Listen by Rene Gutteridge

The town of Marlo has been thrown into confusion and crime all because of words that appear on a website. Someone has recorded conversations of the townspeople, word for word, onto the website. The words found there are shocking and devastating. Neighbor has turned against neighbor, friend against friend, husband against wife, all because of careless words spoken when they thought no one was listening. Their private conversations have just gone public. The police are scrambling to control the insanity the town is descending into, but they themselves are caught in the undertow. Marlo Sentential writer Damien Williams is trying to get to the bottom of the problem with his police officer friend Frank. But when words on the site begin to hit his own home and family, the police try to pin it on him and Frank. Damien resolves to find the culprit, or else.

When I first heard the description for this book, I knew it had to be good. Unlike most plots, there's no way this book can't be original. The foundational idea is very strong. The plot makes the reader think rather than only be entertained. The message is cutting and convicting because this type of thing could happen anytime anywhere, and it's all because of our words.

As usual with Rene Gutteridge, the characters are complete with personalities and imperfection. Damien is not the type of lead one would expect from this type of book. Since this plot is all about imperfection, there is no way it can be crafted without imperfect characters. Not even the seemingly typical mentor character is innocent of serial speaking.

The best parts of the plot are who is writing the website and how they are capturing the conversations. This was the area of concern I had because Rene could have easily reverted to a sensational supernatural explanation, bringing down the rating a bit. But she kept the book in reality and gave a good explanation for how the eavesdropping was taking place. But the person who is doing it is the icing on the cake. Not many authors would have taken the leap she did in making the culprit close to home. There is also a key character death near the end to serve as a deep consequence of words.

Listen

is the type of plot we don't get to read very much-one that is centered around choices of the leads. I love these types of plots not only because they are realistic, but also because they make the reader think. Fiction should be about making the reader think about how they can make their life better rather than entertaining him, but doing this through using examples and not being preachy. Rene Gutteridge is one of the most prolific authors on the market because she has mastered this difficult goal.

5 stars

Shepherd's Fall by Wanda L Dyson

Nick Shepherd own one third of the family business-Prodigal Recovery Bounty Hunters. In short, when the police need an escaped convict or any person in hiding from the authorities, the Bounty Hunters go in undercover to retrieve them. Nick loves his job, but his love for his job has destroyed his other loves. His personal life is a mess. His ex-wife, teenage daughter, brother, and sister are enough to keep him going crazy. On top of this, he's searching for two different people-a prostitute and a crafty escaped convict. In the process of trying to find the prostitute, he accidentally apprehends her twin, who is also trying to find her because she needs a bone marrow transplant. Nick has been running from God, but his current case could bring him back to grips with Him. When his teenage daughter is kidnapped, Nick becomes desperate in order to reach her before time runs out.

The best thing about this book is that Wanda has returned to her roots with a book with many intertwined plots instead of a simple plot. The bad thing is she does not handle it properly, like she did in Abduction. I'm not sure if Wanda will ever return to her former glory.

Nick is a good, imperfect character with a personality. His troubled past and troubled family life are both his fault. He isn't a victim. The bad part about the characters is that there aren't any other good characters. There are a few other imperfect characters, but Wanda seemed to forget about the other characters. There is good character interaction throughout the book, but there is also unproductive dialogue, and dialogue is required the build characters.

It's refreshing to see a different Wanda L Dyson series after the disappointing end to the Shefford-Johnson series. The bounty hunters idea is a very good idea, Wanda just can't seem to get her ends down. In these types of fragile plots, ends are everything. There is virtually nothing wrong with the body of the book, but a cheesier-than-usual showdown really puts a damper on things. The twins subplot adds an interesting twist, but that too is ended incorrectly. Wanda basically does everything she can to fix every subplot, going against standards she set earlier in her career. Perhaps it is that Abduction was her only good idea and now she writes only because people expect her to.

I've heard people say that her books are very riveting and exciting, but other than Abduction, they are really no different than any other average suspense novel.

2.5 stars

The Best of Evil by Eric Wilson

Aramis Black and his brother, Johnny Ray, have moved to the outskirts of Nashville to start a new life away from their home in Oregon. Aramis has opened up his own coffee shop while Johnny Ray pursues his country music dreams. Aramis's world is changed when he witnessed a murder right in his own shop. While the police close his shop for investigation, Johnny Ray leads him on a wild goose chase concerning gold, Meriwether Lewis, and their mother. When the investigation of the murder is over, Aramis discovers that Johnny Ray has signed him up for a new reality show called The Best of Evil...When Good Things Happen to Bad People because Johnny wants him to reconcile with a family member in his past. With all of this coming down on Aramis at the same time, he finds himself once again calling upon the name of God for help.

Eric Wilson abandons his supernatural roots with The Best of Evil and creates a realistic mystery. Eric has a lot of deep-seeded originality, but his knack for fixing things gets in the way of true greatness.

