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Customer Reviews for Master Books Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Master Books Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
* Washington D.C. is gripped by terror as religious icons and buildings are targeted by a serial bomber. While authorities race to stop the violence, consultant Dinah Harris works with subtle clues to unlock the killer's identity. Does a disillusioned young Christian named Celia hold the key? 288 pages, softcover from New Leaf.
Average Customer Rating:
(16 Reviews) 16
Rating Snapshot (16 reviews)
5 stars
11
4 stars
3
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1
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1
1 star
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15 out of 1694%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Review 1 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
intense, multilayer story--Christian Worldview
Date:February 27, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
"Pieces of Light" by Julie Cave is the first book I have read by this author, but I plan to be sure to read more of her works. She has written an intense, multilayer story from a completely Christian worldview. Not just "Christian" in name only. She lays the truth out there for all. Without being too heavy weight or over bearing, Ms. Cave lets her readers experience the love of God through her main character, Dinah.
Dinah is a new Christian but she has no fear when she shares her faith with her co-workers or with her arch-enemy.
This is a mystery novel replete with suspenseful moments and scenes. There are several story lines running through the book but they culminate nicely in an amazing conclusion.
Society's ills are exposed in their ugly "here and now" as well as the ramification on lives and future events. Spousal and child abuse. Hypocrisy.
Life is full of evil, good, mystery, solution, and yes, romance. When Dinah encounters a potential new romantic interest in her life, she must face her past life and how it will impact a new relationship. She must also fact the fact that she must share her faith with her new romantic interest even if it means they can not continue to pursue the relationship.
"Pieces of Light" is a very well written and interesting mystery. I can highly recommend it to the Christian reader as well as the non-Christian reader. You will come to grips with the work of those who keep us save in our society as well as the difficult topic of abuse.
Author: Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favourite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn’t long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them.
At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realised she had fallen in love with writing novels.
The following is an excerpt written by Ken Ham in his blog, in February 2010:
“Through the genre of a thrilling, “nail-biting” mystery book (that I think you won’t be able to put down), talented fiction writer Julie Cave has written a great novel. It will help fiction fans everywhere engage with the foundational importance of the biblical authority message we give—and its impact on the culture.” http://bit.ly/d8h71t
“Through the genre of a thrilling, “nail-biting” mystery book (that I think you won’t be able to put down), talented fiction writer Julie Cave has written a great novel. It will help fiction fans everywhere engage with the foundational importance of the biblical authority message we give—and its impact on the culture.” http://bit.ly/d8h71t
I was provided a complimentary copy of "Pieces of Light" by New Leaf Publishing Group and Master Books in order to review the book. I was not required to render a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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Review 2 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
A mystery thriller that shares the gospel.
Date:February 8, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I've heard it said that you can't keep a good girl down and that seems to be the case with Dinah Harris. She is at it again in Pieces of Light, book three in the Dinah Harris Mystery series published by Master Books. When we last saw Dinah at the close of The Shadowed Mind, she had just wrapped up a case with detective Samson Cage, where they worked together to bring down a serial killer, who was intent on single-handedly bringing his own brand of neo-eugenic justice to bear on those he considered undesirable in the lower rungs of Washington D.C.'s societal ladder. As luck or fate would have it, the work of an expert profiler is never quite done and it is time to move on to a new case.
Since the time her career came to an abrupt halt at the bureau, Dinah has been working as a consultant, offering her profiling skills for hire. Her next client is none other than Ferguson, her long-time friend and former partner from the FBI. Ferguson has recently been promoted to the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge for domestic terrorism. This new position gives him the leverage to bring in an outside consultant to assist with an investigation. When the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church falls victim to a bombing during evening mass, Ferguson hires Dinah to help him and Special Agent Sinclair track down the person or persons responsible for this heinous crime. As one bombing turns into two and then three, it becomes clear that it will take the very best of Ferguson, Sinclair, and Dinah's sleuthing to apprehend those responsible.
