Lethal Legacy by Carol J. Post

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

It's been a while since I sat down and read a whole book in just two days. As a mom of two active kids with a full-time job, simply having that many hours to myself can be a feat. But, when you read a book that has a suspenseful, action-packed, fast-paced story that keeps you wondering what would happen next and it leaves you unwilling to put the book down once you start, it is very easy to do. From the very first page, I was pulled into the story in the recent release from Carol J. Post, Lethal Legacy. The pace of the story never slowed, even as the author provided the details necessary to develop the characters and share the back story.

This book is the second one set in Murphy, North Carolina featuring a group of friends. This book follows Bryce's story. Andi's family has owned the house next door to Bryce's family home for generations and her dad and her would come up and stay when she was a kid. It had been 12 years since they saw one another when she came back following her parent's tragic death. When she arrives at the house, she finds that someone has broken in. Finding a cryptic note from her father in one of his books as she cleans up and then learning that her dad had been planning to visit Bryce to talk to him about something, leaves Andi wondering what the secret was that had been weighing on her dad. There seems to be danger lurking everywhere and she soon realizes that whatever her dad's secret, someone seems to be targeting her as a result. I found myself hoping that she would find more clues and solve the mystery, so that she could be safe. But, did like that with the break-ins and unexplained accidents and Bryce being a sheriff deputy, and generally feeling the need to protect her, they find themselves spending more time together and becoming friends again.

I enjoy the way that Carol brings the characters to life, sharing about them as the story progresses and by telling the story from multiple points of view. The characters in this story are the type of people that I could easily be friends with. The story line was great and with the suspense, intrigue and a touch of love story, it was a very enjoyable read that I simply didn't want to put down.

If you enjoy suspense stories, you should definitely check out this book and the others by Carol J. Post.

About the Book:
Someone wants her family secrets buried

He’s her only chance to survive

Andrea Wheaton thought her parents’ tragic deaths were accidental—until she’s attacked during a burglary at their home. Now she’s also being targeted. Her ex-sweetheart Sheriff Deputy Bryce Caldwell insists on protecting her, though she refuses to trust him again. But with a killer closing in, can she and Bryce uncover her family’s secrets before it’s too late for them both?



About the Author:
From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol's resume reads like someone who doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She started as a child writing poetry for family and friends, then graduated to articles which actually made it into some religious and children's publications. Several years ago (more than she's willing to admit), she penned her first novel. In 2010, she decided to get serious about writing fiction for publication and joined Romance Writers of America and her local RWA chapter.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband of thirty-two years, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano and holds the position of church treasurer. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping, almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of three fat and sassy cats and one highly spoiled dog.

You can learn more about the author on her blog.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Her Fear by Shelley Shepard Gray

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

As summer winds down, I have found myself back into the full swing of school and fall sports. On days where practice is short, I tend to stick around and read rather than driving back home. Which allowed me to read the newest from Shelley Shepard Gray, Her Fear this past week. Her Fear is the 5th in the Amish of Hart County series. Even though it is the fifth book in the series, you could easily jump in to the series with Her Fear. Some of the characters from the other stories are included, but are only minor characters.

Sadie is the main character and her back story is sad. When she becomes pregnant and her boyfriend denies that he is the dad, rather than supporting her, her parents send her to live with her odd extended family that she hasn't met. As we learn more about her home life, it is clear that even with all the strangeness with her relatives, she is better off on her own than with her parents.

The characters that Gray develops are like most of us, they are Amish, but fully relatable. The thread of suspense in this novel is not as suspenseful as in some of the other stories, but with the tense living situation, the unplanned pregnancy and scares she has there is plenty of uncertainty on how things will turn out. Her Fear is a story of hope. Sadie finds her self in a tough situation, but through her strength she finds hope and learns about the life she can have. The thread of an emerging love makes a nice balance to the suspense and gives the reader hope for Sadie's finding happiness.

I look forward to reading more books by Shelley Shepard Gray in the future. I recommend Her Fear to readers looking for a good story.

About the Book:
In New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s latest novel of suspense in her Amish of Hart County series, an EMT falls for a woman with ties to an Amish community where people are dying similar, suspicious deaths.

Sadie Detweiler never imagined she’d move to Kentucky, yet here she is: a pregnant, unmarried Amish girl banished by unforgiving parents to live with kin she barely knows. The men are gruff and her cousins are secretive. Worst of all, elderly matriarch Verba becomes mysteriously ill shortly after Sadie moves in. When EMT Noah Freeman arrives, Sadie immediately notices he’s unlike any other Amish man she’s met. Noah is warm, confident, and has an easy way with practically everyone in the community, both Amish and English. Though Sadie is drawn to him, she has little hope he will reciprocate her feelings once he learns she’s with child.

Noah can’t understand how a girl as sweet and lovely as Sadie ended up sleeping on a cot in Verba Stauffer’s kitchen. He also senses Sadie is terrified of something. Concerned, he checks up on her. Eventually they strike up a friendship and soon their attraction is undeniable. When Verba later dies at the hospital and her death is followed by two others, Noah’s boss wants him to dig around the Amish community for clues. He agrees—for Sadie’s sake—because only the truth will keep her safe and by his side.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the Author:

Shelley Shepard Gray is a "New York Times" and "USA Today" bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.
Find out more about Shelley at http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.