The Healing Knife - S L Russell

I was interested in Sue Russell’s The Healing Knife as soon as I saw the synopsis, so I was very happy to read a review copy and find that the book lived up to all my hopes.

Rachel Keyte’s whole world is focussed on her career as a surgeon.  When a colleague has an accident Rachel is called on to perform one of his scheduled operations, on twelve year old Craig.  She’s not very keen, but it’s a routine procedure and all goes well.  But within days her patient suddenly dies, and his mother Eve is out for revenge. The events which follow quickly result in Rachel’s life being shattered.

This is a very well written and fast paced novel, perfect for anyone who likes a strong contemporary read.  The faith elements are woven in believably and are not overpowering.  Rachel is an intriguing character and the story elements around her struggles with her mental health as part of her recovery are particularly well written.  Although the ‘difficult youth’ card is played it doesn’t feel formulaic. I would definitely recommend this book as one which would be a good novel to encourage an active fiction reader to try Christian fiction.  

9781782643036, Lion Fiction, Published March 2020

Collateral Damage - Lynette Eason

Collateral Damage is the first book of four planned in Lynette Eason’s new Danger Never Sleeps series.  In this first novel, phsychiatrist Brooke Adams and former Special operative Asher James find themselves running for their lives when a killer strikes.

Brooke is still recovering from the burns she suffered during a bombing in Afghanistan during her army service, and has just begun to rebuild her life and career in the civilian world.  But the publication of a series of photographs of her during the immediate aftermath of the bombing triggers a series of events which have deadly results. 

Asher was also directly affected by the bombing in Kabul. Recognising Brooke in the photos, he arranges to see her, hoping she can help him with his PTSD. Arriving at Brooke's office for his appointment the last thing he expects to find is a dead woman on the floor... 

As Asher tries to keep Brooke and himself alive and work out what is going on, they soon find that the situation they are in is a lot bigger than they thought. This is no local incident, but the result of a horrifying criminal operation which spans continents.

This is another superb Christian suspense novel from Lynette Eason, who certainly knows how to spin a tale and maintain the headlong pace for an entire book. This is a complex novel, with a good number of changes of direction and quite a few ‘cast’ members.  Occasionally, I found myself getting muddled by ‘who was who’ but overall this is an engrossing read with a very well laid out plot and the bad guys are truly evil.  There was at least one place where I gasped out loud in shock as we discover something!

Brooke and Asher are very well created characters, and their respective PTSD episodes are well told and very believable.  A bit less believable, for me anyway, is the heavily Christian conversation which Brooke has with Monica.  It felt a bit jarring against the rest of the book where the Christian elements are woven in in a more ‘faith living’ way.

This is a proper suspense novel, and the tension grows throughout the book as the various strands of the story begin to merge.  There were a couple of times when I correctly guessed who had done something/what they had done, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story at all.  

I also enjoyed meeting Gavin Black, Heather, Kat, Caden and some of the other characters and wonder if we’ll meet some of them in the forthcoming novels in the series.

The romance is nicely done, even if some of the earlier elements felt a bit unlikely to me. Good stories mean that I push back my cynicism a bit though, and this is definitely a good story!  Suspense readers will find this a book they don’t want to put down until the satisfying end.

9780800729349, Revell, published in the UK February 20.

For transparency, I work with Revell books in the UK, but I am not required to write any specific review. All views herein are my own.

Notorious: An Integrated Study of the Rogues, Scoundrels, and Scallywags of Scripture - Jeff Lucas

'Can we learn anything good from the bad people in the bible?' asks Jeff Lucas.  Well yes, clearly he thinks that we can and in this very accessible and engaging book he explains - for example - how we can learn about authentic worship by looking at Cain, purity by looking at Potiphar's wife, and the use and abuse of power and influence by looking at Jezebel.  Plus much more besides.

There's a lot to think about in this book, and although it's laid out for group study it works equally well as a personal resource.  Jeff writes in a very down to earth and relatable way, and each chapter is laid out in 'sessions', with key thoughts, scripture readings, a few pages 'for your consideration' and discussion questions - which again work very well for a single reader.  There are then six daily readings per session.  This approach, while being ideal for small groups as absolutely everything you need is there, also makes this book easy to dip in and out of.