At first glance, you may think that Pieces of Light is just another suspenseful mystery novel. While I acknowledge that it most certainly is that, it is also much more. As you work your way through the book, you will be exposed to several seemingly disparate story-lines that run parallel for a time, but as expected come together at the end of the book, brining the story to a riveting conclusion. It is no secret that Julie Cave is not afraid to expose the ills of modern society as evidenced by the difficult topics she took on in Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind. Pieces of Light is no exception. As we get to know the various characters in the story, we encounter spousal and child abuse and see some of the long-term ramifications for those affected by it. One of these victims finds release through self-mutilation and consoles herself through cutting.
If you are familiar with the earlier books in the series, it is not a huge surprise when Senator David Winters surfaces again in this story. Ever since their first encounter in Deadly Disclosures, Senator Winters has considered Dinah a personal enemy. He is up to his old tricks again, always ready to back whatever cause will pad his back accounts the most. Senator Winters could have benefited from a dose of reality from the book of Proverbs. His personal character continues to be tarnished by the corrupt circles he runs in and the wicked games he plays. In Pieces of Light, his former sins may come back to haunt him when justice comes about from an unexpected source.
Another exciting element in the novel is that readers are able to continue following Dinah's own journey of faith. Over the course of the first two novels, we watched Dinah's life unravel in the midst of debilitating grief and rampant alcoholism. Her life turns an important corner, when she accepts Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. It is only by His saving grace that she is able to pursue sobriety and find healing from the pain she felt from the loss of her husband and son. In Pieces of Light, Dinah is pursing a life of deeper faith. We see her regularly spending time in prayer and Bible reading and come to understand how precious it is to her. She also regularly attends church and is part of a weekly women's Bible study. When Dinah unexpectedly encounters a new love interest, she must come to terms with what that means in light of her memories of her late husband and son. More importantly, she must make a decision about whether or not she will choose to yoke herself to a non-Christian and set relational boundaries and standards as prescribed by God's word.
I trust readers will develop a soft place in their heart for the Dinah Harris character as I have over the course of reading all three novels in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Many thanks to Julie Cave for her continued willingness to delve into difficult subject matter in her novels. Just in case you have not realized it yet, I will let you in on a little secret. The main character in her books is not Dinah Harris, it is Jesus Christ. In Pieces of Light as well as her two previous novels, Julie continuously weaves a message of hope, proclaiming the power of Jesus' sacrifice and His desire to redeem every life from even the darkest of sins and the most hopeless of circumstances. With two very clear gospel presentations in the book, this message resounds loud and clear.
I sincerely recommend Pieces of Light and the other novels in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Each of theses novels reads fine on its own, but readers will get even more out of the stories if they read them in chronological order. If you are already a Christian, you will be both challenged and edified by what you find in these pages. If you are a non-Christian, I trust you will see the message of the gospel that Julie has woven into the story. Let me close by taking a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to Julie Cave for writing these great books and Master Books for publishing them. Now that Julie is a blessed mother of two little ones, I know her free time for writing is probably a bit more limited these days, but I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Dinah Harris.
Author Information:
Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favorite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn't long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realized she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, `What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?' The result - and the answer to that question - is Julie's maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Since then, Julie has written and released the other two books in this trilogy, The Shadowed Mind and Pieces of Light. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.
Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favorite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn't long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realized she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, `What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?' The result - and the answer to that question - is Julie's maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Since then, Julie has written and released the other two books in this trilogy, The Shadowed Mind and Pieces of Light. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Master Books for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
This book was provided by Master Books for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
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Review 3 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Fantastic Suspense Novel!
