Fallout, by Carrie Stuart Parks

Seven stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Stuart Parks, andThomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always a fan of Carrie Stuart Parks and her writing, I was pleased to receive an ARC of this latest novel. Parks always brings her background in forensic art to the novels, tapping into what, for me, has been a unique approach to crime and investigation. That being said, she is keen to collect other breadcrumbs and scatter them throughout, giving the reader an exiting experience as they comb their way through the story.

LaCrosse, Washington is known for little and Samantha Williams likes it that way, An art teacher at the local school, Samantha becomes a hero when an SUV careens into the school and many are hurt. Having been in her own vehicle at the time, Samantha must come to terms with what happened, though is stymied when she cannot produce any proof of her identity to authorities, as it has been removed from her purse.

Confused and relying on others, Samantha must try to piece together what’s happened and who is trying to keep her from herself. Some of these answers begin to emerge when a reporter begins asking questions and digging deeper into Samantha’s past. Samantha soon realises that there are other odd goings-on in the area, including sets of remains that were long thought buried. Is there someone trying to stir up trouble? Samantha finds herself at the heart of it all, without any answers to offer.

At a local recovery house, Clan Firinn, some others are also trying to set things straight. There appear to be a number of mysteries all tied to an old government nuclear facility close to LaCrosse and no one is quite sure what to make of it. It’s this that triggers Samantha and memories of her past, not always good. The fallout is a spiralling like no other, as the truth emerges for all to see. What secrets await Samantha on her journey and how could learning about her past be the key to understanding the present happenings? Parks offers an intriguing piece that never stops evolving.

I remember discovering the works of Carrie Stuart Parks and being instantly pulled in by the world of forensic art. It was a branch of investigation I had never considered and appeared to have ways of really stirring up the pot. Since then, Parks has evolved her stories into one-offs that pack just as much punch, but focus on other perspectives as well, including a peppering of biblical references. Parks uses her strong writing abilities to pull the reader into the middle of the story and forces them to confront whatever the narrative is spinning. This works well, as she has a depth to her characters, which adds flavour to the story and keeps the reader feeling connected to whatever is going on.

One essential to a successful story for me would have to be a clear and developing narrative. Parks offers this as she concocts what she needs to keep things progressing throughout. The story moves and has many moments where it can gain needed momentum, be that through the introduction of a new character, plot twist, or even revelation that was once deemed inconsequential. Parks has had success in crafting her stories with these ingredients and continues to do so throughout this piece. However, there were times that I felt a disconnect to the story or its progression. I was not as affixed to events as I would have liked or even expected. The investigation into the accident that opens the novel, Samantha’s past, or even how Clan Firinn fit into the larger story; all of this proved hit and miss for me. This, in turn, created a sense of confusion or lack of excitement as I flipped pages. I saw a gem in some of the foundational narrative, but did not feel the impact as strongly as I might have liked. While I have seen this book marketed as Christian fiction, that should not deter readers. It does have some biblical references, but I would not consider it fuelling the progression or flavouring of the piece. Perhaps it is my mind space at the moment that has me feeling lukewarm, which is entirely possible. I have much respect for Carrie Stuart Parks and would encourage others to red this, as well as her other books, to come to their own conclusions.

Kudos, Madam Parks, for another well-plotted novel. I hope others see some of the strong aspects I did while reading.

Woman in Shadow, by Carrie Stuart Parks

Seven stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Stuart Parks, and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I am always eager when I see Carrie Stuart Parks has written another novel, having found myself fully enthralled with her Gwen Marcey series a number of years ago. While Parks has moved into writing standalone thrillers, she can still pack a punch and offers up some great storytelling in this piece. When a woman who is saddled with much PTSD from a horrific work event arrives in rural Idaho, all she wants is some rest and well-deserved relaxation. Darby Graham could not have known that this ranch had so many issues and someone causing massive amount of uproar. As things begin to happen, Darby is thrust into the middle of trying to solve them and determine if there is a killer targeting the ranch or someone on its grounds specially. Gritty and mysterious, Parks does well to lure the reader in with this story.

When she arrives in Idaho, all Darby Graham wants is some time to recharge her batteries and enjoy the wilderness. However, things begin with a bang (or more literally, a shake) and develop from there. In an area close to Yellowstone National Park, there are countless mini earthquakes that cause quite a stir. Graham encounters this, as well as two potential canine companions to join her as she makes her way up to Mule Shoe. Graham slowly tries to get herself acclimated, though she carries much baggage of her own.

Having arrived at the ranch from Clan Firinn, a program for law enforcement officers who have suffered severe PTSD, Graham hopes to put all her worries behind her. However, that is not always the case, as small things occur that trigger flashbacks and horrible fugue states. When these occurrences begin to pile up, Graham has no choice but to work with the locals to try uncovering what’s been going on.

