I thought that LaHaye and Blackstock would never be able to duplicate and certainly not be able to top the writing in the 1st book of this series. How wrong I was!! This book is even better than the first! I can now relate even more to the characters of Cedar Circle, and I feel like they are my best friends. I can hardly wait to turn each page so I can find out what happens next. I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to read the 3rd book, because I know I won't be disappointed.

I found this book by accident, and I loved it. I rarely cry at a book, but this one brough the tears. It was so real. I have friendships like the ones the women in the book did. The characters were real people- they struggled, made mistakes, and dealt with anger and pride and personal weaknesses.

A lot of the time I felt like the messages and advice in the book was for me, not just for the character who needed to hear it. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

This book was amazing! I had no idea that they were putting out a second book to follow up the first, but I read it in 3 days, couldn't stop. This is a MUST read - really makes you thankful for everything that you have!

I could not put this book down. Very fast paced, suspenceful, and plenty of great Christian lessons that we can all learn. Liked the romance in the book and love having characters in this story from the previous book. It is fun to see the characters again, see how they are doing. I feel like I know the characters that Terri just brings to life.

How does one cope with grief after the tragic loss of a loved one? In Melissa's case, REVENGE. Blackstock does a great job of showing that Christians are human and have to deal with the problems of life like anyone else. The difference is how a Christian, like Detective Larry Millsaps, deals with those problems. Not only is the story great, but also having a great Christian law enforcement officer as the protagonist was wonderful--not a lot of writers could carry that off the way that Blackstock can. The only thing lacking in this story is that it has not yet been made a movie of the week!

Of the four books in this series, this book had the most impact on me. Sad to say that my Christian walk was not up to what it should be, but after reading this book, and watching Larry and Melissa struggle and wrestle with the Lord, I became convicted. I feel this book was brought to my attention to make me realize that Christ needs to be the center of my life again, and his grace is truely amazing. Thank you Terri for writing such a great eye opening book!

This is the 6th book of Terri Blackstock I've read, and I love them all. The novels are very honest, Terri is not afraid to raise difficult questions and to show Christians struggling spiritually. Her characters do not know all the answers, they learn on the way as the story goes. Absolutely great books.

The whole Sun Coast Chronicles series is great, but I think that Presumption of Guilt is the best one! Terri Blackstock, along with the Left Behind series, has proved that you can have an excellent book without all of the bad language and sex that plagues most secular novels. Besides the fact that Terri Blackstock's novels are excellent, it is comforting to know that you don't have to worry about running into any objectionable material in her books.

If you like a fast-moving, action-packed book, this one's for you. Terri is a master at capturing you from the first page. You will not only be caught up in the plot, but in the spiritual struggle that is the theme throughout the book. And, just in case you miss the spiritual lesson, she gives you a review at the end! Got to love her. Be sure to read the other books in this series as well.

This book, detailing a couple's first year of marriage (complete with highs and lows) is the perfect wedding or anniversary gift. Both men and women will enjoy reading and learning from the sometimes-funny, sometimes tender story of a man and woman written by a man and woman. It's a short, active read, and should appeal even to guys who "don't read." (And don't forget the audio book--it's even more entertaining!)

I have just finished this book and I loved it. It contains three stories and all of them incorporate chocolate in some way; a very special box of chocolate, a candy store owner and a woman who believes that she is allergic to chocolate. I would have to say that my favourite story, out of the three, would have to be the final one! It was great, a real page turner. I would recommend this book to anyone. Terri Blackstock, Elizabeth White and Renee McCollum are all fantasic christian writers.

This is a great book, as are all Terri's books! She keeps you guessing and in suspense. As always, she provides you with biblical answers to difficult situations. She doesn't skirt or sugarcoat the hard issues, but deals with them head on.

I enjoyed this book after picking it up on a recommendation. The story flows smoothly and, while often a bit cliche, keeps you interested throughout.

The other reviewers here didn't mention the best aspect of the book in my opinion. There is a story within the story about an arrogant playboy who is paralyzed and maimed in the plane crash and has to come to terms with his character as his looks and career are derailed. He finds out much to his dismay that he really doesn't have any depth, having relied on his looks and focused on his Porsche, his pursuit of women, and his material possessions. This was truly a thought provoking treatment and was the highlight of the book.

As a mystery, it doesn't really work because you as the reader know who's who by halfway through the book. I also found the love story to be a bit contrived. There is a fair amount of suspense and the characters are pretty well developed, except for the villain, who is simply a one-dimensional character whose behaviors are never really explored beyond anger and resentment. This is too bad because there could have been some real development here, considering the rest of the characters have to undergo some brokeness to change.

Despite some flaws, I gave the book 4 stars because it is a fun book to read, and the values are sound. The insight into how fast life can change is also excellent.

