A Threat at the Feast by JPC Allen Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: A Threat at the Feast (A Rae Riley Mysteries Book)

Author: JPC Allen

Genre: YA cozy mystery

Release Date: November 15

How can you trust when you don’t understand?

In November, amateur sleuth Rae Riley can be thankful for many things but not the media attention brought by a couple of recent cases she and her dad, Sheriff Walter “Mal” Malinowski solved in rural Marlin County, Ohio. When the publicity also brings the estranged grandfather and mother of her sort-of boyfriend, Deputy Chris Kincaid, he wants nothing to do with his family. Chris says his actress mother and movie director grandfather have only come to bask in the publicity from the high-profile cases.

But Rae notices that his grandfather carries a gun and seems afraid when a producer and his son, superhero movie star Talon Moore arrive in the county.

When Chris’s grandfather is found murdered outside the library where Rae works, and someone attacks Rae’s friend Devon and searches the library, Chris becomes the main suspect for Chief of Police Simcox. Rae and Mal race to bring Chris home for Thanksgiving before he’s prosecuted for first-degree murder.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is a good cozy mystery for readers of around high school age. It explores many issues, such as dating evangelism, trusting God when bad things keep happening and trying to understand why God would allow such things to happen. There is much revolving around family and what it means to be part of one. There is also an exploration of justice and the responsibility of law enforcement to be impartial.

Much of the novel centers around characters and the relationships between them stemming from past events. The novel moves quickly into family drama and readers might be a bit lost if the previous novels have not been read. There is a very strong faith message included, centered around trusting God in troubling circumstances. It is a good novel for those who likes ones centered on relationships. There is a discussion guide included so this would make a good book for a youth reading group.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my reviews of the previous novels in this series: A Shadow on the Snow, A Storm of Doubts, and A Riddle in the Lonesome October.

About the Author

JPC Allen started her writing career in second grade with an homage to Scooby Doo, and she’s been tracking down mysteries ever since. She’s a Selah-finalist at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in both short story and YA categories for her YA series, Rae Riley Mysteries. Her first Rae Riley novel, A Shadow on the Snow, won first place in the ACFW KidLit contest for YA fiction. A Storm of Doubts, her second novel, came in second in both the KidLit and Selah contests.

She writes novels for teens who are looking for a different kind of Christian fiction, stories that combine the mysteries of faith with real-world mysteries and dangers, stories that ask tough questions that a tougher God can always handle.

JPC Allen loves to teach about writing and has led writing workshops online and at in-person events. In her workshops, she encourages writers to discover the adventure of writing on their own terms. Coming from a long line of Mountaineers, she’s a life-long Buckeye and sets all her mysteries in fictional Marlin County Ohio.

More from JPC

The Hardest Book I’ve Ever Written

I knew it was coming, and I dreaded it. Since I write my novels in order, I knew I was slowly closing in on the scenes that twisted my stomach when I thought about them.

Why was I dreading them? Because I was confronting some of my deepest fears.

I’ve always hated being accused of something I didn’t do. In elementary school, if the teacher decided I’d misbehaved, and I hadn’t, there wasn’t a thing I could do. A seven-year-old can’t argue with an adult. Knowing I couldn’t defend myself was a helplessness that has stayed with me my whole life.

I didn’t want to write about the trapped feeling Chris would experience when he was unjustly accused of his grandfather’s murder. I didn’t want to write how helpless Rae felt as she watched someone she loved face prosecution for something he didn’t do.

But I also knew if A Threat at the Feast was going to be a novel worth reading, I had to include those scenes. So as I wrote about Chris’s arrest and arraignment, I let all my feelings pour into Rae. Because my emotions were genuine, ideas and reactions would pop up in my mind as if I was living the ordeal with Rae. Such as when my research uncovered the fact that few jails in Ohio have visitor rooms with plexiglass booths anymore. All visits are either conducted through a video kiosk at the jail or through a video call from the visitor’s home. I had a deep aversion to that fact, and I gave that aversion to Rae.

