Author Lorena McCourtney has written several mystery series for the Christian market, and I have several of them. I think I've read one. But the premise of her Andi McConnell series was so intriguing I had to give it a try. And Your Chariot Awaits delivers on the promise.

Andi's life is falling about. Just before her sixtieth birthday, her job is downsized and her boyfriend breaks up with her. In the midst of all this, she gets the surprise of her life. A long forgotten uncle has left her his limo. She really doesn't intend to keep it, but it is so much fun driving it around town.

The fun disappears a couple days later when Andi thinks she hears a noise outside. Going to investigate, she is knocked unconscious. When she comes to, she finds a body in the trunk of her limo. A body that wasn't there that afternoon. With the police zeroing in on her as a suspect, Andi decides to investigate and try to find some other suspects for the police. Can she clear her name?

The main characters in this book are a joy to spend time around. In addition to Andi, there's Fritz and Joella. Joella is Andi's single, pregnant neighbor, a real departure for a Christian series. In fact, she's the only Christian character in the novel. Fritz is the has been star of a mostly forgotten TV detective show. All three come across as real people, and I loved every moment I spent with them. Plus they have a sense of fun that kept a smile on my face as I read. There are some stand outs in the other characters, like Andi's nosey neighbor, but they often weren't quite as developed as they could have been.

The plot took it's time developing. The book took some time setting the story in motion, but some background for the murder was included in those pages. The story did get sidetracked a few times to make way for characters moments. While those didn't advance the story, they were enjoyable. Things did ramp up for the climax, which was very exciting and wrapped up all the important plot points.

Since this is a Christian mystery, there is plenty of talk about God, mostly of it coming from Joella. It never became preachy, but was an important part of her character. The ending left things a little vague as far as Andi is concerned, and I'll be interested in seeing how things develop in future books.

Many Christian novels seem to suffer a little in the writing department, and this is no exception. It works, but it doesn't flow quite as well as it most novels. But that's a minor point as I still raced through the book to find out how things would end.

Your Chariot Awaits is a fun debut. I will definitely be getting Andi's other adventures to find out where her new limo takes her.

Andi McConnell Mysteries
1. Your Chariot Awaits (You are here)
2. Here Comes the Ride

Recommended: Yes