Storm Surge, by Rene Gutteridge (Tyndale House)

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If the name 'Rene Gutteridge' does not appear on your list of reading credits, your literary dossier is woefully incomplete.

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Ms. Gutteridge's veteran pen has once again produced a superbly entertaining work with a wonderful balance of humor, poignancy and mystery. Storm Surge, the third in the "Storm" series, follows FBI Special Agent Mick Kline in a race against the death-row clock. The condemned prisoner, Sammy Earle, has been incarcerated for a crime in which Agent Kline himself was once implicated. Only now doubts begin to surface as to Sammy's guilt, and Mick personally takes on the case against everyone's advice, including his own.

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The web of intrigue began to weave itself in steamy jungles of Vietnam with the murder and disappearance of two American soldiers. In the intervening years, it expands and stretches taut, ensnaring more hapless victims who stumble--or are pushed--into it. It finally snaps amid a Category 4 hurricane on the Texas coast, where it threatens not only Mick, but the woman he loves. The action is intense, the drama poignant, and the characters multidimensional. Having said that, my next comment may seem a little odd: it was really funny. By that I mean Ms. Gutteridge has mastered the tricky art of diffusing tension at just the right points with appropriate humor. How? By knowing how to write.

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I've commented on an author's writing voice in a few of my posts, with notables going to Liz Curtis Higgs and Sibella Giorello. Put Rene Gutteridge right alongside them. I rarely laugh out loud when I read a crime novel, but my uninhibited reaction to Ms. Gutteridge's subtly witty narrative style and glib repartee between characters drew more than one raised eyebrow from my wife, who was lying next to me trying to concentrate on her own book. I kept saying, "Listen, you've got to hear this passage! You'll crack up!" I guess I said that too many times, as she finally exhorted me to stop before I read her the whole book. (Sorry, Jeannie, but just wait until you read it . . . )
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I had the pleasure of sitting through a couple of Ms. Gutteridge's seminars at an ACW writers' conference two years ago. If I had taken better notes, perhaps I could write as well as she does . . . in a few years . . . or longer . . . maybe. (Sigh!)

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There's Movement...again!

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Heard from my editor today! The Word Fulfilled is scheduled to start the production process next week. Won't speculate on an exact release data yet, but once the process starts, it usually flies.

Thanks to all who have been asking about the book. Apologies in advance for the spam you're going to get from me. :-)
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My Portion Forever, by Karen Roth (Eagle Rock)

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Now here's a book that has it all: trucks blowing up for guys, romance for women, and inspiration for everyone--not to mention a great story line and excellent writing. What more could we ask for?

My Portion Forever follows Sana Toledo, an Algerian-born American girl living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sana, destined to suffocate in servitude to her uncle in his tiny grocery store, runs away after high school, becomes a nurse, and ends up choking on the dusty grit of the North African desert attending the "boys" fighting Rommel's tanks in the early days of World War II. Surrounded by a colorful cast of unforgettable characters, Lt. Toledo endures the horrors of war, the exhaustion and frustration of front-line hospital life, and her own personal struggle with a beckoning faith she doesn't understand. Her path criss-crosses that of Ranger Lt. Joe Vesely, a high-school friend who becomes more than just a friend, from their training in the rainy cold of England, through the first taste of combat on the beachhead at Arzew, and culminating in the bloody battle of Kasserine.

Reminiscent of Jack Cavanaugh's Dear Enemy, My Portion Forever provides a seldom-seen look at the hope and heartache, perseverence and peril, of the medical corps' doctors and nurses as they fought to save the lives of young soldiers maimed in a war thousands of miles from home. You'll be fascinated by the initiative the medical troops took, the innovativeness they displayed when proper medical supplies and facilities dwindled or were altogether lacking--like beer bottles for IV containers and human hair for sutures. Ms. Roth doesn't shy away from the devastation and gore of battle and its carnage; however, neither does she cross the line into gratuitously bloody descriptions for shock value. Meticulously researched and skillfully delivered, My Portion Forever rounds out the story of The Greatest Generation from the viewpoint of those who fought so hard to preserve it.

