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Steal Away
Linda Hall
Multnomah Publishers
Paperback. 290 pages
ISBN: 1590520726
Review by Don Smith (Read Don's bio)
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When one reviews a fair amount of books, one begins to truly understand the differences between “the good writing” and “the not so good writing.”
In Linda Hall's latest novel, “Steal Away,” we see great writing.
Private investigator Teri Blake-Addison (late thirties/early forties) has been hired by Dr. Carl Houseman (think Billy Graham on a much more intimate scale) to re-open the case of his “supposedly drowned wife,” Ellen, who was an expert sailor and swimmer.
Of course, there is more below the surface (pun intended) and Teri begins the hunt.
She finds herself on a journey around Maine and Canada, as she tries to piece together a mystery that gets deeper and more complex the further she goes.
Where Hall truly succeeds, is at creating characters that readers can relate too. They are Christians, but not “over the top willing to go face first into the lion's den at a moments notice” which tends to dominate many pages of Christian fiction.
Hall unapologetically allows Teri to drink coffee, eat bagels, make love to her husband, listen to secular music (Bonnie Raitt and Paul Simon), watch “Law and Order,” and dislike some aspects of her church like normal Christians do.
Hall, also, knows how to set a scene without beating the reader over the head with detail. Simple little nuances (ie. Teri putting on her gloves) set the stage without filling the pages with description upon description.
Granted, not all Christians will be asked to solve the mysterious disappearance of a famous pastor's wife, but that is where the beauty of “Steal Away” rests. It is a symbiosis of real characters and an “escapist plot” that is wonderful reading.
Copyright 2003, Don Smith. All Rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About Don Smith: Don Smith lives with his wife in Hawthorne, NJ. He writes by day or night and encourages you to check out his friend The Caped Defender in the Humor Section. E-mail Don |
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Steal Away Linda Hall Multnomah Publishers Buy Now! |
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