Customer Reviews

The Edge of Recall (Christian Romance)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tessa is a landscape architect obsessed with labyrinths. She is drawn to the ruins of an intriguing labyrinth; however, to follow her passion, she must work with a man she once loved but who ultimately betrayed her.

The Edge of Recall may be of the genre "contemporary romantic suspense" but it borders on being a thriller. Until the end, it's unclear as to who should be wearing the white hats and who deserves the black.

If you are looking for a great read, pick this one up. To fully explore the depth of the messages hidden within this book, consider more than one reading. You'll want it on your bookshelf.

Also, thanks to the author for the setting in Maryland. That's refreshing!

This was my first book by this author,and I am very pleased to say that I am impressed with her writing skills.

When I first read here that the story involved a job to recreate an ancient labyrinth by a female landscape architect(Tessa Young),I was immediately intrigued, though I must confess my initial ignorance of the difference between a labyrinth and a maze.I was thinking 'maze',but it was very interesting to be taught the difference. I thought the history and religious significance of a labyrinth at a certain monastery was fascinating.I enjoyed reading all the info on labyrinths and mazes,and to use this as a basis for the background story of a Christian thriller was such a great idea.

There was a lot of suspense in this book in not knowing who Tessa could/should trust,plus wondering about her own psychological problems. (After all,because of recurring nightmares,she has been in therapy for years!)

This story is also very creepy/spooky,and there are quite a few twist and turns,that will keep you guessing until the end,and the last quarter or third of the book really blew me away! Very,very unexpected,and different.

I have to say that it certainly had a original theme in my reading experience,because I've never read anything like it,and that made it even more of an exciting read.

Excellent writing,and I will be reading much more of her work. Can't wait to read Freefall and Halos:A Novel by her,then start on some of her historical romances.

If you enjoy Christian Suspense/Thrillers,you will not be disappointed in this book!

Without a doubt, this book and Kristen Heitzmann are two of my favorite things now. From the first chapter, I was thrown into a whirl asking a thousand silent questions trying to understand and just comprehend what was going on. The more I read, the more I needed to read to find out even more.

The plot is fabulous. The characters are amazing. It is a story that is so real that it bridges on imagination and reality. (Trust me if you read it, that comment makes sense). The Edge of Recall ...more Without a doubt, this book and Kristen Heitzmann are two of my favorite things now. From the first chapter, I was thrown into a whirl asking a thousand silent questions trying to understand and just comprehend what was going on. The more I read, the more I needed to read to find out even more.

The plot is fabulous. The characters are amazing. It is a story that is so real that it bridges on imagination and reality. (Trust me if you read it, that comment makes sense). The Edge of Recall is something that I would say is unlike anything I have ever read, although I would equate it to being along the same psychological amazing lines as the works of Melanie Wells in her series.

This is a long book, but in a good way. You really do not want it to end. As things started toward an ending, I was feeling kinda blah about it, but I am so very much content with the ending that I cannot help but giggle a little. I'd call this a page turner without a doubt. For some it might not be what you read before bed though... and for others it could touch a nerve or bring something to light. Overall, it is a wonderful work of fiction that would definitely be enjoyed by male and female alike.

Kristen Heitzmann once again presents a romantic thriller that is fascinating and complex. From the opening pages the reader is pulled into a thriller set in rural Maryland on the ruins of an ancient monastery.
Tessa is obsessed with labyrinths and she has the opportunity to restore one centuries old. But it requires that she work with the one man that has wounded her deeply in the past.
Their working together brings to the surface the scars left by her father's disappearance. And forces her to face memories that she has long buried.
I loved the many twists that are weaved through the plot and to the end its hard to know who to trust. A great read populated with real and complex individuals.

Tormented by an unknown fear and disturbing nightmares, landscape architect Tessa Young is prickly, temperamental and socially difficult. Former colleague, Smith Chandler needs her expertise in creating labyrinths if he is to further his career and Smith is willing to walk on eggshells if it means Tessa will sign on.

Tessa can't resist the spiritual pull she feels towards uncovering Smith's labyrinth despite acknowledging facing the man who shattered her heart could lead to another emotional breakdown. With her psychiatrist on speed dial Tessa, prays she can find closure by dealing with Smith and erase the emotional damage her wrought on her heart six years earlier.

On the labyrinth site, Tessa senses danger but her ability to discern between her dreams and reality falters as her psyche takes a battering she may not recover from.

