Mindy Starns Clark's Secrets of Harmony Grove

Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was delighted to find this book at the library, since I've loved other books by Mindy Starns Clark--particularly her Million Dollar Mysteries, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is essentially a good book, but I have to say I struggled with it a bit--thus only giving it three stars.

This is one of those cases where I have to give part of the blame to my frame of mind, distractions, etc. The book is well-written and has an intriguing plot.

Still, I found it almost confusing at times...there was SO much going on.


Sienna is an up-and-coming Philadelphia advertising executive, on the cusp of spectacular success, when she comes into work one day to face a complete shocker.

Then a shady ex-boyfriend contacts her from the Lancaster B & B they earlier renovated together, in a phone call that's so bizarre, she heads out to the B & B, only to find a murder and two unconscious people.

Sienna and her boyfriend, Heath, stay at the B & B to try to help authorities figure out what's going on--and how it all ties into her late grandfather and his obsession with a grove memorializing his deceased wife. And especially, the priceless diamonds that may be buried in that grove.

I liked the heroine, Sienna--like other heroines of Clark's, she is feisty, intelligent, and knows how to protect herself. I also like the spirituality Clark doesn't try to hide in her books--Sienna's faith plays an important part in this book.

One of the few criticisms I have is that, in lengthy conversational narratives, the characters often sound like they're reading or writing rather than actually talking. That and the fact that there were so many layers to the story, it occasionally seemed like too much.

Overall, this was a good book, and I would actually recommend it to people who enjoy mysteries.



View all my reviews

Teaser Tuesday: Secrets of Harmony Grove, by Mindy Starns Clark

I'm participating today in "Teaser Tuesday," hosted by Should Be Reading!

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

She and I walked along in silence until I said, "I made a big mistake here, Liesl. I was busy with my job in Philadelphia and didn't pay attention to this place. I trusted Floyd--and Troy--and now I'm in a mess."

The book is a murder mystery called Secrets of Harmony Grove, by Mindy Starns Clark...and so far, I'm loving it...I'm turning pages like mad!

Two Tales of Two Husbands: Dancing on Glass and Picture Perfect

I don't know how I ended up reading two books in a row that deal with domestic abuse--I certainly didn't plan it that way!

Jodi Picoult's Picture Perfect I picked up at a half-price bookstore in Texas, needing a page-turner that would help eat up the miles of the long car trip back to Illinois.

And a page-turner it certainly was. I had it finished well before we got home, where, surprise! A book titled Dancing on Glass, by an author I had never heard of--Pamela Binnings Ewen--was waiting for me in the mail our neighbor had collected for us, sent unsolicited by a wonderful book publicist.

Both books were very good and had some things in common. However, one of them stood out, gripping me in a way I haven't felt while reading a book in quite some time--and I've read some really good books lately. I'll tell you which one in a moment. First, some re-capping:

Picture Perfect, by Jodi Picoult

This is the story of Cassie Barrett, who wakes up in a cemetery one day with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Cassie is found by a man who has just arrived in Los Angeles to join the LAPD--William Flying Horse, a half-Sioux Indian man from South Dakota.

Will takes Cassie under his wing, but her memory begins to return, and she is soon claimed by her husband, Alex Rivers--who just happens to be the biggest movie star in Hollywood.

When she joins Alex, Cassie begins to remember why she left him, and why everything is definitely not as "picture perfect" as it seems.

Dancing on Glass, by Pamela Binnings Ewen

Amalise Catoir is an innocent...a young girl raised by loving parents in rural Louisiana now working her way through Tulane law school in 1974 by waitressing in New Orleans' French Quarter.

Amalise is optimistic, joyful, and has a strong personal relationship with God, with whom she talks frequently.

She's also intelligent, hardworking and ambitious, determined to realize her dream of being a lawyer in a time when female attorneys are just beginning to make their way into law firms.

Enter Phillip Sharp--a moody, brooding, mysterious artist who sweeps Amalise off her feet with his irresistable passion for her.

