Fatal Pattern by Kate Angelo Blog Tour Book Review

 

FATAL PATTERN

by Kate Angelo

September 14 - 25, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The King Legacy

 

A COVERT INVESTIGATION

A stalker attacks behavioral analyst Dr. Tori Crew at knifepoint, shattering the fierce independence she's built since her parents' unsolved murder. Forced into an off-the-books criminal investigation, Tori must push her expertise--and her fiercely guarded heart--to the breaking point as a killer's pattern emerges.

A LOOMING THREAT

Homicide detective Blade St. James has been Tori's friend and protector since childhood. Haunted by his own past of parental abandonment, Blade is determined to build a stable life and find the peace that always seems just out of reach. But when Tori's life is threatened, his guardian reflexes collide with everything he's been trying to build.

A HIDDEN MENACE

As the conspiracy rooted in Tori's past pulls them deeper, the boundaries of their friendship blur, and the truth neither can deny becomes impossible to ignore. Can they unmask the sophisticated serial killer before they become the final, fatal piece in the pattern?

In this gripping romantic suspense thriller, Kate Angelo delivers pulse-pounding psychological suspense and forensic investigations threaded with slow-burn romance and a heart-stopping cold case. Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds, Lynette Eason, Nancy Mehl, Colleen Coble, and Irene Hannon.

My Review:

I liked this engaging thriller. It starts off with action and rarely lets up. Angelo's writing style is succinct, with no extra words. That means the plot moves along quickly. Even so, Angelo has the skill of writing intense scenes, drawing out all the emotional depth of an event. She is good at creating and building psychological tension and has the ability to produce emotion filled descriptions of attacks and other interactions. The spiritual content is subtle and not an essential part of the plot.

Reading Angelo's novel was an emotional experience as I was repeatedly pulled into the plot by the intensity of Angelo's writing. It was interesting to learn about fractals, a feature of the murderer's complete method of committing and celebrating murders. And the best part is that there is a thread left dangling at the end so I will be watching for the sequel. I recommend this engaging and informative intense thriller.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, Girl Lost.

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Mystery & Suspense
Published by: Fleming H. Revell Company; Baker Publishing Group
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Number of Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780800746643
Series:The King Legacy | Book 2 | Find it on Amazon & Goodreads
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Baker Publishing Group

Read an excerpt:

 

 

Author Bio:

Kate Angelo is the Publishers Weekly bestselling author of Hunting the Witness, Selah Award winner of Deadly Holiday Hijack, and Amazon Top 100 bestseller of Driving Force. Kate works alongside her husband championing stronger marriages and families. Her journey from foster care to bestselling author fuels her fast-paced romantic suspense, where flawed characters discover hope and healing through life's fiercest trials and relationships. When she's not putting fictional people through the wringer, she's out creating real-life happily-ever-afters at conferences and events nationwide.

Learn more about Kate at:

KateAngelo.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @kateangeloauthor
BookBub - @kateangeloauthor
Instagram - @kateangeloauthor
Facebook - Kate Angelo- Author

 

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

 

 

Step Into THE KING LEGACY: Enter to Win

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Kate Angelo & Baker Publishing Group. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Fatal Pattern by Kate Angelo | The King Legacy + Gift Card

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I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

The Parallax Field by M Maloney

About the Book:

Some places remember what we cannot.

Glass artist Ethan Finn has spent years hiding from grief, guilt, and the impossible expectations of his father—a beloved local hero who died trying to rescue fishermen during a violent storm. After his father’s death, Ethan creates a series of life-sized glass sculptures and installs them on the isolated cliff above Gray Harbor. The locals call them the Watchers.

Then the impossible begins.

Visitors report seeing lost loved ones beside the sculptures. Others relive forgotten moments with startling clarity. At first, the town dismisses the visions as rumor or mass hysteria. But as more people experience them, Gray Harbor is overwhelmed by tourists seeking answers the Watchers might reveal.