A forensic linguist by training, Graham finds clues in language and how it is presented. She is able to use some notes from the past sent to ward others away and finds herself able to piece together a very loose profile. That may not help her now, as people are dying and destruction is rampant, though it does not deter Graham from trying her best.

Riddled with memories of the past that haunt her, Darby Graham will have to put all that behind her if she is to help find a killer before she becomes a victim herself. Much if riding on this, the least of which a chance to slay her own demons once and for all. A well-paced story that adds action and suspense throughout, proving that Parks has not lost her way with words.

I struggle after reading a series and the author turns to standalone novels. When I get into the groove of things, I can only see myself wanting to continue on the journey of a protagonist I know well, with dangling threads and new plot ideas formulated in the closing chapters of a book. However, Carrie Stuart Parks turned to writing novels that float on their own, equally as impactful to the attentive reader. These are still filled with the element of mystery and suspense, as well as utilising some unique forensic research, which is usually able to extinguish my longing for a series continuation.

Darby Graham does well in her role as protagonist, offering the reader a fair bit with which it work. Having suffered a great deal and still haunted with vast amounts of PTSD, Graham has tried to right herself and find a new path. Graham’s attempted escape to rural Idaho may not be the peace and quiet she needs, but it does showcase some of her wonderful forensic skills and keeps the reader guessing about how she will overcome it all. There is great growth and backstory construction in the piece, even if it is meant to go no further than the end of this novel.

Those Parks matches up with her protagonist also play key roles in keeping the story moving. While many flavour a particular aspect of the narrative, some drop clues throughout to help add depth to the story and provide insights into where things are going for the overall reading experience. Parks has a way of developing the rural authority figure effectively, which is not lost in this novel. Some of the characters help propel Darby Graham to a new level, while others are strictly there to impede her personal and professional progress throughout.

Things began somewhat slowly for me in this read. I needed some time to find myself interested in what was going on. Parks uses a slow reveal to really captivate the reader’s attention, but when it is found, the narrative picks up and finds its momentum. The various perspectives offered throughout provide the reader with an exciting tale, with decent backstory and mysterious twists. The plot advances in due time and keeps the reader guessing until all is revealed by the end. Short chapters push things along, though the information in them is essential, forcing the reader to play close attention. One of Parks’ great assets in her writing is presenting a typical criminal case through the lens of a less-known forensic profession. As with her Gwen Marcey series, the reader learns much through the eyes of Darby Graham, whose life as a forensic linguist offers some insights that may have been missed otherwise. While not my favourite piece by Carries Stuart Parks, I enjoyed it and would encourage readers to look into her other work, particularly that of the aforementioned Gwen Marcey.

Kudos, Madam Parks, on another solid piece of writing. You never cease to impress me with the new forensic angles presented in your writing.

Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.

https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/woman-in-shadow/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

Relative Silence, by Carrie Stuart Parks

Eight stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Stuart Parks, and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always a fan of Carrie Stuart Parks, I was eager to get my hands on this novel. Drawing on some of her past life experiences (no pun intended), Parks brings the story to life in this mystery that evolves throughout the reading experience. Piper Boone has suffered a number of traumatising experiences in her life, including the loss of her daughter fifteen years ago. However, on her more recent radar is being involved in a shooting rampage with the gunman seems to have been approaching her. It was only the quick actions of a mystery man—eventually identified as Tucker Landry—that saved Piper from likely death. While she works with the locals on Curlew Island in South Carolina, Piper tries to track her protector down and offer some thanks. She also finds herself wrapped up in a mystery when her island neighbour appears to have gone missing without a trace. The Boone family have all come to the island for the annual shareholders meeting, which brings up some old wounds or at least ones that Piper has not addressed for some time. After meeting and befriending Tucker, Piper works with him to create a composite sketch of the shooter, which helps the police hone in on the man responsible. With secrets coming to light, Piper and Tucker begin to wonder if the whispers of a family curse could be somewhat valid and work to discover if there is anything to substantiate. While she has been sitting on much for a while, Piper finds the courage to address the loss of her daughter and seeks answers that have, until now, been dismissed as part of a horrible afternoon fifteen years ago. Slowly, things come together and Piper realises that the Boone family has more in their closets than well-pressed clothes. Someone has been trying to divert attention away from the truth and it might be Tucker’s insistence to turn over every rock that finally brings some answers, as painful as they could be. A strong piece that reminds me of some earlier work of Parks’ I read, this is one that will have readers talking for a while. Recommended to those who love a good family mystery, as well as the reader who enjoys novels where secrets prove to reveal much about the foundation of truth.