Just as Cassie has Will to depend on in Picture Perfect, Amalise has Jude...a young man a few years older than herself who she describes as her "oldest, dearest friend," a strong rock who has always been there for her.

Along with Amalise's parents, Jude finds himself increasingly appalled at her relationship with a man who is not what he claims to be.

Phillip Sharp of Dancing on Glass and Alex Rivers of Picture Perfect share many of the qualities of an abusive spouse. Both are handsome, charismatic, and have convinced their spouses that they love them above anything.

Both have had childhoods filled with neglect and/or abuse, which lead Cassie and Amalise to feel that only they can save and heal them.

Both Phillip and Alex, also, are fanatically possessive of their spouses, unreasonably demanding and ultimately cruel.

I have to say I liked Dancing on Glass better...

Although both books are superbly written and strongly compelling, I have to say I liked Dancing on Glass the best.

While Picture Perfect definitely kept me turning the pages, Dancing on Glass was absolutely riveting. Ewen did such a masterful job of drawing me into the story that I simply couldn't wait to see how it unfolded. Her writing is beautiful and evocative--I could almost feel the humidity in New Orleans, taste the beignets on Jackson Square, and feel the shattering blows Phillip delivered in his alcohol-laced rages.

And the last several chapters? Honestly, I can't remember when I physically felt the suspense the way I did in the last few chapters of Dancing on Glass! Rather than just empathetically observing Amalise's terror, I felt it. People, that's good writing.

And I won't lie that as a person of faith, I appreciated the strong faith element in the story. I've often wondered how people make it through such horrific ordeals without God. Amalise didn't have to.

I would recommend both books to anyone who loves suspense, but Picture Perfect does contain some language and sexual situations that may be offensive to some.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Dancing on Glass, and I absolutely can't wait to read more from Pamela Binnings Ewen.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Linking up with Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books today!

My Review of The Shadow of Your Smile, by Mary Higgins Clark

My flight home from Texas involves a two-and-a-half hour flight, followed by an hour bus ride. My must-have? A book that will keep me riveted. Mary Higgins Clark's The Shadow of Your Smile totally fit the bill.

I've enjoyed every Clark book I've read, but some have been better than others. This was one of the better ones.

Unbeknownst to pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell, she is the granddaughter of a deceased man who amassed a huge fortune from medical patents. Here's part of the synopsis from Publisher's Weekly:

When a deceased nun, Sister Catherine, becomes a candidate for sainthood in this gripping thriller from bestseller Clark (Just Take My Heart). Monica Farrell, a 31-year-old Manhattan pediatrician, becomes the target of those who don't want her to inherit what's left of a fortune created by her unknown grandfather, Alex Gannon, with whom Catherine had a secret love child before she took up holy orders. That child, given up for adoption, became Monica's father...Olivia Morrow, Catherine's 82-year-old dying cousin, ponders whether to tell Monica she's Alex's granddaughter... Gannon Foundation funds have been steadily siphoned off by greedy heirs and associates who will stop at nothing, even murder, to keep their criminal misbehavior under wraps.

This story has a lot of layers and characters that add substance and interest to the tale, and Clark interweaves them smoothly and masterfully.

I love how Clark gives even minor characters their own voice, highlighting each person's role in the story to make them multi-dimensional and real.

As a person of faith, I appreciated Clark's premise that miracles can and do happen thanks to prayer...miracles that medical science simply cannot explain.

As I said earlier, this is one of Mary Higgins Clark's best. I thorougly enjoyed it and the fact that it made the miles fly by on my journey home!

WWW Wednesdays: What's in your book stack?

Hello, book-loving friends! Once again I find myself participating in a bookish bloghop for the very first time. This time it's W...W...W... Wednesdays, again hosted by Should Be Reading, and here's how it works:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Here are my answers:



Definitely not for the first time, I just finished reading Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. I honestly don't know how many times I've read this wonderful book--it is, actually, my favorite novel of all time. You can scroll down to read my review of it. If you somehow have never read this book, I can't encourage you enough to do so!