Kristen Heitzmann is a favourite of mine due to her ability to tap into the complexities of the human heart often through her emotionally challenged characters. Tessa Young is no exception and may be Kristen's most broken character yet. English Smith Chandler and his friend Bair are well developed and Kristen uses the British vernacular well. While at times I struggled with the slow pacing of the story, there is an appropriate Gothic feel and fascinating insight into traditional labyrinths and the spiritual intentions of their creators. While character driven, there is enough suspense to keep you turning the pages and although the tidy ending was a little frustrating given the deep emotional trauma suffered by a number of the characters, The Edge of Recall is well worth reading.

The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heltzmann

Review by Carlo Gabbi Author of "An Amazing Story"

I give merit to the writer Kristen Heitzmann for this extremely good suspense story.
She immediately captivated the reader with Tessa, a female garden architect who is obsessed with labyrinths. With the help of an old lover, who she distrust now, she try to create a labyrinth that posses the old time charms with deep meanings.

Through the pages of this novel we learn all about the implications a labyrinth has and the puzzle represented by a network of paths and walls, through which one has to find a way, or better it represent in our case, the mental confusion ed information that one can have, and which in contrast is called maze.

Labyrinths are forming the base and the background of this fascinating story, rich with suspense and plots, twist and turns, that keep with expectation, turning page after page. Then contrary of what first was formulated in your thought, you find to have not guess rightly. Finally all comes unexpected and unpredictable.

The Edge of Recall is a highly suspens novel, one of a few good fictions books which really give pleasure to read.

I'm looking forward to read more of Kristen Heitzmann.

Review by Carlo Gabbi, Author of "An Amazing Story"

THE EDGE OF RECALL by Kristen Heitzmann has twists and turns that resemble the very Labyrinths Tessa Young creates.
Tessa Young is a landscape architect whose specialty is Labyrinths. When she is called on by Smith Chandler, a former colleague and love interest to help him with the project of a lifetime, she can't refuse. But Tessa has more problems than trying to deny her inner feelings for Smith. Haunted her entire life by nightmares of mazes, monsters, and desertion, this new project has her subconscious working on overtime. With the help of her therapist, Tessa tries to uncover what it is she has blocked from her memory. As she works to reconstruct the Colonial-era labyrinth, flashes of memory begin to resurface. She feels the labyrinth holds the key to her nightmares. Or are her nightmares coming to life?
I am not a sci-fi or fantasy reader so I didn't know if I could embrace a story that had such a mystical overtone. But since Kristen Heitzmann is one of my favorite authors, I knew I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed THE EDGE OF RECALL. It captivated me, pulling me in as Tessa struggled to find answers from her past. At times I was frustrated with Tessa's hot and cold running feelings for Smith but it only made me want to read further to see if these two characters would ever be able to overcome the obstacles they put on themselves.
A great read! You won't want to put it down.

I just finished reading this book (literally, one minute ago), and I couldn't wait to write a review. Having read all of her books, I have to say that Kristen Heitzmann just keeps getting better and better with every book she writes. The Edge of Recall was amazing, suspsenseful, and the best fiction book I have EVER read. God has blessed Kristen with an awesome talent!

The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann is a labyrinthine romantic suspense novel as full of twists and turns as the gardens main character Tessa Young creates. Tessa is still struggling with ghosts from her past, when Smith Chandler, a former friend who crushed her years ago, pops up and asks her to work with him in restoring a 17th century monastery in Maryland. But the ghosts in Tessa's past aren't the only ones haunting their worksite. Tools disappear and reappear, the work trailer is broken into, and something or someone is watching Tessa while she sleeps. Tessa designs labyrinths for gardens. They are different from mazes in that they involve one way in and out and encourage the walker to connect with God on the path. Tessa discovers something similar with her life: only be revisiting her past, including Smith, and her childhood home, can she recapture the memories that have haunted her for 25 years. Heitzmann really knows how to write suspense. I intended to stop reading at eleven pm the night I started the book, but just then the "monster" was exposed, and I couldn't put it down. Thanks to the author, I didn't get to sleep until after 2 am. She puts out just enough tension to keep the reader hooked. I had one small complaint with the ending; it was all a bit too tidy. Life doesn't always work that way. But overall, this was a thrilling read.

Excellent book. My daughter kept picking it up to read whenever I left the room, I finally gave up and waited for her to finish which was later that evening. I stayed up the following evening to finish it. I would highly recommend this book