The Vanished: Secrets To Keep Book 1 by Cara Putman

 

Cara Putman's The Vanished is an intriguing book about art and the law. I enjoyed watching Carter and Jenae get to know each other as they searched for the original owners of several masterpieces. i enjoyed the way Cara layered stories and added plot twists. I learned about ways to authenticate art as well as search for it's history. I highly recommend The Vanished.

So grab your favorite beverage and settle in for a great read.

All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

"Putman's legal expertise shines in this compelling and intricately plotted romantic suspense. Highly recommended!"
--Colleen Coble, USA Today best-selling author


Janae Simmons left the small town of Kedgewick, Virginia, ten years ago to pursue her legal career and never looked back--until a professional mistake leads her to her grandmother's historic carriage house and to the town where her past threatens to find her. The quiet streets echo with her grandfather's sterling reputation, one that conflicts with fresh questions that claw at Janae, launching her on a reluctant journey to unearth his secrets. When her new job at a local law firm doesn't live up to expectations, she wonders if coming home was the right decision.

Carter Montgomery starts his art preservation career with the only job he can get--director at the Elliott Museum of Art. At least Kedgewick is a nice enough town to provide him and his nephew with a safe place to grieve the loss of Carter's sister. But Carter's calm days disappear when an elderly woman claims two paintings in the museum's collection were stolen from her family during World War II.

Carter enlists Janae's help to unravel the legal labyrinth of art ownership, and the peaceful facade of Kedgewick morphs into a hot bed of secrets. When an attorney turns up dead and Janae uncovers another painting, what began as a simple legal issue spirals into a race against time. As the web of intrigue tightens, the duo must confront a looming question: What dark truths lie beneath the surface, waiting to be exposed?


"Cara Putman has once again created an exciting cast of characters. I was immediately drawn in by Janae and Carter's unique chemistry. This is one story you don't want to miss."
--Rebecca Hemlock, award-winning author of Fury in the Shadows

About the author:

Since the time I could read Nancy Drew, I have wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 I attended a book signing at my local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, is history. There I met Colleen Coble. With prompting from my husband, I shared my dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, I've been writing award-winning books with the count currently climbing to 40 published and more in the works.

In addition to writing, I am a mom of four, attorney, Clinical Associate Professor at a Big Ten university who also runs a center, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, my husband, and my kids. I graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School, and Purdue University's MBA program. You can learn more about my books on my website, which is easy to find because it's simply my name dot com. And if you'd like to read my legal suspense novella, Dying for Love, simply connect with me on my website, and I'll send you the link.

The Beijing Betrayal,: Marcus Ryder book 6 by Joel Rosenberg

 

Marcus Ryker and friends are back in the final installment of Joel Rosenberg's latest series. Joel's books are srealistic and read as though they were pulled from today's headlines. I loved the action packed scenes, settings from Washington DC , Beijing and everywhere in between. I highly recommend the whole Marcus Ryker series starting with The Kremlin Conspiracy. This series does need to be read in order as each book builds on the previous one. So if you love edge of your seat political thrillers I suggest you read this series.

I was given a copy of The Beijing Betrayal with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Can Marcus Ryker and his team of elite operatives stop a secret plot to unleash the most devastating sneak attack on the U.S. and her allies in history―before millions of Americans die?

In the pulse-pounding final installment of the Marcus Ryker series, the leaders of Communist China are secretly plotting to invade Taiwan and challenge American supremacy in the Pacific.

And no one in Washington has any idea what’s coming.

Marcus Ryker has been tasked with hunting down Abu Nakba, the most wanted terrorist in the world. The latest intel sends him and his team to Pakistan. There, they discover a horrifying secret inside a state-of-the-art lab. Marcus orders the lab rigged with explosives, but the plan goes bad, and a massive explosion rocks the city.

News of the blast breaks in Washington just as President Carlos Hernandez is engaged in tense trade negotiations to forge a landmark agreement with China on trade and counterterrorism.

Little does the president realize that Beijing is almost finished preparing its imminent invasion of Taiwan.

Or that a terrifying new virus is about to be released inside the U.S. to kill millions and thwart Washington’s capacity to defend its ally.

