I was really looking forward to Elizabeth Peter's Copenhagen Connection, after really enjoying her Amelia Peabody Egyptian mysteries, but I found the audio book version of this novel to be tedious, and the characters simply rehashes of Peabody and Emerson from earlier works. This is the story of a plucky (and yet somehow preternaturally old), young woman named Elizabeth, who traveling to Denmark, gets mixed up with an eccentric author and her snarling son, and a mystery involving of all things, a bathrobe.

While Elizabeth is a nice enough character, the author fails to write convincing modern young woman. Instead, we get Amelia Peabody with a few colorful swear words. Added to this, she fails to write any emotional hooks which might make me care about the legion of stereotypical characters which haunt the REST of the book.. Christian (the romantic lead's) snarling and snapping, (come on, surely she can write other types of heroes?)was grossly unattractive to me. His over-the-top eccentric mother had my eyes rolling in pain at points. Surely a modern heroine like Elizabeth, could do better.

Perhaps this is my own fault, for prolonging the reading experience by listening to the audio version, but I found myself vastly disappointed with this novel. Perhaps the others are better?

I have been a fan of Elizabeth Peters for just over a year, but have been devouring her books quickly. This is one of my favourites. It is quite short but extremely well written with a sharp sense of humour. The main characters are enjoyable, intelligent (although they don't always act it) and endearing. It combines adventure, comedy and romance beautifully with an emphasis on the last two. The plot is also intriguing (you would never, ever guess what is going on) and the descriptions of Denmark are spot on.

If you enjoy Janet Evanovich then you would also relish this little gem. It is of a similar style but the heroine is not as manic! The fast pace of the action and the humour is much the same (key difference is that it is set in Europe). My only complaint was that I would have liked more, more!

I thought this book was so cute and funny and so educational. I nice combination. I just remember liking the process of reading as well my reaction to it five or six years ago. Elizabeth Peters writes some books better than others, and the romance between the characters are sometimes better than others, and this book really showed one of her best talents and mixing the romance, the adventure, escapade, etc. And I liked the adventure of going to Coppenhagen. The plot seemed better because of that adventurous touch. It's a light but educational fun read.

"Grace In Eclipse" is a study on eternal rewards and is the 2nd segment in a three-part series on the absolute freeness of the gift of salvation.

The author argues that passages dealing with eternal rewards (for one's works) are often misinterpreted as being passages dealing with salvation (a free gift.) In order to understand the freeness of our salvation, the often neglected, yet vitally important concept of eternal rewards must be correctly taught to the believer. This issue along with the issue of mistaking discipleship passages (works) for salvation (free gift) passages - discussed in "Absolutely Free" by the same author - make up the great bulk of misunderstood scripture which leads many to combine both concepts into a single doctrine of salvation and ending up with a (disguised) "works salvation."

Hodges also maintains that words such as "believe" and "faith" have basically the same meaning that they do in English and that they are often interpreted to say more than they actually do by well-meaning theologians and lay-persons. He cites several examples from scripture where the words use their common meaning where it would be clearly erroneous to ascribe to them extra meaning. Many of these passages are the same ones used to support the concept of works being a necessary result or fruit of one's salvation.

The concept of the total freeness of salvation contained in the book often draws the accusation of "antinominanism" - "against law" or "lawless." However, the author makes clear in the book that a saved person is profoundly responsible for his actions, and that there are consequences in the life to come for one's disobedience in this life - which is clearly not advocating lawlessness, but does teach the concept of eternal rewards.

This is the best book on eternal rewards today. It offers wonderful insight into difficult passages. Zane has a marvelous way of explaining the Bible.

Zane Hodges was my professor and mentor in seminary. His life matches his beliefs. He is an extremely gracious and godly man.

I highly recommend this book.

Bob Wilkin, Ph.D. Author of Confident in Christ: Living by Faith Really Works

I agree with Dr. Charles Stanley of "In Touch" and Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, "A need has arisen in the evangelical community for a return to the simple message of salvation by faith alone." (Grace in Eclipse - Forward) "Grace in Eclipse" helps to address this need by showing that many passages which people have confused into teaching salvation by works or proof of salvation by works, actually teach the often forgotten subject of eternal rewards.