My first time into a Terry Blackstock book has me reading everything she has written. She writes the kind of book you have to stay up and read because you can't put it down. This series is terrific but maybe not quite as good as the series she writes with Mrs. Lahay. What a great team they make. God is good and Terry leaves you happy that you know and are known by Him.

A Christian version of suspense queen Mary Higgins Clark? Terri Blackstock's skill at writing suspense fiction reminded me much of the mystery queen. "Evidence of Mercy" (available as a separate novel, or as one of four best-selling Blackstock novels in the "Suncoast Chronicles" anthology) is a humdinger of a suspense story, revolving around the lives of three main characters. The main protagonist, Lynda, is a Christian lawyer whose life is threatened by an unknown killer. The second central character is the atheist Jake, who becomes a paraplegic after crashing on Lynda's sabotaged plane while test-flying it as a prospective buyer. The third main character is one of Lynda's clients, Paige, a single parent trying to avoid her abusive ex-husband. Suspense mounts as the mystery killer and his motive remain unidentified in the first half of the story.

It's a terrific and captivating story that draws you in, and at the same time gives you much to think about, because the characters not only battle a mysterious killer, but also their own personalities and weaknesses. Much Christian fiction falls into the trap of featuring an artificial conversion story. Terri Blackstock shows that writers can craft a mouth-watering Christian story without artificially sprinkling it with an obvious theological twist of this kind, and yet retain a deeper spiritual significance. In the afterword, Blackstock explains that the idea of her book came after a personal struggle with her faith, and the growing awareness that faith needs to be put into action. "I thought I believed, I said I believed - but I did nothing to put the belief into action. I was neither hot nor cold, but luke-warm, and absolutely fruitless." The title "Evidence of Mercy" describes this important spiritual theme that Blackstock wants to convey. The struggles of the three characters mirror Blackstock's own struggles, as she explains: "the characters interested me because their own spiritual battles were so much like my own: Lynda, a lukewarm Christian who would let someone die without witnessing to him; Jake, an agnostic who couldn't give up the pilot's seat in his life until it was taken from him; and Paige, a spiritual infant on the verge of belief, who lacked the faith to make the final plunge." For instance, Lynda comes to conclude "she'd made a god of an airplane, an altar of her job, and an idol of her ego" (p.38), and Jake realizes the folly of relying on his good looks: "If I'd known I was going to be left with just my character, I'd have worked harder at building some." (p.135) Without taking on an preaching tone that many Christian writers unwittingly do, Blackstock brings out these important spiritual truths by showing them in the lives of her characters in a convincing and persuasive manner.

Terri Blackstock's novels are a welcome addition to the ranks of Christian fiction. The genre has been dominated especially by the historical romance, much of it inferior to secular fictions on most levels. With her successful efforts in suspense fiction genre, Terri Blackstock shows that it doesn't have to be that way (aside from an unnecessary kiss in the last pages), and that Christian writers can successfully take on new genres, and do so with style. As a fan of suspense fiction, I'm grateful to see Christian writers provide exciting alternatives to secular novels in the genre. Move over Mary Higgins Clark!

A Christian version of suspense queen Mary Higgins Clark? Terri Blackstock's skill at writing suspense fiction reminded me much of the mystery queen. "Evidence of Mercy" (available as a separate novel, or as one of four best-selling Blackstock novels in the "Suncoast Chronicles" anthology) is a humdinger of a suspense story, revolving around the lives of three main characters. The main protagonist, Lynda, is a Christian lawyer whose life is threatened by an unknown killer. The second central character is the atheist Jake, who becomes a paraplegic after crashing on Lynda's sabotaged plane while test-flying it as a prospective buyer. The third main character is one of Lynda's clients, Paige, a single parent trying to avoid her abusive ex-husband. Suspense mounts as the mystery killer and his motive remain unidentified in the first half of the story.