As usual, the characters are superb. Aramis, Johnny Ray, and several others are imperfect with personalities, something Eric Wilson learned early on and has continued since. Good characters are key in fiction, especially mysteries and suspense because authors can get bogged down in action and forget about giving attention to their characters. Eric Wilson has never done this, making his books stand out of their genre.

The Best of Evil

can not be considered suspense because it is based on normal, everyday life. There are many subplots contained in Aramis's life, and this is realistic because everybody has a lot going on. As usual, one of these is a romantic subplot, but Eric finds a way to end it very originally, making it the highlight of the book. The murder subplot ended next to perfectly, as did Johnny Ray's music subplot. These two subplots are the things that tie this book down from true greatness. had these been eliminated, we could have been looking at a five star book.

Nevertheless, Eric Wilson has proved to be one of the most prolific authors on the market with his deep-seated originality. I expect more great things out of him in the future.

4 stars

Abduction by Wanda L Dyson

Karen Matthews woke up one morning to find her infant daughter's crib empty. Jessica Matthews was gone without a trace. When the police investigate the situation, they suspect Karen and Ted of foul play. Zoe Shefford has been calling herself a psychic for years because of her strange mental ability to know what kidnappers are doing at certain time. She wants to bring all kidnappers to justice ever since her twin sister was kidnapped and killed when they were both young. Now the police have asked her to help in the baffling case. Josiah "JJ" Johnson objects strongly to the use of a psychic and immediately makes an enemy out of Zoe. But their incessant fights do not help the case since the killer is still on the loose...

Where most authors feel content to write a simple and straightforward suspense plot, Wanda L Dyson has done just the opposite in Abduction. This book is not a straightforward mystery. There are multiple plot elements introduced; half of them ending perfectly, half of them not. This is slightly realistic, but more comforting because Wanda, unlike most suspense authors, seems to actually have a grip on reality.

First of all, the characters are well developed. There are no perfect characters. Many of the characters have personalities, and all of them are imperfect. Character development is a necessity in fiction, and more and more authors are getting a grasp on this concept. The character development makes Abduction a stronger plot than most of its suspense counterparts.

Zoe's gift is a bit off and not well explained. Adding this gift element throws a little spice onto the recipe, but it also serves to slightly clutter up the plot. At least the gift subplot comes to a good end.

The rest of the plot elements are very contradictory.The kidnapper is not an animal and is surprising, but he instigates a cheesy showdown, and Zoe knew him from her past.

Basically, the biggest asset this book provides is good characters, and the biggest drawback is the cheesy showdown that ends predictably. We must always reward good characters, but we must never reward predictable showdowns.

Wanda's biggest strength is plot element diversity. She is able to create multiple realistic situations at once and not end them all predictably. I expect more good things from her in the future.

4 stars

Obsession by Wanda L Dyson

Josiah "JJ" Johnson has once again been thrown into a kidnapping case with Zoe Shefford, much to his dismay. Female college students are disappearing, and one of them is the niece of Zoe's closest friend. But Zoe has resolved to never use her psychic gift again now that she is a Christian, leaving the police in the lurch about who the killer is. JJ continues to argue with Zoe about her blind faith in God without accepting it. The police have apprehended a suspect, but he is not saying anything. As time keeps ticking and the killer keeps killing, the police are running out of options...and hope.

Another kidnapping case was not conducive to the progress of this potentially good series. Wanda should have deviated and tried a different case topic, because kidnapping cases are very limited. Abduction is only as good as it is because Wanda created many original plot elements outside of the case. However, she did not do so in Obsession.

The biggest asset to this book is that Wanda retained the characters' personalities very well. In the transition from one book to another in a series, the characters' previous personalities tend to get lost in the shuffle. This is not the case with Obsession. Zoe and JJ continue to be good, imperfect characters. However, Donnie Bevere is quickly transforming in a perfect mentor character.

There are only a handful of realistic things about this case-one of them being dead ends, and the other being one slight key character death. But convenient connections, the completion of a potential romance, and the villains make for a mediocre read. I'm getting tired of serial killers or kidnappers turning out to be police officers or FBI agents. This plot device was interesting the first time it was used, not the numerous other times it was used. It is only slightly realistic to have this fact be true, but the corrupt police officer stereotype is cheesy.

At the beginning of the book, it seemed like JJ and Zoe were never going to fall in love. I liked this because those who fight do not necessarily fall in love eventually. Unfortunately, at the end, Wanda scrambled around and caused the two to literally kiss and make up at the last minute. She would have done better not to fall into this common fiction trap.

In short, Obsession is not as good as it could be, but it is not as bad as it could be. There are good things about it, making me sure that Wanda L Dyson has a lot of potential.

