“The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane”, Michelle Griep’s latest novel, is filled with mystery, suspense, action, romance and intrigue. Kit wants nothing more than to be a wife and mother and detective but balancing it all turns out to be more difficult than she bargained for. Her husband is supportive because, quite frankly, she has not shown an affinity for housework or cooking an edible meal. He also loves her very much and knows that she will not be happy if she isn’t doing the very thing that God has gifted her to do. Kit and her father have undertaken to start an enquiry agency. The very first case tugs at Kit’s heartstrings but proves to be more complicated than she or her father can handle. Jackson, her husband, is the new chief inspector and has troubles of his own and helping with Kit’s new case is not on his agenda; however, as things heat up, he finds himself in the thick of it. When Kit and their daughter are in imminent danger, Jackson must use everything at his disposal to make sure that the criminals are put away and everyone, including his family, is safe and sound. Griep’s characters are colorful and come to life very easily. The story is filled with action from beginning to end, and there’s no time to get bored. It is sometimes hard to catch your breath before the next exciting event takes place. I highly recommend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from  Barbour Publishing, Inc., as part of Michelle Griep’s “The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane” Launch Team. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Jill Eileen Smith has weaved a story so imaginative one could only hope it’s real. “The Ark and the Dove” is the story of Noah’s wife as she tells a fictional story of Noah’s Ark. I’ve always been fascinated by Noah’s wife, although she is not really spoken of in the biblical account. Did she share Noah’s faith from the beginning? Did she find favor with God? Did she, deep down inside, think Noah had lost his mind or did she hold any bitterness towards him because of the way the outside world viewed him? And, most importantly, what if I were in her shoes? Could I have faith that God would send a flood and, if so, would He, out of His great mercy, save me?

This story, by far, of all of the books I’ve read by Smith, enthralled me the most. I relished every paragraph as I imagined that, quite possibly, the story unfolded the way she imagined. The characters came alive as she gave her version of Noah’s sons’ wives back stories. I had to frequently remind myself that Ham’s wife may not have been the woman she was portrayed to be; however, it is quite possible. If you’ve never read one of her books, I highly recommend starting with this one. I enjoyed every minute of this read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Pepper Basham has been writing books for awhile, but “The Juliet Code” is the first one I’ve read. Freddie and Grace Percy are on a delayed honeymoon in Italy and run into a friend, a private detective, who enlists their help in solving an art theft. This is the third installment of the Freddie & Grace Mystery series by Basham. Although I didn’t read the first book, it wasn’t hard to catch up on the characters and their stories. I loved how Freddie and Grace interact with each other and how Freddie tags along with whatever makes Grace happy even if it puts them in danger. Grace doesn’t know fear and has a genuine desire to help others to the point that she is sometimes easily fooled. Basham’s story about these newlyweds and their escapades won me over. I can’t wait to read the first book in the series and check out her other books. I am so excited to have found a new favorite author.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Barbour Publishing, Inc. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thomas Nelson has recently released the Timeless Truths Bible (NET), featuring beautiful artwork, devotional notes and commentary by theologians and pastors from the Second to the Twentieth Centuries and ancient creeds and confessions of the faith.

This Bible not only contains the timeless truth of God’s Word, but it also holds the work of famous theologians from Origin to Spurgeon to Wesley and many others. There are also short biographies of the theologians. The artwork is gorgeous and is filtered throughout the Bible. There is some space for notetaking (more than you would think). It is not a red letter Bible if that is important to you. Other than the commentary, this Bible does not contain any notes. There are, however, a few maps in the back. I’m not sure how they chose which notes to include, but they are a nice overview of theologians and pastors (and there is a bibliography in the back if you would like to dig deeper).

Timeless Truths Bible can be purchased from FaithGateway Store or Amazon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free as a member of BibleGateway Blogger Grid. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

“Shadows at Dusk”, Elizabeth Goddard’s second installment in the Missing in Alaska series, is movie worthy. Trevor West and Carrie James make a great duo as they search for Trevor’s missing sister. As Carrie is getting ready to leave on vacation, she receives a frantic plea from Trevor to help him find the places in a photograph that his sister had visited on her trip to Alaska. When Carrie’s oldest and dearest friend is murdered, he agrees to help her find out what happened if she will help him find out what happened to his sister. With people following and attacking them, they believe they are getting closer to finding the answers they seek.

