This is the third book in the Lavender Tide Series.
I loved the first book, didn't really care for the 2nd one and this one was good but way.too.predictable. I could have skipped much of the bulk of the story and gone right to the ending and be correct in my predictions. I don't really like that. The writing style/genre is just.too.trite.
STORY SUMMARY
Bailey Fleming's mother is shot and killed. It's a case of murder in execution style and Bailey is next. She flees her home in Michigan and runs to a cabin she was just deeded which just so happens to be in Lavender Tides where she was born....and kidnapped...by the very woman whom she has called "mom" all of her life.
Little does Bailey know that she has 2 siblings looking for her...and they happen to live in the same town of Lavender Tides and have just re-discovered each other (Shauna, married to Zach Bannister from book 1 and Grayson who is in love with Ellie, from Book 2).
Bailey wants answers about her mother's death and also about the 3 bodies that turn up at her new cabin Cedar Cabin. Apparently, this is where her "mother" grew up. The old lady next door, who has dementia and is known as Lily, is Olivia's mother. Olivia is the woman...the paramedic from book 1....who kidnapped Bailey after Shauna, at age 8, watched her mother give birth and die in the earthquake.
Lance Phoenix, an FBI agent who just happens to know Grayson, is looking for his sister Ava who was kidnapped about 5 years ago and is thought to be a part of a local human trafficking ring.
He meets Bailey and is drawn to her beauty. They begin to partner with one another to track down the mystery surrounding her "mother" and Ava's disappearance.
Meanwhile, we all will learn just who the evil man is behind the trafficking ring.
Will they be successful in taking him down??
MY THOUGHTS
I'm glad I read the series because it was recommended by a couple of relatives and a blogger friend. However, it just reinforces for me, once again, that most Christian fiction is just so trite!! WHY???? Also, this particular book had a ton of editing/spelling errors which just bugs the heck out of me.
The idea of the story is so good because human trafficking is a real issue in our country as well as around the world. Dave and I help to support a Christian agency that works with rescuing people from the sex slave trade. So it's definitely a topic of interest for me.
However, there's NO way a civilian, even with God on their side, would take down men involved in human trafficking. Some of the scenes where the women were outsmarting "King" was just too outlandish to be believable. And the FBI takes far longer to solve these kinds of things that this author implies. The entire series takes place within a couple of months......again, too unbelievable.
The author does do a good job with inter-connecting all the characters but the plot is just way too predictable and doesn't really have any literary depth.
I guess that's ok if you want a super easy read that a junior high student could get through and if you don't want any elements of surprise.
Personally, I probably won't read her other books. But for the Christian fiction lover, I do recommend her series.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 12 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest (and I rate based on literary excellence), I rate this a 7.
4 comments:
I enjoy this author. I don't mind the predictable so much. Not every book I read needs to be super deep with twists and turns I don't see coming. Sometimes I just want to escape. And these fit the bill for those times.
yes! they definitely make an easy read for just escaping the everyday cares but I still prefer a book to have some depth. It doesn't always have to have a deep spiritual or mental meaning but the literary style is important to me. I did recommend this series to my aunt because i know she likes good Christian fiction and this fits the bill for that.....no swearing, etc.
I know where you are coming from, Faith, and feel the same way. It is kind of like if you have read one Amish novel you've read them all...they just have different names (sometimes). :)
Ooooh I love her books!! Glad to see there's a new one out :)
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