Date:February 2, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Dinah Harris' life is finally beginning to come together. With sobriety coming easier and her faith playing a larger role in her life as she joins a small group at church, Dinah is successfully working as a private consultant. She's soon drawn into a case that has all of the metro-DC area alarmed as churches become the targets of bombs - and not of the smoke variety. With the death toll rising and few clues pointing the way, the investigation depends on Harris' sharp profiling skills. It soon becomes clear that someone is seeking revenge on the church at large, and there seems to be no end in sight. Can Harris find and disarm the bomber before she becomes the next victim?
In Deadly Disclosures Dinah's life was full of darkness. She held such possibility, such skill, and was so broken that you couldn't help but cheer for her despite her many flaws and impossible decisions, but in Pieces of Light she is just that: full of promise, hope, light. At this point in her story the reader is no longer shaking their head sadly over her plight but instead standing on tiptoes, applauding her choices and basking in the glare of her newfound hope. The two novels have completely different feels to them and yet both showcase the transformation that a person undergoes after finding new life in Jesus. I love this change in Dinah and the expert way that Cave shows it in her writing.
Cave ends the trilogy in an unusual way. Dinah Harris' story is wrapped up, and while you don't know exactly what's going to happen, you can be awfully sure; but from the remnants of the first two books rises a new possibility for a sequel. This ending is so unforeseen, so unexpected, that it completely intrigued me - to the point that (after mulling over the ending for a few days) I broke out the computer and emailed Cave herself. Cave declared that this was only expected to be a trilogy, but that there may be a sequel on the way ... or maybe not. Either way, she plans to keep writing, and I, for one, can't wait to read the next book.
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Review 4 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Thrilling Fiction from a Solid Biblical Worldview!
Date:August 21, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Pieces of Light is the third book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. I was a bit leery about diving into a fiction series without having read the first two installments. A lot of times an author builds off previous books, which is OK except when their subsequent offerings make little sense on their own. Fortunately, Pieces of Light is a stand-alone work, an enjoyable read all by itself, while benefiting from the depth of fleshed out characters and settings.
Julie Cave reminds me a little of fellow Christian authors Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker in that she doesn’t pull any punches whilst delivering a riveting, yet relevant story. Her characters are flawed and deal with real-world problems. When I was a kid, I used to dread Christian film and fiction precisely because the characters, especially the protagonists, were so perfect and super spiritual once they got saved (which they inevitably did within the first few chapters or scenes). Cave’s protagonist, ex-FBI agent Dinah Harris, deals with lingering alcoholism, dating as a Christian, and guilt over past sins while trying to solve the identity and motives of a church bomber. Cave also tackles uncomfortable issues like domestic violence and church hypocrisy with unflinching honesty.
This book is part page-turning thriller and part mystery with dashes of drama and thought-provoking dialogue thrown in for good measure. It is so well-written that, even though I figured out who the bomber was before the protagonist, I was still very much interested in why they resorted to terrorism.
As a Biblical Creationist, I was bemused to discover a further reason why Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis calls Julie Cave his favorite mystery writer. On page 188, I discovered Andy and Sandra Coleman of Genesis Legacy ( an apologetics ministry based out of Cincinnati, Ohio… I’m smiling!), who are experiencing the same sort of misinformation campaign and legal opposition from humanists and atheists to their proposed Ark Experience attraction in Kentucky that the real-world Ark Encounter has been subjected to. As you might expect, this book contains an excellent refutation of the false charges leveled against the Ark Encounter and reminds us that our Founding fathers fought for freedom of religion, not freedom from it.
Bottom line: It’s an entertaining read with a solid Biblical worldview. Well worth picking up.
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Review 5 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Caught!
Date:July 19, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I’m a fan of mystery novels. This was a pretty good one, and although I might have picked up on who I thought the culprit was before it was revealed, I couldn’t be 100% certain. I hadn’t read any Dinah Harris novels before this, but I was pleased that it wasn’t really necessary to the story. There may have been some darker edges of the story that would have been more apparent, but all in all, it was a good read, with almost no need to know the history of the characters to get the tale.