For example, the phrase "inherit the kingdom" is connected with works time and time again in the New Testament. It does not make theological sense to assume this phrase refers to eternal salvation. Otherwise, works-salvation is being taught, which the Bible has made clear in many places that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. In addition, this assumption does not make sense with the actual words of the text itself. If someone told you that you are going to "inherit Michael Jordan's home" versus that your are going to be allowed to "live in Michael Jordan's home", any reasonable person would know that what is being spoken of is two very different things. Thus, "inheriting the kingdom" is an eternal reward based on works, that needs to be kept distinct from eternal salvation based on faith. This is the type of clear biblically based analysis of passages that I really appreciate about this book. Of course the book is much more eloquent than I am in expressing and teaching these ideas.

Grace in Eclipse helps to bring out the light of understanding on many difficult passages of the Bible by remaining true to the actual text of the passage and by remaining true to the rest of Scripture. This is a book that seeks the meaning of difficult passages based on the passages themselves and not through some preconceived theological grid. I recommend that all who are seeking the truth read the book and decide for themselves.

A truly inspirational read! A beautiful story, of how a hideous tragedy was turned around by the Grace of God. A very compelling book!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I pick it up and re-read it often. The Smith family has such amazing faith. This book will minister to you. It is also an exciting page turner. You really start to feel that you know this family. I would highly recommend it!

At times while reading Dawn's book, I found myself thinking that I was reading a novel about a popular horror movie. (Actually, the tragedy was cast as a made-for-TV movie.)Horrific indeed is Dawn's family's story, and I sat on the edge of the couch in tears as I reminded myself every other chapter that her story was real, actual--a story that hits home. It could have happened to anybody. What is more amazing, as the title states, is the grace Dawn learned through this tragedy and the powerful testimony her story tells about the strength He provides.

I've read all of Monfredo's book. In my opinion, the best ones focused on Glynis and Seneca Falls although Glynis' trip to the south was an excellent view of plantation life from a northern woman's point of view.

I guess I haven't reviewed Brothers of Cain, though. It's hard because I can't help comparing these later books with Blackwater Spirits and Northstar Conspiracy. I'd like to see Monfredo background the nieces and get back to her original characters, who were much, much more believable and even more likable.

This is the second installment in Monfredo's 'Cain' series which focuses on heroine Bronwyn Llyr and the Civil War. This was a great fast-paced thriller, chocked full of historical detail as are all of Monfredos books. It would be helpful to have read the first book, but it is not entirely necessary. The historical quotes at the beginning of each chapter were fascinating and added another level of depth to the book. I enjoyed the subplots going on within Bronwyn's family-- including the budding romance between Bronwyn's sister and Dr. Travis, Bronwyn's brother's experiences as a prisoner of war Libby Prison, as well as the sad goodbye Bronwyn's Aunt Glynis must say to her longtime 'friend' Cullen Stuart. I was surprised to see a kinder and gentler agent O'Hara in the second installment, as I thought his unabashed male-chauvinism served merely as a foil to the liberated Bronwyn in the first novel. He was back, and provided some comic relief as well as a point of tension for Bronwyn who is unsure of his trustworthiness.

I am always happy to find that Monfredo has continued to focus on women's experiences of history. Feminists will probably particularly enjoy this novel, but it should bequite accessible and enjoyable to a wider audience.

In 1862, the War Between the States turns ugly as members of the same family may be fighting on different sides. This is not the case for the Llyr family who is staunchly pro-union. Kathryn is a nurse in the Volunteer Sanitary Commission, giving aid to anyone who is wounded. Her sister Bronwyn is an espionage agent working for the Treasury Department. They are both watching the wounded depart when a union private tells them that the Confederacy captured their brother Seth.

Bronwyn is determined to free her brother before they can connect him to her and hang him as a spy. Their superiors, including President Lincoln, recognize her determination and will let her try to free her brother while she completes her real assignment in Richmond where her brother is being kept. She has to somehow get the tobacco the English and French paid for out of confederate hands and into the buyers. This is needed so that the two European nations will think twice before enlisting on the side of the Confederacy. Spies, double agents, and treachery surround Bronwyn as she tries to do her jobs while keeping her skin intact.

Civil War buffs and fans of historical mysteries will not want to miss BROTHERS OF CAIN, a novel that stirs both the blood and the intellect. It's obvious that Miriam Grace Monfredo has done meticulous research in order to give a realistic depiction of this phase of the war. Readers will believe they are part of the action in this historical espionage thriller.

