Review of COLD PURSUIT by Nancy Mehl

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About the Book

ISBN-13:9780764240454 Publisher:Baker Publishing Group Publication date:07/11/2023 Series:Ryland & St. Clair , #1 Pages:336

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case that went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They’re soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son who disappeared four years ago. River knows there’s almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy’s trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. With a killer on the loose set on finishing the job he started, will River be pulled back into her tormented past or finally face the demons that haunt her?

With her trademark blend of page-turning thrills and intricate plots, Nancy Mehl delivers a spine-tingling thriller that will keep readers up all night.

My Thoughts

With edgy and fast-paced suspense, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. The author includes a compassionate and sensitive exploration of mental issues that was informative as well as thoroughly researched. I enjoyed the sharp writing in the plot and the rich story of two former FBI agents who start their own detective agency. River Ryland has PTSD due to her near-death experience with a serial killer. Her partner Tony St. Clair suffers from memory loss from the same encounter with a man who personifies evil. The book is addictive and action-packed as River and Ryland throw themselves into a case looking for a young teen who disappeared after a concert. There are a lot of twists and some brilliantly written red herrings in this intricately woven plot. As River and Ryland search for Chris, they are also evading a serial killer who is targeting them and the danger seems so realistic that it is terrifying at times. I thoroughly enjoyed the tight plot that crackled with tension and the insightful look at synesthesia and aphasia. The novel is also infused with faith and is a clean read that is thought-provoking and fascinating. Since this is the first book in a new series featuring River and Tony, I am really looking forward to the other ones already! This riveting page-turner has me ready for more of this dynamic duo!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Bethany House Publishing via Netgalley as well as a hard copy. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated PG due to intense suspense

About the Author

Photo and Bio from the author’s website at http://www.nancymehl.com

Releases on 7-11-23. Available for preorder! Purchase Links:

https://amzn.to/46HVsVG (Amazon)

https://bit.ly/44yuWfx (Christian Book)

https://bit.ly/3O6Dc0Y (Barnes and Noble)

https://bit.ly/3riNLoL (Baker Book House)

https://bit.ly/3NKwnk9 (Powell’s Books)

https://bit.ly/44fNKR3 (Walmart)

https://bit.ly/46HX7u6 (Books A Million)

https://bit.ly/3JRq7pz (Target)

https://bit.ly/43cxcbj (Kobo)

https://bit.ly/3XI4NZm (Google Play Store)

https://apple.co/3D6qtoC (Apple Books)

With many thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC of this exciting book to read! I loved every minute I spent with River Ryland and Tony St. Clair and I’m truly looking forward to the next book in this new series.

Knowing What to Do

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

In this world we live in in which evil is rampant and godly leadership doesn’t exist, I am often baffled about what to do. The Bible gives the answer.

We need to call on God for help. He has never changed and never will. When the people of Israel faced many enemies on all sides, they realized that the only help that was possible was from God.

Our enemies are currently spiritual ones…those who whisper in the ears of non-believers (and unfortunately, even some believers) that whatever they want to believe and do, that will be okay. After all, in the current climate of permissiveness and debauchery, there is no standard of right and wrong. However, we who believe in the God of the Bible, know that there are standards and that God cannot possibly be pleased with our nation (or the world, for that matter) right now. In order to survive in this chaotic miasma of sin, we have to daily call on the Lord for help just to get through the day. When we see people flaunting their sin before God, do we speak out or remain silent and pray. I pray that God will give me the wisdom for what to do. The sins of today don’t just affect our current generation but all generations to come. Being “woke” doesn’t just make you broke as the pundits are saying, but it also leads you and those who follow you into the arms of the Destroyer. The attack is real, but so is God. Thus when we don’t know what to do about all the evil around us, prayer is my weapon of choice. I pray that God will help the Christians around the world to hold the line and to declare His truth.

Singing a Song

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One day all of mankind will acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. Until that marvelous day comes, it is fitting that those of us who believe in His sovereignty now should sing songs of praise to Him.

I don’t praise God because all if right in my world but because all is right as I lean on Him. No matter what I go through, and the Bible tells us that the righteous are not free from troubles. God is right there taking me through them. The fact that He is always with me makes me sing!

In the assembly of believers, we can freely express our adoration for the Lord, the King of all the earth and of our hearts. In exalting His name together, we form a unity of sound and heart that reaches to Heaven. We praise not just to bless God but to also bless each other and ourselves with the understanding that what is happening now is not all that there is.

God receives glory and we work as His loving servants to help carry out His will here on earth. What is more praiseworthy than a God who never changes and who is always working for us and through us?

