The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NIV)
Ricochet by L.T. Ryan and Fiona Ryan is a prequel to the Rachel Hatch Series, taking place right after "Hatch" is discharged from the service.
Hatch is scheduled to see a therapist to get signed off on the legal stuff after her discharge. She's angry, uncomfortable, a bit anxious, and completely void of what to do now that her primary job of serving in the military has been ripped out of her life due to a fatal explosion which killed her friends and associates and fried her right arm. In spite of her injury she was able to re-qualify for special service but was denied. Not only that, she blames herself for the reason her friends are dead.
When she shows up to her appointment, there's a disturbance outside in the adjacent alley. As quickly as she assesses it, she knows she has to intervene. That and a phone call from a "friend" she hasn't heard from in awhile makes her slightly tardy for her appointment, but her objectives in the alley, with the shrink, and even concerning the phone call prove to have been worth her time.
Since she hasn't a clue what to do, the opportunity presented to her from the phone call is worth checking out although she has no real compulsion for the job. But first, extenuating circumstances are wrapped up not-so-tidily at the motel where she's been staying.
Meeting the former SEAL who runs a bank and the security team proves interesting and after her accompanying him to watch the armored service he uses deliver $4 million to a warehouse, he gets his first look at Hatch's makeup.
This is an entertaining novella about Hatch's first take at life outside the military. She worked so hard for all she's done, and you can feel her remorse, regret, anger, and vulnerability emotionally. Those of you who know my reviews, know that Rachel Hatch is one of my favorite heroines, maybe second only to Sibella Giorello's Raleigh Harmon.
Highly Recommend the Rachel Hatch Series.
Father, only you provide the talent and gifts. May each one know from whom they receive those talents. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Never forget who you were and always remember who God designed you to be. Keep working with Him.
Father, you've blessed my life beyond expression. I can never thank you enough. Help me to keep doing whatever it takes to be the one you designed me to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
close call by Blake Pierce is Book 2 in A Kari Blackhorse Mystery Series.
Kari Blackhorse has moved into her deceased mother's house (Anna Chee) on the Navajo Reservation where Kari is one of the detectives in the Navajo Nation Police Department. She and her partner Detective Ben Tsosie are called out to a murder site at a defunct uranium mine (Sleeping Dog Mine) which hasn't been active for years due to its environmental damage done associated with the radiation poisoning causing many deaths from cancers. Between the three bodies at the scene, ceremonial symbols, and heretofore supposedly unknown petroglyphs, it appears there will be significant tribal conflict ahead with the company that owns the mine.
Kari's mother has done great amounts of research on this mine with multiple files in her office including a locked desk drawer that Kari has never felt compelled to unlock until now. As per the situation in Book 1, the FBI must be called in to lead the investigation. This time her father's FBI friend, who was like a fun uncle to her as a child, has learned to respect her and her partner's insights and contributions from the first case and is far more flexible with them this time around.
After considerable investigations with those who've recorded meticulous notations of the mine's corporate ownership's conduct regarding the tribal deaths from the radiation cancers, Kari and Ben finally figure out an obtuse but viable lead which quickly leads to a confrontational climactic moment in the mine.
close call is an entertaining mystery, well-written, while incorporating much of the spiritual aspects of Navajo beliefs. For me, as a Christian, much of their religion runs parallel with Christianity without acknowledging God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They include demonology, but not identifying it as demonic, as having locations where there is a thin veil – which makes those places dangerous – between this world and the spirit realm with issued warnings to basically leave those places and whatever encompasses them alone. In my faith, we war against them, reminding them that Jesus has overcome their world.
Father, thank you for authors, their work and research. May each one learn from whom their talent is given. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
This is a great song. If the truth be known, what it sounds like is another case of someone cheating on their guy, but it was revealed the lyrics really were about the guitar player being "courted" by another band. Such is that life. Loved the song anyway.
Father, you give the talent. It's up to us to honor you with it. We fall short so often. Please keep me steady in your desire for me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
This is a greeting card I bought for myself. I love it! Let's ride!
(*Credit to Shannon Martin Design)
Father, you know me inside and out. You made me sensitive but resilient. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
For the appeal we make does not come from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
1 Thessalonians 2:4-6 (NIV)
From my one and only mystery . . .
Two
A long day ahead introduced itself accompanied by the gut feeling this was indeed a homicide and it wasn’t going to be an easy solve. My partner Jesse Davidson called to tell me he was en route. The ME arrived shortly after Jesse’s call. Doctor Loren Walsh set the initial estimate of time of death at sometime between midnight and 3 AM., a fairly precise window, putting the girlfriend at the top of my suspect list if natural causes were ruled out.
Racetrack security, our patrol officers, and Detectives Phil Phelps and Mark Griffin helped keep the group outside the tape from crowding the scene and separated and contained those who first arrived because of Carmella’s frantic screaming. At my request they’d contacted the particular guard who manned the gate during the shift when Carmella supposedly arrived back at the track and sent a replacement to relieve him so he could come talk to us.
We needed to notify the owner of the racetrack and inform him of our investigation. No doubt he wouldn’t want this publicized and neither did we, but word always manages to get out. I’d send Detective Griffin to do this after we got done with the preliminaries.
The official cameras flashed recording the scene, and the two other detectives converged to get interviews after we spoke discouraging those with cell phones attempting to take pictures although the crime scene itself was not visible.
Jesse arrived looking a whole lot more refreshed than anyone should at this hour. I’m obsessive about how people dress so I notice Jesse’s attire. Dapper dude that he was, he’d elected to wear pressed Levis and some kind of Redwing boots with his professionally cleaned button-down pale yellow shirt with the one button undone at the neck to expose the tight-curving collar of a blinding white T-shirt, and his black leather jacket which he tossed into his car to don his ballistic vest. The brisk morning air sent a shiver more than once under my light POLICE windbreaker, my polo shirtsleeves not providing much warmth in spite of the extra layer my vest provided.
“So. Guy dies in his sleep? Girlfriend can’t remember if she’s in bed with him? Convenient, huh?”
“Looks that way.”
“That her over there?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Kinda hot, huh? How ‘bout him? He a looker too?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Okay. We find the other guys and gals these two’ve been sleepin’ with and we got a suspect pool. If we need one.”
“Pretty much.”
Father, you wanted this one written. It was hard for me, but with your design and Patrick's help, I did it. Thank you for it. It's fun to be able to say I've written one mystery. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Remembering this first novel. A comprehensive saga of horse racing at a middle echelon Thoroughbred Racetrack that takes place in the 80s. Took 8 and 1/2 years to write it through working 7 days a week at the track, homeschooling some of those years, some lay ministry at church. Time was hard to come by. There's some good writing in it, but, of course, it would've been 1/2 the size if I'd had any experience at that time writing a novel – and better written. Definitely a first novel!
I'll say this much for it: it was authentic. I used the racetrack "language," "lingo," and terms and put a glossary in the back to define what the average non-racetracker wouldn't understand. And I do believe I captured the average lifestyle of many people who live, race, and move around with the horses. It was written for an adult audience, not for young girls who love horses, because of the lifestyle.
On the cover is a horse we trained. His name was Cops and he loved to come from behind with a good stretch run. The jockey is local legend Gary Baze.
Father, you told me to write a "Christian novel about horse racing." I did it, Lord. Took longer than I thought, but you kept urging me on. You have a purpose in all things. I can't ever thank you enough for that experience and every one since. Please keep me writing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
