Customer Reviews

Ever Present Danger (Phantom Hollow Series #1)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ivy Griffith was a disapointment to her parents. In school she preferred getting stoned with her boyfriend, Pete, and two of his friends to studying. Then an argument got out of hand, and Pete and the others murdered Joe Hadley as Ivy watched. The four agreed to never tell what happened. Ivy went away to college, and spent the next ten years trying to forget. Most of the time she wandered in a drug and alcohol induced haze. Now she's clean, has a young son and has returned back home to try to make her peace with her parents. The four high school friends are reunited at a school reunion. They are still keeping to the pact, although Ivy has some reservations about whether she should come clean or not. Then someone starts killing off Ivy's friends until she's the only one left who knows what happened to Joe Hadley. Or is she?
As usual, Kathy Herman serves up a tense, fast paced mystery that will keep the reader guessing right up to the end.

After a ten year absence, Ivy Griffith is returning home to Jacob's Ear, Colorado, with her seven year old son, Montana, and her closest friend, seventy year old Lucia. Her parents, especially her father, have mixed emotions about their prodigal daughter's return. Will she stay this time or leave, shredding their hearts once more?

This time, Ivy has every intention to stay. She has a past to make amends for, but first needs to be sure her son will have a loving home. Ten years ago while high on drugs, Ivy, her bad boy boyfriend Pete Barton and their friends Denny Richards and Reg Morrison murdered a classmate and buried his body where it couldn't be found. They swore a pact to one another to keep their secret. The fall after graduation, they went their separate ways and their secret went with them. Now, it has driven Ivy back home.

But before Ivy can confess to her part in the long-ago crime, bones are discovered at her father's new condo development. After ten long years, Joe Hadley has been found.

Pressure mounts on Ivy to keep her part of the pact. Pete Barton moved back to Jacob's Ear before Ivy arrived and the other two, Denny and Reg, swing into town for a visit and to remind Ivy of their pact.

She decides to keep her secret until after their ten year class reunion. But by the end of the evening, the sheriff has three more murders on his hands and Ivy is left to wonder if she's next.

Ever Present Danger is the first book in the Phantom Hollow series by Kathy Herman. Readers of her previous novels may recognize two of the characters in this book, Brandon Jones and his wife Kelsey, from Not By Chance, Book 4 in the Seaport Suspense Series. Brandon is employed by the Three Peaks Christian Camp and Conference Center, owned by Elam Griffith. He's involved in a subplot of his own, one that may destroy his marriage before its first anniversary.

But this book is Ivy's story, as she seeks to right a terrible wrong and put to rest her guilt. She needs the support of her family and friends to find the courage to face up to her past. But will she live long enough to confess or will the killer get to her first?

Cheryl Russell
[...]

Yeah, that's all Ivy Griffith needs at this point. 10 years ago her boyfriend and his friends beat up, killed and buried a classmate. Stoned on a "killer joint" she watched and said nothing. For 7 years her life was all about getting high to forget that night. When she sobers up she has a 4 year old boy to take care of. Thank God for Lu. Only this time, as she sets out to make things right, Lu dies and suddenly everything goes wrong.

Kathy Herman does an amazing job in creating not just a story that is razor sharp, but characters, even a town, that is so believable you just want to go and have a cup of coffee at Jewel's Cafe. I've been reading a lot of Christian fiction lately and I have to say I'm impressed with the new breed of Christian author. Kathy is by no means a new comer to the scene, but like so many other good Christian authors, her works are getting hidden mostly in Christian bookstores. This is a book that anyone can enjoy, because it makes you ask questions about yourself. Sure, maybe you never did drugs or had a past like Ivy, but you can still relate to her. You can relate to her fears, her indecision, her bad choices. This is a book that points its finger at us and says, "I know your heart. But I know One who can make it clean."

David Brollier
author of THE 3RD COVENANT

Kathy Herman does a masterful job in both plots of exposing the dangers of compromising your values. While the subplot shows how easily compromise can begin, the main plot communicates what the end of compromise can be. The message comes through without her preaching it or weakening the high suspense of her story.

In a few places the conversation is stilted, but not enough to detract from the story. Also, Herman comes across as light on repentance in a scene between Jake and Brandon. One of the characters says to the other weeping character, "What you did isn't unforgivable. Take that sin to the cross, leave it there, and stop carrying the guilt" (p. 300). This response sounds like flippant Christianese. Reactions like these leave non-Christians and often other Christians feeling as though the people talking do not comprehend the seriousness of the sin and the devastation sin reeks in our lives. Though Herman does not mean it that way, it equates to someone in the world saying, "It's done, so get over it." The truth may be in what the character says, but the emotional understanding of the terribleness of sin is lacking.

In spite of that, suspense fans will enjoy the masterful theme running through the subplot and primary plot in Ever Present Danger. - Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book [...]

