Good medical suspense -- Medical Judgment

Medical Judgment is the first book I've read by Richard Mabry, and it encourages me to read more of his work.

The story is a complex one.  Besides the main storyline, several subplots are built in that help the reader get to know much about the characters and their back stories.  The mystery is good, keeping you guessing about who the "bad guy" really is.  Before the story was over, I think I had suspected every character!  The struggles of emotion and faith drew me in to caring for the characters and their outcomes.

There is some repetition and stiffness to the writing that might cause you to get bogged down a little while reading, but all in all the story is very engaging.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

See what other readers think about Medical Judgment here.

About the book:

Dr. Sarah Gordon lost her husband and daughter. Now she's about to lose her life.

After losing the two people she loved the most, Sarah Gordon doesn't think life could get worse. But, after a fire in her garage is ruled an arson, she begins to realize someone is after her---and that person wants to see her dead. But first, they want to see her suffer.

Her late husband's best friend, Kyle Andrews, and a recovering alcoholic detective, Bill Larson, are trying to solve the mystery before it's too late, and they're both trying to win her heart, too. Not only does Sarah feel torn between two men, she also feels as though she cannot trust anyone.

With creepy threats that become more and more sinister, Sarah finds herself in constant fear, but even the best home alarm technology won't protect her. Who is doing this, and why are they after her?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1PjHaAz

About the author:

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician who writes "medical suspense with heart." His novels have won multiple awards: a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers' debut novel; finalists for the Carol Award, Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and Romantic Times' Reader's Choice Award; and both finalist and winner of the Selah Award. He and his wife live in Frisco, Texas.

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Join Richard in celebrating the release of Medical Judgment by entering to win an e-reader!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Medical Judgment
• A Kindle Fire HD 6

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on June 21st. The winner will be announced June 22nd on the Litfuse blog.

Well-rounded collection of Amish novellas -- An Amish Market

An Amish Market is another collection of good Amish novellas by some great authors. Generally, I prefer longer novels, even series, where you can really get involved with the characters and their lives.  But this book, like pretty much all the Amish novella collections I've read, gives something of a break from the longer books, providing sweet stories that can often be read in one sitting with the chance to start a new story next time you pick up the book.

The stories are quite different in style, characters, and setting, but they are all connected in some way through an Amish store or market.  The collection provides glimpses into Amish life in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and Indiana, with the main characters ranging in age and experience from a young girl's first job outside her home to a middle-aged woman who long ago gave up the dream of marriage.  Sweet young love, broken hearts, cold hearts, and a touch of mystery round out these enjoyable stories.

Fans of good Amish fiction should enjoy this well-rounded collection of stories.

Thanks to one of the authors, Kathleen Fuller, and her publisher for providing a copy of An Amish Market in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

All the color and variety of a quaint Amish shop in a charming collection of novellas by four of your favorite authors. Feel free to come in and browse!

Love Birds by Amy Clipston

While Ellie Lapp and her mother are still mourning the loss of her brother, Seth, Ellie starts working at one of the gift shops in town. Seth’s friend Lloyd is talented at carving wooden birds, but his father disapproves and expects him to take over the family farm someday. Ellie sees the beauty in Lloyd’s creations and insists Lloyd sell the birds in the gift shop where she works. As Ellie and Lloyd spend more time together, they begin to develop feelings for one another, but she accidentally betrays his trust. Will she lose any hope of a future with him?

A Bid for Love by Kathleen Fuller

Every week, Hannah Lynne brings her home-churned butter to the local market. And every week Ezra stops by to purchase some. Hannah Lynne knows not to read too much into it—Ezra is a confirmed bachelor and barely even glances her way, despite any hope to the contrary. But when Ezra bids an exorbitant amount to win the quilt she had her heart set on, Hannah Lynne can’t stop her heart from taking over her mind. Could Ezra finally be in the market for love?