In the riveting conclusion to the bestselling series, Ryker and his team must race to stop Beijing and the Kairos terror network before they unleash a catastrophe that brings the superpowers to the brink of nuclear war.

• A thrilling, fast-paced suspense novel for fans of Jack Carr, Ryan Steck, and Kyle Mills
• Perfect for fans of high-stakes geopolitical thrillers full of heart-racing action
• The last book in the Marcus Ryker series by New York Times bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg

About the author:

Joel C. Rosenberg (www.joelrosenberg.com) is a New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels and five nonfiction books, with nearly 5 million copies sold.

He has been interviewed on hundreds of radio and TV shows, including ABC's Nightline, CNN, CNN Headline News, C-SPAN, Fox News, MSNBC, The History Channel, The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Sean Hannity Show, and The Glenn Beck Show. His articles and columns have been published by National Review,FoxNews.com, CNN.com, the Jerusalem Post, World magazine, and the Washington Times, among others. He has been profiled by the New York Times, the Washington Times, and the Jerusalem Post.

Joel has spoken to audiences and met with religious and government leaders all across the U.S. and Canada and around the world, including Israel, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE, Turkey, Afghanistan, Russia, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, India, South Korea, and the Philippines. He has also addressed audiences at the White House and the Pentagon, addressed members of Congress on Capitol Hill, members of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, and a conference held at the European Union Parliament in Brussels.

He is the founder and chairman of The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.com), a nonprofit educational and charitable organization he and his wife launched in 2006 to mobilize Christians to "bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, according to Genesis 12:1-3."

Joel's books, most of which are published in numerous languages, include:

FICTION

The Last Jihad (2002)

The Last Days (2003)

The Ezekiel Option (2005)

The Copper Scroll (2006)

Dead Heat (2008)

The Twelfth Imam (2010)

The Tehran Initiative (2011)

Damascus Countdown (2013)

The Auschwitz Escape (2014)

The Third Target (January 2015)

The First Hostage (December 2015)

Without Warning (March 2017)

The Kremlin Conspiracy (March 2018)

NONFICTION

Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future (2006; revised version, Epicenter 2.0, released in 2008)

Inside The Revolution: How the Followers of Jihad, Jefferson & Jesus are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World (2009)

Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges in Time? (2012)

Israel at War: Inside the Nuclear Showdown with Iran (2012)

The Invested Life: Making Disciples of All Nations One Person at a Time, written with Dr. T. E. Koshy (2012)

He has produced two documentary films, based on two of his nonfiction books, Epicenter and Inside the Revolution.

Several of his books have won national awards:

The Ezekiel Option—ECPA Gold Medallion Award for Best Novel of 2006.

Epicenter—Retailers' Choice Award for Christian Living (Christian Retailing magazine)

Dead Heat—Retailers' Choice Award for Fiction: Mystery & Suspense

Inside the Revolution—Retailers' Choice Award for Social Issues

The Twelfth Imam—Retailers' Choice Award for Fiction: Mystery & Suspense

The Tehran Initiative—Retailers' Choice Award for Fiction: Mystery & Suspense

The Auschwitz Escape—finalist in the 2014 GoodReads Choice Awards for Best Historical Fiction

Several of his books have reached the top or near the top of national bestseller lists.

The Last Jihad hit #1 on the Amazon.com bestseller list. Dead Heat reached #4 on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. The Third Target hit #4 on the Publishers Weekly hardcover fiction bestseller list and spent two months as the #1 bestselling work of fiction in the Christian market in North America. The First Hostage was also the #1 bestselling work of fiction in the Christian market in North America.

Joel was born in Syracuse, New York. His father is a first-generation American from a Jewish background whose parents and grandparents emigrated from Russia and settled in Brooklyn, New York. His mother, a Gentile, was raised in Rome, New York. When Joel was two, his parents moved to a community just outside of Rochester. He grew up in the small town of Fairport and graduated from Fairport High School in 1985. He attended Syracuse University (1985–1989)—spending one semester of his junior year studying at Tel Aviv University (August 1987 to January 1988)—and graduated from SU with a BFA in film drama in May 1989.

Joel married his college sweetheart, Lynn, in June of 1990. Together, they made their home in the Washington, D.C., area for 24 years. They and their four sons—Caleb, Jacob, Jonah, and Noah—now live in Israel.