Claire Bennett, a geophysicist investigating strange seismic activity beneath the coast, searches for a natural explanation. The geology offers tantalizing clues: fault pressure, quartz deposits, electromagnetic fields, and a phenomenon that appears to connect the physical world with human perception. But no scientific theory can explain what the Watchers reveal—or why they respond so powerfully to Ethan’s grief, anger, and longing.

As the town divides between fear and fascination, Trent Mitchell files a complaint with the Coastal Commission, forcing Ethan to remove the sculptures. Yet the deeper Ethan and Claire investigate, the more the Watchers seem connected to Ethan’s emotions—and to the devastating secret his father carried for decades.

With storms gathering over the Pacific, seismic activity building erratically, and the community turning against him, Ethan faces an impossible choice: dismantle the sculptures and lose the only path to the truth, or complete his project and risk the lives and sanity of everyone he loves.

Blending magical realism with psychological suspense, The Parallax Field explores memory, perception, forgiveness, and the invisible distances between those we love.

My Review:

Maloney challenges us to think of the possibility of a deeper reality we can experience but perhaps cannot explain in scientific terms. It might be a sense, a weight or something similar we cannot scientifically explain. It may be a mystery at the edge of science.

How much of what we experience and how we understand our experiences depend upon where we are standing? If we had been some place else, would we have seen everything differently? That is the reality of parallax, seeing reality from a different position.

Maloney explores these kinds of issues in this novel. There is a good dose of science included, such as electromagnetic fluctuations and coherence fields. But Maloney extends the influence of them beyond scientific understanding by having human emotions amplify their effect.

This is a good novel for those who like science fiction and thinking about how the physical world and human relationships intersect. It is a fun adventure at the edge of our understanding of reality.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, The Tuning Chamber.

About the Author:

M. Maloney grew up reading every Ray Bradbury story she could get her hands on. She wrote her first sci-fi story in elementary school and devoured science fiction novels and short stories like they were Belgian chocolates. She estimates that she's read more than a thousand sci-fi and fantasy stories. Her brain is constantly sizzling with timey-wimey plot concepts, what-if scenarios involving impossible science, and researching cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs to help her come up with insanely weird, original, and creative stories. She thinks she has a killer sense of humor, but that seems to be highly subjective, she's been told. Her aim is to entertain her readers and make them think ... even if they don't really want to.

Independently published, 286 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through BookSirens. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Secrets of the Desert Rose by Marilyn Turk Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: Secrets of the Desert Rose

Author: Marilyn Turk

Genre: Dual Timeline

Release Date: February 24, 2026

Three Women. Two generations. Their friendship survived the war. Their secret survived even longer.

Monique and Audrey, one French and one British, grow up in French Algiers on the coast of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. Best friends, they keep each other’s secrets into adulthood when World War II changes their world and Algiers sides with the Hitler-based Vichy government. Audrey joins Charles DeGaulle’s resistance army, the French Foreign Legion, while Monique stays to work in the underground resistance aiding the Allied invasion of North Africa.

In present day, American born great-granddaughter Nicole, a graduate student in archaeology, goes to North Africa for an internship. The now centenarian Monique (Mimi), debilitated by a stroke, urges her to find the Desert Rose. Nicole finds different types of desert roses, but none are the right one until she stumbles onto information that hints the desert rose might not be a flower after all. While Sami, her instructor in Algiers, helps her find the desert rose, he also has to protect her from people who want the heirloom ring Nicole wears which has its own secret.

Will Nicole find the secret before it’s too late?

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This WW II novel takes a different slant in that it concentrates on northern Africa rather than Europe. Turk has created relatable characters as we follow their adventures. This us a dual time novel so some adventures take place during the war while others are more contemporary but relate to the historical events. Turk is very good at descriptions so there is a deep sense of place in this novel. Readers learn about UNESCO heritage sites and a great deal of the history involved.