I liked the style and pacing of the book, and the story was pretty good, too. The way Christianity and faith are woven throughout is plausible, and it makes the story more relatable. The main character is a Christian, and she is working through personal issues that render her more reliant on Jesus. That, friends, is the truth of my own life, so why not include it in a mystery novel – it made the character more honest.
The inclusion of some opponents to Christianity in the form of a Senator and atheist group is also very relevant and is woven seamlessly into the tale, including such topics as moral relativism, humanism, and the intolerance of religion that is increasingly apparent in our country. There is a clear opening for a next tale in the Dinah Harris mystery collection – and I, for one, look forward to the opportunity to read that.
All in all, I recommend the book. It was interesting, engaging, and showed the true-to-life situations that a Christian who works in secular areas will sometimes find herself embroiled in. I was caught from page 1, and you will be too!
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
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Review 6 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Wonderful wrap up to the trilogy.
Date:July 19, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I cannot begin to say how great this book is, this is an excellent read, an edge of your seat Christian suspense that will have you wondering what next? and whodunit? This is not my first time having the pleasure of reading one of Julie Cave’s books and I truly hope it’s not the last as this book like the other one I have read served to both instruct as well as to entertain – and trying to do both of these in a fiction book can be near impossible but definitely can be done by the right person, and this person is Julie Cave.
Had I been able to sit through and read this book I would have easily spent all day reading it. From the first page to the last you’ll find yourself wrapped up in Dinah’s life and cheering from her both in her life as a recovering alcoholic and to telling a man she wants to spend her life with that she can’t since he’s not Christian. Some may think that mention of an attraction outside of Cincinnati called the “Ark Experience” may seem eerily familiar and even some of the Bible story seemingly redundant but if you keep in mind that Dinah is a ‘baby’ Christian and finding this all exciting then it will be exciting for the reader too.
Without being overbearing, Julie Cave, shares the love of God with both Christian and non-Christian’s alike and can readily express what some of us all need to hear. Incorporating a Biblical worldview, the innerancy of Biblical authority, delivers the message of Jesus’ act of Salvation and can even help Believers share their beliefs with naysayers, Julie has in fact done this all including keeping the reader entertained the entire time.
If you’re looking for a book that you can actually call Christian fiction without just paying lip service to Christian, this is that book! Dinah has no fear of sharing her faith and even letting a man she wants to love know where she stands on being with an unsaved person. There is no lip service here, this is a fully Christian book that could also be enjoyed by those searching for the Truth and even those who may be skeptical of the Christian faith. Definitely a must read for the Christian who enjoys suspense but is tired of the passing triviality of a prayer here or a God there.
**I was provided a copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.
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Review 7 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Nice clean mystery
Date:July 18, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Another mystery book to review! This book is a wonderfully clean, ethical mystery with spiritual teaching overtones throughout the book. It focuses on the main character, a new Christian named Dinah who is working with her former partner in the FBI to solve a series of church bombings. As the story unfolds, the reader learns more and more about Dinah as well as about the person responsible for the bombings. Sprinkled throughout the book were several harsh reality themes such as self abuse (cutting) and child/spousal abuse. There is also quite a bit of overt Biblical teaching on Christians dating non-Christians and also a clear salvation message at the end of the book.
The pattern of the book is a flip-flop back and forth between “present day” and a time one year ago. This is admittedly not my favorite format, but it is a type of writing that many people enjoy.
The book Pieces of Light is Cave’s third book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Often I read books out of sequence, sometimes it’s a drawback, sometimes it’s just fine. For the most part, I thought the author did a good job of filling in background information that was missed by not reading the first two books. The one part that I thought I missed out on was the history with Senator Winters—I never really did understand how that whole story line fit in with the book, but I imagine had I read the earlier books it may have fit in better.
All in all, it was a nice read, I’d recommend it, but I think I’d suggest looking up the first two books in the series first.
I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher for the purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review.