Despite the emotional grinder I went through to write those scenes, I also knew that such turmoil would make the resolution that much sweeter and deeper, imitating our journey through life. And when a story accurately imitates life, a writer can’t ask for more than that.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 11

Simple Harvest Reads, November 12 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, November 13 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 14

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 14

Guild Master, November 15 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 16

Fiction Book Lover, November 17 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 18

The Bookish Ledger, November 19 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 20

Mary Hake, November 20

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 21 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 22

Blossoms and Blessings, November 23 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, November 24

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, JCP is giving away the grand prize of an Autumn mug, Seasonal loose leaf tea, Loose leaf tea steeper, Handmade bookmarks, Magnets, one signed copy each of A Riddle in the Lonesome October and A Threat at the Feast, and 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/tKADs/a-threat-at-the-feast-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary egalley 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.)

What Happened in Beulah? by Christy Scott Cashman

 

WHAT HAPPENED IN BEULAH

by Christy Scott Cashman

October 19 - November 13, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A teenage girl uncovers the dark secrets of her Smoky Mountain town while searching for a missing classmate in this gripping coming-of-age mystery perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.

Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Beulah has always seemed steady—rooted in tradition, shaped by generations, and slow to change. But in 1986, the ground has shifted, and no one feels that more than fifteen-year-old Barrett Childress Owens. Between her parents’ unraveling marriage and a school full of kids she can’t connect with, she feels invisible in her own hometown.

When Lacy Gunderson, the captivating new girl everyone is curious about, suddenly vanishes, the town’s calm surface fractures. Search parties comb the woods. A police investigation begins. Rumors multiply. Families close ranks. And Barrett begins to sense how much the adults around her choose not to say. As Beulah clings to its usual rituals—including the annual Miss Kudzu pageant, which has shaped local girlhood for decades—Barrett is forced to navigate a community where loss lingers in the air and secrets are carefully kept. Her journey through the uncertainty reshapes her understanding of friendships, family, and the complex place she calls home.

A rich coming-of-age story with a pulse of mystery and a budding romance, What Happened in Beulah explores the fault lines of a small town and the courage it takes to face the truths people would rather bury.

Praise for What Happened in Beluah:

"What Happened in Beluah is a wonderful book—funny, sharp and poignant. It's a story designed for all of us, of all ages, all wisdoms. It points to the necessity of recovery. It's a novel of ghosts present and ghosts past, with alcoholics and dreamers and preachers and small town grifters all coming together in one place—the everywhere of guilt and consequence, the kudzu of our lives."
~ Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon and Twist

"What Happened in Beulah cannot but remind us of what Hemingway said: ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book.’ Here, page after page, Christy Scott Cashman succeeds in making the reader hang onto the story as the drama on Beulah’s seemingly calm surface ruptures like a scene of serene rain that suddenly modulates into a rumbling thunderstorm. I'm sure the book will be a loyal friend to many readers."
~ Patrick Kabanda, author of The Creative Wealth of Nations

My Review:

The first half of the novel is pretty much coming of age. Barrett's parents are divorced and her mother is an alcoholic. Barrett doesn't feel like she fits in at school and struggles for acceptance. And then her best friend is suddenly friends with the newcomer, Lacy. Up to this point the novel seems to be the typical coming of age style. I liked the general exploration of feeling like one does not fit in. There is a twist, however, as later there is the issue of an adult having those same feelings.

Halfway through the novel the atmosphere changes. Lacy is missing and a mystery develops. The novel became more engaging to this mystery lover. I like how Cashman created uncertainty as to what happened to Lacy. There is real concern by Barrett, who hit something with the car while driving the very night of Lacy's disappearance. Barrett faces the possibility she might somehow be responsible for Lacy's demise.

I found this novel held the interest of this senior citizen, even though it is of the young adult genre. The atmosphere of the Tennessee hills in the 1980s is well presented. The youth there are certainly more foul mouthed than where I grew up. It is an entertaining novel of life in the 1980s hills of Tennessee with a little mystery thrown in.

