This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe SearchAvon Inspire; Original edition (June 19, 2012)byShelley Shepard GrayABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Since 2000, Shelley Sabga has sold over thirty novels to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Harlequin, Abingdon Press, and Avon Inspire. She has been interviewed by NPR, and her books have been highlighted in numerous publications, including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.
Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for HarperCollins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. Her recent novel, The Protector, the final book in her “Families of Honor” series, hit the New York Times List, and her previous novel in the same series, The Survivor, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Shelley has won the prestigious Holt Medallion for her books, Forgiven and Grace, and her novels have been chosen as Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club. Her first novel with Avon Inspire, Hidden, was an Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two children in college, and is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and currently leads a Bible study group, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.
When she’s not writing, Shelley often attends conferences and reader retreats in order to give workshops and publicize her work. She’s attended RWA’s national conference six times, the ACFW conference and Romantic Times Magazine’s annual conference as well as traveled to New Jersey, Birmingham, and Tennessee to attend local conferences.
Check out Shelley’s Facebook Fan page
ABOUT THE BOOK
In the second book in her Secrets of Crittenden County series, New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray delivers another page-turning romance set in Amish country
The serenity of the quiet Amish community of Crittenden, Kentucky is disrupted when Abby Anderson discovers the body of Perry Borntrager in an abandoned well. Perry had been missing for months. Everyone figured he had left the order during his rumspringa. As friends and family reel from this news, and are faced with the first death by mysterious circumstance to occur in their small town in over 20 years, a homicide detective arrives to help solve the crime
Before Perry disappeared, Frannie Eicher and Perry had been secretly courting. Now that it’s common knowledge that he was murdered, it’s up to Fannie to decide whether or not to tell everyone about the secrets he told her.
After much deliberation, she decides to tell Luke Reynolds, the visiting police officer, what she knows. At first, the two meet only on the context of discussing Perry’s death. Then, Luke begins to feel more and more at home, both with Frannie, and in Marion. The only problem is that he feels a romantic pull toward Frannie. Frannie feels that same attraction toward Luke, but is afraid to give her heart to him. After all, she doesn’t want to leave her faith.
As Luke uncovers more secrets about Perry and the case draws out, his time in Marion runs out. He has to decide whether to go back to his job with the Cincinnati Police Department…or stay in Marion.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Ok I’ve been waiting on this book since I finished The Missing.
The Search continues the story of who killed Perry Borntrager and the handsome investigator called in to help with the case is still in town. And Frannie still finds him attractive, though she would tell anyone. But it’s after Frannie’s accident that Luke decides she needs his help. Luke starts setting with Frannie at the hospital, because its so lonely there, and she does need someone to keep her company, doesn’t she? Well her father is not so sure, neither is old Flame Micha, but then neither of these men are willing to forgo their work and sit with her themselves.
Then there is the investigation going on, and with Luke growing more attractive and close to the dead man Perry’s former flame, it kind of puts a bullet into his investigation, no pun intended! But Luke is just not sure Frannie is being completely honest with him. There’s just something about now known Perry Borntrager’s sudden death that doesn’t add up.
Again, Shelley Shepard Gray takes us on a mysterious journey in the secrets of Crittenden County that obviously no one wants to tell. And the characters are so real I keep thinking about them as some real neighbor! Of course I wish I had Amish neighbors like this! As I was doing my housework I would think, “wonder how Frannie is today, and is Luke with her, or is she all alone at the hospital.” Silly huh? Well that’s just what an awesome writer like Shelley does for her readers.
I highly recommend this book, and before you read The Search, you might as well grab The Missing too because you gotta read that one first!!
This book was provided by the publisher through CFBA. I was not expected or required to write a positive review. The opinions in the review are mine only.
If you would like to read the Prologue of The Search, go HERE.
splashesofjoy 