I'm currently reading Wolves Among Us, by Ginger Garrett. I'm only three chapters in, but I'm definitely hooked. The story is set in 16th-century Germany and centers around women who become the targets of witch-hunting zealots.

Next up on my to-read stack is In the Shadow of Evil, by Robin Carroll. It's a romantic suspense tale of a building rebound scam that's exposed, with deadly results. Looks really good!

To participate, just head over to Should Be Reading and add your link to her comments!

Saturday Review of Books: Kathy Herman's False Pretenses

Well-written, page-turning suspense

Having lived in Louisiana for four years, and having some family roots there, I know what a great Cajun meal is all about--and I enjoyed this book with all the gusto of a big bowl of spicy gumbo or a heaping dish of tasty jambalaya.

Set in the fictional southern Louisiana town of Les Barbes, this well-written mystery is about Zoe Broussard, a happily-married woman with a thriving Cajun eatery.

But Zoe has a secret. And when she starts getting anonymous notes from someone who claims they know what she's done, Zoe is terrified that her secret will be revealed and that life as she knows it will be destroyed.

Suspenseful complications ensue, and Zoe faces them with the help of her new friends Ethan and Vanessa Langley, who are strong in their Christian faith. The book is also peopled with colorful and endearing characters that reinforce the authentic feel of a small Cajun town.

(Ethan and Vanessa seem to have a strong backstory that makes me wonder if they weren't the featured characters in a previous Herman series. Anybody know?)

The main thing I ask of a suspense novel is that it keeps me turning the pages (usually way past my bedtime!) and makes me care about the characters. This book more than filled the bill.

Besides being entertaining and engrossing, the story highlights important truths about grace and faith.

I thoroughly enjoyed False Pretenses, and I look forward to the next book in Kathy Herman's Secrets of Roux River Bayou series. So pass the Louisiana hot sauce...I'm hooked!

Do check this out!

I was so excited to find that Carol at MagistraMater read and reviewed one of my favorite books of all time--the wonderful, but somewhat obscure "Auntie Robbo"--that I blogged about it on my main blog, Notes in the Key of Life. Read about it here!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Wynn-Wynn Media. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I'm participating in Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books--click the icon for more info!

My Review of The Mountains Bow Down, by Sibella Giorello

I came late to this series when I read The Clouds Roll Away. Once I finished that book (my glowing review is here), I couldn't wait for another Raleigh Harmon story, so I was delighted to dive into the next book in the series.

About The Mountains Bow Down: Everything's going to work out. Time away always makes things better . . ..

That's what FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon believes as she boards a cruise to Alaska. A land of mountains and gems and minerals, The Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance.

But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea. The ship's security chief tries to rule the death a suicide, but Raleigh's forensics background points to a much darker conclusion: Somewhere onboard, a ruthless murderer walks free.

Engulfed by one of her toughest cases yet, Raleigh requests assistance from the FBI and receives her nemesis-perpetual ladies man Special Agent Jack Stephanson. As the cruise ship sails through the Inside Passage, Raleigh has five days to solve a high-profile murder, provide consultation for a movie filming onboard, and figure out her increasingly complicated feelings for Jack-who might not be such a jerk after all.

My Review:

Once again, I was impressed by the quality of Sibella Giorello's writing. FBI-type stories are often action-packed, but written crisply and rather functionally. Giorello keeps things moving, but does so with insightful and evocative narrative.

Raleigh is a really remarkable and appealing character--one who is courageous, skilled at her job, and tough, but also completely feminine and sure of her faith. She is impossible not to like.

It's funny that my one criticism of the last book is somewhat answered in this one. Of The Clouds Roll Away, I wrote:

The one aspect of the book that didn't ring quite as true, for me, was Raleigh's romance with DeMott. Maybe this is one area where having read the first two books would have helped, but without knowing the history of the relationship, it seemed almost like an aside to me.