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Review 8 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
I hope this isn't the last we hear from Dinah!
Date:July 4, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Late last year, I had the chance to review The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave. That book was the second in a series (the first, Deadly Disclosures, I read but did not review) featuring Dinah Harris. I ended that review with these words:
"This second book was definitely better written than the first, so I am really looking forward to book #3 which is supposed to be coming in June."
Pieces of Light by Julie Cave did, in fact, come out in June, and when the opportunity to review it came up, I definitely wanted in. I received the book last week, and I carefully put it away for this weekend -- as a reward for accomplishing some things I've been procrastinating on. I picked it up yesterday, and it was like catching up with an old friend. I couldn't set it down until I was finished.
I like Dinah. I like Dinah a lot. Dinah does not have it all together, she makes mistakes, she struggles. It is interesting, though, to see just how far she has come from the mess she was in the first book. Her life really is turning around.
This book is written in a slightly different style than the previous books. We are apparently reading a journal of the serial bomber in the present time, interspersed with one year ago, where Dinah is on his trail. That back and forth took a little getting used to, but it was effective.
The main plot, of course, involves Dinah being called in by the FBI to work on what turns into a serial church bombing case. There are side stories too, including a romantic angle that I don't think I would have enjoyed quite so much if I wasn't already familiar with Dinah.
Senator David Winters is present in a side storyline as well, just as slimy as ever. Another side story involves a good church-going family that has been hiding decades of physical abuse by dad (who died right before the story opens). Oh, wow, was this storyline powerful. A lot of that had to do with people choosing not to see abuse -- and about the cycle and what happens to the victims.
As in the previous books, the one complaint I have is that parts tend to get a lot more preachy than I prefer. Separation of church and state was a big topic in this book, as was the idea of being unequally yoked. I don't disagree with the points being made, and some of the material seemed totally appropriate, not that I can cite examples without major spoilers. I just wish the "message" was woven into the action a bit more instead of being presented more like a series of lectures.
That being said, I truly enjoyed this story, and my hope is that this isn't the last we hear from Dinah Harris. I want to know what happens next.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing Group. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.
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Review 9 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
2 for the price of 1
Date:July 4, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Well, it’s 2 books for the price of one! You’ll get a who- dunnit mystery suspense novel along with a well thought out apologetics novel all in one story. I guess the question is- do you like both packed into one? This is my first Dinah Harris mystery novel by Julie Cave. The character of Dinah Harris is a former FBI agent having been released from the FBI because of her alcoholic issues that resulted after the loss of her husband and son in a car accident. Dinah is a character who has come a long way in her healing from those days, but she is still learning how to deal and how to live out her new faith.
This storyline is truly intriguing – someone is bombing local churches and Dinah is called in by her former partner, who still believes in her, as a consultant on the case. I love the way the author uses the present and past and goes back and forth as a wonderful literary device to unfold the story piece by piece to the reader; it opens with the convicted bomber on death row and flashes back to a year ago when the case is unfolding. As the story is told and I don’t want to give anything away here, but I believe the reader really does develop empathy for the “bomber” – unique because he/she is the “bad guy”, but then again aren’t we all?
As far as the apologetics side to the novel- there is plenty of it here. The author is logical and systematic in her delivery of the gospel message and its clear and very well laid out. I felt like the argument concerning the political side of separation of church and state was pretty drawn out and I felt that during this section of the book and even the later gospel arguments that I had switched to a Lee Strobel type of book. Here’s the rub for me- as a Christian, I agreed with everything that was written and really appreciated the systematic and logical thinking that went into these parts of the book. As a fiction reader, it took me away from the story and for me that is a red flag because then I am looking at the writer’s choices instead of staying in the story. But like I said before, if you like 2 for the price of 1, then you will really like this book.