My rating: 4/5 stars. 

Book Details:

Genre: YA Mystery, Coming of Age
Published by: She Writes Press
Publication Date: October 20, 2026
Number of Pages: 288 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9798896364801
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | She Writes Press

Read an excerpt:

 

Author Bio:

Christy Scott Cashman is a best-selling and award-winning author with multiple national honors. A writer, actress, and producer, she has decades of storytelling experience across film, literature, and the arts. Christy is the founder of YouthINK, a creative arts foundation empowering young people through imagination and expression, and serves on the Board of the Associates of the Boston Public Library. Christy divides her time between Boston, Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she enjoys family life with three dogs and four horses.

Catch Up With Christy Scott Cashman:

christycashman.com
Goodreads
Instagram - @cashman.christy
Facebook - @christycashmanauthor

 

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

 

Get Tangled Up in a Giveaway

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for What Happened in Beulah by Christy Scott Cashman. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

WHAT HAPPENED IN BEULAH by Christy Scott Cashman | Gift Card

Can't see the giveaway? Click Here!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

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.)

Return to Home by Kimberly Craft

About the Book:

When the world begins to unravel, where do you run?

For the Calloways, there has always been one answer: home.

Across America, something is going terribly wrong. Supply chains are failing. Civil unrest is spreading. Institutions people once trusted are beginning to fracture. And one by one, the scattered members of the Calloway family realize the safest place left may be the Mississippi ranch where they were raised.

But getting home is only the beginning.

As danger closes in and the country they recognize begins to change around them, old wounds, difficult choices, and buried fears follow them through the gate. And while one member of the family uncovers something far more troubling behind the growing chaos, the Calloways must decide what they're willing to risk to protect the people they love.

My Review:

Craft has an engaging writing style. I like how she was able to create the disturbing national situation through the observations and thoughts of the characters. Parts of society falling apart, strange reactions by people to unusual events, and an underlying unrest are of concern. The members of the Calloway family each have the feeling that something is not right. People were losing confidence in things they used to take for granted. (214) It seemed there was an overarching effort to get people to no longer trust each other.

The Calloway ranch is a haven in the midst of the unrest. People come together and community is formed. The head of the family encourage those who arrive to trust God in the midst of the scary circumstances. Family solidifies as the importance of people over possessions is clear. This is a good novel exploring the importance of family and faith when the world seems to be crumbling. There will be more novels in this series and I will be watching for them.

My rating: 4/5.

About the Author:

Kimberly Craft lives in Mississippi with her husband on TimberlyLane Ranch, where faith, family, and ranch life inspire many of the stories she writes. Surrounded by rolling pastures, cattle, grandchildren, and the everyday blessings of country living, she finds endless inspiration in the values that bring people together. To learn more about her books and future projects, visit https://www.kimberlycraft.com.

Independently Published, 313 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. 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.)

Suspicious Delivery by Terry Overton Blog Tour Book Review

 

About the Book

Book: Suspicious Delivery: Finley Burke Mysteries Book 2

Author: Terry Overton

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release Date: May 9, 2026

When an unclaimed express delivery vanishes from Cozy’s Coffee Shop in Sunset Cove, Finley Burke expects a simple explanation. What she gets instead is a mystery stitched together with rare books, resurfacing secrets, and people who aren’t who they claim to be. As Finley follows the trail, she realizes the missing package is connected to a past that refuses to stay buried—and to a crime that may have been planned long before the delivery ever arrived.

Old relationships resurface with new motives, and long-awaited reunions reveal fractures that run deeper than blood. With each clue, Finley edges closer to the truth, closer to danger, and closer to someone determined to keep secrets hidden.