Apparently there was a reason for that. In this book, Raleigh is engaged to DeMott, but is seriously struggling with uncertainty about her feelings for him and her attraction to Jack.

I have to tell you, reading these two books has made me a serious Sibella Giorello fan. I would recommend them to anyone who loves a good, well-written, suspenseful tale--and I would point them out to anyone who questions whether Christian fiction boasts top-notch talent.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From the Archives: My interview with Randy Alcorn

“Messin’ with me’s like wearin’ cheese underwear down rat alley.”
-Police Detective Ollie Chandler, the main character in Deception

Originally posted on my other blog, Notes in the Key of Life, on 8/13/07

Several years ago, I read a very unusual book. It was Deadline, and the author was Randy Alcorn. The story wasn't so unusual, although it grabbed me immediately. What was unique about Deadline was that when a character died, his story didn't end there....he went to heaven, and I, as the reader, got to go there with him.

Randy Alcorn doesn't pretend to be able to describe heaven, but he believes we know some definite facts about it--and those facts don't include winged, haloed Christians sitting around on puffy clouds strumming the harp.

Not too long ago, I read a "spinoff" of Deadline, titled Dominion. Dominion--although it too has a compelling story--could never be classified as easy reading. The protagonist is a black man, and along with the story, the book includes a great deal of the history and background and baggage being a black man in America entails.

Reading Dominion was an incredible eye-opener for me. I thought I had a fairly good understanding of black people. Turns out I didn't, at all. I really had no inkling, but after reading Dominion, I believe I have a much greater understanding of the black experience in America.


...and that brings me to Deception

Randy departed a bit from his usual fiction-writing style in the writing of Deception, which is yet another spinoff of Deadline (Randy doesn't call them sequels or a series.) He wrote Deception from the first person--from the point of view of hardened, cynical police detective Ollie Chandler.

The story begins grippingly, as Ollie arrives on the scene of a murder that portends a lot of troubling questions for him personally.

From that point on, the story doesn't let you go. As a reviewer once said about a book, and I'm paraphrasing, "Don't plan on doing much else while you're reading this book."

It's to Randy Alcorn's credit that we ended up liking the character of Ollie Chandler very much. Randy admits he took pains to make the hardbitten, skeptical, world-weary cop a lovable character...and most of that had to do with giving him a terrific sense of humor.

I did labor to make Ollie likable...and part of that is his sense of humor. I think that's so important, because if you're going to spend an entire book inside of someone's head, so to speak...it's important that they have flaws, that's part of what makes the conflict that makes the story work...BUT, they've got to be, in some respects, likable.

Thanks to Randy spending many hours hanging out with, and picking the brains of, real-life police detectives, Deception has the unmistakable ring of authenticity.

Deception does have the occasional glimpses into heaven, and there are conversations among Ollie and his two Christian friends that delve into issues like atheism and apologetics. But unlike Deadline and Dominion, the book doesn't often depart from the main story--the mystery that's propelling the plot forward.

And the best news for people who love the character of Ollie? Randy Alcorn is probably not done with him. Randy told me,

"After each of my previous six novels, I have had no inclination whatsoever to repeat someone in the role of the viewpoint character. Now, in a couple of cases I've done a spinoff, where Dominion is a spinoff of Deadline. Jake Woods, the main character in Deadline appears in Dominion, but he's in a secondary role--the main character is Clarence Abernathy, who was in a minor role in Deadline. Ollie was in both of those. This was kind of Ollie's turn, and Clarence and Jake are in support roles to him...but when I fnished the book this time, for the first time I thought, 'You know, I'm not done with this character.'"

Eternal Perspectives Ministries

Randy Alcorn has written several books about heaven, and he heads Eternal Perspectives Ministries, which is aimed at teaching God's Word from an eternal viewpoint.

You can find out about all of Randy's books at that website, and you can also check out Randy Alcorn's blog.

From the Archives: My review of Brandilyn Collins' Dark Pursuit

(Originally posted on my other blog, Notes in the Key of Life, October 2008)

Where has Brandilyn Collins been all my life?

