Rutabaga's Reads 2022: Part 25

Where there is a YA compilation, so, too, will there be an inspirational fiction (InspFic) post following. Presenting my second InspFic post of 2022 as we’re almost at the year’s en

The Beginning (Sept. 7, 2021) by Beverly Lewis. 

*This is a standalone novel with a crossover character.*

Love cannot be unrequited when one doesn’t know love is present. That’s how it’s turning for Susie Mast. She cares deeply for her dear friend, Obie Yoder, but when Obie takes an apprenticeship with a relative 100 miles away, she feels the loss of his presence in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She goes out with Del Petersheim briefly, but the spark isn’t there. She ends things, but doesn’t share the news with Obie, especially after hearing that he’s soon to be engaged. She writes her final letter to Obie and that is that (or is it?). Meanwhile, her Old Order Amish life keeps her continually busy. From busily maintaining the house and homestead so Mamma - whose health has been suffering - need not worry over it and taking her turn with her mom’s little shop and accepting custom orders for her needlework family trees, there’s little time for much else, though concerns loom over her. Concerns regarding her mom, certainly, and news dropped by her older brother, Allen. The deaths of her close-in-age brother, Eli, and their dat continue to cast long shadows. She has her younger sister, Britta, who’s a hard worker, but Britta has been distracted here lately, too.

            Britta is adopted. She’s always known this. Unlike the blonde hair of her family members, hers is a rich brown and can be unmanageably wavy. She has been curious about her origin, though she tries to hide the extent to how desperately she wants information. When Mamma finally shares, Britta is floored. Will learning the truth affect how others view her? Will she become unworthy in the eyes of the People? Will she use her upcoming Rumschpringe to venture into the English world?

            Beverly Lewis’ books continue to enthrall me. I’m always impressed by how Lewis writes her characters with such solid faith, and they share Scripture and lift up prayers so naturally. It never feels forced. A running theme for multiple characters is forgiveness. It’s okay to struggle with it, and it’s okay to be frustrated, but one doesn’t want that frustration to turn to anger. As always, a strong sense of family and community is present. Reading Lewis’ stories are like being gently folded into a dessert; there’s such care. This book - and all of hers - are great for readers who enjoy Amish fiction, light romance and faith-based novels.

The Deadly Shallows (July 5, 2022) by Dani Pettrey.

*This is the third novel in a series.*

A CGIS graduation ceremony in Wilmington, North Carolina, is rocked by a devastating attack with multiple fatalities. CGIS Agent Noah Rowley and his team arrive on-scene to end the violent attack, but he’s injured in the process. Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler witnesses the attack and feels the weight of that trauma, but she jumps into professional mode when she’s needed on medical flights. The first flight carries the only surviving gunman, and he whispers a word to her that is nonsensical to her, but which puts a target on her back. Noah’s hospital room becomes a command center, but he spends most of his time with Brooke when she becomes a patient (he doesn’t want to say she’s a victim). Noah wants to protect Brooke, but the more they investigate, the more they uncover. The shooting may have been a distraction from a grander plan that could have even more horrifying consequences in the wrong hands. It’s not the end. It’s only the beginning.

            When it comes to inspirational, romantic suspense, Pettrey is my favorite. Her thrill rides in literary form take sharp turns and drip with mal-intent, but her protagonists are the types of folks you want to be your friends and your neighbors, members of your church. This contemporary fiction novel is written with intense realism and contains a tight plot. The swings in tension are balanced with calm moments and trauma with the busyness of investigation and research. Burgeoning romance between Brooke and Noah and Caleb Eason and Austin Kelly add a layer of sweetness that bolsters the book’s masterful storytelling. Book Three in the Coastal Guardians series is another exhilarating gem. For me, Pettrey’s books are always five out of five stars!

            Book One: The Killing Tide

            Book Two: The Crushing Depths

To Write a Wrong (Aug. 3, 2021) by Jen Turano.

*This is the second​ novel in a series.*

Though the general public doesn’t know it, Miss Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer by day. She has a nom de plume, as her publisher doesn’t believe her famed mystery novels will sell if readers discover the writer’s a woman. She moonlights as a member of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency. She prefers to do behind-the-scenes work, well away from any danger. This changes when Mr. Herman Henderson seeks the services of the women of the agency. Herman, too, is a mystery writer, though, as a man, he doesn’t need to hide behind a pen name. While he may have overlooked it at first, he’s decided that someone is definitely trying to do him in. The close call that sends him to Bleecker Street is one in which he was almost run over. Despite the exciting novels he pens, he tends to lead a quiet life, not wanting to tempt himself with his own adventurous lifestyle, lest he perish on an expedition like his parents did when he was a youth. Daphne and her friends and fellow agents go undercover to Herman’s house, posing as Herman’s secretary (Daphne) and household staff, to flush out the person who wants Herman dead. The unfortunate part about working closely with the potential victim is that Daphne and her friends may become victims, too. Even with the danger, a clear attachment is forming between Herman and Daphne. Instead of crafting edge-of-your-seat fictional mysteries, the two must solve their own real-life mystery before they can write their own story. And a love story can be mysterious and adventurous, too.

            In this second installment in the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, readers are treated to a delightful story featuring female sleuths in a faith-themed, historical mystery that’s also part romantic comedy. It is as entertaining and quick-witted as Turano’s other stories that I’ve read. Like the skilled storyteller she is, Turano seamlessly blends elements of danger, the focus of an investigation, the percolation of new romance and snappy banter with faith and belief in prayer. Daphne prays for courage and wonders if courage has passed her by when, in fact, God has been working on her this entire time. It’s encouraging to see growth like that, even in a fictional tale. And I can always trust that writing a wrong is exactly right when the right writer writing is Jen Turano!

            Book One: To Steal a Heart​