Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 387 pages
Published: August 2023

Happiness Falls, at the surface, is a literary mystery about a father who goes missing in a Washington DC-area park, and the last person who was with him was his young son who has a rare genetic condition that prohibits him from speaking. What's more is the fictional story takes place during the summer of 2020, which posed additional challenges in solving the missing person case in the midst of a global pandemic. On a deeper level, the story is more philosophical and thought-provoking. It begs the questions, what does it mean to be happy? What is the difference between being non-verbal and non-communicative? How does verbal language communicate intelligence? What role does race play in how we perceive and are perceived? How do we protect the ones we love, especially in the most challenging of circumstances?

The book is narrated by the older sister, who is a twin. She and both her brothers and mother come together as a family to work out and reconcile what has happened to the patriarch of their family. The specific plot of the mystery is not necessarily the most important aspect of the book, but it helps propel the story forward. I found this story to beautifully written, and I appreciated the way it made me think about things. There's a lot to unpack beyond the mystery, which is resolved in the course of the books nearly 400 pages. This is one I slowly savored and wouldn't mind reading again.  

Recommendation: This book was on my TBR list for far too long. I am happy I read it. This is one of those books where you're not going to get a nice and tidy ending, but you will get a complete and fulfilling story. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy cerebral reads that can easily be discussed with others. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Beneath the Surface by Lynn H. Blackburn

Beneath the Surface: Dive Team Investigations Book One

Genre: Suspense / Romance / Christian

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: March 6, 2018

Pages: 352

Synopsis | Praise | Trailer | My Review | Buy Now | About the Author | Giveaway

Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new romantic suspense novel, Beneath the Surface. This gripping tale from award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn will capture readers from the first page and won’t let them go until the final, heart-pounding scene.

After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston moves home to Carrington, North Carolina, to leave behind her troubled past. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present.

Homicide investigator Ryan Parker finds fulfillment in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff’s Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer—one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.

“With this book, author Lynn Blackburn has moved from the status of an upcoming author to watch and cemented herself as an author to note. Her exceptional storytelling skills shine as she weaves an intricate plot, populated with characters we care deeply about. Another up-all-night-because-I-can’t-put-down-the-book read.” ~Edie Melson, award-winning author, blogger, and director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference

“Beneath the Surface is a swoon-worthy romantic suspense that packs a punch from page one. The nonstop action will keep you guessing until the end.” ~Rachel Dylan, author of the Atlanta Justice series

“Just when you think you can relax, Blackburn brings you back to the edge of your seat in this riveting, high-tension suspense story.” ~Patricia Bradley, author of Justice Delayed

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars 

Beneath the Surface is the first book in a series about a police dive team. The story is short, and the book can be quickly read over the course of a couple of days. The story centers around Leigh Weston who is the target of a killer, but no one is sure why. She solicits the help of long-time friend and dive team detective Ryan Parker. The 352-page suspense-filled story propels the reader to dive into (pun intended) the book and not come up for air until s/he finds out who is after Leigh and why.

I enjoy a good mystery, and this book did not disappoint. I wasn't able to discern who the killer was until the end, which made it even more enjoyable for me. The reason for my rating is I felt the love story within the mystery was a little contrived. I don't know if it was really needed to make a complete story. Additionally, some of the plot felt a bit unbelievable to me. All of the detectives and police officers got along really well without much conflict or tension. Similarly,  the sheriff of the police department approved the detectives spending the night and holding tactical meetings at Leigh's (the victim) home.

In addition to the mystery and romance, the book has Christian and motivational overtones. I enjoyed some of the passages that had a greater message, like this one:

"Life is hard, Parker. Everyone has tough stuff. There's no perfect relationship or perfect job or perfect house that will somehow make your life easy. What throws us for a loop is when life is hard in ways we weren't prepared for. Divorce. Illness. Disability. Money problems. Rebellious kids. Reporters who blow undercover ops. Friends who don't have the good sense to see they are messing up something really good that has fallen in their lap and they'd better fix it before it's too late." 

I received a near-final advance review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review on my website. As such, there were some minor typos that I am sure will be addressed at the time of mass publication.

Recommendation: Beneath the Surface has a little bit of something for everyone - suspense, mystery, drama, romance tied up with a little Christian inspiration. I would recommend this book to someone looking to escape reality over an extended weekend. Today is the last day to enter for a chance to win a copy of this book, plus some other cool swag. Easily enter using the giveaway links below! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Baker Book House | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Christianbook.com | Books-A-Million | Kobo | Lifeway

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Hidden Legacy (Love Inspired, June 2017) and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children. 

