My review.

BlogHer Book Club site for The Beach Trees by Karen White.

Careful, though! My review has spoilers.

Welcome to my stop on the Double Trouble blog tour!  After you read my review (and enter the giveaway) that you hop around to the other blogs who are hosting.  It’ll give you a chance to get to know some other bloggers and read some more reviews of this fun little mystery.

From the publisher:

With one solved case under her belt, PJ Sugar is ready to dive into her career as a private investigator. Or at least a PI’s assistant until she can prove herself to Jeremy Kane, her new boss. Suddenly PJ’s seeing crime everywhere. But is it just in her head, or can she trust her instincts? When she takes on her first official case-house-sitting for a witness in protective custody-Jeremy assures her there’s no danger involved. But it soon becomes clear that there is someone after the witness . . . and now they’re after PJ, too.

About the author:

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year. Her larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com

First, the bad.  There are a few literary elements in the book that annoyed me.  It happened in the first book and I was surprised that the same mistakes were made in the second.  You see, when an author describes something and uses that description more than once, it stands out.  Three times in the first book, the author wrote that cool air “prickled” PJ’s skin.  Three times!  In the second book, cool air of some sort “raised gooseflesh”.  So what is it about her skin that is so interesting?  I found those descriptions incredibly annoying and unnecessary.

Moving on!

I really enjoyed the story.  It was easy to get caught up in the mystery to the extent that I could not put it down; I stayed up way past my bedtime reading just so I could know what happened next.  It’s books like this–the ones that keep me up–that I love the most.

My favorite character is Dally’s “neighbor” Gabby, an old woman who is so colorful and real that I wish she was my neighbor (Dally is the witness PJ is house sitting for).  When PJ took on Dally’s persona, she also stepped into a new relationship with Gabby which quickly turned into a deep friendship.

What I liked most about this book was the way PJ grew as a person.  I’m the same age as PJ, and though our lives are completely different by comparison, it’s comforting to know that even at our age, we don’t have to have everything figured out.  If you read the first book, you know that PJ is essentially starting over, having just moved back to her home town after ten years of running from her past–a past that includes a high school sweetheart named Boone.  Boone isn’t too keen on PJ’s new career as a private investigator, but he still wants to rekindle their relationship.  Not only that, but he’s a little jealous of PJ’s relationship with her boss Jeremy.

So there’s a lot going on in Double Trouble that’ll keep you on your toes!

Win my books!

One of you will win my copy of Double Trouble and the first book in the series, Nothing but Trouble.  To enter, leave me a comment with the title of your favorite mystery novel.    Did you read Nancy drew when you were growing up?  Or are you a Mary Higgins Clark fan?

For additional entries, leave a comment for each of the following:

• Become a fan of Susan May Warren on facebook
• Visit another blog on the Double Trouble blog tour and leave them a nice comment
• Subscribe to any of my blog feeds
• Become a fan of Suzy Q Homemaker on facebook
• Tweet about this giveaway

I’ll close comments and draw a winner on March 1st.  U.S. and Canada only, please.  Good luck!

I had to put down The Elegance of the Hedgehog in order to pick up Susan May Warren’s Nothing But Trouble. So far, I’m enjoying this, the first book in her PJ Sugar series.  The dialogue is believable, the characters are interesting, and I love the mystery!  I’m about half-way through this book and looking forward to reading the second book, Double Trouble when I’m done.   I’m not a regular reader of Christian fiction, but I think the storyline in this book stands out without being “religious” in tone.

From the publisher:

It’s not fair to say that trouble happens every time PJ Sugar is around, but it feels that way when she returns to her home town, looking for a fresh start. Within a week, her former teacher is murdered and her best friend’s husband is arrested as the number-one suspect. Although the police detective investigating the murder—who also happens to be PJ’s former flame—is convinced it’s an open-and-shut case, PJ’s not so sure. She begins digging for clues in an effort to clear her friend’s husband and ends up reigniting old passions, uncovering an international conspiracy, and solving a murder along the way. She also discovers that maybe God can use a woman who never seems to get it right.

What are you reading?  Visit One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books and link up your post.

Jamie insisted that I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.  I’m about half-way through and it’s really starting to grow on me.  I blame sleep deprivation on my difficulty getting through the first third of the book.  I’ll be honest and say that I really don’t like Palome; I don’t want to get into why I don’t like her just yet, though.  What I hope is that my opinion of her will change by the end of the book.  As for Madame Michel, I’m still on the fence about her character, but I love the analysis of language and grammar.  It’s amusing and probably even more amusing for Jamie since he’s the English Major in the family.

Lined up for reading when I’m done with this are:

• White Teeth by Zadie Smith
• My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
• Nothing but Trouble and Double Trouble by Susan May Warren

Depending on when I receive my copy of Nothing but Trouble, I may have to put Hedgehog on hold for a bit.  I’ll be participating in the blog tour for Double Trouble this month, so I’ve got to get those read!

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at One Person’s Journey Through A World Of Books.

About the Book:

Eyewitness: The Life of Christ Told in One Story by Frank Ball (WinePress Publishing)

Eyewitness reaches people who seldom go to church or read their Bibles.

Of the millions of Americans who don’t go to church, 56 percent consider themselves Christian. If they knew what Jesus said and did, they would know the importance of networking and reaching out to help others. While Bibles sit on coffee tables and bookshelves at home, gathering dust, people pick up Eyewitness and don’t want to put it down. Not only does it use language that is easily understood, it pulls readers into the story, almost like walking with Jesus in the first century.

The Bible has sold more copies than any other book and continues to sell year after year. Continuing in its footsteps is the Eyewitness series written for the average person.