3 stars

Intimidation by Wanda L Dyson

In an act of retaliation, someone has kidnapped FBI agent Donnie Bevere's wife Lisbeth in order to exact a valuable piece of evidence from his possession. Once this happens, Donnie becomes a very desperate man who will do anything to get the love of his life back. When he word reaches him that his wife has been buried alive in a coffin, he becomes frantic. But there is nothing he or the police can do about it. Zoe Shefford and Josiah "JJ" Johnson feel for their mutual friend, but there is nothing they can do about it. The two of them are struggling with their own problems as it is. They know they both love each other, but JJ has been resisting God all his life. Since Zoe has recently accepted Him, she has discovered that a believer should not be unequally yoked to an unbeliever. At this, she has no idea what she is to do but pray.

Wanda would have bettered herself by ending the Shefford-Johnson series with Obsession. But of course, she could not resist yet another kidnapping case when Zoe and JJ are so close to marriage. She needed to leave well enough alone, but she refrained from logic and spun a ridiculous tale that tarnishes her image as an author.

The characters' personalities are all but gone near the middle of the book, and they are all gone by the end of the book. Wanda reverts back to old standby stereotypes for her characters-Donnie as a perfect victim who never commits a sin even in the face of adversity, Zoe as a young Christian in a hazardous relationship, and JJ as the struggling atheist who inevitably gives in at the end of the book. The best thing Wanda could have done was deepen her characters' personalities, not destroy them.

Once again Wanda refrains from complex plot elements and borrows the standard, stereotypical kidnapping plot that was written ages ago. The best thing she did was kill off an expendable character. Otherwise, Wanda proceeds to fix everything possible, including extracurricular activities such as saving three children from a bomb explosion.

Wanda also throws in an endorsement for a non-profit organization that has no bearing on the plot at large.

Since it was inevitable that the Shefford-Johnson series would reach the point of embarrassment, Wanda could have saved herself by avoiding the third book altogether and ending on a good note. Intimidation is by far her worst book, and one that she should never repeat.

1.5 stars

Rescued by John Bevere and Mark Andrew Olsen

Alan Rockaway, his second wife Jenny, and his teenage son Jeff are currently on a cruise geared toward married couples. They think all is well in their lives until they get caught in a government operation gone wrong. Everyone on the cruise except Jeff ends up trapped underwater in a submarine in which the oxygen levels are limited and time is running out. Jeff tries frantically to reach them in time, but his efforts seem futile. Meanwhile, in the submarine, something is happening that no one else knows about. Those who are facing death are about to experience something they never thought they would experience that day. Their lives and destinies are about to be changed forever-and death is only the beginning.

The best thing about Rescued is the element of surprise. I love it when authors mislead the reader with the book's description and then in the middle of the book, flip the world upside down and change the rules. Rescued is not cheap suspense because of this. Even though the cover and the description hint cheap and predictable suspense, this book is a good example of not judging a book by its cover.

The plot is based entirely on imperfect characters and how wrong choices effect eternity. Even though at first, the characters are good at deceiving the reader into thinking everything in their lives is fine, everything is not fine. There is something seriously wrong with each one of them. Not a single character is perfect in this book because imperfection is its basis.

I cannot tell you anything about this book's real purpose because that would be giving things away. It has a point deeper than the reader realizes at first. I simply love books like this one that are centered around choices. This book is clearly John Bevere's life work. It also makes evident that Mark Andrew Olsen needs a good coauthor to write successful books.

Besides the deep foundational idea behind this book, the biggest lesson I learned was how not to prejudge a book by its description. This book also proves that any kind of plot has potential.

Mark Andrew Olsen should consider coauthoring more books.

5 stars

Expiration Date by Eric Wilson

Clay Ryker has just discovered something very disturbing about himself-he knows when people are going to die. Just by touching them, he knows the date of their eminent death. He has returned to Oregon from Wyoming in order to escape from his broken family life. He has moved back in with his parents and sees many things throughout his hometown that remind him of his childhood. But the death dates he knows are wearing on him and causing him to go crazy. Things become even more disturbing when a common date appears among people. He goes to the police, but they only cautiously believe him. Someone is playing a game with him, and they hold all the cards. Clay just needs to do everything he can to stop the approaching deaths.

Expiration Date

begins in the theme of Jonah in that Clay has to warn the town of coming disaster. He has the same personality as Jonah, and Scripture verses at the part changes indicate the author's intentions of this parallel. It's just a shame that Eric Wilson abandons this creative theme in the end. There are many strong points throughout the book that put this book on the Elite List, but a weak end makes it fall short of perfection.

For starters, the characters are good. Clay is a good, imperfect lead with a personality. He is very much alike Jonah in that he does not necessarily like people. The other characters are good as well, proving that Eric Wilson does not write cheap novels. I was skeptical about him at first, but clearly, he has most of his ducks in a row.

