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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Will This Book Be a Direct Threat to Your Weekend?

by Chautona Havig · 8 Comments

We all love a good book that holds us fast and won't let us go, right? Well, Direct Threat has that potential. It all depends on a few things... via @chautonahavig

You’ve got a TBR pile the size of Mt. Everest or at least Mt. Whitney (for those of us in the continental US).  It’s threatening to turn you into that Facebook cartoon about how the guy dies crushed by all the books on his nightstand.  But, some sicko who does not understand the value of losing yourself in four or five books over a couple of days says, “Pick one.  Only one.”

I don’t know about you, but if that happens to me, I want a book that will hold me hostage and keep me riveted to every word on every page.

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Will This Book Be a Direct Threat to Your Weekend?

Maaaybeee…

Here’s the thing.  This book has a lot of things going for it and a few that made me frustrated.  All in all, I liked it. But first, I’ll tell you what didn’t do it for me.

Repetition. There’s a lot of it.  In fact, I suspect ten percent of the book at least could be cut without actually cutting anything. You’d never miss it.

Instant attraction. Thank goodness we didn’t get treated to “instalove” but I think the story would have been a whole lot stronger if the relationship aspect didn’t begin almost from the moment the couple meet.  After all, they’re trapped together in the same place for quite a while.  And it’s not just a preference of mine, it’s actually a problem for me in the story because how quickly things jumped in and back out and all around just didn’t ring true.  Had it had some sort of a build, the personal issues wouldn’t have felt like we were getting jerked back and forth like that.

Convenience.  Okay, this one might not be fair of me.  Here’s the thing.  The author did a good job of setting up a history of behavior that made certain events plausible–even understandable. So, kudos for not just throwing that convenience in there and letting us have to choke it down.  The problem was for me that it still was a convenience instead of a real problem followed by a real solution.  Can’t say more without giving away spoilers, but it’s a thing.

One generalized thing… they keep calling the little girl a “drama queen” but seriously, she wasn’t half as dramatic as the whole protection team.

But with all that, there were serious strengths, too.

The suspense.  Spot on.  Seriously. Tension, conflict, uncertainty.  You name it, she’s got it and it’s done well. If there had been a bit more tightening of the narrative, this would have been on par with some of my favorite suspense authors.  I kept turning the page, even when I needed to do other things instead.

The plot. The primary storyline–protecting someone from the bad guys, figuring out who the bad guys are, and getting the job done–excellent. Seriously, the author did a great job of keeping me guessing and second-guessing.  The whats and whys, the red herrings… it’s all great because you CAN figure it all out if you pay attention, but for those who like to be surprised, you won’t be slapped upside the head with every little nuance until you’ve lost the joy of the story.

The faith.  At first, this was going to be a negative.  Initially, it felt as though faith were tacked on here and there to make it “Christian.”  But then somewhere in the middle, it began weaving in, and the preachiness and awkwardness factors went away.  I’m not sure why it made a big difference, but it did.

In the end, I’m not sorry I requested and received a free review copy, and I do look forward to seeing what else this author has to offer.

Recommended for…

Readers who love clean fiction with characters who either live their faith or begin to grow in their faith will enjoy Direct Threat.  Additionally, if you enjoy suspense that follows logical storylines and don’t mind a bit of repetition, you’ll probably also enjoy the book.  Looking forward to the next. I’m curious if this is an author style or unique to this book.

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Comments

  1. Julie Waldron says

    August 9, 2020 at 7:37 am

    Thanks for sharing, this sounds like a wonderful book that would keep me busy reading.

    Reply
  2. Debbie P says

    August 8, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    This sounds like a good read and a great page turner.

    Reply
  3. James Robert says

    August 8, 2020 at 12:42 am

    Thank you for sharing your book with us. I always look forward to finding out about another great read.

    Reply
  4. Amelia says

    August 7, 2020 at 12:47 pm

    Thanks for the review! I will probably give this one a try at some point.

    Reply
  5. Rita Wray says

    August 7, 2020 at 8:30 am

    Sounds like a great book.

    Reply
  6. Linda Palmer says

    August 7, 2020 at 7:47 am

    The book sounds interesting. Christian romantic suspense is a fun genre to read.

    Reply
  7. Andrea Stoeckel says

    August 7, 2020 at 6:31 am

    Kimberly is a new author to me, this looks great

    Reply
  8. Caryl Kane says

    August 7, 2020 at 6:14 am

    Thank you for your honest review! “Direct Threat’ sounds like a page-turner.

    Reply

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Because Fiction: A Chat with Split-Time Author, Melanie Dobson
byChautona Havig

I chatted with Melanie Dobson a few weeks ago, and boy was it a wonderful time of talking about my favorite books of hers and her latest release, The Wings of Poppy Pendleton. Listen in to the heartwrenching story that sparked the idea for the book and the delicious (and fascinating) research she did to write it!

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How a Family Mystery Sparked the Idea for a Beautiful Story

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton takes place during the dichotomous Gilded Age among New York’s famous Thousand Islands.  Combining a family mystery with that era, Melanie Dobson creates a wonderful story that echoes the tumultuous time at the turn of the 20th century.

We chatted about the research involved–both for Melanie’s family mystery of a missing child who was in a photo but no one knew who she was and for the era and area as well.  I loved hearing how her mother got involved in trying to discover what happened to… was it Marjorie?  I think.  And, of course, how that helped shape the story of this book.

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson

In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.

You can learn more about Melanie Dobson on her WEBSITE.  Also follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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