This is a good novel for readers who would like to know more about WW II in French Algiers. The narrative alternates between the two characters in wartime and a descendant of one of them in a more recent time with changing POVs. While that is not a writing style I usually like, it did keep the plot moving. Turk does mention in the discussion questions that the historical characters are based on the experiences of actual people. Her writing stile is suitable for young adult readers and those older.

This is an informative and entertaining historical novel of special interest to those wanting to learn more about WW II in northern Africa.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

Award-winning author Marilyn Turk has written over twenty historical and contemporary novels and novellas laced with suspense and romance. She especially likes writing World War II era books, and loves to discover information not widely known for her stories. In addition to fiction, Marilyn is also an annual contributor to Guideposts’ Walking in Grace and other Guideposts anthologies.

Marilyn enjoys helping other writers and founded the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, AWSA, Word Weavers International and the United States Lighthouse Society.

Marilyn’s most recent books have been Secrets of the Desert Rose, The Escape Game set in World War II, and a novella, The Gilding of Minnie Tucker, set in The Gilded Age..

She and her husband Chuck have a blended family of four sons, one daughter and four grandsons whom they enjoy spending time with.  Marilyn and Chuck are lighthouse enthusiasts and have visited over 100 lighthouses in the United States and other countries. They also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine. As a result of her interest in lighthouses, Marilyn wrote Lighthouse Devotions, 52 Inspiring Lighthouse Stories.

More from Marilyn

Why did I write Secrets of the Desert Rose by Marilyn Turk

Because I enjoy reading novels set during World War II, I also enjoy writing them. Most of the novels I’ve read are set in Europe – England, France, and surrounding countries. But we know the war impacted the whole world, so I look for stories set in places we don’t know much about.

Why did I set this book in North Africa? My sister-in-law’s mother was French and was born and lived in Algiers until sometime during World War II. Unfortunately, I waited too long to ask her about it, even though she lived to the age of 94. However, she left journals which gave insight into her life in Algiers and opened my eyes to what happened there before and during World War II. Monique is modeled on her stories.

While researching Algiers though, I came across another woman who was British and also played a role in North Africa during the war. Her name was Susan Travers, and her autobiography provided more interesting information. Although the two real women may have never met, her life was the basis for Audrey’s character.

I always find historical surprises when I research a novel and discovering the story of Cleopatra Selene was fascinating to me, so I had to include her in the book as well. And since there was so much secrecy involved in the true stories, I thought my characters needed secrets of their own, and my present-day character, Nicole, would have to discover them.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 11

Sylvan Musings, September 12

Simple Harvest Reads, September 13 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 14

Artistic Nobody, September 15 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 16

Guild Master, September 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 17

For Him and My Family, September 18

Fiction Book Lover, September 19 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 20

The Bookish Ledger, September 21 (Author Interview)

Connie’s History Classroom, September 21

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, September 22

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 23 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, September 24

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Marilyn is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/nuBqc/secrets-of-the-desert-rose-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Letters to the Editor by Paul Michael Garrison Blog Tour Book Review

 

About the Book

Book: Letters to the Editor

Author: Paul Michael Garrison

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Release Date: November, 2019

Writing is hard. Editing is murder.

Editor Nathanael Carver has made a career out of exposing corruption and publishing people’s dirty secrets. From his hate mail, it seems one of his high-profile enemies wants revenge. But the person with murder in mind may be someone closer to home.

