Review - Taken Away by Patricia Yager Delagrange

TITLE:    Taken Away
AUTHOR:    Patricia Yager Delagrange
INFO:    Paperback/Kindle, Fiction, 248 pages
PUBLISHED:   Blackhawk, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Author

FROM GOODREADS:  Jessee Bradford, a respected young veterinarian in Santa Barbara, California comes home to find his wife and daughter missing. He fears they have been kidnapped or worse. The FBI investigators believe his wife, the only daughter of a wealthy philanthropist who never approved of their marriage, simply abandoned Jessee and took their child with no intention of returning.  

After months of fruitless searching, Jessee relocates to his grandparents home in Iowa where he takes over his grandpa's veterinary practice. There he finds the family closeness he's been missing and falls in love with female equestrian Laura. When Jessee and Laura attend a gallery opening of an artist name She, the paintings remind him of his wife Serena's art work. Thus begins Jessee's search to find She while his future with Laura teeters precariously on the edge until the truth about She is discovered. 

MY TAKE:    I really enjoyed this book from new-to-me author Patricia Yager Delagrange. It was an enjoyable read that I had a hard time putting down once I delved into the story. The elements of mystery, suspense, romance and drama are all blended skillfully to create an interesting and gripping story. I liked being kept wondering until the end.

The author has mastered the art of character development and created very likable people that the reader can't help but relate to at times and empathize for at others. You find yourself worrying about the characters and what is happening to them and around them. I had many emotional moments while reading this story, both happy and sad . It went straight to the heart and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read it.
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Get your copy for Kindle or paperback from Amazon today.

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Sneak Peek Teaser - The Vanishing Island by Barry Wolverton: Volume 1 in The Chronicles of the Black Tulip

I'm happy to announce a new feature here at One Book Shy, introducing.....

In celebration of our fun new section, I will be reviewing this exciting new historical-fiction adventure series - aimed at the younger readers in our midst. I'm thrilled to see my favorite genre in a whole new light. Stay tuned for the upcoming review soon.

The Vanishing Island by Barry Wolverton

No need to wait for my upcoming review, this book is available now! You can get your copy in hardcopy or for your Kindle. 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

TITLE:    The Virgin of The Wind Rose: A Christopher Columbus Mystery-Thriller
AUTHOR:    Glen Craney
INFO:    Paperback, Kindle, Fiction, 406 pages
PUBLISHED:  2014
SOURCE:   Received from Author for review

FROM GOODREADS:  While investigating the murder of an American missionary in Ethiopia, rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane becomes obsessed with a magical word square found in an underground church guarding the tomb of the biblical Adam. 

Drawn into a web of esoteric intrigue, she and a roguish antiquities thief named Elymas must race an elusive and taunting mastermind to find the one relic needed to resurrect Solomon's Temple. A trail of cabalistic clues leads them to the catacombs of Rome, the crypt below Chartres Cathedral, a Masonic shaft in Nova Scotia, a Portuguese shipwreck off Sumatra, and the caverns under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

Intertwined with this modern mystery-thriller, a parallel duel is waged:

The year is 1452. One of the most secretive societies in history, Portugal's Order of Christ, is led by a reclusive visionary, Prince Henry the Navigator. He and his medieval version of NASA merged with the CIA scheme to foil their archenemies, the Inquistor Torquemada and Queen Isabella of Castille, who plan to bring back Christ for the Last Judgement by ridding the world of Jews, heretics and unbelievers. 

Separated by half a millennium, two conspiracies to usher in the Tribulations by the Book of Revelation dovetail in this fast-paced thriller to expose the world's most explosive secret: The true identity of Christopher Columbus and the explorer's connection to those now trying to spark the End of Days.

MY TAKE:   The fact that this book was compared favorably by other readers to the writings of Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) is what initially drew me to it. When the author asked if I'd be interested in reading it for myself, I jumped at the chance to see what the hype was about. I'm very glad I did. The best part is that while it is traipsing through history as the "Code" did, this story is a world unto itself. It doesn't need to be compared to another work, it is definitely its own entity.

Glen Craney has done a fantastic job of weaving the present with the past, the fact with the fiction and the good with the evil. I felt like I was on a wild ride (picture Disneyland's Indiana Jones) that I didn't want to get off of. It was very easy for me to get lost in this world of intrigue and wonder and forget everything that was going on around me. I stayed up all night to finish this great read and was left wanting more. That is always something I look for. More, more, more! (The great news is that there IS more from this talented man - see below)

I am an avid reader of historical fiction and intrigue, always on the look-out for my next obsession. This page-turner delivered as I became engrossed in finding out the next clue, the next tidbit of information. Many times I will figure stories out early on, but this book keeps you guessing. Mr. Craney is a master of holding back and building the suspense. Though this is a fast-paced romp through history and time, you are still holding your breath as you near the end. Even with the satisfying solution/resolution, I'm hoping for a sequel....

Overall I found this to be a very satisfying read and I highly recommend it.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

You can find your own of 

The Virgin of the Wind Rose 

at Amazon 

right now! 

And here are a few more exciting offerings from Glen Craney that I will be looking forward to soon:

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.