The Kremlin Conspiracy

Joel C. Rosenberg

The Kremlin Conspiracy is the first novel in a new series featuring Marcus Ryker, a former U.S. Secret Service agent. An international crisis develops when the Russian president imagines himself a modern-day czar and determines to elevate his homeland to world dominance. His son-in-law and closest adviser secretly contacts Ryker, and the two of them devise a plan to stop the delusional Russian leader before he can spark a nuclear war. Slow character development leads to page-turning action, and an abrupt conclusion leaves fans begging for book two.

Becoming the Talbot Sisters

Rachel Linden

Showy celebrity chef Waverly Ross and her twin sister, down-to-earth international humanitarian worker Charlie Talbot, couldn’t be more different. Living on different continents, they’re worlds apart physically and emotionally. When they reunite for an aunt’s funeral, Charlie offers to act as surrogate for Waverly, who has suffered several miscarriages. When Waverly travels to Budapest, the real action begins. The twins embark on a crazy journey during which they restore their relationship and gain more than they ever expected. The story includes heavy topics like human trafficking but offers hope and joy amid tragedy and sorrow.

The Hidden Side

Heidi Chiavaroli

This book contains two storylines told in alternating chapters—one set in 2016, the other in 1776. The present-day story is a heart-wrenching (frankly, exhausting) tale of a high-school shooting, told from the perspectives of the shooter’s mother and sister. The concurrent narrative is about a spy working against the British to gain America’s freedom. Although the author manages to connect the two stories, they would have worked better as separate novels. Both tragic stories draw the same conclusion: No matter how bad the circumstances, hope exists in Jesus.

Where Hope Begins

Catherine West

Kevin and Savannah Barrington’s marriage never recovered after their firstborn’s accidental death 10 years earlier. Kevin seeks solace in an adulterous relationship while Savannah retreats to her parents’ vacation home in the Berkshires. Their two surviving children struggle with the split. Savannah meets an attractive man with a child who looks hauntingly like her lost daughter. She’s tempted to reinvent her life with him until her estranged husband shows up wanting to reunite. Forgiveness is easier said than done. The author mentions church and faith, but they play minor roles. A surprise ending makes the journey a little sweeter.

AFTERWORD

In her new Dive Team Investigations series, Lynn H. Blackburn assembles a refreshing ensemble of law enforcement co-workers who understand the world is broken but God is sovereign. They make no secret of their reliance on God’s wisdom and protection. The dive team captain prays aloud, “Protect us as we seek justice … comfort the families of the victims.” In Beneath the Surface (Revell, 2018), the action begins immediately when someone finds a headless, handless body at the bottom of a lake. Homicide investigator Ryan Parker suspects it’s the work of a serial killer. Meanwhile, old friend and secret crush Leigh Weston is the target of a stalker determined to kill her. Could the two cases be related? Although the stalker’s motive is flimsy, the novel has steady action and will appeal to fans of romantic suspense. —S.B.