VENGEANCE by Donna Dawson

Vengeance is mine,I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19) . Without a doubt, others will remember this verse as they read Vengeance by Donna Dawson. Unfortunately most people aren't content to leave it to the Lord to repay their wrongs. The whole story in this murder mystery grows from ultimate acts of vengeance committed by men who were victims of great atrocities. The hurt had festered deep in the hearts of these men, fed by the hatred of those who had wronged them and their families. In fact, the main evil doings went back as far as the Vietnam War, so from childhood the mastermind of the assassins had patiently planned his ultimate revenge, a revenge that he felt fit the crimes.

FBI agent James Kirk Benedict has just completed a hard case, rescuing a little girl who was traumatized by a kidnapper who abused her while she was in his custody. The case is still fresh on his mind, and he still has some paperwork to finish before putting it to rest. But it's time for his vacation, so he takes the paperwork with him on a cruise ship bound for Hawaii. Benedict looks forward to finishing it quickly so that he can make the most of this vacation and relax a bit. It isn't long, however, until other guests on the ship start dying: horrible, quick, painful deaths that leaves their skin and organs in turmoil even after they are dead. Is it a plague of some sort? Is it contagious? Benedict finds himself investigating a series of horrific deaths that cause concern for every passenger on the ship. Including himself.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend Julie, a psychologist working with the FBI, is patiently and prayerfully working with the victim of the kidnapping, trying to bring her back to “normal” after the ordeal she has suffered. It's a heart-breaking and delicate case, but at least she is able to discuss some of it with James when he makes his nightly call to her. Of course, James' news disturbs Julie. Her concern for James makes it more difficult to concentrate on the needs of the little girl, but the great thing is that the parents are worried enough to let Julie talk about God with her young patient. Julie knows that the most complete healing is only possible if God is part of the cure.

Vengeance is a murder mystery that fits the bill for anyone interested in such stories. A warning for younger readers and their parents: there is lots of gory and ugly details of the ravages of the poison that the victims come in contact with. In this case the sordid details are integral to the story, but be forewarned. While we are privy to the thoughts and motives of the main murderer from the beginning of the novel, he is not revealed until near the end of the book. I was a bit surprised by the revelation, even more so by his accomplice. Suffice it to say that there are enough red herrings and tidbits of information scattered throughout the book to make me change my mind several times about who I thought was the culprit.

Within the main story are a few others, a nice twist that keeps it all interesting. There is the romance between James and Julie. It is refreshing to read about a romance that is pure as these to devout Christians display a dedication to the principles of Christ in their relationship. Then there is the case of the little girl that Julie is actively engaged in. She becomes more emotionally involved than she should be as a professional, but her faith in God plays an important role.

The reader is introduced to a lot of nasty history from the Vietnam War, a side of the war that adversely affected untold numbers of allied soldiers and civilians. While we cannot condone the cruel acts of revenge enacted, as frail humans ourselves we can understand what led him to such lengths.

Overall, Vengeance is a mystery novel that will hold your attention and possible make you think about a few issues, both spiritually and mentally. It has a sense of humor that breaks the tension now and then (like the fact that our hero was named James Kirk after the Star Trek captain). It is well worth reading, especially on these snowy days when so many people are stuck at home.

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Listen to a Symphony of Secrets

Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck

There are three consuming passions in Amy Johnson’s life: motherhood, music, and mystery. So consuming that she won’t let herself think about anything else, including romance. It seems that the one great romance of her life, with her daughter’s father back in her Julliard days, left her seriously wounded. Since that time when she had to forgo a possibly great musical career in order to be a single parent, Amy has channeled that irritating total focus of musicians to raising her daughter, Clara, and making a living as a music teacher.

As they novel begins, Clara has grown to be a sophomore in high school, and Amy panics at the signs of Clara’s growing independence. It has always been “you and me against the world,” but Clara is finding more and more connection to the rest of the world, leaving poor mom behind. And, gasp! That includes cheerleading! How could this musically talented child find any interest in such a thing? Amy is flabbergasted, but does her best to be supportive and feign an interest for Clara’s sake. Meanwhile, an unexpected opportunity arises for Amy, a chance to audition for the symphony orchestra. She can’t imagine that her luck could change, but it does. She actually gets the spot. Soon after she begins rehearsals, however, little snippets of conversations and odd events ignite the sleuth in her, to a point that her investigating might cost her this job. Is there really something sinister going on or a series of coincidences? And why is there such enmity between the conductor and the concertmaster?

