Two Destinies – Elizabeth Musser

Elizabeth Musser is quickly working her way onto my favorite authors list. This final part of the Secrets of the Cross Trilogy brought mixed emotions- anticipation to finally read the rest of the story and disappointment to turn the final page. Originally published in French, Secrets of the Cross is being republished in English to a brand new audience of readers.

Two Destinies brings us once again to Montpellier, France and Algiers, Algeria. This time the year is 1994, and Ophelie Duchemin and her half brother Eric Hoffman are young adults navigating the realities of the growing Islamic/Christian culture clash in southern France. As Ophelie is drawn to helping the homeless, Eric falls in love with Rislene, an Algerian Christian convert. When Rislene’s sister discovers the Bible under her mattress, their father sends both girls back to Algeria to live with their grandmother while a suitable Islamic husband can be found for Rislene.

Get up right now and get this book- or the entire series! Discover the fascinating world of North African culture during a time of struggle for independence from France and the ensuing battle for Islamic control.

The River Rose- Gilbert Morris

First of all, let me say that for Christian Fiction you can’t go wrong with Gilbert Morris. Ever.  He just has a way of bringing historical time periods to life.

Set in Memphis, Tennesse during the Gilded Age, The River Rose includes everything one would associate with the time period: river boats, crime, political scandal, racial and gender prejudice, and class distinction.

Jeanne Bettencourt and Clint Hardin are very distant relatives who know nothing of each other until they are both summoned to Attorney Nate Deshler’s office to be informed, together, that they are the heirs of the Helena Rose, a Mississippi River boat.  With their combined experience, she as the daughter of a river boat captain and he with mechanical experience, they decide to put aside their mistrust and live and work together on the boat.  The antics and scandal that follow their decision make for an entertaining story that will take you back to a slower, fascinating time in American history.

 

Relentless Pursuit- Kathy Herman

Louisiana Bayou.  Gourmet Cooking.  Small town life.  Murder by cyanide poisoning.

After fleeing his abusive father and changing his identity, Sax Landry now plays the saxophone in a New Orleans jazz band.  Years pass and Sax receives word that his mother and father are both dead.  After an intense internal struggle, he pursues the sister he left behind.  Will he find her?  Will she forgive him?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  Kathy Herman has my attention, and I am eager to read more from her.  The characters are not only believable, they are your family and neighbors.  Conversation flows naturally and is not contrived.  Having grown up on the Gulf Coast, I enjoyed escaping for a few hours to the Bayou!

What About Cimarron? – Lauraine Snelling

Lauraine Snelling is a captivating author, and this book written for younger girls hits the mark.

Sarah lives near Mt. St. Helens with her parents, her sister, and Cimarron her horse.  When the volcano erupts, everyone is forced to evacuate immediately…no horses allowed.  As the days drag by and Sarah’s concern for Cimarron reaches its own eruption point, Sarah loses faith in God.  How could He allow this to happen?  With no end in sight for this terrible tragedy, Sarah devises her own plan to return to her home and save Cimarron.

This journey of young faith and growing compassion for others is a sure win with adolescent girls.  Whether you need a book report book once school starts or a rainy-day diversion for a boring summer day, you won’t be disappointed with What About Cimarron?

Cuts Like a Knife- M.K. Gilroy

Kristen Connor is a detective that everybody likes, including the serial killer that has suddenly stepped up his game.  From her witty interaction with her family to her impressive self-defense skills, you will fall in love with Detective Kristen Connor!

M.K. Gilroy introduces us to his new heroine in Cuts Like a Knife, the first book of his Kristen Connor mystery series.  With action, drama, family dynamics, and a little bit of romance, this is a great book to spend a few hours with!

Oregon Outback- Elizabeth Goddard

Jonas Love is an FBI agent with regrets and some unrequested down time.

Carver Love is a successful rancher with a Texas-size ego and a soft spot for the beautiful sheriff.

Lucas Love is a business owner with an addiction to adrenaline and a fear of marriage.

Justin Love is a bounty hunter with an attitude and a secret agenda.

Four brothers.  Four women.  Four troubles.

An enjoyable summer escape to the Oregon Outback.  It is always a pleasure to visit places you’ve never been before, and Elizabeth Goddard has chosen a location not many writers have explored.  The unfamiliar, rugged setting makes the stories of the Love brothers all that much more interesting.  This one should definitely make your short list for summer vacation reading.