Jeff's style means this doesn't come across as a 'preachy' book, even though there is plenty of depth in the writing.  While challenging the reader to examine their motives and actions, he also reminds us of our value to God, and the fact that God works with ordinary people to fulfill His kingdom purposes.
I highly recommend this book, especially to small group leaders looking for resource materials which will challenge, encourage and engage.

It's Okay Not to Be Okay - Sheila Walsh

It's #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and I'm going back to a book which I can hardly believe has now been out for a year. So it's not a brand shiny new title, but it's one of those books which I hope will live solidly on for years to come, because it is one which I truly believe can help people who are struggling.  I have friends who struggle with their mental health in various ways.  I have myself.

More than ten years ago (wow) I had a breakdown.  I'd been secretly struggling for a while but one day I was sitting in a meeting with my boss at work going through all the projects and tasks I needed to complete. And my entire self was filled with a suffocating sense of 'I can't do this any more' while I used every iota of my energy not to fall apart right there.  I remember struggling to speak while also trying not to cry. The meeting stalled. My boss sent me to see a doctor. At first it was a huge relief.  I went home feeling lighter, sure I just needed 'a bit of a rest' and that I'd bounce back quickly.  But I didn't bounce back quickly and when, at my next medical appointment, my doctor said 'I'm not seeing improvement' and said I was still unfit to work I remember walking home in the sunshine thinking 'What am I going to do if I don't get better?'
  Over time I did get better, and went back to work, part time to start with.  Supportive people in my professional and personal lives for whom I am still deeply thankful helped me, and managed to avoid everybody knowing that I'd crashed and burned. And some time later I was able to help another friend - a high flyer in their industry - when they had a similar mental health crisis, because I had been there and recognised the signs.

And that is why It's Okay Not to Be Okay is such a powerful read.  It's because author Sheila Walsh has also been there, and walked that uneven path. She writes from personal experience, but she doesn't expect her experience to match everyone else's.

I'd like to quote a small piece from early in the book, where Sheila talks about reaching the point of having what she calls a 'gut-level, honest, pour-your-heart-out conversation with God':

'I held it together until I couldn't anymore. I remember a night in my bedroom where I literally soaked the floor with my tears. I was bone-tired from pretending to have it all together, from trying to be okay. So, I let God have it. I told Him I was afraid and angry and tired and sad and lonely and confused and everything else I could think of. I didn't edit myself. I just let it all out.
  I believe my final words were, "I can't do this anymore."
  Rather than feeling rejected by my broken outburst, I felt as if God bent down and said, "I know. I've been waiting."'

Sheila's experiences have helped her reach out to others. A powerful snippet from the book gives an example:

'A woman pulled out her cell phone to show me a picture of her son. I'll protect a few of the details to honour her privacy, but even as I looked into her eyes to comment on how handsome he was, I saw an ocean of sorrow. She had faced the unthinkable in any mother's life: having to bury her son.
   The thought of that took my breath away. I had no words. All I could do was hold her and weep with her. She had come alone to the conference, which was titled "In the Middle of the Mess, Finding Strength for This Beautiful, Broken Life." I imagine that the only word that made sense to her was broken. Life was not beautiful. She didn't even want strength. She was broken. This was never the life she imagined. I was afraid to speak a word to her. What could I possibly say that would touch the depth of her pain? In what felt like a holy moment, she hugged me and through bitter tears said, "Thank you."  I have no idea what God gave her that day ... The Holy Spirit had taken truth and poured salve onto a broken heart. It's a mystery to me.'

We may not all be broken to the extent that this grieving mother was, but we all carry scars on the inside. If you're struggling, I urge you to let someone you trust know. Be honest. Don't give them the sanitised version of your pain.

I'm convinced this book has already helped many people, and will help many more.  Whether you're flying high or passing through the valleys, I recommend this as a personal, thoughtful, and helpful read.