Carver enlists the help of Kate Baxter, a police detective with problems of her own: disapproving parents, sexist coworkers, and a smoking habit she can’t seem to kick. The support of her tribe and ample time at the gun range help to keep her sane. As her personal life and the case bleed together, Kate gains insight into Carver’s world, keeping her eye on those closest to him. Kate is on the cusp of progress when Carver, against her advice, drops the case—only to be viciously attacked. Now it’s Kate’s turn to drag everyone’s dirty secrets into the light, but not before at least one body hits the floor.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This mystery has an interesting combination of police procedure and personal story. Kate is the co-lead investigator and we read quite a bit about her life and her group of friends. That gives some personal depth to the novel but does not detract from the murder investigation. There was a twist near the end that was not a surprise as I had suspected it for some time. Garrison's writing style includes an ability to write engaging description of character thoughts and emotions and is clear and easy to follow. I always find it interesting when an author crafts the lead character as a sex not their own. Here a male author writes a female lead character but I did feel it was done well. I liked this entertaining mystery with a subtle inclusion of spirituality.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author

Originally from the Midwest, Paul Michael Garrison has spent roughly half his life in Upstate South Carolina. His published novels include Letters to the Editor and its sequel, The Lies People Publish. He holds degrees in publishing, theater, and creative writing (MFA). He has written for the stage, and his short fiction has appeared in The Windhover, Quantum Fairy Tales, and Heart of Flesh. Paul Michael frequently performs with the Greenville Shakespeare Company. Whether on stage or in writing, he enjoys the art of becoming someone else.

More from Paul Michael

The Creation of Kate Baxter: Meeting the Detective of Letters to the Editor

How do you come up with your characters?

It’s one of the most frequent questions I (and probably a lot of authors) get at book events. Some authors talk about their characters as creations, while others insist their characters come to them fully formed, gradually revealing themselves to the writer. As with most writing philosophies, I personally tend to fall in the middle.

But I can tell you that Detective Kate Baxter in her trademark trench coat did not spring from my imagination fully formed like Athena from the mind of Zeus. Several thoughtful factors came into play during her creation.

The Mystery Came First

For many novelists, the character comes first, but Letters to the Editor began with the mystery. I imagine that’s common for mystery writers. It was an idea I’d had for some time, just simmering in the back of my brain.

It wasn’t until I signed up for a novel-writing class that I decided to actually flesh the mystery out and put it down on paper. So, if I was going to write a classic mystery, I was going to need a detective.

The Professional Detective

Cozy mysteries can be great fun, but in a series (and they usually end up as series) I find the trope of the amateur detective who constantly stumbles into one mystery after another a bit strained. Requiring a high suspension of disbelief, it works best in comic, here-we-go-again scenarios.

I wanted to create a world that felt more grounded and to leave the window open for my detective to come back (which she did in The Lies People Publish). And that’s one reason Kate serves on the Fulton Springs Police Department.

The Girl Next Door

I recall feeling bombarded at the time by burned-out detectives, whether in literature, film, or television. The investigator whose life is an unholy shambles, who’s nursing a substance abuse problem (usually alcohol), whose family or private life is completely shattered. I kept seeing these broken-down characters, and they just depressed me. I struggled to relate to them in any way. With their addictions and psychological damage, I questioned how legitimately they could function in everyday life, let alone track down murderers and other criminals.

I wanted a more relatable detective, not a beleaguered trainwreck nor a genius human computer of the Sherlockian variety. I wanted someone who, even if you couldn’t relate to her directly, you could imagine her living next door.

When an interviewer referred to Kate as a bit of a hot mess, I must admit I got defensive for a moment. And then I realized that she probably is—the way all of us are in the right light. She struggles with her relationships and goals and with living out her values and beliefs as most thoughtful people do.

When I began the novel, I had a female friend who was a police officer. Kate is not based on her, but I won’t deny that my friend (and her stories) inspired some of Kate’s characteristics, her tribe of friends, and even a few anecdotes that worked their way into the story.

Midwestern Woman of Faith

While I live in the South, I grew up in the Midwest. At the time of writing, I felt I could more accurately capture the Midwestern sensibility than a Southern one, both for Kate’s character and the setting in general. Plus, my publishing background (I was a book editor at the time) was going to inform the novel’s setting, and the Chicago metro area seemed a more likely representative of that world.