In Sunset Cove, what’s been buried longest often carries the highest price.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is an entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery. It is truly a cozy as the characters are senior citizens. No intense action here, just a mystery that needs solving and the senior sleuthing group is on the case. There are many delicious sounding meals as the women get together to figure out strange clues and unusual actions. It is the interesting characters and the commitment they have to each other's well-being that  makes the story so enjoyable. Birdie is particularly vulnerable as an old beau surfaces. It was fun to see how the others supported her. It was also great to see Finley get a rescue dog for a pet. Readers will learn some about the stealing of rare books too.

There is some unfinished business with the car accident from the first novel and one of the women has just been introduced to a long lost relative so I am sure there will be another novel in the series. I like this unusual group of amateur senior sleuths so I'll be watching for it.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, Dockside Secrets.

About the Author

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology.

Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.

She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.

Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.

More from Terry

The setting for this cozy mystery setting is a place called Sunset Cove. About two years ago, I relocated to the actual place! A small cove on Eagle Mountain Lake in Northwest section of Fort Worth Texas.

For more than twenty-years, I lived on the coast of Texas. Moving inland I knew I had to live near water, and Sunset Cove is the perfect place! My house (which is Finley’s lakeside cottage) is next to the cove, woods, and a creek that runs down into the cove.

After a few weeks in this new setting, the characters of Finley Burke, Birdie, Amelia, and Lynn just came into my writer’s mind and the series began!

I happen to live within the city limits of Fort Worth but this tiny patch near the cove is another small world with a handful of neighbors I have come to know. Not only is this setting “off the beaten path,” but we have foxes, alligators, herons, large barred-owls, racoons, armadillos, coyotes, and a host of birds and insects.  Some of these animals make appearances in the plot of the Finley Burke Mysteries,

The main character, Finley Burke, is a retired university psychology professor who specialized in forensic psychology. Following her move to Sunset Cove, she earns the reputation for being an amateur sleuth who can assist police and detectives in solving local crimes. Each of her sidekicks have unique and often quirky personalities and they all contribute to solving the mysteries of Sunset Cove.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 7

Book Looks by Lisa, November 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 9

Lights in a Dark World, November 9

Leslie’s Library Escape, November 10

The Avid Reader, November 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

Texas Book-aholic, November 13

For Him and My Family, November 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 16

Vicky Sluiter, November 17

Simple Harvest Reads, November 18 (Guest Review from Donna)

Mary Hake, November 18

Holly’s Book Corner, November 19

Lily’s Corner, November 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Terry 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/AvOJc/suspicious-delivery-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.)

Christmas Begins in Genesis by Isaac Whitaker

About the Book:

Why would a Christmas book begin in Genesis?

Because the story of Christmas started long before Bethlehem.

Many children know the manger, the shepherds, the angels, and the wise men. But they may still wonder: Why did Jesus need to come at all? What was God doing through all those promises, people, and stories that came before Christmas?

Christmas Begins in Genesis is a 25-day Advent Bible study that helps children ages 8–12 discover the bigger Bible story behind Christmas.

Beginning with God’s good creation, children follow the story through the fall, God’s first promise of rescue, Abraham, Passover, Judah, David, the prophets, and the long wait for the Savior. Then the journey moves into the Christmas story itself and helps children understand not only that Jesus was born, but who He is, why He came, what He came to do, and why His coming is such good news.

The story does not stop at the manger. Children also see how Christmas connects to Jesus’ saving mission, His death and resurrection, and the Christian hope that the risen Jesus will one day return and make all things new.

Each day follows a simple, engaging four-page rhythm designed to help children actually understand what they are reading:

• Open the Bible and read the day’s passage
• Explore important verses through clear, age-appropriate teaching
• Connect biblical truth with a relatable real-life moment
• Discover how the passage fits into The Bigger Christmas Story
• Talk through two meaningful questions together
• Respond through drawing, explaining, choosing, reflecting, reading aloud, or a simple action
• Finish the day with prayer

The book also uses four section memory verses with a gentle introduce-and-recall rhythm, so children can return to a small number of important passages without turning Advent into a memorization test.

Christmas Begins in Genesis was created for families who want something deeper than a simple Christmas countdown, while still being warm, visual, practical, and accessible for children.

