is what all the topics are woven around and Lindsay McKenna does a fabulous job of drawing you in, teaching you truths and along the way, at least for me, helping me learn a valuable lesson that many feminists are not to be feared, but to be admired, cared about and someone you would want to work alongside.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Bloody Creek Murder, by Susan Clayton-Goldner

The latest in the Detective Radhauser series is another winner. I have fallen in love with this character and Susan Clayton-Goldner does a beautiful job of bringing him to life in each novel. My only disappointment is that when I finish reading I have to wait months until she is able to produce another winner.

In this latest story we have three generations of people living the trauma's of everyday life. A young child, a young adult and an older parent. Each person will experience loss, not only of a life they love but of a life they wish they might have had.

The beginning story is that of two young boys enjoying life. They love to climb trees, to wrestle and to just be best of friends in every way possible. But then tragedy strikes. In an unfortunate accident one child looses his life and the other looses his innocence. How will Holden respond to the tragedy? How will he carry on?

But then a suicide/murder, we're not sure which comes along to cause further pain. Tommy's mom, Blair, is found dead, lying among the memorabilia left at Tommy's memorial service. Out of grief did she commit suicide? It looks that way. But then again, there are indications that it was foul play. But who would have a reason to kill Blair Bradshaw.

Radhauser has to find out the truth, not only of the tragic accident but of the foul play surrounding Blair's death. What will he uncover? Oh, and did we mention that there is a ten year old unsolved missing person case that will weave it's way into the story?

While the story is excellent and the mystery is able to keep your attention, what really works away at you are the true life personal struggles that the characters go through.

Themes addressed are:
1. Loneliness at the loss of a mother
2. Loneliness and guilt at the loss of a best friend
3. Guilt at the abandonment of a loved one
4. Frustration at the apparent lack of honesty from one's spouse
5. Fear of rejection
6. Fear of truth being revealed
7. Fear of loss of security and all that you hold dear

Susan Clayton-Goldner always paints a picture that has depth, character, intrigue, emotion and such reality that you often find yourself and your own fears being revealed in the characters.

Enjoy the read and enjoy meditating on the truths of honesty in relationships and how always telling the truth can lead to forgiveness, acceptance, loss of worry and good mental health. But the opposite is also true, not telling the truth brings guilt, shame, loss of identity, loss of relationship and anxiety that will eat away at you.

Deep State, by Chris Hauty

What a fun read. This is the first novel by Chris Hauty. His previous job was as a screen writer. So, he knows how to weave a story. But often times screen writers don't make the best novelists. But in this case he is superb.

We have a young woman, Hayley Chill, who is one of the first women to ever enlist for the Army infantry. She is an exceptional woman, but mentally and physically, although she is petite she packs a powerful punch, literally. She also has a photographic memory.

But she leaves the military and obtains an internship position in the White House. There she will work for the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. As such she comes in contact with many influential people and leaves them all with a memory of her confidence, ability and determination.

But then a murder happens and the wheels start to come off the track. Hayley is thrown into a political scandal that might just destroy the Monroe Administration if not the U.S. Government itself. Who can Hayley trust? How can she find a murderer and the architects of a conspiracy that runs deep into the political realm of Washington D.C.

The ending will startle you, but you will not be disappointed as to what happens, instead you will be left with your mouth hanging open and your mind running full speed ahead about what is truly happening in our current government and political environment.

This is a book that won't disappoint you.

All The Flowers in Paris, by Sarah Jio

I thought that the story line was fantastic. I was thrown off by the title and almost didn't ask to get a copy of the book to review. I'm so glad I took a chance from the description.

Sarah Jio does a masterful job of weaving the past and the present together as we follow the travails of a Jewish family during WWII and the flower shop that they operated. But then they lost it because of being Jews. Their story is hard enough to read knowing that these types of situations truly happened and there was nothing to stop them.

But then race ahead to present time and met the young woman who has moved into an apartment in Paris that has a decided history from WWII. As she moves through her life she discovers a stack of love letters from the war and is entranced by the writing and the story being woven together. But she has a problem. She has lost her memory and is struggling to find out who she is while also trying to find out what happened during the war.

The story goes back and forth from past to present. But you will not put it down until you finish because you are so drawn in by the trials that both women and both families have faced.

The end is dramatic and the love stories are delightful. I'm sure you will enjoy this novel. I have already ordered a couple for friends, that's how much I liked it :)