A Journey to Faith
Written: May 05 '01 (Updated May 12 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A unique mystery with intriguing characters
Cons: Not for everyone
The Bottom Line: Heart Shadows is a mystery with a message--quality Christian fiction.
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| legar's Full Review: Stephanie Logue - Heart Shadows |
In the interest of honesty and fairness, I will begin this review with a disclaimer--Stephanie Parker Logue, the author of Heart Shadows, is my sister. That said, I feel qualified to review Heart Shadows, because this is a unique kind of fiction, and I believe that there are readers looking specifically for entertaining, well written fiction without the profanity, graphic sexual content, and violence of many of today's novels.
Sisters, it seems to me, share special relationships, and so it is perhaps appropriate that sisters are at the heart of Logue's Christian mystery. Whitney Paige makes the unwelcome trek to the barren Nevada desert to "save" her sister Morgan from religious "fanaticism." Whitney's trip is perilous; one of her first encounters with local residents involves rattlesnakes--and those are the good guys!
Whitney arrives at her sister's hideous Victorian mansion to find empty pots on a lit stove--and no one at home. Morgan is missing, and Grace,the annoying roommate who moves in to the house doesn't seem particularly concerned. In fact, few of the residents in tiny Battle Lake, Nevada are concerned.
Morgan's "heart shadow", Whitney finds out, is gold, which means that she is an unselfish servant of the Lord, and most of her acquaintances just assume she went off on a mission to aid someone in trouble.
Whitney is pressured by the town's newspaper editor, George Atwood, to fill Morgan's spot until she returns; a handful of handsome men descend on the Victorian mansion, demanding Whitney's attention.
There's Travis McLaughlin, who mistakes Whitney as a prostitute, the calm and even-tempered Sheriff Andrews,and his deputy,Forest Foster, a handsome, but arrogant and bigoted young man. Then there's Song, a Paiute, whose wolf accompanies him wherever he goes. All of these men profess an interest in finding Morgan--but which one of them is a kidnapper and killer?
Whitney's search for Morgan digs up dirty secrets from Battle Lake's past, and endangers all those around her. Yet Whitney slowly realizes that her greatest danger is not from any human enemy, but from her own lack of belief in the God she believes failed her once before.
Heart Shadows is, as I said, Christian fiction. Phyllis Whitney's novels are similar in tone, but here the message is unabashed: faith is what allows each of us to overcome our obstacles--or fail. There is no ambiguity in Logue's message to readers that "all things work to the good of them that love God."
Christian fiction has a reputation for being poorly written, and sacrificing quality at the expense of the message. Heart Shadows is well-written, with characters you won't forget and vivid description of the Nevada desert. Logue's experience in journalism helps her capture detail with a fine eye, and there are some fascinating snippets of local color from the author's time in Nevada. Imagine, a church made entirely of glass bottles, for example; the church becomes an integral part of the mystery.
Obviously, if you prefer "blood and guts" or police procedural mysteries, this is not for you. But if you like wholesome fiction that's entertaining and intriguing--gripping, even--you will want to read Heart Shadows. Readers with strong beliefs in divine purpose are also likely to enjoy reading this story of a journey towards faith and conviction.
Check your local bookstore for Heart Shadows, or find it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Booksamillion, or iUniverse, the publisher. The regular price is listed at $12.95.
Heart Shadows, with its mystery and message, is a truly unique work, and for those who see life as Logue does, as a gift from God, it will be an extremely welcome book.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
legar
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Member: Leslie Garcia
Location: Laredo, Texas
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
I'm an elementary school teacher, mother, and published author, currently living in Laredo, Texas.
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