Actually, she's been writing for quite some time, but reading Dark Pursuit was my first experience with reading one of her books--and believe me, I'll be back for more.

Dark Pursuit takes you on a harrowing roller-coaster ride of suspense, but you won't want to get off the ride until you read the last page. All the while, Collins weaves themes of redemption and grace throughout this riveting tale.

It's the story of Darell Brooke, a wildly successful suspense writer who has been suffering a deadly case of writer's block since being in an accident. Brooke is often mentally confused and finds it hard to focus on his writing, which leaves him frustrated and angry.

Back into his life comes his granddaughter, Kaitlan, who he forcibly ejected from his home years earlier when, as a teen-aged druggie, she stole from him to support her habit.

Kaitlan has kicked drugs and is drawn to God, but she's in trouble...literally. She's pregnant by a man she suspects of being a serial killer.

Almost against his will, Brooke is drawn to Kaitlan and her plight. He's genuinely concerned about Kaitlan's safety, but in her intriguing real-life story, he sees a way to jump-start the plot of the book he can't seem to flesh out. He agrees to help her if she'll follow his directions implicitly.

But given his frequent confusion, can Kaitlan trust her grandfather to implement a plan to catch the killer, without severely endangering her life?

Rarely have I read a book that propelled me forward so intensely. Warning: make sure you pick this up book up when you have plenty of time, because you'll have a really hard time setting it aside for any reason!

Brandilyn Collins is a writer with a remarkable gift for building suspense. At least one plot twist literally made me gasp out loud. But scary and surprising twists and turns aren't her only forte--she also creates nuanced, real characters that you come to care about.

If you love great suspense, I highly recommend this book.

Right now? Excuse me while I go find everything else Brandilyn Collins has written.

Review: The Clouds Roll Away, by Sibella Giorello

...and a Kindle give-away!

To be honest, I'm usually a bit nervous when I sign up to review a book as part of a blog tour, especially if I'm not familiar with the author. What if it's a chore to read the book--what if I just really don't find it interesting?

That's why it was a delight to find that I really enjoyed reading Sibella Giorello's The Clouds Roll Away. Not only was it not a chore to read the book, I will definitely be reading any future offerings from Sibella Giorello.

The fact that this is the third in a series didn't put me at a disadvantage; the book stands quite well on its own.

From the back cover:

Closing her assignment with the FBI's Seattle office, forensic geologist Raleigh Harmon returns to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, expecting a warm welcome. Instead she finds herself investigating an ugly cross burning at a celebrity's mansion and standing in the crosshairs of her boss at the Bureau. And the deeper Raleigh digs into the case, the murkier the water becomes...until she's left wondering who the real victims might be.

Raleigh Harmon is an engaging protagonist, and each character--from her eccentric mother Nadine to the rap artist whose home is being threatened--is fully realized and dimensional.

The one aspect of the book that didn't ring quite as true, for me, was Raleigh's romance with DeMott. Maybe this is one area where having read the first two books would have helped, but without knowing the history of the relationship, it seemed almost like an aside to me.

One of the biggest pleasures of The Clouds Roll Away, though, was Sibella Giorello's writing. Sometimes FBI-based novels are more functional than lyrical--not this one. I marveled regularly at descriptive phrases like this: "Her eyes were a tremulous green-gray, like tropical fish caught in the netted skin of a devoted smoker."

Yes, this book has some chillingly suspenseful moments, and Giorello has obviously done her homework--every detail of Raleigh's FBI work bears the ring of authenticity.

But this is a beautifully written book with real depth, courage to touch on some serious issues, and a faith that is organic to the main character's life. And most of all, it makes you care about the characters and what happens to them.

I look forward to spending some more time with Raleigh Harmon, and it looks like I'm in luck--The Mountains Bow Down is coming in the spring of 2011.

Kindle Give-away!

Sibella’s celebrating the release of The Clouds Roll Away by giving away a KINDLE prize pack worth over $150.00!

