A clean, readable Christian mystery with an unsurprising outcome.
Stewart’s novel is a classic murder mystery with a Christian bent set in an upstate New York town that is no stranger to corruption.
Heroine Kate Feeney finds herself at the center of that corruption when she stands up to the school board to protest a proposed sex education program and gets thrown in jail. It’s only the beginning of Kate’s adventures. After the president of the school board is murdered, Kate begins working with police Detective Mike Roberts, formerly of the NYPD, to track down the killer. Suspects include a wealthy sheik from the fictional country of South Arabyia, police officers who have a blackmailing operation and a local family of moonshiners. Before she can do much, though, Kate is unfairly arrested again, this time after an altercation at an abortion clinic protest. While being transported in the back of a police cruiser after her arraignment, Kate manages to avoid being raped by a corrupt cop. She flees to the woods when she hears shots fired, only to come out and find the cop dead. Although she saw nothing, she heard the killer’s voice, and this makes her a target for the unknown murderer who tries more than once to bring down the gutsy woman. A number of twists and turns produce an action-packed story, and thanks to the relationship between Kate and Mike, there’s a hint of romance. Though Kate and Mike are baffled, regular mystery readers will likely deduce the killer’s ID thanks to a few subtle hints. The story is marred by clunky dialogue that is asked to carry too much of the back story, such as this comment made by Mike: “Because my mother’s suicide was caused by mental instability, your childhood abuse makes me afraid you might become mentally unstable. I’m worried that your risk-taking is a suicidal impulse.” Nonbelievers may wonder if Kate’s prayers are falling on deaf ears when they see she must fight off a rapist, gets kidnapped by a sheik and both her aunt and her dog get shot, but Christians will likely admire her steadfast faith.
A clean, readable Christian mystery with an unsurprising outcome.Pub Date: June 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1477429365
Page Count: 328
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In the goofy fantasy land of Skree, where “totato” gardens are infested with “thwaps” and the town fool dances in circles with socks on his hands, three children find themselves embroiled in the fight against evil. Janner loves younger brother Tink and sister Leeli, but he wishes it wasn’t always his job to protect them. Still, in a world run by the stinky, lizard-like Fangs of Dang, Janner can’t be too careful. The ruler of the Fangs, wicked Gnag the Nameless, wants nothing more than the mythical Jewels of Anniera—and the local Fangs think Janner’s family is hiding them. Over the course of a few too many nick-of-time rescues, the children learn their predictable great secret. Janner’s loving family injects the fantasy tropes with heartfelt sincerity, which lies incongruously among the gags, silly names and fake footnotes. But all the right quest elements are here, and with a bit more balance (less forced clownishness, a more natural flow of narrative tension), the sequel could be a book well worth the wait. (Fantasy. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 18, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4000-7384-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2008
A unique take on Jewish history and legend, with the prospect that it will pay off further in later books.
This debut fantasy follows two young Jews escaping the Inquisition who discover their connection to another world.
In a region resembling Renaissance-era Spain—to the extent that it includes Christians, Muslims, Jews, and the works of medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides—the Inquisition is coming, and Jews must flee or convert. Naftaly Cresques, a bad tailor tormented by true visions and odd dreams of familiar-seeming places peopled by square-pupiled inhabitants, is among the refugees. Strong-willed fellow refugee Elena Peres soon drags Naftaly into the search for her lost granddaughter, Toba. Toba is a strangely weak and strangely gifted young woman—she cannot run or shout but can simultaneously translate a book into Latin with one hand and Arabic with the other—who has disappeared into a burst of light within a pomegranate grove. She has been transported to the realm of the square-pupiled people, the magical, long-lived race known as the Maziks, who are still suffering the effects of a brutal political coup and spiritual upheaval centuries before. As Toba explores her own mysterious connection to the Maziks and struggles for control of her newly discovered magical gifts, Naftaly faces deadly challenges both on the road and in his dreams, and both become entangled with the Maziks’ dangerous intrigues. It is perhaps a bit confusing that the mortal world of the book, which specifically names the languages, religions, and politics of our own history, is set entirely in imaginary lands. On the other hand, a great deal of Jewish-inspired fantasy tends to employ a coded version of Judaism, and some might find it refreshing to read a book with clearly identified Jewish protagonists and that directly draws on Jewish rituals and culture instead of cloaking them in author-invented terms. It is also refreshing that although the introductions of Naftaly and Toba initially suggest to the experienced reader of traditional fantasy novels that they are destined to become a couple, that expectation is shattered fairly definitively. The worldbuilding is intricate and takes up most of the plot, which unfortunately causes the pacing to drag somewhat. The climax is exciting, but it's clear that the book is mainly a setup for actions that will take place in future volumes, which makes this installment an intriguing tease but not entirely satisfying in and of itself.
A unique take on Jewish history and legend, with the prospect that it will pay off further in later books.Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781645660576
Page Count: 576
Publisher: Erewhon
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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