Having jumped into the third book in this series without reading the first two always gives me a little disadvantage I feel, as I haven’t read the character’s entire previous story. So, I do want to go back and read the others. The author does a fine job at helping the reader know the main points of the character’s back story. I just would like to read more and see for myself. So when it’s all said and done, I did enjoy this book- lots of different sub plots going on that made the storyline interesting- some romance, political intrigue, and you can even brush up on your thoughts on separation of church and state arguments and apologetics thoughts. A lot packed in there.
Rating- 3.5 stars
Disclosure- I received a free digital copy of this book through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
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Review 10 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
highly recommended
Date:June 26, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Pieces of Light by Julie Cave is the third book in a series. It was the first in the series that I had read (though I had no problem following the story). The main character, Dinah Harris, a fairly new Christian, is struggling with a life torn apart by the death of her husband and son (which she feels responsible for) and with alcoholism (which she has struggled to overcome). In Pieces of Light Dinah is struggling to pull her life back together, to stay sober, and to find out what God's purpose and plan is for her. Throughout Pieces of Light Dinah's personal story intertwines with that of a somewhat moralistic bomber.
The book is a well written and interesting mystery though, at times, it is a tad bit too transparent (I figured out the mystery VERY early on). Still the action is well-developed, the story is good, the tension is often the "edge of the seat" variety (even with knowing "who dun it"). As a beautiful bonus, Mrs. Caves devotion to the truth of God's Word shines throughout the book and affects the lives of her characters. I highly recommend it.
DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book from New Leaf Press for purposes of review. I wasn't required to give a positive review, only a fair and honest one. My opinions are my own.
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Review 11 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Spellbinding Mystery
Date:June 25, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I couldn't put this book down, it is a real page turner. The events in the book are fictional, but appeared to be so very real. They could really happen!
Loved that Dinah is totally living a Christian life. She is a remarkable character, and felt so sorry for all that she had been through.
The book opens at the Funeral of a man who was much loved by his Church, and spent the rest of his time terrorizing his family. Your mind rages against this man's brutal attacks on innocent children.
The book shows that one can go from being totally controlled by Satan to belonging to God. The journey was horrific and the losses were great, but there is God's light to be received.
There are three books in this series, this is the first one that I have read, but want to read the other two! You don't need to have read the first two in order to enjoy this one!
I received this book from New Leaf Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
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Review 12 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Enjoyable
Date:June 24, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Detective Dinah Harris hunts down a serial bomber targeting religious icons and buildings. The bomber is on a mission to rid the city of religion and establish a ‘new world order’. Can someone so intent on ridding the world of God experience redemption? What lies behind his hatred of God? Will his darkened soul search for pieces of light?
The first two books of the series, Deadly Disclosures(link to product page) and The Shadowed Mind(link to product page) reveal the amazing grace of God while showcasing a world losing sight of Him. In Pieces of Light, Cave’s continues her compelling storylines using believable characters and realistic situations to:
Identify the importance of living under the authority of the Bible
Deliver a Biblical worldview perspective to current events
Illustrate the power of Jesus’s sacrifice and desire to redeem every life
Provide believers a resource easy to share with skeptics.
Deliver a Biblical worldview perspective to current events
Illustrate the power of Jesus’s sacrifice and desire to redeem every life
Provide believers a resource easy to share with skeptics.
My thoughts...
Dinah Harris is a former FBI agent. She is asked by an old friend at the agency to consult on a bombing case. Dinah is a growing Christian whose life hasn't been smooth sailing, a recovering alcoholic she has the perfect opportunity to speak of her faith with an inmate at the prison she meets with to obtain information for her book.
Isabelle and Michael are siblings that were physically abused by their prominent father who was well respected in the church. Even in their adult lives they are very much suffering because of their childhood. Isabelle marries a man that is abusive. Michael has anger issues.
The characters are realistic, the suspense and mystery are in abundance which makes it hard to put the book down. I especially liked the way the book started... in the mind of the bomber.