In another thread, her good friend from Julliard days and duet buddy, Lena, is changing, much to Amy’s alarm. It seems Lena has found religion, and she is asking Amy to come to church with her. Worse yet, for Amy, who has no use for God, Clara keeps going back after the first visit. It is all just too much change for Amy. Her secure little, isolated world is coming apart. Now she has to deal with cheerleaders’ moms, Clara going on dates, God, flirts at the orchestra, a mysterious set of events at the performances, and the specter of her past.

This is basically a story about relationships. While there is some romance, it is secondary to the mother-daughter relationship, the gods/God relationships, and relationships in general. There is a mystery to be solved, but it is actually in the background. Sprinkled throughout are some suspenseful moments, quite a few uncomfortable and thought-provoking occasions, and many funny ones. The path leading to God isn’t forced or preachy, but it comes about as a part of a life-witness. The love of literature has a part in this path as Amy has established a tradition of bedtime reading with Clara. They take turns choosing the books After Clara started attending the youth group meetings, she brought home C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. In spite of herself, Amy found passages digging deep into her soul, excellent passages that are quoted for the readers. I love this device, even if it is quite overt.

Another device I like is the method of chapter headings that keep the musical theme. Each chapter begins with a musical term--like glissando, fugue, impetuoso—followed by a definition that will pertain to the events of that chapter. Musical allusions are rampant, with similes and vocabulary galore, enough that I think it would help for the reader to be familiar with such terminology in order to get the full benefit of the novel. However, There is more than enough to enjoy without such knowledge.

At times the pace is a bit slow, but that is probably in keeping with the need to develop the characters and the past. It is all from Amy’s point of view, told in first person, giving us open access to her thoughts as well as the action and actual spoken word. There is no real violence, no mature themes, so while I would classify it as a book for adult women first and foremost, it should be quite handily read by most teenagers. Above all, it will be appreciated by the musically inclined.

Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck

Bethany House Publishers, www.bethanyhouse.com

Feb. 2008

ISBN @ 978-0-7642-0282-7

Paperback. 212 pages.

Sharon's website, www.sharonhinck.com

Book available from many Christian bookstores, most bookstores, and online at Christianbook.com and www.amazon.com

A Snuggle With A Smuggler

“It Takes a Thief” was the name of an old television program and also the series of three mystery/romance novels from Elizabeth Jill Nelson. Although the trio of novels are built around the same characters and build upon each other chronologically, each story can stand quite nicely on its own merits. Therefore, Reluctant Smuggler, which is the last of the series, should be easy for any reader to follow.

Like its predecessors, Reluctant Smuggler stars Desirée (Desi) Jacobs and her fiancé Tony Lucano, an FBI squad leader in Boston. It opens with Desi in Mexico, preparing to play art thief in order to prove that her archrivals in business, the Greybecks, are not able to provide the security that the Muséo de Arte Mexicana really needs. She plays her part flawlessly and gets away with the priceless headdress. Almost. Almost as soon as she realizes that the headdress is a fake, thugs are on her trail to take it away from her. Knowing she took the bait and sprang a trap, she has to escape pronto. Not so easy...

This happens in the opening scene, and from there it gets more interesting! A blizzard back in Boston cuts off air travel so Desi can’t go home. Tony can’t call because phone service is out. His squad is called out to interfere in slave and drug smuggling, and Tony struggles with death while Desi finds herself in hot water down in Mexico. The Greybecks start a smear campaign against Desi’s detective agency that is worse than ever, and everything Desi does seems to make things worse. Harrowing run-ins with Mexican gangs, explosions, gun shots and kidnapping. Not only that, but she and Tony take turns having doubts about when and whether they should proceed with wedding plans.

Will Tony recover? If so, will it be enough that he can return to the job? Will Desi and Max be able to counterattack and save the detective agency? Can any of them and their teams stop the slave smugglers and discover who is stealing Mexico’s treasures? And what is going on with tough Steve, Tony’s old and crusty partner? Will Desi and Tony ever get married? For the answers to these questions and many more, you’ll need to read Reluctant Smuggler for yourself!

This book is a good one for those who enjoy mysteries and/or romances, especially with Godly and scriptural truths neatly enclosed. There is plenty of action, enjoyable repartée between characters, and well-developed characters that the reader can feel an affinity for. The bad guys are not quite as much defined, but a few of them are shown as three dimensional figures and not just caricatures. It is probably targeted for adult readers, but it is an easy read for teenagers as well.

Reluctant Smuggler by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Multnomah Press

ISBN-10: 1590526880
ISBN-13: 978-1590526880

352 pages

May purchase online at http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.christianbook.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.