The String (Deadly Games #1) by Caleb Breakey

ABOUT THE BOOK

Welcome to the string, a game of impossible decisions and deadly consequences. Let's go over the ground rules.

Rule #1: Participation is mandatory.
Rule #2: If anyone refuses to play, all threats will come to pass.
Game on.

Get ready for a deadly social experiment as a sociopath known as The Conductor delivers disturbing threats and twisted moral dilemmas to unsuspecting students and staff.

As a powerful instinct for self-preservation sweeps through the campus, one man has a grave decision to make. Will university cop Markus Haas play the game to protect those he loves? Or will he break the string and incite massive chaos--and even death?

In the great suspense tradition of Ted Dekker and Steven James, Caleb Breakey's explosive debut novel will have you turning pages into the night. 

MY THOUGHTS.....

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'The branding iron pulsated reddish orange in the corner fireplace. It was time.'

These are the first words of this new book by Caleb Breakey and they introduce readers to the disturbing and thought-provoking world of a person who calls himself the conductor. This unknown villian is playing a cat and mouse game with students and staff members at Trenton University and his rules are very specific. If he chooses you, you must play and if you refuse to play, every other player is at risk. As this story progresses, it is obvious that the conductor is well acquainted with each player and he knows all of their secrets and weaknesses. What he doesn't count on is the determination of one of the players to put this murderous game to an end. Marcus Haas is a university cop and he has some secrets also but he's found someone worth fighting for and he is determined to protect Stephanie and her two little girls.

'This was the love of my life, the woman I wanted to spend my life with---and I'd do anything to keep her and her daughters safe.'

If you have a busy day planned you may not want to start this book the night before because author Caleb Breakey has written a story that will keep you reading and rob you of sleep. The String is pyschological suspense at its best but it is also contemporay Christian suspense. Readers are shown good versus evil and the choices that are often required. Do you sacrifice others to save yourself? The String certainly made me think about what I would do and it made me very grateful that I myself wasn't forced to play!

I received a complimentary copy from Revell and I am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts in this review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caleb Breakey and his wife spent their wedding money on 52 books about writing fiction. Then, for years, he spent his days off penning stories for 16 hours straight. He loves fiction because they teach without a lecture, inspire without a speech, and entertain without any props.

Along with being an ECPA Award finalist and a winner of the prestigious Genesis Contest for fiction writers, Caleb is also the Founder of Sermon To Book and Speak It To Book, the premier ghostwriting agencies for faith-filled thought leaders.

Caleb writes in the beautiful Pacific Northwest alongside his wife, Brittney, and enjoys visits from two mischievous mini huskies and a smiley Shiba Inu.

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Fragments of Fear by Carrie Stuart Parks: Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Fragments of Fear by Carrie Stuart Parks, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Fragments of Fear
Author: Carrie Stuart Parks
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 23, 2019
Genre: Inspirational Suspense/Thriller

Stolen art. A New Mexico archaeological dig. An abandoned dog. And a secret that’s worth killing for. 

Evelyn McTavish’s world came crashing down with the suicide of her fiancé. As she struggles to put her life back together and make a living from her art, she receives a call that her dog is about to be destroyed at the pound. Except she doesn’t own a dog. The shelter is adamant that the microchip embedded in the canine with her name and address makes it hers. Evelyn recognizes the dog as one owned by archaeologist John Coyote because she was commissioned to draw the two of them. The simple solution is to return the dog to his owner—but she arrives only to discover John’s murdered body. As Evelyn herself becomes a target, she crosses paths with undercover FBI agent Sawyer Price. The more he gets to know her, the more personally invested he becomes in keeping her safe. Together, they’re desperate to find the links between so many disparate pieces.

 And the clock is ticking.

 “Over the years, Carrie has mastered forensic art, fine art, and her own brand of offbeat humor. As a novelist she combines these skills with another: puzzle writing––scattering puzzle pieces all over her fictional universe and then dropping them into place in twists, surprises, revelations, and side-pocket whimsy until the big picture emerges, never too soon, always on the brink of disaster.” —Frank Peretti (less)

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

MY THOUGHTS

Evelyn McTavish is an accomplished but struggling artist and she seems to have a hard time realizing her self-worth. "Tavish" has apparently had a weight problem in the past  so she has a poor self-image of herself, her relationship with her mother is very strained, and she has just buried her fiance when this book begins. Suddenly, she finds herself caretaker to a dog whose owner has been murdered and running from the person who probably killed him.  As the  story continues, Tavish and FBI Special Agent Sawyer Price work together to find answers as more murders are committed, art work is stolen, and art forgeries are discovered. Along the way, Tavish has her car stolen, she becomes a walking target, and she finds her sanity being questioned. Who is behind this and why is she the target? Sawyer seems to want to protect her but are his motives honest and pure? Perhaps the only positive outcome from all of her problems is that Evelyn Yvonne McTavish  finally begins a relationship with the Heavenly Father that her late beloved grandmother had encouraged her to find.

I must admit that I don't often read stories set in New Mexico so I enjoyed the references to Albuquerque and the use of Native American artifacts in the plot. I also enjoyed the unending suspense and trying to guess just what was coming next.  Fragments of Fear is filled with non-stop action and danger and I can see why other readers are so eager to read Parks's books. This was my first time to read a book by Carrie Stuart Parks but it won't be my last!

I voluntarily received an Advance Reader's Copy from Thomas Nelson as part of JustRead Publicity Tours but I was not required to write a positive review.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy finalist as well as a Carol Award-winning author. She 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 ther studio in the moutains of Idaho.

CONNECT WITH CARRIE:  Website | Facebook | Twitter

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