One Grand Prize winner will receive:

• Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi
  
• $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com
  
  To enter simply click on one of the icons below! Then tell your friends! Winner will be announced January 3, 2011 on Sibella's blog: http://sibellagiorello.blogspot.com/.
  

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For info about Sibella Giorello, check out her website

Flashback: Reading Mary Stewart

(Originally posted 2/6/06 at Notes in the Key of Life)

OK, sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to what I'm reading. I can have a stack of books that I need to/want/should read, and I'll meander off and read something just for the heck of it. Or I'll have two or three books that I'm dabbling in at various times of the day or week.

That's how it is right now. I have several review copies of books that I'm actually looking forward to reading, and I find myself immersed in Mary Stewart's Nine Coaches Waiting.

My love affair with Mary Stewart's writing actually began when I was just a little girl, in the mid-60's. My older sister Beverly had bought Stewarts' The Moon-Spinners (on which the 1964 Hayley Mills-starring movie of the same name was based), and I ended up reading it. And re-reading it.

Even as a little girl, the suspense and romance of the tale captured me, and I loved Stewart's beautiful, almost poetic descriptive passages. The story was set in Crete, and it made me want to go there.


The adorable Hayley Mills in the Walt Disney movie based on Mary Stewarts The Moon-Spinners


I've been a Mary Stewart fan ever since...but only, interestingly enough, of her romantic suspense novels. Stewart has written at least four historical/fantasy books set in Arthurian times, but I've just never had a desire to read them.

Like most of her early novels, Nine Coaches Waiting (published in 1958) feels slightly dated, but in a very charming way--as if one had somehow landed in the middle of a Grace Kelly movie.

I know what happens in the end (or at least I have a vague memory of it), so why am I re-reading this book? For the same reason that I grab a Mary Stewart book whenever I see one at my local branch library. I like visiting that era and those locations (Greece, France, Austria, Lebanon, wherever); I love Stewart's ability to put me there; I like her heroines and their love interests, and I still admire her lyrical, descriptive way of turning a phrase.

Plus, if you read any of Stewart's suspense novels, you'll know that she can sneak in a shocking twist with the best of 'em.

I haven't been able to find The Ivy Tree at my local library, but I remember the twist that pulled the rug out from under me!

Any other Mary Stewart fans out there?

Saturday Review of Books: Lightning, by Dean Koontz

Although I'm a huge fan of Dean Koontz, I always have to tag that statement with a little disclaimer.

I've actually had to stop reading some of Koontz' earlier books, thanks to gratuitous sex, profanity, and plots so bizarre as to be either too disturbing for me or on the other end of the scale, almost laughable (and not in a good way.)

However, I have to say that some of his later writings are among the best books I've ever read, combining suspense and sci-fi in highly entertaining fashion, and all from a world view with which I identify.


Lightning is one of those terrrific Dean Koontz books.

Knowing I need a real page-turner when I fly, I picked this up at my local library, and it didn't disappoint.

It all begins on the night of Laura Shane's birth, when a mysterious stranger ties up and detains the drunken doctor that was supposed to deliver her.

This handsome, blonde, blue-eyed stranger continues to make cameo appearances throughout Laura's life--always showing up just in time to prevent catastrophe.

The little girl comes to think of him as her Guardian...and she really needs one when she becomes orphaned and has to live in a home where the authorities turn a blind eye to the fact that the janitor is a pedophile obsessed with Laura.

Laura's childhood difficulties just end up making her a stronger person, though, and she's one of those classic Koontz heroines--beautiful but tough, likable and even admirable.

We're dying to discover who Laura's Guardian is just as much as she is...and when we do find out, it adds an even more intriguing and fascinating element to the story.

Lightning kept me involved, absorbed and entertained from beginning to end.

Although admittedly a fantastical tale, Koontz reins in his sometimes unbelievably crazy imagination just enough to make us believe in it and care about Laura and her Guardian through the very last page.

Click on the icon to participate in Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books!