Sweeter Than Honey by Kelly Irvin

Shattering a jar of pickled beets wasn’t the impression Isabella hoped to make on her first trip to the local Combination Store of Bee County, Texas. But as embarrassed as she was by the accident, she didn’t think it warranted the frosty reaction from the handsome manager of the store, Will Glick. As she soon learns, though, Will’s heart has been broken one too many times. And now, for some reason, Isabella finds herself determined to be the one to repair that broken heart and renew his faith in love.

Love in Store by Vannetta Chapman

Stella Schrock works at the Old Mill in Nappanee, Indiana, with new employee David Stoltzfus, a recent widower. When strange happenings begin occurring around town, it appears as if someone wants to close the mill. Stella and David have to work together to solve the mystery of what is happening at the Old Amish Mill, and in the process they might just find that God has more in store for their future than they would ever have dreamed possible.

About the Authors:

Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series. Her novels have hit multiple bestseller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and three spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at amyclipston.com Facebook: AmyClipstonBooks Twitter: @AmyClipston

Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Wordand Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at www.kathleenfuller.com, Twitter: @TheKatJam, and Facebook: Kathleen Fuller.

Kelly Irvin is the author of the critically acclaimed Amish of Bee County series. Kelly is also the author of several Amish series including the Bliss Creek Amish series, the New Hope Amish series, and the Amish of Bee County series. She has been married for twenty-seven years, and they have two young adult children, two cats, and a tank full of fish. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and read books by her favorite authors. Learn more at kellyirvin.com Twitter: @Kelly_S_Irvin Facebook: Kelly.Irvin.Author

Vannetta Chapman is author of the best-selling novel A Simple Amish Christmas. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. In 2012 she was awarded a Carol Award for Falling to Pieces. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania.  Visit Vannetta's website: www.vannettachapman.com  Twitter: @VannettaChapman  Facebook: VannettaChapmanBooks

Engaging and informative -- The Amish

The Amish: A Concise Introduction by Steven Nolt may be the first non-fiction book about the Amish that I have read in its entirety.  (That comes after twenty years or so of reading hundreds of Amish fiction books and bits and pieces of related non-fiction books and online articles.) 

I found The Amish to be extremely engaging and informative.  Although I would call it scholarly in the sense of presenting much factual information, the tone is very comfortable and easy to read; an academic background is not necessary for understanding. "Concise" is a good description; at less than 150 pages, not a great deal of time is required to read the entire book.

Nolt fits his facts into a framework that helps his readers begin to understand these often misunderstood people and how they function in a society much different from many of their own beliefs and practices.  He debunks the image of the Amish as a group of people stuck somewhere in decades long past, out of touch with the modern world, and shows how they have used insight and innovation to grow and thrive into the twenty-first century while holding to long-standing principles.

Anyone with an interest in learning more about the background and lifestyle of the Amish should find this book a valuable read. 

On a more personal note, while I have no connection with the author of this book, I enjoyed his use of photographs, about 40 percent of which were taken by my husband (Don Burke) during many visits to Amish settlements over the past six years.

About the Book:

There seems to be no end to our fascination with the Amish, a religious minority that has both placed itself outside the mainstream of American culture and flourished within it. Yet most people know very little about the nuanced relationship the Amish have with society or their own communities.

Drawing on more than twenty years of fieldwork and collaborative research, Steven M. Nolt’s The Amish: A Concise Introduction is a compact but richly detailed portrait of Amish life. In fewer than 150 pages, readers will come away with a clear understanding of the complexities of these simple people. Writing in engaging and accessible language, Nolt explains how the Amish at once operate within modern America and stand very much apart from the world. Arguing that Amish life is shaped equally by internal and external social, political, and economic contexts, Nolt explores Amish identity as emerging from a complex cultural negotiation with modernity. He takes on much-hyped topics such as Rumspringa and reveals the distinctive Amish approach to technology. He also explains how Amish principles stand in contrast to contemporary American values, including rational efficiency, large-scale organization, and Western notions of individuality.

Authoritative, informative, and illustrated, this guide provides a vivid introduction to a way of life many find fascinating but few truly understand.

About the Author:

Steven M. Nolt is a professor of history and Senior Scholar at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. He is the author of A History of the Amish and the coauthor of The Amish.