Connect with Lynn: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads

Grand Prize: Print Copy of the Book, Library Card Socks, Gone Reading Sign (wooden, 5"x7"), Reading Mug; 

2nd Prize: Print Copy of the Book + $25 B&N Gift Card;

3rd Prize: Print Copy of the Book + $10 Starbucks Gift Card

March 6-15, 2018

(U.S. Only)

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06-Mar	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
06-Mar	Bonus Post	Hall Ways Blog
07-Mar	Review	Reading by Moonlight
08-Mar	Guest Post	StoreyBook Reviews
09-Mar	Character Interview	Tangled in Text
10-Mar	Review	The Clueless Gent
11-Mar	Top 5	#Bookish
12-Mar	Review	The Love of a Bibliophile
13-Mar	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
14-Mar	Top 5	The Page Unbound
15-Mar	Review	A Page Before Bedtime (You are here)

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LOVE ANTHONY BY LISA GENOVA

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

My book club decided to read Lisa Genova's book, Love Anthony, for our upcoming meeting in November. I am probably part of a small minority of readers who has not read Still Alice (nor seen the movie), but I did read Left Neglected and enjoyed it immensely. I had hoped I would enjoy Love Anthony just as much, but it kind of fell flat for me.

The story is starts off rather depressing and doesn't offer much hope throughout. There's a slight glimmer at the end, but I finished the book just feeling, eh. It wasn't a horrible book, but it didn't wow me. I was quite ready to move on to the next story in my ever-growing to be read pile.

The book features two main characters, Olivia, who had a son with autism who died at age 8, and Beth, who is recently separated from her philandering husband. To reclaim her identity, Beth begins voraciously writing. The outcome of her efforts is a story about a young boy who has autism. As a reader (or even if you aren't a reader), you can tell where this story is going, right? Both women cross paths and are drawn together by the account of a fictional and real boy with autism who is used as a vehicle to help them both manage their grief and loss.

The story is promising, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I found the parts where the little boy, in the book within the book, narrated to be mundane. I get that Genova was trying to give the reader a fuller picture of what having autism is like, but it was a little much for me. Similarly, there were parts where Olivia re-read her journal during the time that she cared for Anthony. It seemed that the book was comprised more of the characters reading and re-telling events than it included actual substance of what was going on in present time.

Recommendation: Genova is a detailed storyteller. Her background, as a neuroscientist, provides another dimension of depth to stories like this. If you're looking to gather another perspective on autism, this might be a good choice. However, I would recommend reading it when you're in good spirits because it is quite sobering.

Until next time ... Read on!

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THE LIFE WE BURY BY ALLEN ESKENS

Image: goodreads.com

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Life We Bury is the award-winning first novel written by criminal defense attorney, Allen Eskens. It tells the story of young college student, Joe Talbert, who is tasked with a biography writing assignment for his English class. Coming from a dysfunctional family, Joe decides to secure the subject of his assignment from a nursing home. There he meets, Carl Iverson, who was convicted of raping and murdering 14-year old Crystal Hagen.

From page one, Eskens jumps right into the story providing poignant details and clues through the book's entirety to help fill in the holes that the summary on the back cover doesn't provide. The book is thoughtfully written. You can certainly tell that Eskens is an attorney by the legal detail he provides; however, the information is presented in such a way that it is easily consumed by any lay person.

My my main issue with the story, resulting in four stars rather than five is that it is tied up very nicely with a bow at the end. Everyone is happy and all is well. I think that provides satisfaction to a lot of readers, but it seems very unrealistic to me.

While the story is about an eager college student seeking truth and justice, the book also carries other themes such as forgiveness, healing, and the purpose of life. I think that's what makes the book so great. It's more than just a story for the reader; it creates a bit of introspection.

My favorite part of the book is when Carl shares his idea of religion and spirituality with Joe.

"...Then one day, I was lying on my bunk, contemplating Pascal's gambit." ... "This philosopher named Blaise Pascal said that if you have a choice of believing in God or not believing in God, it's a better gamble to believe." 

Carl then explains that if there isn't a God then "this is our heaven," basically explaining to Joe the importance of making best of what you have while you're here. You can tell this made an impact on Joe.

Recommendation: I would definitely recommend the book for a quick read on a quiet night at home. It's a fast read that tugs at the heart.

Until next time ... Read on!

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