Harriet Klausner

As though the bloody battle of Malvern Hill weren't enough, Northern spy Bronwyn Llyr stumbles across the murder of Quiller, one of the men she had been sent to Richmond to rescue. In the midst of the retreating Union army, she somehow manages to make it to Harrison Landing along with her sister, Kathryn, young Natty and his dog, an ailing fellow spy named Marshall, and O'Hara, whom she suspects of being a double agent. There she finds that new orders await her, and she's off on yet another spy mission while still trying to discover Quiller's killer. This time, she's expected to find out how blockade runners are successfully bringing the Confederacy much-needed ammunition. She is also expected to investigate whether there is any truth to the rumor that an assassination attempt will be made on Lincoln's life when he arrives on a visit to the Union forces at the Landing. CHILDREN OF CAIN is chiefly a spy novel, with the Civil War setting looming large. Monfredo knows well the history of that period and manages graphic-perhaps too graphic-descriptions of the carnage. A first-rate historical mystery, with most of the emphasis on the history.

After Bronwen Llyr rescues her brother from a confederate prison, she makes her way back to the Union lines when she discovers that the southern armies are on the march instead of protecting Richmond. She takes her knowledge back to Washington but it is hard to get anyone to believe her until the southern army strikes at General McClellon's troops.

Against the advice of her superior but with the blessing of President Lincoln, she returns to the Confederate hospital of Chimborazo to rescue her sister, a young child, the president's friend and a dog. She succeeds in her mission but all of them are caught in the midst of a great battle, seeing much courage and death. Bronwen is injured and would like to go home but her love of country, her honor and courage makes her stay in a war that seems to have no end.

After reading CHILDREN OF CAIN readers will have no doubt that, without the benefit of CNN, "War is Hell" on civilians and soldiers alike. Bronwen is a heroine in the best sense of the word because she keeps on going even when her mind tells her to give up. Though a historiographer's bane, Miriam Grace Monfredo brings a lucid vision of the American Civil War that is not widely known and does so in humanistic terms.

Harriet Klausner

With Miriam Monfredo's books, the reader can get lost in not only the story but also in the settings. "Children of Cain" is no exception. From a very vivid personal perspective through the eyes of the lead characters, you can feel the mud on your shoes, hear the horrifying sounds of war, feel the despair and terror and even the hope. If you had a time machine and journeyed back to these places at these times, you would know these people on sight. "Children of Cain" is another amazing work.

Tasha is rescued during a snowstorm by a preacher, who takes her home to his mother. The relationship between these three is lovely and would have made for a nice book. Unfortunately, the author brings an unappealing character into the mix whose presence grates on every page and keeps this from being an enjoyable read. Skip those parts and read the rest of the story, which tracks Tasha's journey to finding God.

I enjoy all of Grace Livingston Hill's books. They are good clean Christian romance stories. This one was one of my favorite, that showed how a worldly person can become right with God, and find true love in the process. They don't make heros like this one any more!!!

I loved this book, I just couldn't wait to turn the page to see what was next.

I have read many of Grace Livingston Hills books and i actually have not found a one i didn't like.

We have been looking for food blessings to extend our repertoire and keep us mindful of the food we are given at the evening meal. The sub-title of this book, "Daily Blessing for the Evening Meal," led us to believe we had found exactly what we needed. However, I challenge anyone to find more than three or four blessings in this little volume that would properly and sweetly bless the food we were about to eat. Some are absolutely inappropriate and unappetizing; others, so far afield we wondered what they were doing in this book. We were very disappointed.

This diverse collection of beautiful prayers and blessings contains themes which are relevant to whatever gathering I'm a part of. I have used the blessings to begin meetings, as part of a presentation, at family mealtime and for my personal inspriation. I have bought my own copy and have given two other copies as gifts. The language of each blessing speaks very powerfully.

The entire collection is outstanding, but as we sat down for my grandson's eleventh birthday dinner, I flipped to page 7 and found the perfect reflection on the wondrous gift of being, in itself. It blessed our celebration.

Ida Ford is a woman living in Evansville, Kentucky who has experienced more hurt and pain in her 30 plus years than people who are many years older than her. Ida, her sister Vileen, and her brother Ray grew up with a single mother who drank to much and had too many male friends.

Vileen, who is the oldest chronicles her view of her life and the family's daily struggles in a diary. She is tired of struggling and living in Evansville, so she devises a plan to get out by using her education. Vileen works extremely hard at school, and she graduates. After high school graduation, she accepted into a clerical training program and is awarded a grant to pay for her education. The best part about about the school in her opinion is that it was all the way in Texas.