The book has a strong foundational idea. The gift of knowing people's death dates is innovative and used and presented properly. The gift genre is an unknown genre most people do not think about, but some of the best books come from this genre.

The book is long and drawn out, but it is necessary because Clay does not know what the numbers on his hand mean at first. Realistic events happen throughout the book to cause this book to be placed outside of the supernatural genre and give it a normal feel. The supernatural touch is slightly necessary and not overdone to the point of sensational. The showdown is kept to a minimum and not overdone. The biggest problem with this book is the fixing of one thing in particular. With the way Eric had the book written, an original end would have caused the book to go on longer. Eric did the best he could under the circumstances.

All in all, Expiration Date was an enjoyable read that I do not regret. I look forward to seeing what Eric will do next.

4 stars

Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills

Paige is a CIA agent who has been relocated to the small town of Split Creek, Oklahoma, as a librarian, in order to conduct further investigation on a fellow renegade agent who is running for Oklahoma governor. She lives in constant paranoia over the agent finding her out or someone in town finding out who she really is. She is also fighting a relationship with the town's high school football coach, who she really loves. She does not want to fall into a relationship at such a crucial time. Also, something from her past she thought she had buried has resurfaced at the worst time possible, causing her to take drastic action. Her nemesis is closing in, and someone in town has discovered her true identity. And time is running out...

I was skeptical at first when I read the description of this book, but in the end, the book was not all that bad. It definitely could have been better, but it sure could have been worse. There are many strong and realistic points, but DiAnn could not resist several "suspense" cliches. The book did not live up to its full potential, but it did not go as low as it could have gone.

For starters, Paige is one of the better female suspense leads I have ever met. She is realistic, believable, and imperfect. I wish I could say the same about the rest of the characters, however. There is a perfect male lead and several other undeveloped characters. Paige is really the only good character, leaving a major gap in the character department.

Paige really does love her perfect male lead, but she does not want to sabotage her career. At least it isn't one of those I-hate-you-then-I-love-you deals. Paige has an interesting opinion about TV dramas on CIA agents, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Her troubled past is also her fault. She is not a victim by far. The high school football subplot did not end in the way I expected it to end (even though DiAnn seemed lost when it came to real in-game action, offensive techniques, and general final scores). Also, Paige never really faces her nemesis in a showdown. The case is left open, unresolved, and in progress by the time the book ended, which is realistic.

So what's the problem? The romantic subplot pans out, unfortunately. Most of the characters are suffering for life. There is an unnecessary showdown with an extra villain. This book was a hard call, but the good is not enough to make up for the bad.

In short, DiAnn Mills has a lot of potential if she will line up her ducks correctly. I look forward to what she will produce next.

3.5 stars

Swope's Ridge by Ace Collins

Lije Evans has taken on a case that involves a Middle Eastern American citizen being charged with murdering a family in their own home. He is also suspected to have connections to the terrorists who attacked the World Trade Center on September 11th. Lije and another lawyer are the only ones who believe the man is innocent. There are those who want him put in prison, however. On top of this, the intrigue around the mysterious estate of Swope's Ridge escalates when the possibility of a deadly secret being hidden on the property arises. There are many people after this secret, and they are all willing to kill to get to it. But when someone Lije loves in put in the hospital for this cause, his priorities shift and the stakes become much higher.

Why throw a ridiculous court case into the potentially interesting story of Swope's Ridge? The court case is a non-factor as it is and only serves to clutter up the read. The entire mentality of this book is wrong. The mentality is what the public calls "suspense." This book is supposed to be exciting and interesting, but to me, it was really quite a boring read.

The characters suffer from under-development. One cannot feel that Lije Evans is even a real person. He has no thoughts, dialogue, or actions that serve to create a personality. He is basically perfect, but he relates more to T Davis Bunn's non-character entities. His robotic feelings do not make the reader feel like he is even real. The rest of the characters are bad as well, but Lije is definitely the worst. It only goes downhill from here.

Ace Collins does not seem content to stick with one foundational idea for his books. Instead, he crams multiple predictable plots into one book, causing multiple crucial areas to suffer. In Swope's Ridge, he crams an impossible court case, an ongoing murder mystery, and a save-the-world situation all into one mediocre plot. This is why to plot is a mess. Ace also proceeds to fix every possible thing he can think of, including finding Kaitlyn's killer from Farraday Road. There are also amateurish and unnecessary scenes including driving through a tornado that serve to clutter up things. Convenient connections cause the garbage can to overflow. Ace may have been good at non-fiction, but the evidence shows that he has no business being a fiction author. He can't handle it.

Good characters would have been a huge bound for him to complete. Eliminating unnecessary subplots would be enormous. The best thing about this book is the lack of a replacement romance for Lije. Ace probably didn't have time because he had too much else going on.

I would not recommend that Ace write any more books. The market can't take it.

1 star