Finally, as an author, I was struck by how Karen Roth can immerse love, honor and faith in so much grit, blood and tears and still have them shine through unblemished. It's both inspiring and intimidating. Readers, take heart; writers, take a lesson.

Great book. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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The Sleeping Matchbook by Patricia Stebelton (OakTara)

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In The Sleeping Matchbook, Patricia Stebelton pens a wild and witty mystery young readers of all interests will enjoy. Secrets abound in this inspirational tale of two girls setting out to solve a cold case--but not so cold that it doesn't heat up in a hurry the moment they start poking around.

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Samantha "Sam" Westbrook" lost a best friend when her neighbor and 'big sister,' Amanda Griffen, left for a birthday party--and never came back. Her boyfriend was found the next morning behind the wheel of his Mustang, shot to death. Amanda hasn't been seen since. What's really strange, is that the school jacket Amanda was wearing that night mysteriously reappears in her closet bearing the only clue as to what might have happened: a single matchbook lodged in the lining beneath a pocket.

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It's now four years later. Going through Amanda's closet with her mother, seventeen-year old Sam finds the coat and the matchbook, a discovery that sparks a quest to discover just what happened that night. She enlists the help of her new friend, Tracy, and together they face danger and the threat of violence as their sleuthing breaks open old wounds and creates waves that ripple all the way into the highest levels of the police department itself.

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Physical, emotional and spiritual challenges dog their steps along the way and provide the most meaningful lessons of all for both Sam and Tracy. The Sleeping Matchbook accelerates and explodes in a dynamic ending that neither of the girls expect. You won't either.

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Good read for the tweenager and teenager, and parents won't have to worry about this one. The moral and spiritual lessons come through loud and clear, but not so loud that they drown out the story. Nice job, Patricia!

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Saving Cicadas, by Nicole Seitz (Thomas Nelson)

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I want to describe Saving Cicadas as deceptively imaginative, but ‘deceptive’ could cast a negative shade over the story and I don’t mean it in any negative way. Still, it’s true, so I’m sticking with it.

Saving Cicadas is deceptively imaginative.

Nicole Seitz has woven a subtly explosive tale of redemption, hope and fantastical intrigue set in the flatlands of the South. It seemed harmless enough. When the theme began to emerge from the plot, I sat back, comfortable in my certainty with where the tale was going. I assumed the journey would be the focus as the destination was obvious. And then something happened. I straightened in my chair, narrowed my eyes, and read on. After a couple more chapters, all became clear again, and, lulled into a second brief period of smug satisfaction, I turned the page—and stepped right into another curve ball. Then came a fast ball. Then a slider. My gosh, Nicole! What are you doing here? What she was doing was incredible.

Delivered in the first-person perspective mostly through the eyes of 8½ year-old Janie Doe Macy (who might not be who she thinks she is), and Grandma Mona (who might not be who you think she is), Saving Cicadas both celebrates and struggles with the miracle of life—all life; from bugs, to roses, to children, and a whole lot in between. But there's more to it than that. The true delight of the first-person voice is experiencing the story through the eyes of a character directly involved in it. If done well, it creates the effect of involving you in it, too. Nicole captures Janie’s mind and vernacular so well, you don’t experience the story with Janie, you become Janie. If you don’t, either you’ve never been eight years old, or you have no pulse.

Saving Cicadas is a journey of discovery, but you won’t really know where it’s leading until Ms. Seitz decides it’s okay for you to know. She sets you up with a straightforward thematic thrust, putting you comfortably off guard, then keeps you off balance with simplistically complex plot. Multi-dimensional characters challenge your inclination to develop first impressions and stick with them for any meaningful length of time. Her colorful writing voice paints a warm and unpretentious backdrop—which is ‘deceptive’ in its own right. Then, when you least expect it, the story picks up speed and passes the point of safe ejection before you have a chance to react. So, get yourself two cups of tea and unplug the telephone, ‘cuz you’re not going anywhere for awhile.