Meanwhile, back in Evansville, Ida is not faring very well. She is using drugs and is constantly getting into trouble. One day a tragedy occurs and Ida and Vileen are forced together, the results are not good. Ida is determined to make the best out of a bad situation.

One day Vileen has a divine experience and she places her life and all of her troubles into God's hands. From this point on she starts to have positive experiences. Ida on the other hand continues to get into more trouble.

Tragedy which seems to be a permanent part of the Ford family history once again occurs and Ida is forced to rediscover her sister Vileen through her diaries. Ida not only rediscovers her sister she rediscovers herself. What makes her experience so unique is that this all takes place while Ida is in prison.

Ida Caught By Grace by Yolanda Magee is a heartwarming book that makes the reader remember how important God, friends, and family are. Overall this is a good book. However at times the book was not flowing quite right and was a little hard to understand . I also did not like the different fonts that the story was written in. On the RAW scale it is a 3.

...

Debut author Yolanda Magee takes us on an overwhelming journey filled with trials and tribulations that a lot of us face in our lives, first as children and then later as adults as we search for our place in life. We are first introduced to the main character, Ida Ford, in the present time as she begins to tell her life story detailing all of the things she has gone through and how she was able to come to the present point in her life.

Several years prior, Ida is a hell-raising, know-it-all, drug addict who feels that she has her life together and needs nothing from anyone; including her older siter Vileen. It is after Vileen and her husband die in a car wreck that Ida finds herself incarcerated for a year and a half for possession of drugs with an intent to sell. She realizes that she's alone and has the desire to get her life together. It is during this time that she receives a package which turns out to be the beginning of another journey for Ida.

Inside the package is a box of seven books; the memoirs of her sister Vileen. Through these books, Ida begins to understand not only her own life, but also the life of her sister and her mother and how Vileen struggled to get out of their poor neighborhood away from drugs and alcohol and also how she yearned to make more of herself than their alcoholic mother and drug addict of a sister.

Ida relives her childhood and part of her adult life through the 18 years that Vileen chronicled the events of her life, her disappointments, her fears, her true feelings for Ida, her life-changing (first) car accident, and the time she spent in the hostpital in which she found hope through the Bible and God. Although Ida doesn't remember a lot of the events as Vileen details them, she begins to see her life as it really was and she's able to confront her past and obtain a desire to change herself in hopes of getting custody of her niece.

This book showcases the relationships between sisters and also between mothers and daughters. It helps us to understand that love has no bounds, not even through death as we're able to see Ida changing through the reading of her sister's memoirs. Magee gives us a story of love, forgiveness, and self- exploration that focuses on the relationships between women and how anyone can overcome anything with faith, trust, belief and love. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading future books by Yolanda MaGee.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal

An inspiring novel that deals with real life issues. This book will surely touch the depths of your heart. Looking forward to reading the second book of the series.

This book had an interesting premise, but it left me cold and uninspired. While the narration "by God" had promise, in the end, the book lacked depth and insight. I was disappointed.

I picked up this book, attracted by the title and the cover, and couldn't stop reading. It's an interesting combination of clever satire and compassionate spiritual insight. I loved the characters, especially Sheila and the "downtrodden" Kiri; I laughed out loud at a few spots and got teary-eyed at others. The spiritual side of the book is by no means sentimental -- it offers a picture of a God who works in ways that are not only mysterious but sometimes exactly the opposite of what we'd expect.

I chose this book for superficial reasons- appealing cover and title. I very much enjoyed the the story and found the characters convincing and engaging. God as narrator seemed like a fun and interesting device. Maybe it is not deep theology but the chain of events seemed consistent with my experience of the way God works in human life.

every story is enlightening! it helps u stay in a good mood after reading! it teaches u about love! and yes...i like it very much!

Another one of Lucy Maud Montgomery's entertaining short-story books. Each story will have its twists and turns, and the author brings such amazing personality into each of the characters that you will not want the outcome to come in anyway that they, the characters themselves do not.

This book is an endearing collection of short stories. The first time I read the Anne series at age 10, I refused to read this book because it wasn't about Anne. However, at age 21, I have grown up and recently read it. Read this and become enmeshed in other Avonlea lives. Also, look forward to references to our favorite heroine, Anne Shirley! I promise you won't be disappointed!