My writing instructor called Kate “a church-going detective,” which made me laugh a little. If, in forming Kate, I was reacting against the broken-down detective, I was also reacting against the portrayal of Christians in the arts. There seemed to be two extremes: in Christian fiction, the Pollyannaish Christian who lived a sanitized version of life, and in mainstream literature, religious hypocrites and wackadoos. I realize that may be a tad reductive, but that’s how it felt. Why couldn’t we have something a little more authentic, more fair, more nuanced?

While not necessarily tackling a spiritual journey, I wanted to show Christians in real-world, everyday contexts. I know some readers may find Kate’s faith alienating, but no reader is going to agree or sympathize with every character they read. That’s only natural. But as I researched the genre, I found mainstream novels with detectives with all kinds of worldviews, so why not a mainstream novel with a Christian detective?

Introducing Kate Baxter

These influences formed the initial skeleton of Detective Kate Baxter, but they don’t begin to paint the entire picture of the character she developed into—the insecurities and challenges she faces as a single woman; her love for her friends, her pets, and classic literature; or her belief that the best therapy is found at a gun range. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Letters to the Editor and meet her yourself.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 10

Leslie’s Library Escape, September 11

Vicky Sluiter, September 12 (Author Interview)

Book Looks by Lisa, September 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 14

Texas Book-aholic, September 15

For the Love of Literature, September 16 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, September 17

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 18

For Him and My Family, September 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 20

Lily’s Corner, September 21

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 22 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, September 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 23

Giveaway

 

To celebrate his tour, Paul is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book and its sequel!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/XImFE/letters-to-the-editor-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary digital edition of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Great and Unfortunate Things by Jason Arday

About the Book:

Jason Arday grew up in a lively corner of South London as the second youngest of three boys. He was diagnosed with autism and developmental delays at age three, and experts told his parents he would never speak, write, or live independently—and should be institutionalized.

His parents refused. Instead, his extraordinary mother, Giff, drawing on her faith and thinking outside the box, embraced his neurodivergence and devoted herself to helping him realize a potential few others believed possible—using everything from the proverbs of her West African culture to music, sports, and film to help him make sense of the world.

In Great and Unfortunate Things, we see how Arday went from being nonverbal as a child and illiterate until he was eighteen to scaling unimag-inable heights as an adult. Without romanticizing the struggle, this is a story of determination against seemingly insurmountable odds—and of a family and a small group of believers whose compassion helped him see what is possible.

A powerful story for our moment, Arday’s journey is a testament to resilience, dignity, and the life-changing force of community in action.

My Review:

A powerful book about overcoming adversity. But it seems it may not be entirely true. Apparently there are ongoing investigations to that end. I did not find the writing engaging and should have just skipped it.

37 Ink, 288 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

The Bible Companion Book 9 by Karen Westbrook Moderow

 

About the Book

Book: The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi The Minor Prophets

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Non-fiction, Bible Study

Release Date: February 19, 2026

Are you overwhelmed by the evil and suffering around you?

In the time of the Minor Prophets, evil seduces and overpowers God’s people. The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi tracks what happens and why. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal, group, or homeschool Bible study.

As God’s disobedient people race toward destruction, the prophets do all they can to stop them. The sins and problems they address still plague us today. But their visions of a day when God deals with Satan and makes all things new gives us hope. Evil is a reality we cannot escape apart from God’s grace. If we have drifted, the prophets show us the way back. If we are holding to the Lord, they show us how to endure dark times with optimism and purpose.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

I continue to be impressed with the amount of useful information contained in this series. There are informative charts and asides such as an informative one on covenants. Moderow has included a timeline to help readers understand the context of each book. She gives an overview of the book and then goes through it, chapter by chapter. She gives many spiritual insights and asks thought provoking and practical application questions. There are even more charts and information at the end, in the resource section. I highly recommend this series.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

 

About the Author

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

 

More from Karen

Throwing Jonah Overboard

Jonah is a minor prophet with a big story. The tale of a runaway prophet who is swallowed by a big fish is the perfect analogy for many of life’s upsetting circumstances like the one my minister friend is experiencing.

