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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

The Best Things about the Book Mind Games

by Challice Neipp · 11 Comments

I remember the books clearly; although, I suspect I did a lot of page flipping.  It seems to me that half of what I read as a young teen had stuff in it that I just skipped over.  But they were my first introduction into suspense—good suspense.

They also always had some sort of supernatural element, and as I grew older, I didn’t like that.  What you accept as fictional when you’re younger you realize can be occult-like when you’re older.  It just seemed prudent not to risk becoming enamored with anything related to the occult.

But I missed the suspense.

A decade or so later, a friend introduced me to Dee Henderson. Other Christian fiction suspense authors followed.  Brandilyn Collins, Colleen Coble, Lynette Eason.

This week, I was introduced to a suspense author I’ve never read before.  Nancy Mehl and her new series and release, Mind Games.

I have to admit… the cover sucked me in.  That misty faded typography and my favorite colors… I’m a sucker for a good cover.

But it’s only the wrapping, right?  How about the rest of the book?

Note: links are probably affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Additionally, I requested a review copy of this book and chose to review it.

The Best Things about the Book, Mind Games

I did have a few quibbles with the book.  A few.  In fact, through three-quarters of the way through it, I felt it rated a solid four stars. I liked it.  A lot.  I just couldn’t say that I loved it.

Then she did it.  She made me doubt myself.  I’d decided who did it almost from the first, but something made me doubt myself so much that I actually switched to someone else.  Twice.

The best mysteries and suspense books always have one thing in common—they keep me guessing, even after I’ve probably fingered the right guy.  Mind Games totally nailed that.

Quibble? 

I actually wanted to throw the book across the room when one explanation of why one of those red herrings wasn’t what it seemed came out.  However, it ties in with another problem I had, so I’ll get to that later.

Another excellent element of the book would be the character of Kaely.  I often praise characters or plots that have many layers, but in Kaely, I see facets. Just as you think you have her figured out, the light hits another cut and you see more reflections and colors. I’m not sure I’ve ever read such a beautifully broken person before.

It isn’t easy to do, but Nancy Mehl took someone with incredible skill and kept her from becoming too perfect.

Okay, if I’m not careful, I’ll keep coming up with one after the other after the other and we’ll be here all day.  And I do have a couple of problems with the book to deal with, too.

So, I’m just going to mention two more things.  First, the plot.  This was one of those can’t-put-it-down, don’t-bother-me-I’m-reading books.  When I was forced to take a nap, I almost cried.  I plowed through this thing in just over three hours, but it felt like six… and one.   The six is probably caused by that nap thing.

Finally, the very last few lines.  Genius.  I’ve never seen such a fabulous cliffhanger… that isn’t.  The entire story is wrapped up. You know it all.  A new case isn’t started. Not at all. But she gives you this shove off the cliff anyway and says, “Can you handle knowing THIS?”

Genius.

So, what were those problems? The first three to four chapters of the book contain a lot of backstory/info-dumping.  She does a good job of pulling back just about the time you want to go, “Do I have to keep reading?” but I couldn’t help but feel like the suspense would have been even stronger if we didn’t have all that back stuff brought up.

For one thing, it weighs down the story… slows momentum. That’s especially problematic when you’re dealing with trying to get that momentum going in the first place.

For another, it lost some of the punch that it would have had if we learned it when we needed it.  Still, once you got past that part, the info-dumping stuff disappeared.

Finally, I have read a lot of books dealing with law enforcement and the FBI.  However, this book has a lot of acronyms that I kept having to try to remember what they stood for.  She didn’t always give you a connected point of reference.  I found myself checking and double checking online when I wasn’t sure if I remembered what CIRG or something similar stood for.

Also, occasionally, it got old.  I get that UNSUB is unknown subject, but “suspect” or “murderer” would have worked and it would have been nice not to have “words” I had to translate. Especially since for email lists, that also stands for “unsubscribers” so basically, I had to double translate.

Not fun.

For the picky, this isn’t marked as an Advance Readers Copy, so I think it might be a final, and I found a few typos.  One was “targer” instead of target. I remember that much.  But seriously, it didn’t bother me.

Okay, that quibble?  I can’t say what happened without giving away a huge plot twist, but here’s what it’s connected to.  In addition to that quibble with a convenient solution to a problem, there’s a theology issue that I can’t ignore.

