Deadly Proof (Atlanta Justice #1) by Rachel Dylan

Deadly Proof (Atlanta Justice #1)

by Rachel Dylan 

Riveting new series offers legal suspense with a romantic twist

In the biggest case of her career, attorney Kate Sullivan is tapped as lead counsel to take on Mason Pharmaceutical because of a corporate cover-up related to its newest drug. After a whistleblower dies, Kate knows the stakes are much higher than her other lawsuits.

Former Army Ranger turned private investigator Landon James is still haunted by mistakes made while serving overseas. Trying to forget the past, he is hired by Kate to look into the whistleblower’s allegation and soon suspects that the company may be engaging in a dangerous game for profit. He also soon finds himself falling for this passionate and earnest young lawyer.

Determined not to make the same mistakes, he’s intent on keeping Kate safe, but as the case deepens, it appears someone is willing to risk everything—even murder—to keep the case from going to trial.

This is a new genre for me, but I'm really enjoying it! Deadly Proof is definitely as suspenseful as described. The characters are interesting and developed and the reader will find it hard to put down this book once begun! Personally, I didn't care for the amount of romance included in the book; I think a little romance goes a long way in literature (and film!) and find that it is usually overdone in contemporary fiction. However, I know most readers will not agree with me concerning this topic and will find Deadly Proof the perfect suspenseful mystery/romance! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rule of Law by Randy Singer

Rule of Law

by Randy Singer

This is a large book, but if you are anything like me, you won't notice the length once as you read through this exciting book! Although I have never read this style of fiction before, with this book I was fully interested from the first chapter. Set in present-day America/Middle East, this book features a fictional President and fictional although extremely possible events. The main characters are lawyer Paige Chambers who gets closely involved with the fate of six SEALS sent to the MIddle East on a disastrous mission. Following the mission, Paige feels it necessary to look into the motives behind the president's orders. This opens up an intriguing political mystery which will take all of Paige's skills as a lawyer to unravel. Like I already mentioned, this book is fascinating and will not disappoint! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

What did the president know? And when did she know it?
For the members of SEAL Team Six, it was a rare mission ordered by the president, monitored in real time from the Situation Room. The Houthi rebels in Yemen had captured an American journalist and a member of the Saudi royal family. Their executions were scheduled for Easter Sunday. The SEAL team would break them out.But when the mission results in spectacular failure, the finger-pointing goes all the way to the top.

Did the president play political games with the lives of U.S. service members?

Paige Chambers, a determined young lawyer, has a very personal reason for wanting to know the answer. The case she files will polarize the nation and test the resiliency of the Constitution. The stakes are huge, the alliances shaky, and she will be left to wonder if the saying on the Supreme Court building still holds true.

Equal justice under law.

It makes a nice motto. But will it work when one of the most powerful people on the planet is also a defendant?

Review of: The Body Under the Bridge (Father Gilbert Mystery #1) by Paul McCusker

The Body Under the Bridge (Father Gilbert Mystery #1)

by Paul McCusker 

To start at the very beginning, I requested this book to review because I know Paul McCusker as the script writer for a movie made by our friends. I was curious to see what his writing style was. My conclusion? Mr. McCusker's writing style is quite good and engaging. Almost too engaging at times! This book was hard to put down; easy to follow and captivating.
   However, the content was rather disturbing. Father Gilbert is the main character in this mystery and as a priest he is against demons and the occult practices encouraging them. Thus, he is acutely aware of the demonic forces around him and has several out of the body experiences/ visions. I will put it out there that I love Sherlock Holmes mysteries and have always read exciting books. However, this book was so creepy I could not read it at night. Even so, I had nightmares following the reading of this book which were incredibly unsettling and took prayer and reading of my Bible to dispel! And I am a grown woman. This led me to question the godliness of using such a topic as demonic oppression in a book. I wonder if this somehow brings glory and attention to demons? I am not an expert in these matters, but I certainly did not feel like this book brought me closer to God!