I remember stumbling upon the work of Carrie Stuart Parks because of her unique use of a forensic artist as protagonist, which opened things up and created a story I could not resist. While she has strayed from that—sometimes more effectively than others—this novel breathes new life into her work and left me quite pleased. Piper Boone may be meandering through life after the loss of her daughter, but she is by no means giving up. Her determination has left her eager to seek answers, even if it means stepping away from the protective canopy that her well-to-do Southern family has erected. She feels many emotions and puts herself out there, seeking basic answers and refuses to cower away as life passes her by. Parks uses her effectively to convey this and many other emotions throughout the piece. Resurrecting her forensic artist character in Tucker Landry, Parks brings back some new and exciting life to the story, as he, too, has a past that is not entirely filled with sunshine and lollipops. Tucker works through his own past and seeks to help others, including crack the mysteries surrounding the Boone family wide open, even when others would prefer they stay buried. The use of a handful of secondary characters permits Parks to develop a strong story with a few key plot lines that keep things exciting for the reader. The story flows well and keeps its momentum throughout, adding plot twists throughout to keep things from being too predictable. With a mix of chapter lengths, the reader finds themselves pulled into the middle of this South Carolina mystery and wanting more throughout. While this may be a standalone novel, I can see the potential for Tucker and Piper to return again, in some form or the other. Either way, this is one of the stronger novels that Parks has written and I hope others find things within that help them to see the same!

Kudos, Madam Parks, for a great piece that kept me guessing throughout. Your fans will surely appreciate this piece, as we wait to see what else you have in store in the next year or two!

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

Fragments of Fear, by Carrie Stuart Parks

Seven stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Stuart Parks, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

One can usually expect something intense when Carrie Stuart Parks is writing, spun with the uniqueness of her forensic expertise. I did not feel as much of that here with her one-off novel and wish for more of the series that pulled me in while teaching me all about forensic artists. Evelyn McTavish is suffering, having just buried her fiancé. ‘Tavish’ to many who know her around her New Mexico home, has to find some normalcy in her life. When she receives an odd phone call from the local dog pound, Tavish is pulled into the middle of a series of events that could put her in much danger. Somehow identified as the owner of an acquaintance’s dog, a man who soon appears murdered in his own home, Tavish must try to get answers while dodging those who would seek to hurt her. As the story progresses, more becomes known about the larger story and how Tavish may have stumbled into the middle of things inadvertently. All she thought she knew goes up in a puff of smoke, leaving more confusion. As the tension ramps up, no one is safe and any hope of a peaceful solution goes out the window. In a piece that left me feeling very distance and detached, I pined for the Parks from her past novels. While I may have missed out on much by not feeling connected to the story, I cannot offer a strong recommendation, but do hope readers will look to her past work for something I would highly suggest checking out soon.

Sometimes authors have hit or miss moments, much like a well-rounded readers who travel through the world of fiction and non-fiction over long periods of time. I know that I enjoy Carrie Stuart Parks and her writing, but felt as though there was something missing from this piece. Tavish is an interesting woman with an artistic background, but I never found myself able to fully connect with her. She seems to have found herself in the middle of a larger mystery and by doing so, she struggles to find which way is up. It could be that the story rushed by and I never ‘caught on’ to her as a character, but it was almost as though I was waiting for the big Tavish reveal to hook me. Others found their place throughout the story and kept me wanting to find just a little more to pull me into the piece, but I was sadly unable to latch on. The premise, from what I ascertained, was decent, though the mystery did not get to the depths I had hoped it might. I know that established authors with strong series are sometimes judged based on that as a yardstick, which is surely what I am doing here, but I cannot help myself. I needed more and while I may be in the minority, as a reader, my own opinion matters as much as the major reviewers and slew of those on Goodreads or other sites. I can hope that this was an anomaly for me and that we will return to the powerful and addictive novels before too long.

Kudos, Madam Parks, for the effort, as I know there was much that went into this piece. It was likely not my cup of tea, which surely happens. Not all readers can be enamoured all the time!

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

Formula of Deception by Carrie Stuart Parks

Seven stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Stuart Parks, and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Moving away from her Gwen Marcey series, Carrie Stuart Parks intrigues readers with this standalone novel that is sure to send chills up the spine. Murphy Andersen is hiding in plain sight in rural Alaska, worried that the serial killer likely responsible for her sister’s disappearance might soon find her. Creating a backstory so as not to alert anyone, Andersen sells herself as a forensic artist and has been brought in by the Kodiak Police Department to sketch some memories of a dying man. These sketches are to represent five bodies the man found a decade ago on a remote island. When Andersen and a crime technician make their way to the apparent crime scene, weather works against them and they narrowly escape with their lives. Soon thereafter, people with whom Andersen has recently had contact end up murdered and her home is torched. Might this all be coincidental or is there someone trying to send a message? As Andersen remains convinced that she will get to the bottom of her sister’s disappearance, she is also working this cold case, where she discovers potential ties to a World War II extremely covert mission. While she is worried that her identity and past may soon be revealed, Andersen cannot be deterred from doing all she can to solve these two Alaskan mysteries. A well-paced thriller that keeps the reader’s attention. Recommended for those who enjoy a police procedural with a twist!