He had to report his boss for ongoing unethical behavior. The church leaders listened and are now verifying facts, a process that could take weeks. In the meantime, the board asked my friend to stay in his role and submit to his boss with kindness and respect while they decide how to proceed. Because he loves the Lord, the church, and its leaders, he wants to comply. Yet he feels like he’s been thrown overboard. How can he maintain a good attitude while working daily under someone who has hurt him and the ministry so deeply?

I immediately thought of Jonah. God commanded him to go Nineveh and warn people of coming judgment. Jonah did not want to go. For good reason. The Ninevites had raped, pillaged, and burned their way through his home territory multiple times. So, instead of obeying, Jonah boards a ship heading the opposite direction. But the Lord sends a violent storm that threatens to sink the ship. When the crew cast lots to see who brought this calamity on them, the lot falls on Jonah. He tells them to throw him overboard and they will be saved. Not wanting to take a life, the sailors delay but ultimately toss him into the sea.

We may identify with Jonah if our choices have put others at risk. Or perhaps we’ve felt like the sailors, caught in the consequences of someone else’s action. In my friend’s case, his courageous decision to speak up intensified a storm already brewing. Now he bears the brunt of it.

Storms take us to the depths. The discomfort of tense relationships can feel as confining and foul as the belly of a whale. But Jonah’s story gives us a needed perspective. The crisis was never just about the prophet. As the pagan crew wrestled with fear and guilt, God was working in their hearts. After He calmed the sea, they offered sacrifices and made vows to Him. Jonah’s crisis led to their salvation and proved a major theme of Scripture—God is in control.

In the book of Jonah, God doesn’t reveal truth through the words of the prophet but through the man’s pitiful example. His life is a mirror. We see his rebellion, his anger, his submission (of sorts), his obedience (of sorts), and see ourselves. The contrast between us and Jesus couldn’t be sharper. The Father sent His Son into enemy territory too, but Jesus didn’t run. He loved us. Died for us. Saved us. And now He calls us—just as he called Jonah—to rescue others.

We are God’s messengers and He will reveal Himself through us one way or another. So we should not be surprised to find ourselves in situations where our survival depends on Him. Being thrown overboard does not mean abandonment. It’s the opposite. Whether we jump or are tossed in by others, we fall into the hands of the living God. Jonah 1:17 says, “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah.” That fish—as scary as he must’ve been to Jonah—saved him from drowning. It’s often the same for us. The dark place looming before us can be our deliverance.

Jesus used the story of Jonah to describe His death and resurrection: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). Unlike Christ, Jonah was guilty. Bad choices got him to the point where sacrificing himself was the only way to save his shipmates. To his credit, he went willingly. And at that moment, Jonah became Christ-like—choosing death so others could live.

God’s plan always includes others. In the vortex, they too will make choices that affect their character and eternal destiny. But whether we or those in the boat with us act out of honor, necessity, or maliciousness, God remains Lord of the storm.

As it rages, God may call us to return to the very ones who hurt us and show them the mercy Christ showed us. We may sit in the belly of the whale for a season engulfed in grief or confusion. Yet even that dark space has its blessings. Jonah used his “time out” to confess his need, express gratitude, and commit to obeying the Lord. We can do the same.

One of the many lessons in Jonah is this: God never gives up on us. He will track us to the end of the earth—not only to restores us to Himself but to make us effective messengers. He wants everyone around us to know that Jesus saves, that He is sovereign, and that there is no cause for fear. “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Ps. 135:6). Even if life throws us overboard, we are never abandoned. Never adrift. God is in control and our lives are in His hands.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 8

Lots of Helpers, September 9

Girls in White Dresses, September 9

Simple Harvest Reads, September 10 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

Texas Book-aholic, September 12

Artistic Nobody, September 13 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 14

She Lives To Read, September 15

Guild Master, September 16 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 17

Fiction Book Lover, September 18 (Author Interview)

Because I said so adventures in parenting, September 19

The Bookish Ledger, September 20 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, September 21

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/0YRWn/the-bible-companion-book-9-hoseamalachi-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Clean Slate by Brianna Labuskes

About the Book:

Death pays well for Olive Hunt, a crime scene cleaner who channels her childhood traumas into erasing the suffering of others. After nearly ten years, she’s seen it all. Nothing rattles her anymore.

