Trust Me by Kelly Irvin – Lots of twists and turns, but not my favorite.

Trust Me is Kelly Irvin’s newest book, a mystery set in San Antonio in the Arts District. 

 

Actually, there are two mysteries, one dating back to 2010 in which Delaney Broward’s brother Corey was killed.  Ten years later, Hunter Nash, the man convicted of Corey’s murder, has been released from prison.  He’s maintained his innocence all this time, and now Hunter’s on a mission to find the person who killed Corey.  To investigate and find the real killer, he needs to reconnect with his former girlfriend Delaney.  She wants nothing to do with Hunter.  To make matters worse, on the day Hunter was released from prison, Corey’s former fiancée Ellie was found murdered.  Coincidence?  Did Hunter kill Ellie?  Or is someone out to implicate Hunter?

 

This novel has a lot going on with two murders, past and present.  While there is action in the story, emotions and memories are a big part of the story.  At times that kind of drags the story. 

 

I liked Hunter, and he was the one character whose Christian faith was focused on.  He was a changed man from his eight years in prison.  While he wanted to find Corey’s murderer, he wasn’t bitter.  Instead, Hunter was humbled as he reflected back on his life.  I appreciated the support Hunter had from his family and a local pastor who helped him to get a job.  I didn’t care for Hunter pushing his way back into Delaney’s life, and I don’t think her reaction was portrayed realistically. 

 

Delaney had abandoned her faith and the other characters seemed spiritually empty.  That surprises me in a book from a Christian author.  As the story goes along, it’s revealed that there were a lot of secrets and people weren’t necessarily who they represented themselves to be. 

 

The ending was a bit of a stretch.  When characters do something that isn’t logical, only to put themselves at risk, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.  I guessed who the villain was but didn’t believe the scenario of the hitman being manipulated because of his low intelligence. 

 

What was done well?  Kelly Irvin is a good writer and captured the atmosphere and vibe of San Antonio and the Arts District.  I wish the characters had been more likable and relatable.  Other than Hunter, faith was not a big part of the story and I wish it had been. 

 

If you like Kelly Irvin’s writing or like reading mysteries, you may enjoy this book.  For me there was something a bit off about it and at times rather dark. 

 

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Trust Me by Kelly Irvin.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

 

The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker by Jan Slimming – Compelling, Fascinating and Interesting

Do you find World War II history fascinating?  I do, and that is why I was excited to read Jan Slimming’s new book The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker. 

 

The book starts out telling the story of Janice Martin, a young college student who was recruited to learn about and employ the much-needed skill of codebreaking during the pivotal time in our Country, World War II. 

 

Janice is the focus of the book, but the book is about more than one person.  Periodically, the story comes back around to what was happening in Janice’s life at that time.  The story includes the history of cryptography and codebreaking.  You will learn about brilliant individuals who worked together to break the coded messages of our enemies during WWII.  That information was passed along to our military leaders to use and effectively win the battles. 

 

The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker was a fascinating book and goes into a lot of detail about how Americans, Great Britain, and the Allied forces worked together.  An early version of computers was developed to help analyze the large volume and ever-changing data that was coming in from the enemies’ encrypted messages. 

 

I found The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker by Jan Slimming to be a very interesting and compelling book.  I highly recommend it, especially if you like history, stories about WWII, and intrigue. 

 

After reading this book, it makes me wish that I had sat down with my parents and other family members and learned about the work they did in WWII.  I cannot imagine how different the world would have been if not for the courageous work and sacrifice of so many during World War II.

 

I would like to thank Pen & Sword Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker by Jan Slimming.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.