Vanishing Act, by Liz Johnson (Steeple Hill)

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Vanishing Act is a fun read for the inspirational suspense/romance afficiando. Ms. Johnson does a good job of keeping you guessing throughout the story as to who is the bad guy and who is the good guy.

The storyline is imaginative. Our heroine, Nora James, witnessed the shooting of her father in a back alley and barely escaped the same fate herself. Now on the run from an assassin hired by the crime boss who shot her father, Nora must disappear and stay disappeared.

Enter FBI Special Agent Nate Andersen, whose job it is to find Nora and protect her from the assassin. A twist of fate has him stumble upon her unwittingly, and so begins the cat-and-mouse game of uncovering the identity of the assassin without becoming victims themselves. True to a romance, an 'impossible' attraction develops between Nora--who cannot become involved with anyone for fear of endangering them--and Nate, who has a troublesome background of his own when it comes to romantic involvements.

As with most inspirational romances, it's not the destination, it's the journey. The satisfying ending must be reached in a believable, thought-provoking and entertaining way. Ms. Johnson achieves that in Vanishing Act.
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Be Not Afraid, by Deborah Lynne (OakTara)

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I don't need to tell you Be Not Afraid is suspenseful. Just look at the cover. Neither do I need to tell you it carries a thread of hope and inspiration throughout the story. Just look at the title.

Ms. Lynne has conceived a fascinating storyline that captured me at the very beginning. Our heroine, Samantha Cain, is the widow of a policeman. The entire 3rd Precinct where her late husband, Martin, worked blames her for his death. Now, her own life threatened by a serial killer who thinks she can identify him, Samantha is forced to rely on the protection of Detective Matthew Jefferies who is not only from the 3rd Precinct, but is her husband's former partner. How does conflict get any better than that?

The psychotic killer is not interested in doing away with Samantha immediately. He plays with her mind, wants her to know he can drop her at will and there's nothing she can do about it. Reminiscent of the movie Play Misty for Me, at every scene you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation of the next physical or psychological attack, wondering when he will make the final move of the game.

Samantha leans on her faith to sustain her, as her trust in the police force is at an all-time low from the treatment she received after Martin's suicide. Matthew struggles with his own insecurities and prejudices as he protects Samantha and tries to track down the killer before he strikes again. And neither of them understand nor welcome a growing attraction they discover for each other.

Ms. Lynne develops a great story culminating in an unexpected showdown scene between Samantha and the killer. She keeps the tension up throughout, but doesn't exhaust the reader--at least, not unduly.  ;-)

Good show, Deborah! When's the next book coming out?
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Disciple, by EG Lewis (Cape Arago Press)

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Disciple is a worthy sequel to Witness, EG Lewis's well researched and skillfully told novelization of the early Christian Church as recounted in the Biblical book of Acts.

This second book in the "Seeds of Christianity" series finds Shemuel and Rivka becoming followers of The Way of Yeshua. In doing so they endure the persecution of the ruling religious elite and shunning by their common Jewish brethren. No longer able to sell his lambs to the Temple, Shemuel moves his family to Jerusalem, only to discover life is no easier as a wood carver and physician there than shepherding was in their hometown of Bethlehem. When the twelve apostles spread out through the known world in obedience to the Great Commission, Shemuel and Rivka accompany Peter to Antioch. There they meet both tribulation and victory as they plant and nuture the congregation that will become the first to be dubbed as "Christians." The plot tightens and reaches its catharsis in intense crises affecting not only Shemuel's personal life, but that of the young church.

Mr. Lewis faithfully tracks the events of Acts, filling in realistic scenarios and vibrant characters that propel the New Testament accounting in a fresh and entertaining way. If you enjoyed Witness, you can't help but revel in Disciple. Well done, Ed!

The Fox's Honor, by LD Alford (OakTara)

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A fascinating read for the science-fiction buff happily suffering from a debilitating touch of the romantic notion.
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In The Fox's Honor, Mr. Alford transports an unbending code of chivalry and honor to a futuristic world light years displaced in time and distance from the Avalon in which such Arthurian ethics were born.
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The romantic will not be disappointed in the love story between Sir Devon Rathenberg, alias "The Fox," and Lady Tamar Falkeep, the woman who has stolen The Fox's heart. Denied any chance of a future due to social station and propriety, Sir Devon and Lady Tamar must conceal their love. But when, in a twisted turn of events, The Lady thwarts Sir Devon's planned death, a new course deciding the fate of the Human Galactic Empire is demanded--a course that will take them and their noble houses into collision with the tyrannical faux Emperor Perod.
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Neither will the sci-fi buff be disappointed with Mr. Alford's detailed account of escaping the constraints of physical space via null space transportation, meticulous attention to the demands of orbital dynamics, and descriptions of the astro-/aeronautical nuances of intergalactic spacecraft. Those Star Trek afficiandos owning a copy of Hayne's USS Enterprise: Owner's Workshop Manual will demand a similar work from Mr. Alford. I take that back; they won't need one. Mr. Alford, a test pilot himself, renders treatment only an aeronautical engineer's mother could love to the technical aspects of space travel and the vehicles that conquer it.
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The Fox's Honor is Book Two in "The Chronicles of the Dragon and The Fox." It's prequel is The End of Honor, and it's followed by A Season of Honor. I didn't need the prequel to enjoy The Fox's Honor. I am, however, driven to purchase the sequel. I suspect you will be, too.
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