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.

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory

If Jesus invited you to dinner, what would YOU ask?

From the Publisher

You are Invited to a Dinner with Jesus of Nazareth

The mysterious envelope arrives on Nick Cominsky’s desk amid a stack of credit card applications and business-related junk mail. Although his seventy-hour workweek has already eaten into his limited family time, Nick can’t pass up the opportunity to see what kind of plot his colleagues have hatched.

The normally confident, cynical Nick soon finds himself thrown off-balance, drawn into an intriguing conversation with a baffling man who appears to be more than comfortable discussing everything from world religions to the existence of heaven and hell. And this man who calls himself Jesus also seems to know a disturbing amount about Nick’s personal life.

As the evening progresses, their conversation touches on life, God, meaning, pain, faith, and doubt–and it seems that having Dinner with a Perfect Stranger may change Nick’s life forever.

My Take

This little book isn’t your typical small, quick, superficial read. It’s actually more of the opposite! It may be small but the contents are thought provoking and reflective.  For me, it’s a book that I’m going to have to read more than once to digest it all!

Skepticism abounds in the beginning of the book. From thinking the invitation is a joke from his friends to doubting Jesus at the beginning of dinner---“Tell me (Yesh), can you turn this wine back into water?”. Who can blame Nick? It’s not every day you get invited to dinner by Jesus! But by dessert, Nick is trying to decide if this guy is a nut-case, a great actor, or is it possible he’s the real thing?

Obviously Nick has a lot of questions and much doubt about this whole thing but he’s not afraid to ask the hard questions. As expected, the answers are not always specific or clear cut. They are meant for the reader to ponder and reflect about their own beliefs and values. On the flip side, sometimes the answers touched upon by Jesus are “lessons” that we need to learn.

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger is a splendid read for a book club or bible group. There are several different sets of study guides for group discussions (located here)—discussions for one meeting, 4 meetings, or 8 meetings. For a 100=page book, 8 weeks of discussion shows the inspiration of the book.

I would give this a 5 out of 5 star rating. The story is very well written, easy to read and understand, as well as a way to discover your own beliefs and views. I’m going to give this to a family member who has quite a bit of “alone time” due to his job. I’m not trying to convert someone with the book but just allowing them explore their own principles and convictions. I’m sure we all could use a little of that.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah’s Blogging for Books and have given my honest opinion of this book.

About the Author

David Gregory’s life has come full circle. Despite a love for writing and liberal arts in high school and college, David opted for a “more practical” business degree that launched him into a successful ten-year career in compensation management with three consulting firms and Texas Instruments. After a decade of spreadsheets, however, he was ready to look for a career offering more personal meaning. 

David returned to graduate school, earning a master’s degree from the University of North Texas with concentrations in communication and sociology. During that time, he began creative writing in the form of two short screenplays, one dramatic and one science fiction. He also started a periodic newsletter before joining a Christian ministry as staff writer and editor. While there, he coauthored two nonfiction books, The Marvelous Exchange and The Rest of the Gospel: When the Partial Gospel Has Worn You Out.

While earning another master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, David entertained a new craft: writing fiction. He decided that in a culture dominated by sound bites, reality TV, and the Internet, communicating through story could reach otherwise untapped audience. Taking some material on worldviews that he had planned to put into nonfiction form, he began writing Dinner with a Perfect Stranger. 

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.