Coming Home- Karen Kingsbury

She did it again!  Karen Kingsbury is a master story teller with a true gift for pulling on your heart strings.  Coming Home releases in just a few days, and you will want to be waiting at the door when your favorite bookseller opens- just make sure you have an uninterrupted block of time and a full box of tissues.  This very emotional conclusion to the Baxter series brings all the Baxter children home to celebrate their dad’s 70th birthday, but before they have a chance to read him the letters they have written for this momentous occasion, tragedy strikes.  How will this family, who has already experienced so much pain, move through this tragic experience with their faith intact?

If you are already a fan of the Baxter family, Coming Home will be a gripping conclusion for you.  If you have not read any of the Baxter family’s story, it will be an emotional introduction to this amazing story.  If you have never read Karen Kingsbury’s work, you are missing out on a fantastic writer!

End of the Trail- Vickie McDonough

In 1886, Brooks Morgan was a spoiled and coddled teenager.  After a run-in with his father, he kicked Jester’s side and galloped off the ranch.  Working his way from one job to another, 1896 found him caught in a thunderstorm in Shoofly, Texas.  Taking refuge in a cafe, Brooks meets a fascinating stranger.  Will Langston is a dying man whose only family, the niece he raised for his sister, is away at finishing school.  Will hires Brooks to take care of him and, unknown to Brooks, arranges for him to “win” Will’s ranch in a poker game.  The only catch is that Brooks must agree to take care of Keri.  Thinking that Keri must be Will’s dog, Brooks readily agrees.

Keri Langston hates her life at finishing school in Georgia and wants only to return to her ranch in Texas and live happily-ever-after with her uncle.  When she arrives back in Texas, perplexed that her uncle wasn’t at the train station to meet her, she heads over to the cafe to wait for him and learns from an old friend about her uncle’s death.

When Keri arrives at “her” ranch and discovers a new owner, sparks fly!  As Keri and Brooks learn to work together to save the ranch, they must fight outlaws, murderers, and the truth about each of their pasts.

End of the Trail is a delightful excuse to escape into the Wild West for a break from the Concrete Jungle.

Two Testaments- Elizabeth Musser

In this second book of the Secrets of the Cross trilogy, the story of the Algerian war for independence from France continues.  David travels to Algeria to rescue his friends and discovers his estranged father has been kidnapped as well.  The orphanage in France struggles for survival in the midst of controversy and threats.  Gabriella struggles with confidence as she contemplates taking on the running of the orphanage with Mother Griolet’s failing health.  A young Arab boy is sent to the orphanage as a spy with orders to kill one of the children as well as Gabriella and David, but in the face of so much love and care, he has a change of heart.

Two Testaments is not at all a disappointment as a sequel.  I read far into the night, way past my bedtime, as the pages seemed to turn of their own volition.  In addition to learning about a segment of history that I knew little about, I also found it interesting to read about life at the beginning of the Arab domination of North Africa.

I am eagerly awaiting book three of the Secrets of the Cross trilogy as Elizabeth Musser brings the story into the present day!  If you are a historical fiction fan, you should definitely put this series on your short list!

Two Crosses- Elizabeth Musser

Historical Fiction at its finest!  Gabriella is the daughter of American missionaries to Senegal.  Mother Griolet is the head of the French-American exchange program at the boarding school in the south of France.  David Hoffmann is the very handsome American professor of French Literature.  Gabriella finds herself an innocent participator in a world she never imagined.  A Huegenot cross necklace she received from her mother becomes a link to the past and also puts her in danger from those who believe she is part of an underground spy organization.

Algerian innocents and Europeans living in Algeria are caught between the FLN, the Arab socialist political party seeking independence from France, and the OAS, the French nationalist organization working to prevent Algeria’s independence.  Hugo is the mysterious head of the underground resistance, but who is he?  From secret messages hidden in loaves of bread to orphans smuggled out of Algeria on sail boats, the suspense keeps you turning the pages.

I LOVE historical fiction, and this series is not only captivating but also very well-written.  I would put Elizabeth Musser right up there with the Thoenes, and that is high praise indeed!  In addition to crafting a masterful story, the author has chosen a fascinating, yet little known, historical event as a setting.  Two Crosses is the first book of Elizabeth Musser’s Secrets of the Cross trilogy.  Be on the lookout for my review of Two Testaments coming soon!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.