A wonderful story containing good teaching for the Christian reader. This was the first book by Julie Cave I have read and I truly enjoyed it. I give it 5 stars.
A wonderful story containing good teaching for the Christian reader. This was the first book by Julie Cave I have read and I truly enjoyed it. I give it 5 stars.
I received this book free from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
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Review 13 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Fantastic Fiction!
Date:June 22, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Having read Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind I eagerly awaited the third and final book in this series, Pieces of Light by Julie Cave. I enjoyed ALL of the books but, in my opinion, Julie has come "into her own" with this third book.
The characters in Pieces of Light are quite realistic. At times I had to remind myself that this is a fiction piece of art.
Having been reared in a loving christian home where every child is valued and allowed to respectfully speak from the heart, my mind had a hard time grasping the "awful hell" that an abused child must endure at the hand of a demented and angry parent. As I read this story I cried, I smiled and I cheered because God cares so much for each of us. But the chilling fact on page 276, "Did you know that two-thirds of young people who were brought up in the Church are walking away because they begin to doubt the Bible?" made me re-think about the seriousness being the only bible that most people will ever read.
In the first two books, Dinah Harris, is trying to come to grips with her own life, losses and loves. But in this last book, Dinah, is a stronger christian, a more lovable lady and a seems to truly care more for those around her. Her life values are not so introverted now because, it seems, that she has come to a life response that God truly and completely forgave her and she is getting on with her life.
The storyline is believable and practically jumps at the reader like a newspaper headline. But Julie goes beyond the headline and lets the reader "inside" the head and heart of the characters. The issue of cutting one's self was wonderfully illustrated by the written word.
The mystery of the bomber, the suspense of Senator Winter's life and the romance in Dinah's life....along with the churches response to helping (or hindering) our youthful parishioners was SO interesting that I simply could NOT put this book down.
I loved the ending!
This is a wonderful, fantastic read! If you've read the previous two titles then this a must read for you! This read can easily be a stand alone read BUT reading all three in order is simply the better storyline!
*This book was provided for review by MasterBooks/New Leaf Publishing*
The characters in Pieces of Light are quite realistic. At times I had to remind myself that this is a fiction piece of art.
Having been reared in a loving christian home where every child is valued and allowed to respectfully speak from the heart, my mind had a hard time grasping the "awful hell" that an abused child must endure at the hand of a demented and angry parent. As I read this story I cried, I smiled and I cheered because God cares so much for each of us. But the chilling fact on page 276, "Did you know that two-thirds of young people who were brought up in the Church are walking away because they begin to doubt the Bible?" made me re-think about the seriousness being the only bible that most people will ever read.
In the first two books, Dinah Harris, is trying to come to grips with her own life, losses and loves. But in this last book, Dinah, is a stronger christian, a more lovable lady and a seems to truly care more for those around her. Her life values are not so introverted now because, it seems, that she has come to a life response that God truly and completely forgave her and she is getting on with her life.
The storyline is believable and practically jumps at the reader like a newspaper headline. But Julie goes beyond the headline and lets the reader "inside" the head and heart of the characters. The issue of cutting one's self was wonderfully illustrated by the written word.
The mystery of the bomber, the suspense of Senator Winter's life and the romance in Dinah's life....along with the churches response to helping (or hindering) our youthful parishioners was SO interesting that I simply could NOT put this book down.
I loved the ending!
This is a wonderful, fantastic read! If you've read the previous two titles then this a must read for you! This read can easily be a stand alone read BUT reading all three in order is simply the better storyline!
*This book was provided for review by MasterBooks/New Leaf Publishing*
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Review 14 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Suspenseful, but not as developed as prev novels
Date:June 21, 2011
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
"Pieces of Light" is a Christian suspense novel. This book was the third in a series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one...though you'll probably like the ongoing characters better if you have. Also, this one didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous novels.
