Positive Grace by Deb Haggerty

Deb’s Dozen: A ornament every Christmas; a grudge held every year. This year—forgiveness?

I have been a fan of Eva Marie Everson’s since the late 1990s. I’ve read everything she’s written and have fallen in love with many of her characters. The Ornament Keeper is her first book for New Hope Publishers, adding yet another publisher and book to her accomplishments.

Everson wrote a strangely poignant Christmas novella. She uses flashbacks artfully as she takes her characters from Christmas season 2018 to Christmas season 1998 when they were first married. Felicia Morgan and her husband, Jackson, are estranged. As a result, she declares to her daughter that decorating for Christmas will not be happening this year. Her daughter persuades her to at least get a tree—that she and the two boys, Travis and Hank, can get the Fraser fir and string the lights.

With a heavy heart, Felicia brings down the Christmas ornaments. The first memory occurs as she unwraps the crèche Jackson bought for her Christmas 1999. That starts her on a journey of remembrance from their marriage in 1998—because Sara was on the way—to the present via the mechanism of each Christmas ornament Jackson gave her along the way.

The novella touches many topics every husband and wife will relate to from the blush of early marriage days to the flush of anger at perceived slights. As Christmases come and go, the anger and doubts become entrenched. Husband gets involved in work—wife with children. Conversation becomes minimal and only about necessities. Conflict stifles intimacy. Everson brings all of these to life wrapped in Christmas ornaments—the unhappy and the happy times.

I usually don’t like novellas because they’re too short and don’t allow for the nuances of character development. However, Eva Marie uses dialog with a flair to give us those clues. The Ornament Keeper is a keeper. Four stars.

Eva Marie Everson has many ornaments on her tree. She’s a best-selling, multiple award-winning author and speaker, serves as president of Word Weavers International, and co-directs the Florida Christian Writers Conference. She and her husband, Dennis, live in Central Florida.

To purchase Hidden Peril, click the picture or the links.

Deb’s Dozen: Candles, Murder, Cops, Menace. Good Deeds, Terrorists, Danger, Romance, and Hidden Peril.

Irene Hannon has been one of my favorite authors for years, even more so after I had the opportunity to meet her in person and discovered we had much in common in our past. I’m sure I’ve read almost every book she’s written and was delighted to be given Hidden Peril, the latest book in her Code of Honor Series.

When a book starts off with a murder and then a wedding, you know there’s danger and romance ahead. Opening up with the murder of a monk in his workshop in Syria, Hannon gets the action started quickly. We’re then at the scene of a wedding. Colin Flynn, whom we met in Dangerous Illusions, is marrying his Trish. Luke Carter, newly on the St. Louis police force, has reluctantly gone to the wedding after Colin went out of his way to invite him. He ends up at a table with an older gentleman and the groomswoman, Kristin Dane. Luke feels a hint of interest, which surprises him as he’s still mourning his dead wife. Intriguing.

Luke is even more surprised when, called to a murder scene at a gift shop, the proprietress turns out to be Kristin. And we’re off and running on another Hannon story with twists and turns and coincidences–or are they?

Hannon creates such believable, likable characters and peoples her stories with moms and dads and sisters and friends to surround them–giving us the backstory without detracting from the plot. I immediately liked Luke and was totally sympathetic with his feelings about the loss of his wife. Kristin is the kind of person I’d like having as a friend–someone who cares about people and causes and tries to make the world a better place.

Kristin comes back to her shop to find her associate dead–throat slit and lying behind the counter. The shop, WorldCraft, does not appear to have been robbed, and there is no apparent motive for the murder. When Luke arrives to interview her, she is at the insurance agency next door with the owner, Ryan Doud. I didn’t like Ryan–too proprietary towards Kristen, and she doesn’t seem interested. However, he’s a perfect gentleman and drives the shaken Kristen home after Luke has interviewed her.

Luke is called to the scene of another murder–a woman at home–throat also slit. Again, nothing seems missing. Kristin hears about the murder on the news and recognizes the name–the woman purchased candles from her shop the day before. Coincidence? I think not. I’m not going to tell you more–you have to buy the book to find out but there are museums and terrorists and more murders as things get dicier by the minute, and somehow, Kristin and Luke are both in the thick of things. Another five star read from Hannon!

Irene Hannon writes award-winning series: Heroes of Quantico, Guardians of Justice, Private Justice, and Men of Valor. She also has a wonderful cozy romance series about Hope Harbor. Irene is one of those authors whose books I will always read. They never fail to entertain, enlighten, and enthrall me.

Revell Books gave me a copy of Hidden Peril, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.