The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir

Twists & turns from a police insider—couldn’t put it down!

From the Publisher

Ex-homicide detective Ray Quinn never had glamorous thoughts of the life of a private investigator—but being cornered in a bathroom stall by the enraged philandering husband of a client? That’s something he could live without. Retired from homicide and living with a painful disability, Ray’s options are limited. Stick to the job, keep impetuous sidekick Crevis alive, and spend quiet evenings with trusted pal Jim Beam, that’s about the best he can hope for.

As a new client emerges, Ray finds himself in an impossibly large boardroom holding a check with enough zeros to finally lift him from his financial pit. The job seems easy enough: find Logan Ramsey, an ex-cop turned security officer who’s taken off with sensitive corporate information. But few things are easy in Ray’s world, regardless of the amount of zeros in the check.

In what should be an open-and-shut case, Ray stumbles across Logan Ramsey in a seedy motel room. Only Ray wasn’t the first to find him. Now Logan’s dead, the client’s information is nowhere to be found, and Ray’s employer is less than forthcoming with the details. Suddenly the line between the good guys and bad guys isn’t so clear. With a foot in both worlds and an illuminating look at an unhappy ending that could well be his own, which will Ray choose?

My Take

I’ve recently taken a liking to some murder mystery books and have added several new authors to my list of “must reads”.  I’ve now added Mark Mynheir to that list! This was a new author for me and now I can’t wait to read the first Ray Quinn mystery book.

Mynheir has a way of taking the facts and thinking outside the box to get new angles. I found it interesting how a police investigator’s thought process works and getting inside their heads.  Working with the Florida homicide unit, SWAT team, and forensics brings a whole other perspective to the usual mystery novel. 

I also enjoyed the characters in The Corruptible.  From the murder victim (not just a “dead guy”) to head honcho CEO that hires Quinn to Quinn’s business partners, each one has a distinct, unique personality. They also have their own story and Mynheir brings out those stories to give the reader a “bonding” experience with the characters. I think this helps for sequel books—you already have an investment in the characters and will more likely to get the new book to see what happens to them.

The Corruptible is a Christian based novel but Mynheir didn’t make it “preachy”.  There was really only one faithful character and she wasn’t pushy about it even though it was mentioned each time she was involved in the story line. I also liked how several of the characters had their own struggles and were trying to work through them to heal themselves. One negative -- there was some repetition throughout the book on minor items but I think they can be overlooked with such a compelling story line. 

I give The Corruptible 5 stars—I couldn’t put the book down and the story kept pulling me further and further in. It was almost as if I was involved in the case, too. I can’t wait to see what Mynheir comes up with next!

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah’s “Blogging for Books”  as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

 

About the Author

Mark Mynheir is the author of the Christy Award nominated The Night Watchman, the first Ray Quinn mystery. He has worked undercover as a narcotics agent, as a SWAT team member, and now investigates violent crimes as a detective with the Criminal Investigations Unit in central Florida, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren

A STORY OF LOVE, HEALING & FORGIVENESS

From the Publisher

There are no second chances. Or are there?

Krista Mueller is in a good place. She’s got a successful career as a professor of history; she’s respected and well-liked; and she lives hundreds of miles from her hometown and the distant mother she could never please. It’s been more than a decade since Alzheimer’s disease first claimed Charlotte Mueller’s mind, but Krista has dutifully kept her mother in a first-class nursing home.

Now Charlotte is dying of heart failure and, surprised by her own emotions, Krista rushes to Taos, New Mexico, to sit at her estranged mother’s side as she slips away. Battling feelings of loss, abandonment, and relief, Krista is also unsettled by her proximity to Dane McConnell, director of the nursing home—and, once upon a time, her first love. Dane’s kind and gentle spirit—and a surprising discovery about her mother—make Krista wonder if she can at last close the distance between her and her mother … and open the part of her heart she thought was lost forever.

My Take

Reading the description of Mercy Come Morning really hit home and I knew I needed to read it. The main character, Krista, is trying to reconcile her feelings about her mother and get over the bad relationship she had in the past with her. Krista is angry, frustrated, and unable to get past the negative feelings she has for her mother—before and after the Alzheimer’s hit.

We are going through the stages of Alzheimer’s with my mother right now. Although we had a good enough relationship while I was growing up, I’ve had many internal conflicts about her since I’ve been her caregiver for the last 4 years. I know she can’t help her actions and I know I shouldn’t take them personally, but I have a tendency to resent her---especially lately. Like Krista, I need to lean harder on my faith and forgive mom, as well as myself, so that I don’t end up bitter like Krista. Plus, like Krista, it’s so hard to have your loved one so changed from what you knew all those years growing up. We have our own expectations of who mom should be even though she can't live up to them anymore. That's where we have to forgive mom, ask for forgiveness and accept her for who she is.......now.