The suspense was built nicely by having Dinah and the FBI try to stop the bomber before another church was bombed and more people died. There was also some suspense about how her relationship with the handsome guy would work out. Though the bomber wasn't named from the beginning, the author wasn't trying very hard to hide "whodunit." There were only two possible suspects (from the reader's point of view), and only one would connect the plot threads together.
Actually, the novel felt disjointed because there were several seemingly unrelated plot threads going on. The purpose of one thread seemed solely to argue against the political agenda promoting "separation of church and state." Even the child abuse element was pushed to the point that the purpose seemed more to raise awareness about the results of child abuse than simply provide a driving motivation for the bomber.
Several of the main characters were complex and dealt with realistic personal struggles (like being abused). However, the reoccurring characters weren't really developed and would probably come across as simplistic if you haven't read the previous novels. For example, in this novel, the bomber had a valid and developed reason to hate Christians, but the Senator seemed to hate Christians, be greedy, etc., "just because."
Dinah was a Christian. She engaged in daily Bible study, small group Bible study, and an occasional prayer. While we're told her relationship with Christ is vital to her life, we don't see that so much in this novel as in the previous one.
I'll mention that I also had a "believability" problem near the end. I can't believe that a leader of a SWAT team, when faced with the choice of injury to two civilians or injury to his team would immediately and unhesitatingly plan for the civilians to be hurt instead of his team.
There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel to those who have read the previous novels in the series.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
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Review 15 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
Good Apologetics But Not a Good Story
Date:June 15, 2011
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
2
out of
5
I am actually very hesitant to write this review today. I haven't read any of the other Dinah Harris mysteries by Julie Cave, but I was excited to have the opportunity to review this one because it sounded very good, and it was my first book to review for the New Leaf Publishing Group. The reason I am reluctant to write the review is because I actually happen to agree with the beliefs expressed in the novel. I agree very much. However, I'm going to write a fairly negative review.
Dinah Harris is an ex FBI agent. She has the opportunity to partner with one of her old friends and associates to solve a string of church bombings. As she does, she grows in her new found faith and has the opportunity to share that faith with a man who is a prisoner mentally and physically.
This sounds like an exciting novel. Suspense, mystery, intrigue- all elements that make for a good read. However, the characters were not very realistic. The events were forced and not very believable. And, the message was very preachy. The Christians in the story were too "good." The way they talked and acted seemed scripted to be "good Christians", not very believable as real people. The story line was suspenseful but would veer off on tangents that were somewhat difficult to follow. And the story jumped back and forth from a current telling of a prisoner on death row to events that happened one year earlier in a way that sometimes lost coherency.
The thing that bothered me most about the book was how "preachy" it was. And the fact is, I agree with everything. But, the author's political and spiritual agenda was very prominent. Characters in the story would launch into these monologues detailing the author's views fairly often. It just didn't fit in the story, and the book was not enjoyable for me. When I read fiction, I prefer a good story. Christian fiction, in my opinion, should have a good, clean story line with spiritual teaching/encouragement that flows with the story. I think the message in this book would have been much better in a non-fiction, apologetics book.
It is with great disappointment that I give this read a not so very big thumbs up.
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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Review 16 for Pieces of Light, Dinah Harris Mystery Series #3
Overall Rating:
A book every one should read
Date:June 8, 2011
BobF
Location:Parkside, Pa
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This is the first book I have read by author Julie Cave and is the third book in her Dinah Harris Mystery series. The way she develops the characters is in such a way that you do not feel like an "outsider looking in "if you have not read the first two novels. The book shows the failure of human beings and religion and shows what true Christianity is and should be( a relationship with JESUS). Mrs. Cave captures the tensions that exists between Christians and Secular Humanists in the United States well. The story has bits in it that reminds me of Sean Penn's film "Dead Man Walking" and Steve Taylor's song "Innocence Lost" as her main character shines the light of JESUS even though she is a young Christian. I look forward to reading her other novels.
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