Into the Fire

At the conclusion of her fiancé's funeral, Evelyn is shocked by the drama that further rocks her world. 

So begins Carrie Stuart Parks' latest release Fragments of Fear. 

Evelyn McTavish prefers that people call her "Tavish". She perceives herself differently than she is, has to battle anxiety and panic attacks, sports and clings to crystals, spouts new age mantras, and seems to trust easily except in the case of her wealthy mother who she calls by her first name "Helen". Tavish is also an artist about to experience her first gallery opening.

Helen had a considerable amount of priceless art stolen from her mansion and one of her faithful staff employees was murdered in the process. The insurance company paid off the art theft, but eventually the art was returned to her. In the course of this story we learn Helen has yet to refund the insurance company's money.

When a former client, who canceled a commissioned painting of him and his dog Marley but paid Tavish in full for it, leaves a coded message for her with his dog, the confusion and anxiety in Tavish's life accelerates. 

Add to this an FBI agent, more murders, disappearances, explosions, a radio show host, a sweat lodge, and a fake cop. The real police believe Tavish is, shall we say, off her rocker. What they don't realize is she's one determined young woman who knows what's been happening but needs to figure out why she's even incrementally involved. When the FBI agent steps up to believe her, eventual progress is made but not before more injuries, damages, deception, and intrigue. Not to mention amped up fear.

Fragments of Fear presents an interesting character in Evelyn McTavish who slowly becomes aware of needed changes in her life, learns out of necessity to tamp down her constant fear, and finally starts to assert her desire to solve this fragmented mystery even when her life is in real and constant danger. 

Any further information would ruin the diverse journey of this story. Carrie creates a unique heroine in this one who must fight her way through her insecurities, fears, some air-headedness, and misguided directions for seeking a peace she hasn't had since her beloved grandmother died. Although I admired Tavish's grit toward the end and her moments of clarity, she didn't really grow on me. Carrie tells a good tale with intricate overlaps in plot points and manages to create tension and suspense well in Fragments of Fear. 

Father, you know Carrie's heart, skills, desires, and objectives. Please continue to bless her in your abundance and fill her up with those stories you have just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.