I loved this story, but I especially love the character of Carrie James. While she has experienced great loss and pain in her life, she manages to make it through it all. She is strong and well-adjusted. So many female characters I read are grasping onto the past and it takes the entire book for them to find themselves. But not Carrie. While she doesn’t want to get involved with Trevor, she doesn’t make him out to be untrustworthy before they even get to know each other. Thank you, Elizabeth, for creating a character that is strong, intelligent and represents women well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, as part of Elizabeth Goddard’s “SHADOWS AT DUSK” Launch Team. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

“Mary’s Voice” by Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is an Advent devotional focusing on Luke’s telling of the nativity centering on Mary’s role in Jesus’ birth. From December 1-25, you will be inspired by Scripture, devotionals, prayers and illustrations. This inspiring devotional will add depth to your quiet time and enrich the holiday season as you reflect on Christ’s birth through the eyes of Mary. I love to do something extra special during the holiday season that focuses on Christ. This devotional is wonderful and the illustrations are gorgeous. I love the prayers. This would make a great pre-Christmas gift for yourself and others. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Hatchette Book Group, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

By Dr. Michelle Bengtson

(Guest post)

We’re all familiar with physical pain, because we’ve all experienced it: a sprained ankle, broken
arm, sunburn. We generally attempt to determine the root cause of the pain, address it, and hope
it heals so we can move on. But what about when the pain lingers weeks, months, or years? How
do we cope with chronic pain?
We live in such a pain-averse society, that we long for God to heal our pain yesterday. But what
do we do when we feel like God is silent in response to our prayers? When our pain has turned
chronic with no end in sight? The enemy would love to convince us to turn our backs on God
and stop praying because he knows how powerful our prayers are.
Just like the accounts of the woman with the issue of blood (see Mark 5:24-34 and Luke 8:42-
48), Job (see Job 1-42), or Hannah (see 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10), we need to continue to go to God in
faith, waiting for Him to answer our cries. This can be a tall order when we’re enduring chronic
physical, emotional, relational, financial, or spiritual pain. And yet, Paul reminds us that as bad
as our earthly suffering feels at the time, it is light and momentary when we compare it to
eternity in heaven with Jesus: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4:17 NIV).
What we focus on grows. So, when we focus on the pain and the frustration or discouragement it
brings, then pain will consume more of our time and attention. Yet, when we focus on God, His
unchanging character, and his promises, our pain may not lessen but it consumes less of our
energy and attention. Chronic pain can certainly lead to discouragement, which is why we have
to be vigilant in doing just as David did, and encourage ourselves in the Lord: “And David was
greatly distressed…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6b KJV).
In his pain, grief, and devastation, David likely had many questions, whether he voiced them or
not. If I’m a man after God’s own heart, how could God let this happen to me? If I’m an anointed
man of God, why must I hide from my attackers? Why doesn’t God protect me? David’s situation
was much like Job’s in that they both lost all they had, except God. In his pain and
discouragement, David had a choice, just as we do, to either blame God or encourage himself in
the Lord and in what he knew to be true about God and his character. David offers us an
appropriate model for our response to pain, suffering, and tragedy in our own lives. He reminded
himself of the truths offered in Scripture and applied them to his situation.
Abraham’s life also exemplified not only significant pain, but also additional coping strategies to
help us know how to walk through periods of chronic pain. “When everything was hopeless,
Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on
what God said he would do” (Rom. 4:18 MSG). Furthermore, when life seemed hopeless,
Abraham focused his attention on God rather than on his problems. Using Abraham as our
example, let’s believe God, be intentional in our thoughts and words, and focus our attention on
God rather than on our circumstances. Let’s meditate day and night on God’s promises and his