I have long enjoyed Parks’ forensic artist series, as it tackles crime fighting from a unique perspective and helps educate the reader on some of the major aspects of the author’s other career. This move away from the series allows Parks to expand the foundation of her writing, adding a younger and less jaded protagonist. Murphy Andersen proves to be an interesting character, though the intensity of her backstory is diluted as she tries to help with the cases at hand. Parks has done well to introduce a number of interesting supporting characters, many of whom complement Andersen well, though not as well as some of those Parks has created in her aforementioned series. The plot has some interesting aspects—a serial killer, five mystery bodies, a military mission— but I found the entire experience not to be as intense as I might have liked. I was able to read the book with ease, though found myself lacking a connection to much on the page. It might also be some of the psychological aspects and internal conversations that Andersen seems to have, but I felt it lacked the punch Parks usually brings to her novels. The premise is sound and the historic happenings, be they real or fabricated, offered the reader something interest to ponder as they make their way through this piece.

Kudos, Madam Parks, for a decent addition to your writing repertoire. While not my favourite piece, I can still see some of your high-calibre writing that hooked me a while back.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

Portrait of Vengeance (Gwen Marcey #4), by Carrie Stuart Parks

Eight stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Stuart Parks and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Returning with her much anticipated fourth novel, Carrie Stuart Parks takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. After recently being hired to work on the Interagency Major Crime Unit (IMCU), Gwen Marcey attempts to curry favour with the team and her current beau by taking a case in Alaska. However, when another case is being described at the Unit briefing, Gwen cannot shake the intense flashback she has, directly tied to a traumatic event from her youth. Leaving little room for negotiation, Gwen swaps cases and heads to Idaho, where she will liaise alongside the Nez Perce Tribal Police in Lapwai. There, a couple has been murdered and their four year-old daughter is missing. When her reception is met with less than open arms, Gwen must begin her work as best she can, interviewing witnesses and providing any composite sketches that arise. When her vehicle is stolen, Gwen enlists the assistance of her best friend, Beth Noble, whose online prowess will surely come in handy. In a moment of emotional vulnerability, Gwen admits to discovering a murder scene of her ‘sorta-mom’ at fourteen, which led her out to Montana. This revelation, tied to the added admission that her parents were murdered when she was four, fuels Gwen as she tries to locate this little girl and ensure the killer is found. However, all that is easier said than done. Much of what Gwen grew up knowing changes the deeper Beth is able to dig around through old records. Gwen is distracted and she misses major elements of the crime at hand, which leads to her dismissal from the IMCU. There is surely an element that connects these past crimes to the current abduction, but the clues that tie it all together are slow to emerge. As Gwen and Beth continue to dig, key pieces of evidence fall into place, but that only pushes them into more danger. A killer lurks and Gwen appears to be their target. Her past and present collide, but someone wants to keep what is not yet known firmly veiled in mystery. Parks has spun a powerful story in this novel that will appeal greatly to the series fan and is sure to hook newbies who are just now learning about the wonders of this talented crime writer. 

I have been a fan of Carrie Stuart Parks and her work for a number of years. She offers a wonderful crime thriller, but tackles her stories from a unique angle. With Gwen Marcey as a forensic artist, this individualizes the protagonist and allows the reader to approach the crime fighting from a perspective that might not receive much merit. Basing Marcey on a number of her own experiences, Parks is able to speak with confidence as she weaves an intricate backstory. This novel is saturated with Gwen Marcey’s backstory and fills in many of the gaps left from the previous three books. Additionally, Gwen’s internalized arguments with others (both her ex-husband and Beth) show a struggle the character faces on a number of topics. Rather than simply loading the narrative with these breadcrumbs, the entire story takes on a Gwen Marcey flavour, permitting exploration and growth. Other than Beth and some minor mentions of others back in Missoula, Montana, the entire cast of characters is new and exciting, with a strong Indian (aboriginal) flavour. Politics surrounding the American treatment of this part of the population is woven throughout the story, allowing the reader to learn a great deal as the story progresses. The narrative is crisp and moves forward with an intense story told in short chapters. Parks keeps the reader wondering until the very end and offers up some hints and what might be to come in the ever-evolving battle between Gwen and her ex-husband. Parks has written another winner here and is sure to garner many more accolades for this work.

Kudos, Madam Parks for another wonderful novel. You never fail to impress me as I learn much about forensics from your unique experiences.