The first story in this collection, "Evidence of Mercy", is a terrific and captivating story that draws you in, and at the same time gives you much to think about, because the characters not only battle a mysterious killer, but also their own personalities and weaknesses. Much Christian fiction falls into the trap of featuring an artificial conversion story. Terri Blackstock shows that writers can craft a mouth-watering Christian story without artificially sprinkling it with an obvious theological twist of this kind, and yet retain a deeper spiritual significance. In the afterword, Blackstock explains that the idea of her book came after a personal struggle with her faith, and the growing awareness that faith needs to be put into action. "I thought I believed, I said I believed - but I did nothing to put the belief into action. I was neither hot nor cold, but luke-warm, and absolutely fruitless." The title "Evidence of Mercy" describes this important spiritual theme that Blackstock wants to convey. The struggles of the three characters mirror Blackstock's own struggles, as she explains: "the characters interested me because their own spiritual battles were so much like my own: Lynda, a lukewarm Christian who would let someone die without witnessing to him; Jake, an agnostic who couldn't give up the pilot's seat in his life until it was taken from him; and Paige, a spiritual infant on the verge of belief, who lacked the faith to make the final plunge." For instance, Lynda comes to conclude "she'd made a god of an airplane, an altar of her job, and an idol of her ego" (p.38), and Jake realizes the folly of relying on his good looks: "If I'd known I was going to be left with just my character, I'd have worked harder at building some." (p.135) Without taking on an preaching tone that many Christian writers unwittingly do, Blackstock brings out these important spiritual truths by showing them in the lives of her characters in a convincing and persuasive manner. The other three stories in this anthology are equally good. In fact, I find them to be on a higher level than Dee Henderson's popular books.

Terri Blackstock's novels are a welcome addition to the ranks of Christian fiction. The genre has been dominated especially by the historical romance, much of it inferior to secular fictions on most levels. With her successful efforts in suspense fiction genre, Terri Blackstock shows that it doesn't have to be that way (aside from an unnecessary kiss in the last pages), and that Christian writers can successfully take on new genres, and do so with style. As a fan of suspense fiction, I'm grateful to see Christian writers provide exciting alternatives to secular novels in the genre. Move over Mary Higgins Clark!

I read the Sun Coast Chronicles series almost a year ago and can't say enough about Terri Blackstock's ability to weave suspense, mystery, romance and inspiration in such an entertaining package.

In the Sun Coast Chronicles, there are four stories with interrelated characters in the same town in California. Each hero/heroine is forced to deal with something outside themselves, usually a bad character and at the same time, something inside themselves, their faith in God.

Terri Blackstock is one of the premier Christian writers, and I highly recommend this series. And to get all four of them together in such a great price, it makes me wish I hadn't read them yet!

I finished this book in two days, I was so caught up in it. It is much better than the Newpointe 911 I started with. I would encourage anyone who likes suspense and mystery to read it. Although I have figured out the killer rather quickly it still kept my interest.

This book is so exciting that I found myself gasping when there were new twists and turns and constantly chewing on my lip when I got nervous for what was going to happen! I love this book and can't wait to read the rest of the Series! I would recommend this book to anyone along with Blackstock's other books that are amzaing as well!

Other recommendations:
Dee Henderson - The O'Malley Series

My Christian bookstore recommended I read this book by Terri Blackstock, and now I'm hooked on the series. This book is suspenseful, promotes Christian integrity without being preachy, and is hard to put down.

I would recommend this series highly.

I am reading the Newpointe 911 series in a Christian bookclub I belong to. Within three weeks, I've already read two of them! Private Justice is a nail-biting thriller that entertains as well as spreads the word. The characters are so realistic you can imagine them living in your neighborhood. I can't wait to start the third book in the series!

In general, I like Terri Blackstock's novels & this Newpointe series in particular even though I have a lot of nit-picking criticisms of them! However, even though I enjoyed this novel I had some serious problems with the covenant theme & Jerry's character. I though it raised some very problematic questions about a Christian's duty. Every review I read on this site was effusive with praise for this book. Didn't any of you have a question about the way this covenant theme was played out? Frankly, I cannot agree with Jerry's outlook even though I can sympathize with it. The author tiptoes around the difficult questions she herself has brought up as part of the plot. Despite some erratic behavior, Jerry is portrayed as basically a good guy, but where are the Christians who would bring up other considerations. What loyalty does one owe to a maniac who is a danger to society & to one's own family? How can it be Christian to facilitate the escape of such a person out of a sincere but misguided notion of covenant-keeping? What would ultimately be for Frank's own good? To let him go on killing & ultimately destroy himself & innocent people? Sorry, but I can't accept that. There's some very faulty theology here.

Word of Honor was so full of action and suspense that I couldn't put the book down. Following the story lines and characters was like watching it on a movie screen. The book while entertaining also motivated me to take a closer look at myself and my relationship with God and others. If you've read the earlier Newpointe 911 books you won't want to miss this one to reunite with the characters. I didn't think it could happen but Terri Blackstock's story lines get better with each book. I can't wait for the next one.

I have read all of Terri Blackstocks christian books. The Newpoint series was the best yet, I have become a continual reader of Terri's books. Her books have given me a deeper determination to take a closer look at my Christian Life. I can relate to some of her characters. I can't wait until the next book in this series is released. I really learned a lot about Covenants and have taken a closer look at what the Bible have to say about Covenants, it is interesting to put that belief into every day living. This books was like looking at a movie, I read this book in one day and was disappointed to come to the end. Keep up the good work Terri and may God continue to Bless You.