Until now.

Two back-to-back suicides. A seedy motel. An upscale Atlanta hotel. No connection―except that Olive discovers the same strange item at each scene. Then a third body drops. Olive knows what the police refuse to see: These aren’t suicides. They’re murders staged to perfection.

Then the roses arrive. A vase of bloodred blooms on her doorstep. An anonymous note: Thank you.

She’s found him. A serial killer who’s been leaving breadcrumbs only she can see. A killer who’s been cleaning up his work―knowing she’ll clean up after him. A killer who wants her to follow.

And follow she must. No matter how terrifying the trail becomes.

My Review:

This novel got off to a slow start with much early information. Once a police overlooked clue is found by Olive, the plot picks up. She becomes an amateur sleuth, not in addition to her job but because of it and because of her childhood experiences. The characters are well drawn, including the friends and the villain. The psychological suspense is good as it seems the killer is purposely leaving items for Olive to find. There is a good deal of suspense included.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Brianna Labuskes is the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Amazon Charts best-selling author of psychological thrillers and historical fiction. Her books have been translated into several languages worldwide. She grew up in Pennsylvania, lived in Washington D.C. for many years and now calls Asheville, N.C. home. She enjoys traveling, hiking and spending time with her pup. For more: visit her at briannalabuskes.com.

Thomas & Mercer, 315 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

A Body in the B&B by Katie Marsh Book Review

About the Book:

When sisters Jennifer and Lizzie Christie inherit their aunt’s dilapidated B&B, in the beautiful Lake District village of Lupton Water, the only thing they have in common is how much they hate their housemate, Declan Moss.

The two of them fell out thirty years before, and now they’re mid-life, mid-menopause, and about to be mid-disaster. And not just because Jennifer’s cat Clementine and Lizzie’s dog Gizmo have taken an instant dislike to each other.

Because when Declan’s body is found in the bathtub, the sisters go straight to the top of the suspect list. Can they – and their pets – bury the hatchet long enough to find out who the killer is? Or will they become the next victims?

My Review:

This is a delightfully entertaining mystery. While the estranged sisters, as main characters, are good, it was the animals that stole the show. Periodically a chapter was written from either the lumbering dog or persnickety cat's viewpoint. That added some fun and humor to the novel. But there was also a good bit of humor included in general. It was surprisingly pleasant.

The sisters had had a terrible row thirty years ago and their being forced together now was painful for both of them. They decide they must work together when a murder happens in the old house they inherited. The police on their heels, they have to discover the murderer before one of them gets arrested for the murder. Throw in a bunch of quirky characters and the meddling cat and dog and you have an entertaining mystery. And maybe, just maybe, the sisters will agree to reconcile. I do hope so because I would like to see them in a sequel.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Katie Marsh is the bestselling author of 'How Not To Murder Your Ex'. After writing romantic fiction, she turned her hand to cosy crime novels packed with humour and unforgettable characters. Her debut novel was a World Book Night pick and her books are published in fourteen languages.

She lives in the English countryside and loves strong coffee and pretending to be in charge of her children. She spent every childhood summer in the Lake District, which is the setting for her new cosy crime series, The Christie Sisters Mysteries. The books feature a dilapidated Lakehouse B&B, two sisters who haven't spoken for thirty years and a warring cat and dog. The first book in the series, 'A Body in the B&B' is out now.

Katie loves chatting on Instagram when she should be writing - come and say hello @katiemarshauthor.

Boldwood Books, 283 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)