Let Us Exalt His Name Together

Pray, Believe, Receive

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Anyone who has followed me on my blog for a while knows that I have a few health problems. Well, actually, maybe more than a few. But I am totally blessed that God has taken care of me and is continuing to watch over me. My attitude of gratitude did not come easily as I spent much time angry about my health conditions and my inability to change them as well as God’s silence on the matters. Then, in 2015, my stroke happened. It was a bad one, or so I was told. If it had not happened at school where I was closer to the hospital and where the school nurse could immediately diagnose me and get help, I would likely not have survived. Coincidence? No…God watching over me.

At the time of my stroke, I could not move any limbs on my right side and could barely stutter out an intelligible word. But what I could do is pray and pray, I did! In the ambulance, I was praying silently to the Lord. The paramedic asked me if I needed something because it seemed I was trying to speak. Well, I did need something (healing) but I wasn’t telling the paramedic. I was talking to God. My husband was late arriving at the hospital because the school nurse had trouble getting him to answer the phone, so I was all alone for a little while. And I prayed, as multiple health workers did their jobs all around me, buzzing about the fact that I was probably having a stroke. The end result was that my husband arrived, I had the option to get a clot-busting shot that could kill me (30% chance) or save my life. My husband called our daughter Hope and together we prayed that the shot would work. It did…but I’m here to tell you that the medication was injected into my body but the Lord did the healing.

I have just been through a series of medical tests and the doctors could not find anything seriously wrong with me except for a reaction to my medication. I feel in my heart and soul that I was healed…God used my symptoms of fainting, vision loss and dizziness to built my faith in Him as I trekked to one specialist after another. In the end, He spoke quietly to me that He had healed me because of His great love for me. Once again, God reached down and touched me, not because of who I am or what I have done but because of Who He is.

My response to God’s grace and mercy is praise and thanksgiving. I am thankful for each day that I get to spend here on earth with my family and friends. God is wonderful to me and abounds in blessings for me. Today, I get to travel again, this time to see my sister who had to move to NC because of her health conditions. If you knew me well, you would know that I dislike traveling. I like the comforts and familiarity of home and would never go anywhere if we did not have family at a distance. Nevertheless, I am blessed to be healthy enough to travel and to get to see my sister who celebrated her birthday this week.

Every day is a miracle. The sights I see around me are evidence of God’s working on the earth. Birds singing, rain falling, squirrels scampering around the bird feeders…all are wonderful signs of God’s creation that He cares for so well. And the best thing is that He has shared it with me to enjoy…and with you! Look around you. You may not see or be aware of God’s miracles, but they are everywhere. Every breath we take is a gift from God. Everything we see is a gift from God. All that we are able to hear is a gift from God. Thus, I have learned and I’m still learning to pray, believe and receive…then to be thankful that I am able to do all of these because of a great and marvelous God who loves me beyond all that I can imagine.

What God Says and Why We Should Listen

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God tells us clearly that He teaches us what is good and what path we should follow. He does not leave us to wander around aimlessly in the dark and in a broken world. He shows us exactly the path that will lead to righteousness and good choices. We have to be willing to listen and obey. Plus, we need to be ready to wait for Him to speak to us through His word. God’s guidance is not a fast, drive-through food chain. His Word requires quietly meditating on what He is saying each time we read it.

Just hearing or reading God’s Word isn’t enough. We also have to practice it! After all, He is the One who is our Redeemer. He is Holy and trustworthy and by practicing what He has taught us in His Word, we can become more like Him. Our “house,” which is our own bodies since we are the temple of His Holy Spirit, is then built on the firm foundation of His Word and when charlatans try to deceive us, we will not be fooled because we know the truth that is in His Word. God doesn’t tell us to do anything that is not for our good, so it is an absolute necessity that we learn to listen, follow and obey.

Review of THE LUCKY SHAMROCK by Carolyn Brown

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About the Book

Publisher: Montlake
Published: July 2023
ASIN: B0BHJNS8T6

Women’s Fiction Novel

New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s bighearted novel about family, secrets, small-town Texas romance, and—with a little bit of luck—starting over.

Family doesn’t mean everyone has to like each other. That’s the case when cousins Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja return to Shamrock, Texas, to help manage their grandmother’s flower shop, the Lucky Shamrock. The reunion isn’t exactly a beautiful arrangement—considering they’re as compatible as ranchers and coyotes.

Thank heaven for a handsome go-between like Clinton, who lives above the shop. The easygoing war vet, and most eligible bachelor in Wheeler County, is now throwing romance into the mix and setting the local women to gossiping. But as the hot months wear on, hidden secrets begin to surface for the temperamental Irish trio. And it’s bringing them closer together than they ever thought possible.

With a flurry of weddings, a love story in the making, a surprise baby, and crazy good fortune, maybe that shamrock painted on the window does bring luck. Because for Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja, this could be the summer that’ll change their lives forever.

