BOOK REVIEW OF INVISIBLE BY LORENA MCCOURTNEY



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Available Now! I Got
My Copy At Amazon
FREE For Kindle!

I must admit up front that what first attracted me to INVISIBLE was that it was free on Kindle, and that it was the first of a new cozy series. I love romances and mysteries, so I snapped up the book before whoever priced it could change his or her mind.

INVISIBLE, by Lorena McCourtney, is filled with humor. I loved the premise that as we grow older, we become invisible. Have you ever felt that way?

If you remember THE PRINCESS DIARIES, you know the distinction of being invisible is not limited to older people, but to anyone who doesn’t “measure up” on the yardstick of the shallow and superficial. Yes, that definitely includes me (the puny, nerdy, bookworm with too many extra pounds, and the athletic ability of a large rock), so I was quite taken with INVISIBLE's premise and with Ivy Malone, the book's protagonist. 

Ivy considers herself a LOL, which for her stands not for “laughing out loud,” but for “little old lady.” Because Ivy believes people no longer pay attention to her--and she has several experiences to reinforce that opinion--she decides invisibility could become an asset to investigate tombstone destruction at the local cemetery.

Her decision to hide behind a marker shaped like a VW bug costs her a lot of sleep because she spends several nights there in a row, armed only with a thermos, flashlight, and occasional snacks. All she reaps is a bad fall and being spotted by the men she hoped to ID. She did get a look at one man's face, and would not forget him or the unusually squeaky voice of the other man. The vandals didn’t identify her, but she later gives herself away. You have to read the book to learn how and the result, no spoilers included here!

For reasons I can't divulge--also without ruining part of the plot, Ivy takes over dealing with her neighbor's basement tenant, a very nice and attractive young woman with an air of mystery about her. When the woman disappears without packing, Ivy fears the worst. She enlists the help of a nice young detective.

Yikes! This is where Ms. McCourtney almost lost me! She spends so much time evangelizing with/to/about the detective, that she completely detracts from the mystery's pace and storyline. In fact, INVISIBLE is actually two stories: one is a very good  cozy mystery, the other is a strong evangelical witness--perhaps suitable for a devotional--but which has absolutely nothing to do with the mystery. It's as if they were written separately and then shoved together.

In my opinion, Ms McCourtney should have separated the two. As Logan Pearsoll Smith said, “I love a writer not so much for what he says, as for what he whispers.”

Although not a large percentage of my reading, Christian fiction is one of my eclectic genre interests. Christian author Marta Perry is my favorite in that genre, but her message is woven gently into her books rather than her beating the reader over the head. That's also true of Suzanne Woods.

I strongly feel Ms McCourtney’s testimony would have been much more effective if it were subtle enough to make it palatable to all readers. Surely influencing people who are without faith would be more important to a Christian author than preaching to the choir. As written, it turns off those it might otherwise impact as well as some of the intended Christian audience (me). However, that’s only my opinion, and certainly Ms McCourtney’s success and awards imply others disagree.

Lorena McCourtney pulls all the mystery’s threads together nicely at the end with a tiny dangling lead for another book. Sure enough, this is the first of a series, so Ivy Malone is already busily involved in other adventures. If you like Christian fiction, INVISIBLE will interest you. If you like cozy mysteries, this may interest you. It is a clever premise and a cute mystery with an attractive cover. Although I've never met her, from her website and interviews, Ms McCourtney sounds like a nice person. I always enjoy reading a book more if I think the author is nice, don't you?

I give the cozy mystery a Five but will refrain from rating the evangelistic portion I so disliked. As of this writing, the book is FREE for Kindle at Amazon, so what do you have to lose? You can't beat the price.

About the author of INVISIBLE, Lorena McCourtney, condensed from her website at www.lorenamccourtney.com/:

Author Lorena McCourtney

My husband and I live in southern Oregon. For many years we lived on rural acreage, lots of space and country peace and quiet. But a few months ago we decided it was time to make the move to town.

I started writing in the fifth grade. All my stories were about horses. This love of horses carried me through a degree in agriculture from Washington State University. My first job out of college, however, was with a big meat-packing company in the Midwest, where I quickly discovered that writing about hogs and sausage making was not my life’s calling.

Marriage and motherhood intervened, and by the time I got back to writing, I knew fiction was what I wanted to write. I started out doing short stories for children and teenagers. Finally, After 24 published romance novels, it was time to become a Christian author and write exclusively Christian fiction. The first 6 of these books were with the Palisades line of Christian romance, but with my 7th book of Christian fiction, WHIRLPOOL, I turned to a stronger emphasis on mystery.