Flash back to first century AD. One man appeared who shook up the world. Four men testified to what they saw and heard. The details of Jesus life were recorded by four of his closest followers. Each account is written from a different perspective and only one of the four tells the events in chronological order. Therefore, for centuries, the accounts have been told in out-of-sequence fragments.

Eyewitness compiles the information from the Gospels and hundreds of other Bible verses into one chronological story laid out like a story without reference or verse. The result is a seamless combination of the four gospel books that will appeal to customers across the board, even those who would not normally purchase a Bible.

1. The gospel stories have existed for some two thousand years. Why put them chronologically together now?

Nine out of ten Americans own a Bible, but the people who most need to hear the message don’t often read the book. They believe Scripture is outdated and too difficult to understand. Would they read the story of Christ if it were presented as a single story that is easy to understand? Most of them say they would, so Eyewitness answers that need.

2. Why do the Gospels appear to have conflicting stories?

At a crime scene, eyewitnesses always have different testimonies about what happened. Because each gospel writer had his own point of view and spoke to a different audience, the information is actually complementary, not conflicting. The apparent conflicts disappear when we use each viewpoint to compile a complete and compelling story.

3. How was writing and recording events different two thousand years ago?

We now use a computer keyboard to rapidly type and edit text that prints on our laser printers. In the first century, writers had only their parchment scrolls in which every word was hand written, one character at a time. Cut-and-paste editing and simple rearrangement of details into chronological order didn’t exist. Writers naturally put down information as it came to mind, giving us a flow of thought that isn’t always in date sequence.

4. What is the significance of John’s gospel being the last one written?

If John were to introduce his book to us today, he might say, “Let me tell you the rest of the story.” There wasn’t much need to repeat what had already been written, so he gives us clarification of events that were already being told and retold, as well as eyewitness reports that are found nowhere else. Unlike the other writers, who were not always chronological, John unfolds most of his story in date sequence in relation to the Jewish feasts. This gives us a chronological guide for putting all the biblical information in order.

5. In what way do you think the readers of Eyewitness will have a clearer understanding of the nature of God?

Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” If we can see what Jesus is doing and hear what he is saying, we become eyewitness of God’s nature. Because the words in Eyewitness are more like what we would read in a novel, readers are able to visualize themselves as present at the gospel events. It’s the next best thing to actually being there, walking with the other disciples.

6. How many different Bible translations were necessary to complete this project?

Hundreds of scholars have invested countless hours in the production of good translations. In the development of an easy-to-read wording for Eyewitness, translators’ handbooks and more than fifteen popular translations, as well as the Greek and Hebrew texts, were considered.

7. Is the Bible flawed in presenting the life of Christ in four separate books?

No, not at all. Each author’s report has its own perspective and meets a different audience need. Matthew points to the fulfillment of ancient prophecies to prove Jesus was the Son of God. Mark, the shortest of the Gospels, is the quickest to read. Luke, being a physician, gives many important details. And John adds clarity, chronology, and new information. Eyewitness was written for those who don’t read the Bible and for people who are helped by seeing how the story unfolded, chronologically.

8. Why do you think Eyewitness appeals to people who seldom attend church?

Even professed atheists and agnostics have questions about the meaning of life and what happens after we die. Eyewitness isn’t a book of difficult-to-understand rules that threatens punishment if we don’t do everything exactly right. The life of Christ is presented in a way so people can easily understand the value of loving our enemies and helping people in need.

9. Where can we find out more or purchase a copy of Eyewitness?

Please feel free to visit my web site at www.eyewitnesstools.com.

I’ll close comments and choose a winner on December 16.  Thanks!

YOU SUCK, DEWEY!!

Just kidding–you know I love you more than anything.  And here’s a picture of my “nightstand”.  One cannot have a normal piece of furniture in our house without a book of some sort on top (or an orchid).  That’s just the way it is.  And I’m sure you can relate.  Ten points to the person who can name even one book from this picture.

But!

Last night we went to bed at 10:00, so I read some more of Into the Forest.  I was up until 1:40 reading and I was getting disappointed in myself for falling asleep since I was sure I could finish it.  It’s been a long time since it only took a day or two to finish a book.  Like, before-Corey.  I went to the library every other day when I was pregnant with Corey and would spend hours upon hours lying in bed reading.  Man, that was luxurious.  I’m not allowed to write about this book, though, because it’s for next month’s book club.  There’s so much I want to say!!!!

(three hours later)

I forgot I was writing a blog post.  Imagine I left you hanging there for a while.  I also forgot what else I was going to write about, so I suppose this will have to do for today.

To summarize:

1. I didn’t read a lot during the read-a-thon, but I did finish a book.

2. I read a lot last night/this morning and I really like the book I’m reading.

The end!

P.S.  Thank you to all the read-a-thon cheerleaders who stopped by my blog on Saturday.  It was a good reminder of how wonderful and supportive the book blogging community can be.  When I grow up, maybe I’ll actually be able to branch off a section of my feed for books. 

Never fear!  I’m about to hole myself up in the bedroom and try to finish The Sex Lives of Cannibals.  I was supposed to finish it for my book club (COUGH) last month.  I also have a few books in my TBR/TBF pile–and it is quite literally a pile next to my bed:

• From Dead to Worse (book 8 in the Sookie Stackhouse series)
• When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris
• Belong to Me, by Maria de los Santos
• Into the Forest, by Jean Hegland

I’ll try to check in a little later this evening, so I hope the rest of you are enjoying the read-a-thon festivities!  I see there are plenty of mini-challenges and fun prizes to win.  Thanks again to everyone who put this together in honor of Dewey.  I sure do miss her and this event is bittersweet indeed.

~Lizzie