Word, particularly with respect to healing. Whether our pain is physical, emotional, spiritual,
relational, or grief, we need God to heal and bind up our wounds, the source of our pain.
Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they
are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” While
it is difficult to trust other people or earthly institutions, we can trust God to be faithful in
keeping his promises. But even more interestingly, we get to partner with God in seeing his
promises fulfilled. We see the guarantee of God’s fulfillment of his promises in Jesus, but we
add our “amen,” which means “yes” or “so be it” to his promises, and it brings God glory
because we are exercising our faith while we wait for his promises to be fulfilled.
When we suffer through chronic pain, the enemy of our soul would like for us to fall prey to the
belief that we are alone. It’s then that we have to remember the truth that “The Lord is close to
the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV). Know that you
aren’t alone, and that God longs to save you from your current heartache. The challenge to us is
to trust Him and surrender to His perfect ways and His perfect time.
Are you struggling with chronic pain? May I pray for you?
Father, I pray for this precious one who endures chronic pain. Whether it is physical, emotional,
relational, financial, or spiritual, I ask you now to encourage their heart, comfort their spirit,
and affirm your presence. Remind them that you never withhold any good thing from your
children, so if we are not seeing the answers to our prayers yet, it means you are still working
your perfect plan. Help them to continue to trust you and to continue reaching for the hem of
your garment as they wait on you. Lessen their pain, I ask, in Jesus’s name, amen.
If you are struggling with physical, emotional, relational, financial, or spiritual pain, grief or loss,
and don’t know what to do, let me encourage you to pick up a copy of my book The Hem of His
Garment: Reaching Out to God When Pain Overwhelms for additional insight on how to
maintain your faith as you walk through this painful time.

Dr. Michelle Bengtson is a hope concierge! Whether as a board-certified clinical
neuropsychologist, host of the award-winning podcast Your Hope Filled Perspective, or the
author of several award-winning books including Hope Prevails and Breaking Anxiety’s Grip, her
passion is to share hope and encouragement with others. Her newest release is The Hem of His
Garment: Reaching Out to God When Pain Overwhelms. She loves all things teal, spending time
with friends and family, taking long walks, or sitting by quiet shores, and it’s a bonus when any
of those are accompanied by sea salt caramel chocolate! You can find her and her hope-filled
resources at DrMichelleB.com
Website: https://www.DrMichelleBengtson.com
Blog: https://drmichellebengtson.com/category/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleBengtson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrMBengtson (@DrMBengtson)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/DrMichelleBengtson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmichellebengtson/
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/Drbhopeprevails/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MichelleBengtson
Podcast: https://apple.co/2madPRo or https://bit.ly/3ef2fvs
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3w64SHF

Ten years ago, J Warner Wallace’s “Cold-Case Christianity” hit the shelves for the first time. Ten years later, an updated and expanded edition has been released offering 300 new illustrations and graphics, an updated introduction and content, page design and a new afterword responding to questions about the reliability of the New Testament. Wallace is a police detective and former atheist who used his detective skills to prove the authenticity of Christianity. The first book inspired his career in apologetics, writing at least 30 books and speaking across the country. While the first book was a valuable resource to read in order to witness to others who are skeptical about a faith in God, this updated version offers more information and makes it more visual. Not just for unbelievers who are searching for answers, “Cold-Case Christianity” is for everyone who wants to witness to others but doesn’t know how to answer all the questions. A great resource for yourself and to give to those who are looking for concrete answers to their questions about the reliability and authenticity of the Scriptures.

Premium Bibles are made with higher quality materials and are made to last. They are more expensive than other Bibles, but the durability of the cover and binding make this Bible one that will last a very long time. The large print makes it easy to read. This is not a note-taking or study Bible. It has a concordance and a few maps in the back, but my favorite feature is the end-of-verse references. It is a lot easier than the references found in the middle are at the end and to me are more helpful.

You can purchase at FaithGateway Store or Amazon.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free as a member of BibleGateway Blogger Grid. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Jerry Dunleavy is an investigative reporter with the Washington Examiner and James Hasson is a former Army Captain, graduate of U.S. Army Ranger School and Afghanistan Veteran who received the Bronze Star. Hasson assisted in the evacuation effort of Afghan allies and American citizens in August 2021. Their book, simply titled “Kabul”, is the account of the fiasco that occurred when President Joe Biden ordered the evacuation of all American troops from Afghanistan. Not only did 13 American service men and women lose their lives, countless Americans and Afghan allies were left behind, and we may never know what happened to them. “Kabul” is filled with eyewitness accounts, interviews with high-ranking officials and the horrible truth of what really happened. We don’t hear much about this event any more, but we can’t let it or the heroes who worked so hard for so long be forgotten. I can’t say it was an enjoyable read. Most of it angered me. However, it was very informative, and people need to know the truth of what happened, not just what the politicians and media choose to tell us.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Hatchette Book Group, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.