Perfect for:

• Family Advent time
• Homeschool Bible study
• Sunday school
• Christian classrooms
• Parent-and-child devotional time

Younger children can work through the book alongside an adult, while older children can read many sections independently and then come together for conversation and prayer.

Twenty-five days. One connected Bible story.

Help your child discover why Christmas does not really begin with the manger.

It begins in Genesis.

My Review:

Children might think of Christmas as a time to receive presents and have only a vague understanding of Jesus' birth. The entire biblical story behind the reason for the birth may be elusive. This book is a good way to help children experience the reason for Christmas. There are colorful illustrations, a Bible portion to read, stories to illustrate the day's biblical truth, a couple of questions to discuss with the child, an activity and a prayer. There are four Bible verses to memorize over the time. There is a QR code to sign up for daily reminder emails with encouragement and readings.

The activity level is good for children ages 8-12 but younger ones could participate with more parent involvement and explanation. The book contains a good explanation of why Jesus came to earth, the need for salvation, and that Jesus is coming again. There are valuable ideas at the end of the book to help answer questions children might have. This is a very well presented advent book I recommend.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Independently published, 115 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.)

Toward the Light: A Year in Paris by Deborah Svec-Carstens

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

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Toward the Light: A Year In Paris

By Deborah Svec-Carstens

About the Book:

What happens when the City of Light turns dark?

At twenty-two, Deborah Svec-Carstens leaves small-town Iowa for Paris, hoping a year abroad will bring adventure, independence, and a fresh start. But just as she begins to feel at home, a morning run ends in sexual assault.

Every instinct tells her to leave. Instead, she chooses to stay.

As the months pass, Deborah leans on an unexpected community of friends, wrestles with questions of faith, and finds purpose in caring for Lily, the young girl entrusted to her care. Slowly, she discovers that healing is not a destination, but a path taken one step at a time.

Set against the cafés, parks, and neighborhoods of Paris, Toward the Light is a coming-of-age memoir of trauma, resilience, and the courage of simply staying.

My Review:

I enjoyed this coming of age memoir of a young woman entering the unknown as she became an au pair in Paris. She was unprepared for the loneliness. She learned to adapt to the changes in living conditions and parenting styles. She stepped out to make friendships. She survived sexual assault and the aftermath. I really appreciate her account of the long road to healing and what she learned psychologically and spiritually.

Svec-Carstens has done a good job of taking readers into the atmosphere of Paris and other places she visited. She shares her experiences well as well as what she learned from them. It is a good memoir of working through a terrible experience to a new level of living life with confidence.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author:

Deborah Svec-Carstens, JD, MTS, is a writer, book coach, spiritual director, and former lawyer whose work explores healing after trauma, embodiment, and spirituality. Her debut memoir, Toward the Light: A Year in Paris, traces her search for meaning and connection in the months after a traumatic assault in Paris in her early twenties. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in bioStories, the Brevity blog, the Des Moines Register, and Ember & Vine Nonfiction Anthology. Her work has received recognition from Writer’s Digest, WOW! Women on Writing, and Memoir Magazine. Deborah writes The Spiral Staircase on Substack and offers workshops and presentations. She lives in Central Iowa with her husband, where she writes and accompanies others in their journeys of healing and story.

Website: https://deborahsveccarstens.com

Spiral Staircase Press, 308 pages.

Purchase Links:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Books-A-Million.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through WOW! Women on Writing. 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.)

One Day Gone by Luana Ehrlich Blog Tour Book Review

 

About the Book

Book: One Day Gone:  A Mylas Grey Mystery

Author: Luana Ehrlich

Genre: Christian Mystery

Release Date: October 29, 2019

Mylas Grey is a private investigator but don’t call him a private detective.

That title belongs to his father—not to him.

Mylas is the Chief Investigator for Senator Davis Allen, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His job is to run background investigations of the President’s judicial nominees.

But then Lizzie, the Senator’s daughter, goes missing from her apartment.

