Escape to Morning by Susan May Warren

Will Masterson has prayed that his life might be changed. When his close friend Lew was killed in combat, Will has desired to have the faith in God that Lew had. While on a covert mission in northern Minnesota, Dannette Lundeen crosses his path with her search and rescue dog Missy. Dannette also is seeking God's help in her life. She has friends, but would like to settle down and raise a family. Meanwhile, Will's mission is putting Dannette in danger and he is powerless to stop her due to her stubbornness. Warren writes a believable story combining romance and suspense. A good read. Sandy Penton.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Forty years ago 16 year-old Swedish Harriet Vanger disappeared. Believing she has been murdered, her wealthy but aged uncle Henrik Vanger wants the mystery solved so he hires investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist to go over the old police records, Henrik's own information and the family information to try to solve the mystery of her disappearance. Blomkvist is in the midst of a libel trial and being the partner and publisher of a prominent magazine, forced to take a 3-month "vacation" he steps down and agrees to Henrik's lucrative proposal. Needless to say, the Vangar family is less than happy to have Blomkvist digging up the dirty laundry of their past and when he hires Lisbeth Salander, genius hacker, to work on the investigation with him, the plot gets thicker. We have romance, mystery, attempted murder, corruption and a fine story. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Sandy Penton.

Worth Dying For by Lee Child

This is probably Child's best novel yet! Jack Reacher is hitch-hiking through the barren landscape of Nebraska only to be caught up in a small community's drama. Bullies, wife-beaters, secrets. All because he thought the local doctor should respond to a woman's cry for help. Then the secrets are squeezed out, little by little. This reader could not put the book down. Action-packed, vigilantism at it's finest, suspense guaranteed, a great read. Get this book today! Sandy Penton.

Santa Fe Edge by Stuart Woods

Ed Eagle is being harassed by ex-wife serial killer, add a few other plots and Woods pretends to create an exciting, suspense filled tale. Disappointing to say the least. Sandy Penton.

The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

It is early 1900s and Bess Heath, at seventeen, is about to find her world crumbling about her. Living on the edge of Niagara Falls, she has had the best of life; now her father has lost his job, she will not be returning to private school and her sister and fiance have broken up. Her mother returns to sewing for people. Bess meets an unlikely young man, certainly inappropriate by her family's standards, but is immediately attracted to Tom Cole, riverman. Buchanan writes a compelling, heart breaking tale of young love won and lost. A good read. Would recommend. Sandy Penton

Tough Customer by Sandra Brown

PI Dodge Hanley is shaken to the core when he receives word that his only daughter is being stalked by a deranged murderer. He flies to Houston to meet the mother of daughter Berry who he hasn't seen for 30 years. Joining forces with local deputy sheriff Ski Nyland, Dodge attempts to locate the stalker, turned killer, and things just get worse. Sandra Brown fans will find this murder mystery a real thriller. Sandy Penton.

The Seeker by Ann H Gabhart

It is the beginning of the civil war period in the 1860s in Kentucky. As the only child of her widowed father, Charlotte Vance is mistress of Graystone and when he contacts her to prepare for his return home and he has a surprise, Charlotte readies for a celebration. Much to her chagrin, father arrives with a new (much younger) wife who seems to be totally in charge and wants Charlotte out of the way. Living next to a settlement of Shakers, and wanting to help her maidservant (whom she considers a sister), Charlotte and Mellie flee to the village and frees Mellie. This civil war story covers the travail of young love, the horrors of war, duplicity of others, and the relief of forgiveness. At times an intense read, well worth the time. Sandy Penton.

The Outsider by Ann H Gabhart

It is 1807 and Gabrielle Hope is the member of a Shaker Community because her father had abandoned her and her mother and they had no where to go. Local doctor, Brice Scott, sets into motion a series of events that shakes the shakers, upsets Gabrielle's notion of brotherly love versus matrimonial (forbidden to her) love, and encourages young Nathan to follow his heart and leave the community. A unique and peculiar people, Gabhart spins a tale of romance and biblical love. Worth a read. Sandy Penton.

The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Palmer Lloyd is a connoisseur of rare and expensive things, coveting to the extent of spending embarrassing amounts of money to own them. Now he wants to own a meteorite, one found in South America, waaaayyyy south, down by Cape Horn in fact. He hires the"A" team (Effective Engineering Solutions, EES for short) to retrieve it and Dr. Sam McFarlane to co-lead the expedition. Preston and Child write yet another page-turning thriller that this reader couldn't put down. Interesting conclusion, too. Sandy Penton.

Gap Creek The Story of a Marriage by Robert Morgan

Julie Harmon became her father's "son" when her little brother died. Living in the Appalachian hill country of North Carolina, her life is hard and she works hard, butchering, cutting wood, attends the dying. Her father succumbs to tuberculosis and the women are left to farm and tend the place. Hank Richards passes by Julie and her mother (who are sawing up a downed tree) and vows to have Julie for his wife. Within a month they are married and move to Gap Creek to live with a widower, Mr. Pendergast, who wants Julie to "housekeep" for him for the rent. Hank goes to work in a sawmill. Julie and Hank begin their life as husband and wife, and it is not easier, Ma Richards is not easy to get along with, and Hank becomes moody and angers easily when he loses his job. Thus, the scene is set for a winter of hardship in the Gap and the strains that are put on Julie adjusting to her life as a wife, daughter-in-law, and housekeeper. It is hard to know where to stop, this story is so intense. I found it to be a good though unsettling read. Sandy Penton.