Summer of Suspense // Book Review!

Okay…I know…it’s Fall. But I really need to review this before I forget what it was about 😉 So, without further ado, let’s get into the review!

Summer of Suspense
By C.R. Hedgcock
(2015)
3 Stars

From the Back Cover: When Phil, Abby, Andy, and Tom Baker hear that their cousin Millie will visit their farm for the summer, little do they imagine what a dreary time they will have with the snobbish girl. But when Millie disappears, life quickly becomes anything but dreary. What starts out as a summer of chores and horse-riding on the farm turns into a cross-country adventure, as the Bakers find themselves matching wits with a notorious jewelry thief who pulls them into her web. Aided by a seasoned detective, the Bakers confront numerous dangers in their search for Millie, all while attempting to foil the plot of a major crime ring -- making it a summer they will never forget.
Filled with mystery and intrigue, ''Summer of Suspense'' contains important lessons of Christian courage, humility, submission to authority, and repentance before God and man.
 
My Review: This isn’t a widely known fact about me, but I love horses. When I was little, I dreamed of the day I would own my very own horse. While I still adore horses and they tend to grab my attention in books, I got over my desire to own one. I’ll just watch them run and maybe go to a farm someday if I really get the itch to ride 😉 So when I saw the cover of this book and found that it was a Christian mystery set on a farm with horses…oh, yes, I was interested!

The mystery was a bit predictable, but the author clearly has an extensive knowledge of Horses, which I found quite interesting. And I greatly appreciated that there was no profanity. Even some Christian books I read don’t always satisfy me in that category.

My main hang up with the story was the fact that the scriptures were not King James and in one scene they mentioned something they called Righteous Deception, which is not Biblical. As I’ve said before, I understand that sometimes fear takes over and people lie to protect their loved ones, etc. but that doesn’t make it okay. Yes, God will forgive, but it’s never right to do wrong to do right.

Also, I am personally dresses only and I thought this story was suggesting the same, but then it told that the girls were wearing pants when they were in a riding competition. I didn’t like the vibe that was given of “wear dresses unless it’s not practical.” I would suggest wearing a fuller, loose-fitting skirt with leggings (if needed).

There was also an almost futuristic type building where illegal operations were going on and to me, it just popped into the story out of nowhere.

This was the author’s first work I believe, and I am curious to see how their writing skills grow. Overall, the book was very clean and an interesting read, but not a favorite. As far as reading level, I would say 12+ but I would recommend a parent or spiritually mature, older sibling read it first to mark scriptures, etc.

Have a great day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22