There’s such a fine line between mental illness and the natural result of the depravity of man. The True Colors Crime Series sure does show the true colors in the hearts of men–black as coal and burning even hotter.
I don’t necessarily like being reminded of the ugliness out there, but I do appreciate being reminded that only the grace of God keeps me from becoming “that person.” Series like this one helps.
Authors like Liz Tolsma, author of The Gold Digger, should be commended for their ability to study history and give us enough detail to know what happened without desensitizing us to it. So, yes. I requested a free review copy the second it was available. The other books in this series have been so good, I felt obligated to.
After reading this book, I realized another way I need to pray for authors–for their spirits as they research things that rip out your heart!
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The World is Full of Depraved People
A truly horrific tale of greed and deception, Liz Tolsma has given us a look at a horrendous crime from the turn of the twentieth century that many of us have never heard of. The Gold Digger offers a look into not only cultural issues that we might not be aware of (did you know that there were Norwegian papers people subscribed to at that time?) but also shows how blinded we can make ourselves to things we don’t want to be true.
Certain elements, such as the sister’s inability to see the obvious, may feel far-fetched until you really look at what is happening and try to imagine someone you only know as loving and caring actually doing something so horrific. Add to that a world where there weren’t TV shows bombarding you with this kind of sensationalism, a life of poverty that prevented you from reading dime novels (there are some advantages to poverty, I suppose), and it starts to make some sense. Many characters ignored the obvious because the obvious was just so implausible.
So what about this story? Good? Bad? Indifferent?
While it has a few things that bother me (tiny things that either are or feel anachronistic) Liz Tolsma manages to tell a truly gruesome story without the kind of gory details that replay themselves in your mind indefinitely. Most of the ugliness is off-page in that we don’t watch the murders take place, and Tolsma works hard to show the horror without spraying you with the residue of it.
Recommended for readers who love true crime, suspense, and mystery as well as those who like a nice dollop of romance at the end. Very sweet and well-infused romance. Very sweet. 😉 Thrilled I had a chance to read it, and grateful for the free review copy.
About the Book
Book: The Gold Digger
Author: Liz Tolsma
Genre: Christian/Historical/Suspense
Release Date: December 2020
Men Are Disappearing in LaPorte, Indiana
Book 9 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History
Fiction Based on Strange, But True, History
In 1907, shy but loyal Ingrid Storset travels from Norway to support her grieving sister, Belle Gunness, who owns a farm in LaPorte, Indiana. Well-to-do widow Belle, who has lost two husbands and several children, provides Ingrid with enough money to start a small business. But Ingrid is confused by the string of men Belle claims to be interviewing for her next husband. When Nils Lindherud comes to town looking for his missing brother, who said he was going to marry Belle, Ingrid has a sinking feeling her sister is up to no good.
I’ve been in LaPorte for a family funeral. I had relatives living there in the early 1900s. In fact, one of my great-great-something great-grandfathers was a founder of the city.
Thanks for sharing!