And just like that, Mylas finds himself back in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri.

Discovering why she disappeared isn’t easy . . .

Lizzie has a reputation for doing the unexpected, so it’s possible she left town to be alone for a while, or to conduct research for her college newspaper, or simply to visit with friends.

Staying focused on the investigation isn’t easy . . .

Mylas finds himself getting distracted from the investigation when he meets a beautiful photographer who makes him question his rejection of Christianity.

Identifying a suspect isn’t easy . . .

Did Lizzie’s boyfriend play a role? Is a judge connected to Lizzie’s disappearance? What about Lizzie’s roommate?

So many suspects. So little time.

One Day Gone, Book I in the Mylas Grey Mystery Series, is a clean, suspenseful, fast-paced mystery, involving complex relationships, a fledgling romance, and a man’s search for happiness in all the wrong places.

If you enjoy an engaging, multilayered mystery with a vulnerable, endearing hero, someone who will make you cry one minute and laugh the next, you’ll love this book!

Click here to get your copy!

My Review 

This is an enjoyable mystery with a very clear gospel message, including what it means to become a Christian and how it happens. The hero is good at investigating but with a twist. He works for a senator rather than doing traditional private eye investigations. The pace of the novel is consistent. There is a little suspense but nothing too intense. There is a good family representation and a hint of possible romance. This is a good investigative novel for readers who like nothing too intense, no sexual scenes, no foul language and some information on how prospects are investigated when nominated to government positions.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

Luana is a USA Today bestselling author, Carol Award finalist, and former missionary to Costa Rica and Venezuela. She developed her passion for mystery novels at an early age, but she didn’t write her own mystery/suspense/thrillers until her husband retired from the ministry.

Now, she writes from an undisclosed location to escape the torture of mundane housework, grocery shopping, and golf stories. However, she’s been known to come out of hiding to visit with her two grandsons or to enjoy a Starbucks caramel macchiato. She and her husband, James, are long‑time residents of Norman, Oklahoma.

More from Luana

Here’s a peek into how an author develops a protagonist for a new series. WARNING: This might be scary to some people.

When I decided to write a mystery series, I knew I wanted the protagonist, Mylas Grey, to be an investigator, but I wasn’t sure what kind. Private? Police? Corporate? All I knew was that I wanted him to be unique in some way. But what way?

At the same time, I was trying to decide where he would work—big city, small town, rural area. Washington, D.C., immediately came to mind, because I could just imagine all the mysteries Mylas might encounter there.

Once I started thinking about Washington, I naturally thought about Congress, congressional aides, journalists, lobbyists, and all the people who move in and out of that world. That led me to wonder if Mylas could work for a senator. After doing some research, I discovered that some senators—particularly those serving on the Judiciary Committee—have investigators on their staffs.

And just like that, the idea was born: Mylas Grey would be the chief investigator for Senator Davis Allen, where one of his responsibilities would be investigating the backgrounds of the President’s judicial nominees.

But that only answered one question.

Who was Mylas Grey? How did he become an investigator? Where was he born? Who were his parents? Was he married? Was he a Christian?

There isn’t enough room here to explain how I answered all those questions—and you should be thankful for that—but I promise the answers are revealed in One Day Gone.

Here’s one hint: Senator Allen sends Mylas back to his hometown to find his missing daughter. While he’s there, Mylas reconnects with his sometimes overbearing but loving family and meets Whitney Engel, a woman who not only helps him solve the case but also helps him discover the One who’s been missing from his life.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From An Avid Reader, November 4

Simple Harvest Reads, November 5 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 6

Texas Book-aholic, November 7

Artistic Nobody, November 8 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 10

Guild Master, November 11 (Author Interview)

Devoted To Hope, November 12

Betti Mace, November 13

Fiction Book Lover, November 14 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, November 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 15

Cover Lover Book Review, November 16

Lily’s Corner, November 17

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Luana is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed 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/Y9Q1I/one-day-gone-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.)