For more information on conferences Joel organizes, please visit www.epicenterconference.com.You can find his weblog at https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/. You can follow him on Twitter @joelcrosenberg.

The Fur Trader's Lady by Gabrielle Meyer

 I loved Gabrielle Meyer's The Fur Trader's Lady. I live in northern Mn and I have been to many of the places mentioned in the book. I love Lady Charlotte and Reid. Ms. Meyer painted beautiful word pictures of the countryside and came up with a delightful plot. If you are looking for a great read I highly recommend The Fur Trader's Lady.

All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

To escape her guardian’s plans to marry her, Lady Charlotte Fairfax steals away to Montreal to locate Reid McCoy, a fur trader who owes her fiancé a debt for saving his life. Even though European women are forbidden from entering the interior, she is desperate to get to her fiancé deep within the northwestern wilderness.

Reid McCoy has worked hard for fifteen years to become a shareholder in the North West Company and is on the brink of realizing that goal. Taking Charlotte into the interior will not only put her life at risk, but it could also jeopardize his dreams. Honor bound to repay his debt, his only option is to have Charlotte dress as a man and enter as his assistant clerk.

With Charlotte’s guardian close on their trail and a personal rival willing to do anything to keep Reid from becoming a shareholder, they will embark on an epic journey that will test not only their strength and endurance, but their hearts, as well.

Christy Award winner and bestselling author Gabrielle Meyer presents a new and thrilling historical adventure series set in the heart of the North American wilderness.

About the author:

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people, places, and events. You can learn more about Gabrielle and her books at www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Find Gabrielle on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AuthorGabrielleMeyer, Pinterest at www.Pinterest.com/gabriellemeyer/, Twitter at www.twitter.com/MeyerGabrielle, Goodreads, and her Website at www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Giving God Your Yes: Hope for Women Seeking Forgiveness, Healing, and a Renewed Sense of Purpose, A biography by Kimberly Nyborg

 

Giving God Your Yes by Kimberly Nyborg held my attention from the first paragragh to the last. I love the way Kimberly shares some of the darkest moments of her life, giving hope to everyone reading this book. I greatly admire her honesty and willingness to share how God turned her life around. I would love to share this book with any young woman going through a tough time. God is always capable of turning your life around. You just need to tell Him yes!

All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

What do you do when your life takes a sharp turn?

The story is of a struggling girl looking for her father's love that took her into a variety of dark lifestyles as a teen, with many relationships that never worked out. At thirty as a mother and a divorce her life began to change. Just one positive "Yes" and her life began to turn from upside down to right side up.

Today she loves the life she lives as she made the choice to dance for an audience of one. The journey has taken her from many sorrows, wrong choices, and regrets. But the Source of her healing was what brought Kimberly to where she was finally able to enjoy who she was created to be.

She is no longer that messy young girl, she is but brand new in Christ! Learn more about her journey and grab your copy today!

About the author:

Throughout all the hard things from her past, Kimberly has learned to have joy! It is in Northern MN that she has settled and lives a fruitful life enjoying the beauty of creation, gardening, and people.

Working in Christian Radio for over 32 years began as a God-wink of sorts for Kimberly, doing something she would have never imagined. With her spiritual journey she was gifted with speaking and interviews and eventually writing her first book. She loves sharing how Jesus can change a broken and messy life that can lead to healing, peace and purpose.

Sacrificial Touch by Brian Hartman

 

Did you ever read a book so good that you struggle to find your next read? Yeah, that's where I'm at after reading Brian Hartman's Sacrificial Touch. I have tried a few books from my TBR pile but nothing is catching my attention, so I am re reading an old favorite. 

Sacrificial Touch sticks with you long after you are done reading it, The premise of God giving you the one thing you want even though it comes with a catch is intriguing. I loved the characters in this book. Cameron and Addison were very realistic. The fact that Cameron's gift restored people's faith in God was fantastic. This book was my favorite book read in January and is most likely going to be high on my top ten list for 2025.

So grab a beverage, a snack and a blanket then turn off your phone and snuggle up for a great read.