When I began reading Mercy Come Morning, it was a bit slow. But after getting past the first few chapters, I began to feel connected with Krista. The descriptions of Taos, both the community and the winter weather, was so vividly written that I could picture it in my mind. And I loved all the thought and research Ms. Bergren put into Cimarron Care Center. It sounds like paradise for Alzheimer’s patients and their families. It’s too bad nothing like Cimarron exists in real life. Ms. Bergren definitely has a way with words and drawing the reader into her story.

Thankfully Krista reconnected with her “grandmother” Elena and her old beau, Dane. While going through those last days with her mother, Krista needed the love and support found in both of them. Their different perspectives on mom’s past helped Krista find the healing and forgiveness she needed. Sometimes appearances are deceiving and once Krista found out the reasons between her mother’s actions, she knew she had to apologize to her mother even though mom may not hear it.

Even with the slow start and some predictability surrounding Krista and Dane’s relationship, I give Mercy Come Morning 4 stars. Reading the book actually gave me some peace with my mother’s situation. Now I'm beginning to know compassion and empathy toward mom--healing and forgiveness are only a few steps away.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah’s “Blogging for Books”  as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

About the Author

 Lisa T. Bergren is Tim's wife; Olivia (16), Emma (13) and Jack's (8) mom; a traveler  www. TheWorldisCalling.com); a freelance editor; a writer; and an explorer of people, places and the ways of God. You can find more about her at www.LisaTawnBergren.com.

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

Strong, Resilient Characters—Historically Fascinating

From the Publisher

A mother's tragedy, a daughter's desire and the 7000 mile journey that changed their lives. 

In 1896 Norwegian American Helga Estby accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City within seven months in an effort to earn $10,000. Bringing along her nineteen year-old daughter Clara, the two made their way on the 3500-mile trek by following the railroad tracks and motivated by the money they needed to save the family farm.  After returning home to the Estby farm more than a year later, Clara chose to walk on alone by leaving the family and changing her name. Her decisions initiated a more than 20-year separation from the only life she had known. 

Historical fiction writer Jane Kirkpatrick picks up where the fact of the Estbys’ walk leaves off to explore Clara's continued journey. What motivated Clara to take such a risk in an era when many women struggled with the issues of rights and independence? And what personal revelations brought Clara to the end of her lonely road? The Daughter's Walk weaves personal history and fiction together to invite readers to consider their own journeys and family separations, to help determine what exile and forgiveness are truly about.

My Take

When I selected this book, I didn’t realize that portions of it were historically accurate—that the walk actually took place. For that era, it was unheard of for a wife to disobey her husband, leave her children, and independently take charge of herself.  I’m in awe of what Helga Estby and her daughter, Clara, accomplished.

Clara initially refuses to accompany her mother on the trip, however she acquiesces realizing her mother will go alone if necessary.  Once the journey begins, mother and daughter begin a new book in their relationship. Clara learns much about her mother that didn’t know before and begins to respect this new woman in her life.  It always touches my heart when a parent and child begin to really “know” each other even though they have lived together day in and day out.   This relational shift is a gift to both and to future descendants—think of the stories that can be passed down!

Unfortunately for Helga, her life was irreparably altered after the walk. From the way her family treats her to the way others perceive her.  For Clara, her life is also transformed but in a different way (I don’t want to give it away!!). Would they have done the walk knowing their future outcome? Would they have done anything differently? 

This is the first book I’ve read by Jane Kirkpatrick and I have to say I am very impressed with her writing style, the way she develops the characters and how they actually become family to the reader. Her descriptions of surroundings and circumstances is also well done.  Ms. Kirkpatrick has surely done her research of the walk and it shows. I know I will be looking for other books written by her. The Daughter’s Walk has earned a 5-star rating from this reader—thank you Ms. Kirkpatrick  and Waterbrook Press!

This Book was provided by Waterbrook Press through the "Blogging for Books" program in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed were my own.

About the Author

Jane Kirkpatrick is the award-winning author of 17 novels and 3 non-fiction titles, including the 2010 WILLA Literary Award winner, A Flickering Light, and her latest, The Daughter's Walk.  A Mental Health professional, she brings her interest in healing and inspiring the human spirit into researching and writing about the lives of actual historical men and women. For twenty-six years, she and her husband Jerry ranched in a remote and rugged section of Eastern Oregon, where she discovered her own homesteading story. She has spoken internationally about the power of story in our lives and is a frequent retreat, conference, and keynote speaker. She and her husband now live with two dogs and a cat on their small acreage near Bend, Oregon.