I guess you’ve probably noticed that I enjoyed this book. Please get it. If, when you’ve finished it, you don’t agree with this review, I’ll refund you the cover price. Seriously.

One last bit of advice: Don’t ever sit down at a poker table with Nicole Seitz. You haven’t got a chance.

(Disclaimer: Saving Cicadas was provided free of charge by Thomas Nelson for review; however, my comments would have been no different had I spent twice the cover price.)
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A Deadly Wilderness, by Kelly Irvin (Five-Star)

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I finally turned off the reading lamp an hour and a half after my usual bedtime last night. I had reached the last few chapters of Kelly Irvin's A Deadly Wilderness. It wasn't so much that I "couldn't put it down." It's that I refused to put it down.

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Set right here in San Antonio, A Deadly Wilderness is a fast-paced thriller that follows the exploits of Detective Ray Johnson, who, while hiking in one of the city's wilderness parks, literally falls over a dead body--but not just any dead body. The late Joey Doyle, son of a prominent local family, has been savagely murdered and partially dismembered. Immediate and intense political pressure fuel Ray's innate overdrive, and he fights both the politicos and the clock to solve the case before the killer strikes again...and then again...and then again. All the while, Ray's professional skills and his devout faith are challenged to the limit every perilous inch of the way. Then, when he starts to get too close, the killer turns his eyes on Ray.

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An excellently conceived and cleverly crafted supporting cast push and pull at Ray throughout the ordeal. His on-again/off-again relationship with the lovely Susana Martinez-Acosta becomes entangled with the investigation, as does his strained friendship with Susana's protective brother, Samuel--who also happens to be Ray's boss. Hindered as much as helped by Detective Deborah Smith, his alcoholic partner, Ray limps one step forward then stumbles two steps backward until...nope, not gonna tell ya. You'll have ta read the "until."

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But Ms. Irvin does more than spin a gripping tale of murder, lust, and greed. She invades the human heart and turns it inside out, spilling the good, the bad and the ugly into a jumbled mess on the floor. Then she very carefully and skillfully reassembles the pieces and sculpts them into a diverse cast of personae who complement and collide, attract and repel, win and lose, and...well, I guess act a lot like you and I. They're at once lovable, annoying, inspiring, frustrating, and...well, I guess are a lot like you and I. Do I detect a trend here?

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Only one more thing. You'll enjoy Ms. Irvin's delightful writing voice that permeates the characters' dialog and garnishes the narrative with glib one-liners and poignant observations. I mean...okay, let me give you an example. Now, this is just from her 'Acknowledgments' page, mind you; it's not part of the actual story and, in fact, isn't designed to be overtly clever. You be the judge:

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"It's important to state for the record that the events in this novel are complete and utter fiction. San Antonio parks are incredibly safe, beautiful places for families to share wonderful times together, in large part because of the San Antonio Park Police. The crimes that occur in parks in this novel are figments of a feverish, overactive imagination."

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Now I ask you: if she can write a sterile acknowledgment with this much personality, imagine how it reads when she's selling you her dream. Just how do you not read a story by someone who writes like this? Uh huh, you'll refuse to put it down, too.
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So, now **yawn** I've begun my work week sleep deprived, and it's all Ms. Irvin's fault. If I get grouchy, Kelly, you have Jeannie to answer to, that's all I have to say...

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(A Deadly Wilderness is scheduled for release in January 2010. I highly recommend you pre-order it here.)

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New Feature!

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Some of you may already have noticed, but there's a new widget on the blog. Halfway down on the left side is a Shelfari bookshelf with those books I have lined up for my next reviews. Mouse-over the cover and you'll get a synopsis of the story. There are also navigation buttons at the bottom of the bookshelf to page ahead to additional covers.

If you have a work of Christian fiction you'd like me to review, please feel free to leave a comment at any time. Thanks!