All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Life as an ER doctor is intense. A shift can turn from mundane to insane in a matter of moments depending on what walks in, or crawls in, the door. Dr. Cameron Turner was no stranger to death. It happened all the time in the ER, but usually not to the doctor. When an irate patient loses control, Cameron crumbles to the ground with a mortal wound.

While the team races to save their colleague from certain death, Cameron opens his eyes and finds himself face-to-face with God. He is offered something he has sought his entire life. The ability to heal anyone of anything, but it comes with a catch that only he knows about. The gift is not unlimited, and its expiration date matches his own.

Cameron must choose when to use the gift, and faces unforeseen consequences when his choice angers those around him, including inside his own family. The world proves it is not prepared for undeniable acts of God which sends Cameron into hiding for his own safety. Robbed of his freedom and his family, he plans an epic finale that will change the hearts of even those who persecuted him.

Reviewer's comments: Your book kept me riveted, and I managed to squeeze in time to read it, and just finished a few minutes ago. I have read a lot of Christian fiction, and it can be pretty predictable at times. Your book was not! I really enjoyed it, and the message was excellent.

About the author:

Dr. Brian Hartman is a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is married to his wife Cheryl, a dentist with whom he has two boys, Evan and Andrew. They enjoy traveling to tropical locations including several of the settings of Redemption. Brian began the formal pursuit of writing as a creative escape from the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Redemption is the first novel in his medical thriller series starring Dr. Bryce Chapman. Brian has written dozens of short stories and has several independent novels in production. He transfers his experience as a practicing physician to the characters and events of the books, letting the reader see inside the mind and emotions of the team caring for patients. The lives of doctors and nurses do not stop when they leave the hospital and his books explore the events and back stories that make our lives interesting.

Brian enjoys interacting with his readers via email and social media. Find him at his author website http://www.brianhartman.me/, email brianhartmanme@gmail.com, and Facebook http://facebook.com/brianhartmanme.

In Darkness Light Shines by John Galt Robinson

 

Wow! In Darkness Light Shines is an intense read! Book four and supposedly the final book about Joe O'Shanick, Christy Tabrizi and friends had me riding an emotional roller coaster. I love the fact that they kept their faith through out the horrendous experience they endured. I will certainly miss reading about there adventures. Thank you John Galt Robinson for many hours of exciting reading.

So grab your favorite beverage and snack, then curl up in your favorite reading chair and enjoy!

All thoughts are my own.

Message from John Galt Robinson that I am happy to share:

John Galt RobinsonJanuary 26, 2025 at 9:29 PM

Thank you so much for the very kind and complementary review. I would like to make one correction: I am not by any means done writing this series. In fact, book number five, titled “The Harvest“ will be out in the next few months and I’ve already finished writing book 6 “Silent Victors” which is about to enter the editing phase and have plans for many more. I never want to stop writing stories about Joe and Christy! I’m glad you like them. I HAVE started a new series which is about to begin the query stage looking for a literary agent but plan to write both series for years to come. Thanks again!

Fron Amazon:

A last minute October surprise to resurrect Senator Robert Fowler’s presidential campaign lands Navy SEAL Joe O’Shanick and his close friends Navy SEAL Matt Ramsey and Dr. Christy Tabrizi in prison for crimes they did not commit. They soon realize they have been marked for death in order to keep them from revealing secrets that could

end Senator Fowler’s political career and put him in prison. Far away from the battlefields of the Middle East and Central America, O’Shanick and Ramsey find themselves in an entirely different kind of war, a high stakes political war of treachery,

betrayal, and death, with no rules of engagement.

About the author:

I grew up on Grand Island, New York, just a few miles upstream from the majestic Niagara Falls. My love of reading was handed down from my father who named me after the hero of Ayn Rand’s Epic, Atlas Shrugged. Growing up, I enjoyed sailing with my family. Additionally, I raced my own sailboat and crewed for other sailors on Lake Erie and the Niagara River. I graduated from Grand Island Senior High School, where I competed in football, swimming and lacrosse.

I began attending college at Georgia Tech as part of the Navy ROTC program. An untimely ankle fracture disqualified me from military service which led me to pursue a career as an athletic trainer. After graduate school in Buffalo, NY, my wife and I moved to Middle Tennessee where I was employed as an athletic trainer providing care for several high school athletic programs. A few years and three children later, we took a big risk, and I enrolled in medical school at East Tennessee State University. After earning my medical degree, we moved to Columbia, South Carolina where I began residency in Emergency Medicine. We continue to live here today where I practice in a large regional hospital emergency department.

