If I Run

Terri Blackstock

Casey Cox is on the run. The prime suspect in a friend’s brutal murder, she doesn’t trust the corrupt local police to seek the truth. Dylan Roberts, a private investigator hired to find her, begins to doubt her guilt. The plot takes an unexpected twist when Casey meets a woman grieving her abducted granddaughter. Her new friend shares with a skeptical Casey her faith in Jesus, saying, “One day he’ll wipe away all my tears.” The first-person narrative deftly jumps from Casey to Dylan at a satisfying pace, but an abrupt ending leaves the reader longing for more.

Song of Silence

Cynthia Ruchti

Not falling apart when your world does … isn’t that supposed to be one of the perks of faith? That’s what 55-year-old Lucy Tuttle wonders when her world crumbles: She loses her job teaching music, and her adult children move back home. Even her retired husband’s good intentions feel suffocating. Lucy tries desperately to heed what she taught her students: Even in the silence between the notes, something is happening. In her case, God is preparing a new song. A poignant, but often funny, depiction of how life doesn’t always work out the way we plan.

Back in the Saddle

Ruth Logan Herne

After years of working on Wall Street, Colt Stafford reluctantly returns to Washington state and the family cattle ranch, expecting to face his estranged father and resentful brother. What he doesn’t expect is Angelina Morales, the beautiful house manager who wields influence over the ranch with her calm demeanor and spiritual strength. Mutual attraction has Angelina rethinking her plans to return to Seattle while Colt reconsiders his return to Manhattan. This predictable and sometimes syrupy romance illustrates the importance of forgiveness and how God’s grace can change people. The family saga will continue in Book 2 of the Double S Ranch series.

Annabel Lee

Mike Nappa

The title character is an exceptionally bright, instantly likable 11-year-old, safely locked in an underground bunker in rural Alabama with a month’s supply of food and a ferociously loyal German shepherd. Her uncle’s last command: Don’t open this door for anyone—even me—without the safe code. Only two people know the reason she’s hidden, and a battle between good and evil rages: Who will find the girl first? This thriller contains an abundance of violence. Sprinkled throughout, subtle suggestions remind readers that despite the wicked schemes of man, those who trust in Jesus can already claim victory.

Epilogue

In Land of Silence (Tyndale House, 2016) Tessa Afshar retells imaginatively the story of the woman with a 12-year bleeding disorder, recorded in Mark 5:25-34 (and Matthew 9 and Luke 8). In this novel, the woman, Elianna, comes from a prosperous family and is betrothed to the man she loves, but hard events unravel her plans. Guilt, sadness, and shame are Elianna’s constant companions. Then, a mysterious illness plunges her into isolation. She depletes her financial resources desperately searching for a cure. One day, Elianna hears rumors about a prophet from Galilee who can do miracles. Does she dare hope for healing? Little does she know this man will restore her body and soul. This captivating story of love, loss, faith, and hope gives a realistic glimpse of what life might have been like in ancient Israel.

—Sandy Barwick is a World Journalism Institute graduate