#christian

So why did I pick up this book? The cover caught my eye and the description intrigued me. What I discovered was an intriguing read.

About the Book

Her carefully crafted life is about to be demolished.

After a difficult childhood, Samantha Williams craves simplicity: jigsaw puzzles, lectures at the library, and the students she adores in her role as an elementary art teacher in the dusty farming community of LaCrosse, Washington.

But when an SUV crashes into the school where she teaches, her entire world is upended. She manages to keep all of the children safe, but her car isn’t so lucky. Oddly, her purse—containing her driver’s license, credit cards, and other identification—is missing from the wreckage.

After authorities discover that the driver in the school accident was shot seconds before the crash, Samantha quickly becomes entangled in increasingly strange events that have her looking over her shoulder.

Samantha has long tried to forget the tragedy of her past, but the twisting maze she discovers between the murdered driver, a deadly secret government project, and an abandoned town can’t be ignored. Those involved are determined to keep these secrets buried, and they’ll use any means necessary to stop Samantha’s search for truth.

My Review

Samantha’s past is complicated and shrouded in mystery. And her life becomes more so when an SUV crashes into the school where where she teaches. She makes for a quirky character who guards her secrets and keeps to herself. For the most part, the story is told from Sam’s point of view, with occasional switches to another character’s viewpoint – I found the transitions were confusing in a few places. Set against the historical backdrop of a nuclear facility during the Cold War created a counterpoint between Sam’s quirkiness and some serious and intesting subject matter. The action was paced nicely, accelerating significantly in the second half of the book to keep those pages turning. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Note: This is a clean read (categorized as Christian suspence on Amazon) with ongoing references to the main character’s faith, however this is not a “preachy” read and is not likely to offend those of other faiths.

FTC disclosure: I received an advanced review copy of this book via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of this review in any way.

Giveaway

Enter a giveway for your chance to win a print copy of Fallout from the author.

About the Author

Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy, multiple Carol, and Inspy Award–winning author. She was a 2019 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in mainstream mystery/suspense and has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.