I still sail with my family and I am also an avid fitness enthusiast having competed in triathlons of all lengths including Ironman and Half Ironman. Reading remains a passion and I am happy to say that my wife and younger daughter are avid readers as well. With their encouragement, I began the process of writing and I am now hooked. I signed with KCM Publishing in December of 2020 and we published my first novel, Forces of Redemption, in March of 2021. Since then the next two novels in the O’Shanick/Tabrizi series, Power City and, most recently, Lost Angels, have been published with more to come! I have previously been published as a co-author in a medical journal but fiction is my true passion. I enjoy reading thriller/suspense novels along with historical fiction and biographies. My favorite authors are Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, Clive Cussler, Ben Coes, Mark Dawson and Brad Thor.

Lost Angels by John Galt Robinson

 

Lost Angels is the third installment of John Galt Robinson's series following  the adventures of Navy Seal Joe O'Shanick and Christy Tabrizi MD. This book was hard to read due to the subject matter. Christy runs across a young woman who has been trafficked leading her and Joe deep into a rescue attempt of many human trafficking victims. This book is full of faith and supense with a touch of romance. The plot is very good and fast moving. The settings feel authentic. I do suggest you read Forces of Redemption and Power City first as it sets the scene for Lost Angels. I highly recommend this series.

All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

A powerful organized crime syndicate is abducting young women from college campuses and enslaving them into human trafficking. Charles Courtnall is a wealthy investor willing to sacrifice his personal fortune to find his daughter. He hires Clay Whitmore and his team of investigators to find her, only to find out she is being offered to the highest bidder in a global dark web auction. Clay and his team are stymied at every turn by a sinister criminal organization that has deep government ties and stays one step of ahead of them.

Dr. Christy Tabrizi, an Emergency Medicine physician, treats a young woman who managed to escape the human trafficking ring. Christy enlists the help of her close friend, Joe O’Shanick, a Navy SEAL, to locate and rescue the other women. O’Shanick and his teammate, Matt Ramsey, join forces with Whitmore’s team in a desperate attempt to rescue the women before it’s too late. Perhaps too late, they discover the corruption exceeds that which they imagined.

Lost Angels explores the dark world of human trafficking, organized crime and political corruption while weaving a story of faith, selfless love and heroic commitment in a suspenseful tale of crime, medicine and military action.

About the author:

I grew up on Grand Island, New York, just a few miles upstream from the majestic Niagara Falls. My love of reading was handed down from my father who named me after the hero of Ayn Rand’s Epic, Atlas Shrugged. Growing up, I enjoyed sailing with my family. Additionally, I raced my own sailboat and crewed for other sailors on Lake Erie and the Niagara River. I graduated from Grand Island Senior High School, where I competed in football, swimming and lacrosse.

I began attending college at Georgia Tech as part of the Navy ROTC program. An untimely ankle fracture disqualified me from military service which led me to pursue a career as an athletic trainer. After graduate school in Buffalo, NY, my wife and I moved to Middle Tennessee where I was employed as an athletic trainer providing care for several high school athletic programs. A few years and three children later, we took a big risk, and I enrolled in medical school at East Tennessee State University. After earning my medical degree, we moved to Columbia, South Carolina where I began residency in Emergency Medicine. We continue to live here today where I practice in a large regional hospital emergency department.

I still sail with my family and I am also an avid fitness enthusiast having competed in triathlons of all lengths including Ironman and Half Ironman. Reading remains a passion and I am happy to say that my wife and younger daughter are avid readers as well. With their encouragement, I began the process of writing and I am now hooked. I signed with KCM Publishing in December of 2020 and we published my first novel, Forces of Redemption, in March of 2021. Since then the next two novels in the O’Shanick/Tabrizi series, Power City and, most recently, Lost Angels, have been published with more to come! I have previously been published as a co-author in a medical journal but fiction is my true passion. I enjoy reading thriller/suspense novels along with historical fiction and biographies. My favorite authors are Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, Clive Cussler, Ben Coes, Mark Dawson and Brad Thor.