My problem is that I can’t tell if it is related to the rest of the book’s plot or if Ms. Mehl really does believe something her characters say.  It’s not unheard of. It’s actually quite common in today’s Christian culture, but I disagree with it.  So, was it a plot device or the author’s personal theology?  I suppose the rest of the series will tell.  Regardless, the use of it in this particular novel was another stroke of genius!

Despite a couple of problems, I’m giving it an Amazon 5 stars and a Goodreads 4 because I am frustrated that I have to wait for book 2.  It’s that good.

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Comments

  1. James Robert says

    December 20, 2018 at 2:14 am

    I am enjoying these tours and finding all the terrific books my family is enjoying reading. Thanks for bringing them to us and keep up the good work.

    Reply
  2. DK Stevens says

    December 19, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    I really liked this one too! Guessed wrong too! Great in depth review, thank you..

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 19, 2018 at 8:23 pm

      IT really was great. I know better than to switch my guess.

      Reply
  3. realworldbiblestudy says

    December 18, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    The end. Oh my word. I almost had to go back and re-read stuff when I got to the end. And we really do have to wait for the next one.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 19, 2018 at 12:00 pm

      I’m so not happy about that waiting thing. sigh.

      Reply
  4. Amelia says

    December 18, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    I love suspense books! This one is on my To Read list.

    Reply
  5. Lela White says

    December 18, 2018 at 2:35 pm

    I’m in the middle of this book right now and it’s a great read. I hate putting it down to actually work. How dare work interrupt my reading! 😉

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 18, 2018 at 3:09 pm

      RIGHT? That’s how I felt about that sleep thing. I was so mad that my eyes wouldn’t stay open!

      Reply
      • realworldbiblestudy says

        December 18, 2018 at 8:44 pm

        In case you wonder, that is how I have felt reading The Matchmakers of Holly Circle…I love that you write for “long book readers” like me! But these nights where I keep staying up too late because I don’t want to put it down? This is why I couldn’t start novels when grad school was in session. I went through the entire Hunger Games series in a weekend.

        Reply
        • Chautona Havig says

          December 19, 2018 at 11:59 am

          It’s a good series, too. I love Matchmakers. It makes me smile.

          Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Powerful Mind Games is it a killer read? - Margaret Kazmierczak says:
    August 12, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    […] Just the Write Escape, December 18 […]

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
byChautona Havig

Chatting with Carrie Turansky is always fun, but guys, this gal is such a trouper!  But with her newest novel (Split-Time!!!), The Legacy of Longdale Manor coming out, and with it taking place in the Lake District (we were probably there at the same time!!!), I am crazy excited about this book. Listen in to see what a shepherd’s crook has to do with art and two women, a century apart, who both are dealing with daddy issues that only a Heavenly Father can truly help.

 

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

What Heart Issues Connect These Two Troubled Women Together?

Carrie Turansky and I were both in the Lake District in May (we probably overlapped a few days even! AAAK!), and I love the area she wrote about. I actually looked up Langdale Chase (the house that inspired Carrie’s book) as a potential for a book I’m writing in the area. I had decided to move it closer to Ambleside. Isn’t it amazing how two authors can take the same inspiration and write two totally different books?  I love that. 

The faith elements she’s put into The Legacy of Longdale Manor just touch my heart so deeply. Any time you are dealing with a shepherd or fatherhood, I’m all in, and I can’t wait to see what she’s done with it. 

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turransky

Two women–a century apart–embark on a journey to healing, faith, forgiveness, and romance.

In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England’s Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. While at Longdale Manor, she meets David Bradford–the owner’s handsome grandson–who is desperate to save the crumbling estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd’s staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she’s left searching for answers.

In 1912, after her father’s death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. She and her family travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping eventually to find a home with Charlotte’s grandfather at Longdale Manor, but old wounds and bitter regrets make it a difficult challenge. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again.

Learn more about Carrie Turansky and all the goodies for preordering The Legacy of Longdale Manor on her WEBSITE.

Also follow her on BookBub and GoodReads

BakerBookHouse.com has The Legacy of Longdale Manor on sale for 40% off with FREE shipping.  And don’t forget to go get your goodies, too!

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Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
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September 19, 2023
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I love this book so much. And it wouldn't be an "A I love this book so much. And it wouldn't be an "Anne" story without Gilbert and Diana... meet Gage. He's not quite Gilbert, but he's got everything a Gilbert should have--including the ability to completely annoy Anne when he doesn't mean to. She's speaking to him here... barely.
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