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Thanks for reading my blog. Keep reading books--especially mine!



My latest release, in e-book only, is available from The Wild Rose Press, at http://tinyurl.com/2cho67v and other online stores. This book recently received a 5 Heart review from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews!

My backlist is available on Smashwords and Kindle, and my current releases are available from The Wild Rose Press as well as Amazon and other online stores. Many thanks to those who have already purchased them!

READ A GOOD BOOK LATELY?

What are you reading? What’s your favorite genre? If you enjoy romantic suspense, you'll love MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT by Marta Perry from Harlequin HQN.



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In MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT, Marta continues her books revolving around the Amish, or “plain” people. Her main characters are NOT Amish, but the reader is thrust into the world of the plain people.

Jessica Langdon is struggling and doesn’t fit into or enjoy the high profile Philadelphia law firm where she’s the bottom woman on the office totem pole. In fact, she's afraid her pompous boss will soon fire her. She’s surprised when she’s sent into a rural area with strict orders to arrange a quick plea bargain and hurry back to the office.

When she arrives, she learns the defendant is Thomas Esch, a frightened young Amish man accused of a brutal murder. Unfortunately, Thomas can’t remember what happened and is willing to accept responsibility for the crime. When she digs into events, Jessica believes in Thomas’ innocence and determines to see he has the fair trial everyone deserves. Winning his freedom won’t be easy. Jessica faces threats from her boss, the community, her father, and an unknown villain. Without an understanding of Amish culture, Jessica must rely on Trey Morgan and his ties to the Amish community.

Trey Morgan is determined to protect his mother, Geneva, from the press and wants the Philadelphia lawyer gone. Geneva hired the lawyer and insists Thomas is not guilty. To minimize publicity, Trey helps Jessica, but he is disgusted at the wasted time. That is, until threats against Jessica force Trey to question his beliefs. Together they work to discover the truth about the murder and free Thomas. Solving the mystery forces Jessica and Trey to battle their separate pasts. Can they overcome their differences to build a future together?

MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT is a favorite of the books I’ve read recently. Marta Perry keeps readers turning pages to learn what will happen next in her fast-paced novel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance and mystery. MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT is the first of a trilogy. VANISH IN PLAIN SIGHT will be released in June. Marta is currently working on the third book, JUDGMENT IN PLAIN SIGHT. For more about her books or Marta, check her blog at http://booksbymartaperry.blogspot.com/ and her website at http://www.martaperry.com/

I’ve long been fascinated by Amish culture. No, I’m not thinking of converting, thank you. I’m very happy with the church to which I belong, but I admire many things about the Amish. They have strong family values, take care of their own, and are hard-working. They gave us Amana gas refrigerators and build fine furniture. Their language is a German dialect, hence the term Pennsylvania Dutch or Pennsylvania German. In my opinion, the confusion in terms is because the German word for German is Deutsch,which eventually became pronounced Dutch by those not familiar with the language.

I’m afraid I would balk against the strict Amish religious constraints and soon would be shunned. However, with my weird hair, I’d love to be in a society where all women wear those little caps. No more bad hair days!

Green farming

Amish were “green” before it was an ecological movement. Since they have no electricity or phones, they don’t have to worry about telemarketers or other calls interrupting dinner. They don’t believe in having their photos made, but people snap them anyway. If you saw the movie “Witness,” you know they have large barns and homes, and generally have large families. Living a “simple” life requires many hands.

Amish boys at a horse sale

There has been a surge of Amish romance novels now in print by Berkley, Love Inspired, Steeple Hill, and other presses. To me, the increased interest is due to the appeal of a simpler way of life compared to today’s hectic pace.

Not only the pace. The strong family and community connections are inviting compared to “friends” on Facebook or Twitter whom we’ve never met. The Amish connect face-to-face in a wholesome atmosphere.

I love modern conveniences!

Don't think I'm poking fun at us or at the Amish. I enjoy my computer and cell phone and Kindle, but I admire Amish determination to remain unaffected by the "Englisch" way of life. They are champions at co-existing without losing their values.

No bad hair days for these girls

When viewing them from the outside, one might forget their hard work planting, harvesting, caring for animals, and preserving food. The "simple" or "plain" life is really very complicated. But then, so are our "English" lives.To learn more about the Amish, you only need read Marta Perry’s books or read her blog consistently.

Leave a comment and tell me about a good book you’ve read recently