    Which brings me to the bothersome fact that Paul McCusker himself isn't the Christian that I thought he was! My belief was that he was Baptist. After all, he works for Baptist companies- correct?
However, if you read this article and any others you find online, you will see that he grew up in a Baptist church and publicly became Catholic in 2007! I am not unkind to Catholics but according to Scripture you are either a New Testament believer in Christ (Christian) or you are Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, etc. etc. etc. I believe it is possible to become saved in any of those churches, but if you are truly saved you will not stay in those churches but join a bible-believing church.
In The Body Under the Bridge, there were several confusing topics which are now made clear under the knowledge that Paul McCusker is Catholic. The Lord's Supper is mentioned as a sacrament with the bread turning into Christ's flesh and the wine into His blood. Later, Thomas Cranmer is really put down. Now I don't know much about Thomas Cranmer's spiritual state, but he helped with the English Reformation and thought ill of the Pope and that is exactly why he is put down in The Body Under the Bridge!
In conclusion, I am not trying to open up an argument with Catholics. You may read this book if you like. My goal is to give a head's-up to evangelical Christians about the background of this book and Paul McCusker! If you are going to read this book, regardless of your religion (of course I read a variety of books myself!), I want to put a disclaimer that this book is, as mentioned, intense, rather gory and unsuitable for readers under age 14! The priest also has to overcome temptation and lustful thoughts at several portions which I didn't find appropriate for younger readers either.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

A former Scotland Yard detective, Father Gilbert knows about death. But, now a priest of a modest Anglican church in the small town of Hailsham, he didn't expect it to show up like this--in the suicide of a man who threw himself off the church tower, and in the discovery of a two-hundred-year-old body beneath an ancient bridge.

The deaths are linked. The mummified corpse under the bridge, a murder victim, reignites a centuries-old battle between two local families--the Todds and the aristocratic Hayshams. Then both David Todd and Lord Haysham begin to act strangely, fearful for reasons they won’t explain.

When Lord Haysham is murdered, David Todd is the prime suspect. But Todd is maniacal, claiming great forces of evil are at work. An entire history of violence and depravity begins to emerge, interweaving the history of several local families with a secret occult society that engages in Black Masses. Has the Society emerged again

The Babylon Contingency by Clifford Longley book review

The Babylon Contingency

by Clifford Longley

This book seems to have all the elements for an amazing mystery-adventure. Mysterious archaeological findings in an English mansion, British police force, murders, danger, adventure in the Mediterranean and international intrigue....all the factors combined to make me incredibly excited to read this new novel by Clifford Longley.
However, to my surprise I had an extremely difficult time not only getting into the book, but sticking with it! From the first chapter, the book is prolix and far too detailed to run smoothly. To fully enjoy this book, the reader would have to have a pretty good understanding of British police and detective terminology, as well as an excellent memory since the book is full of various individuals. Another aspect which made this work difficult for me was the first-person tense which is not always annoying but in the case of an overly-wordy book as this, it's torture. Detail after detail made this book devoid of excitement. And although I stuck with this novel chapter after chapter, the mystery details never made sense to me. I am an avid reader who loves adventure, mystery and such but even by the final chapter I only had a dim idea of what the point of the book was.
The historical aspect of this book was disturbing. The author played with real history too much, without providing footnotes to explain why he inserted this or that. There are some points of history one can not play around with, and that is the ancient worlds. I felt like I could not trust the author on any of his points.
That is my opinion, barring all religious thoughts.
   However, I also want to point out from a Christian viewpoint: this book, although published by a company which usually offers excellent Christian literature is quite atheistic. At least the main character is. Throughout the book, there is mild bad language, crude language and the reader comes into the context of other worldliness. I was optimistically hoping the main character would have a salvation experience or something, but no. The book doesn't culminate in anything good...for anyone.  In conclusion, don't read this book if you are religious. If you are not religious, this book is so badly written that you would be better off reading something else!

*This book was provided to me for honest reviewing by Kregel Publications*

More about the book: 
Investigating a burglary at an English country house, Detective Chief Inspector Robbie Peele comes face to face with one of the most mysterious objects in world archaeology, the Phaestos Disk--and with the Middle Eastern terrorist cell determined to steal it.

The vital clue is a long abandoned Muslim village in Crete, where a Victorian gentleman explorer witnessed horrors that were meant to be secret and recorded what he saw in coded diaries. Seeking the truth about the Phaestos Disk, Peele and his assistant, Sarah Shipton, are on the cusp of solving the mystery when they are caught in an ancient Egyptian burial chamber during an earthquake.

In the end Peele has to ask far harder questions than simply who committed the original burglary. The origins of the Phaestos Disk are inextricably bound up with the Middle East peace process in ways that frustrate and astound him.