My Thoughts

This is a fun read about family, relationships, life in a small town, and hidden secrets that have to be told in order to move forward. Three cousins move to Shamrock, Texas, in order to manage their grandmother’s florist shop. Nana Irene was their rock when they were growing up and when she tells them that she needs their help, they reluctantly come to her aid. Their reluctance is nothing to do with Nana Irene and a lot to do with the fact that the three of them get along about like siblings would. Taryn, Jorja and Anna Rose throw themselves into the work at the florist shop while also hiding secrets from their pasts that have influenced how they currently approach life. The characters are well developed and relatable, with plenty of drama and humorous dialogue between them. The plot is centered around their revealing their secrets and resolving the past so that they can move on to a more hopeful future. This book is top quality entertainment from beginning to end, with chuckles and guffaws resulting from many of their antics. I especially enjoyed the resolution of their contentious relationships as well as of their secrets. The plot moved along quickly and was engaging as well as insightfully thought-provoking at times. This is a remarkably well-written book that has a compelling, multi-layered plot and captivating characters. Along with the setting of a small town in Texas where everybody knows everybody else, this is a charming book that had me laughing out loud as well as saddened by what had happened to the young women when they were younger. The dynamic characters and the brilliant plot made this one of my favorite southern fiction books ever!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated PG due to content

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown was born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma. These days she and her husband make their home in Davis, Oklahoma, a small town of less than three thousand people where everyone knows everyone, knows what they are doing and with whom, and read the weekly newspaper to see who got caught.
A plaque hangs on her office wall that says I know the voices are not real but they have such great ideas. That is her motto and muse as she goes through the days with quirky characters in her head, telling their stories, one by one, and loving her job.
She has been married almost half a century to a retired English teacher that she calls Mr. B and he does not read her books before they are published because she cannot afford a divorce. They have three grown children.—and enough grandchildren to keep them busy and young.
When Carolyn is not writing she likes to sit in the back yard and watch the two tom cats protect the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, other cats, spiders and blue jays. Photo, author info and book info are from the author’s website at CarolynBrownBooks.com

Purchase Links

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His Mighty Works

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God’s hand is and has been all over my life for decades. I cannot think of a single day in which God’s mercy and grace and miracles were close by. He has healed me of devastating illnesses, kept me breathing in spite of asthma that has ravaged my lungs and is still healing me every day as He continues to keep my single kidney functioning. Every day that I wake up, I am grateful to see the sky just changing colors, the trees waving in the breeze and the birds and butterflies around me. I love to watch the seasons change, knowing that this demonstrates the hand of the Almighty at work in our fallen world. It is hard to understand why some people don’t believe in God. They deny the existence of the One who created them and has blessed them with all things that they need. Because I cannot help but think of all He has done, marvel at His greatness and then worship Him for who He is and what He has done and is doing. God is good…all the time!

Remembering all that God is and all that He has done is sure to bring praise to our hearts, minds and lips. Praise the Lord!

Attributes of God

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In my devotionals recently, I read a verse that seems to me to summarize the attributes of God. It reminds me of who He is, what He does and the model that He wants us to try to follow.

God is a steadfast and unmoving rock. Everything He does is absolutely perfect from beginning to end. He always demonstrates justice and fairness and He is always faithful. He never does anything wrong, and He is always blameless. We would do well to aspire to the characteristics of God and strive to emulate Him daily!

He Is A Rock-Marty and Amy

Sleeping

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One of the reasons that I dreaded traveling was because of my recent problem with insomnia. No matter what time I would go to bed, I would wake up in the middle of the night (between 3-4 a.m.) and have difficulty falling to sleep again. That led to my taking naps during the day because I would just be too tired to make it without one. So, when we planned our trips to MD and PA to see grandchildren, I knew that naps would probably not be possible and dreaded how tired I would get. But, surprise! It’s almost time to return home again and I have actually been sleeping all night every night that we have been away.

I have prayed this prayer faithfully for about a year now, hoping but not really believing that I would be able to sleep well. I confess that for this issue, I was at a low point in my faith journey. God showed me that He answers prayers many times in spite of me and my own doubts. I am thrilled that I have slept so well at our son’s house and at our daughter’s. I pray that this new pattern continues when we return home, but if it doesn’t, I will do what I was doing before. I was wakeful and praying as God brought people to mind. Perhaps He needed me to be praying but I can’t say that with certainty. No matter the reason for my insomnia, God can use it to teach me lessons and to have me pray. God gives me safety and I don’t need to be afraid, even of not being able to sleep.

Who We Are

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Many people seem to aimlessly go through life trying to figure out who they are and what they are supposed to accomplish in life. I have found my answers more than once in the Bible and God once again reminded me that my identity is in Him.

God chose to call me out of darkness, so I am chosen. He made me a part of an entire priesthood that lives to serve Him and spread the word about Jesus. He has included me in the holy nation that He created by sending Jesus to save us and make us holy. I am special to God, His possession. He owns me because He redeemed me from my enslavement to sin. I am a person who belongs wholly and completely to God, receiving and accepting His mercy. All of these things and more are part of my new identity in Christ. My DNA did not change, but my heart did!