Ivy Griffith left her hometown of Jacob's Ear, Colorado following the death of Joe Hadley. Over the years she used drugs and alcohol to bury her conscience as the pact she made with Pete Barton, Reg and Denny haunts her because she knows she should have spoke up. She sold her body to pay for drugs. Now after a decade away she calls her mom to ask if she, her seven years old son Montana, and a close friend seventy years old Lucia Ramirez can come home. Her mom is elated and wary, but welcomes her while her dad refuses to offer encouragement as he fears she will hurt them again; Ivy has doubts too that you can't come home.

Lu is dying from leukemia so she needs someone to watch over her son while she works. Her mom jumps at the job of spending time with her grandson that she did not know existed until recently; her dad remains cold and aloof expecting Ivy to run. Not only does she stay she obtains work as a waitress at a restaurant and avoids Pete, owner of a deli as much as possible. However, a construction team has uncovered the buried skull of Joe while digging on the Collier Ranch just prior to Ivy becoming embroiled in something as lethal.

The key to this fascinating character study is Ivy whose subsequent actions following the pivotal moment of her life seem genuine as she struggles to bury the guilt that has overwhelmed her. When she comes home with her son and her dying friend, the reactions of her parents especially her father, also seem realistic as a decade of dysfunctional and distrust does not suddenly end over night. Though a late suspense subplot takes away from an incredibly deep family drama, Kathy Herman provides a well written inspirational character study.

Harriet Klausner

Ever Present Danger
By Kathy Herman
Review by Cheri Clay





Popular honor student Ivy Griffith went down the wrong path, starting with dating Pete Barton, basketball player, and hanging out with his buddies Reg and Denny. As the fab four, getting stoned was the normal way of life. Then one afternoon Ivy sat dumbstruck and stoned in Pete's car as Pete strangled Joe Hadley, classmate and teammate, and Pete, Reg and Denny buried his body. The fab four made a pack to never tell what happened. Spinning out of control, Ivy ran from home to college, never looking back.

Ten years later, thanks to seventy-year-old Lu Ramirez, Ivy has cleaned up her life, has been off drugs for three years, and has a seven-year-old son, Montana. Gramma Lu, as Montana calls her, lived next door and cared for Montana when Ivy was stoned and pulled Ivy back from the pit of self-destruction. But now Lu is dying, and Ivy doesn't know what else to do but go home to her parents, even if it means facing the past.

Ivy's parents welcome her home and take care of the arrangements for Lu after she dies and starts to help take care of Ivy and Montana. Pete keeps hanging around, pressuring her to make sure she keeps the pact. Also in her life is Bill Ziwicki, one-time classmate and drug dealer for the fab four. At the high school reunion, feeling pressured by Pete, Ivy agrees to sit with the fab four. Reg and Denny get very drunk, and Ivy suggests Pete should take them to their room. While he's gone Ivy dances with Bill--a start of a romance. Later Ivy worries about Pete being gone for so long, so Ivy and Bill go to the guys' room to find all three have been murdered!

Bill and Ivy find themselves in the mist of a murder investigation and the police, and FBI believe both murders are related and that Bill and Ivy are involved. And that is only the beginning....

This page-turner was too good to put down! Not only is it a compelling story, but you'll learn about God's unfailing forgiveness and grace. Between the pages is an awesome lesson of temptation and how sin leads to more sin. Author Kathy Herman has done an outstanding job of telling this story of suspense and intrigue. A perfect read for high schoolers and adults alike. Also included is a reader's guide perfect for a reader's group or even a Bible study as the teaching is that amazing. But what I really liked was the "Afterword," a letter written by the author to the reader that will have you stopping and analyzing your own life long after you've finished this book. So sit back and enjoy this spellbinding tale, and be prepared--the ending is amazing!

This book follows the story of Ivy Griffith as she struggles with some major mistakes she made in her past and her wish to come clean and make it right. Before she is able to do so, a terrible tragedy occurs that makes her realize someone else knows her secret.

This book kept my interest with just enough suspense to keep the pages turning. I am new to Kathy Herman's works and I found that I liked the fact that she wrote such a flawed main character. Instead of seeing the usual "Christian" character found in a lot of Christian fiction we watched Ivy struggle with the major issues of her past and come to the realization that she could be forgiven. The author made the killer so obvious it made me second-guess whether or not it was really him. I guess you'll have to read the book to find out who it really was.

I absolutely lvoed this book. I read a lot of Christian mysteries, etc. and will definitely purchase more of Kathy Herman's books. She holds your interest to the very last page, a "page turner"!

Popular, honor student Ivy Griffith went down the wrong path starting with dating Pete Barton basketball player and hanging out with his buddies Reg and Denny. As the fab four getting stoned was the normal way of life. Than one afternoon Ivy sat dumbstruck and stoned in Pete's car as Pete strangled Joe Hadley classmate and teammate and Pete, Reg and Denny buried his body. The fab four made a pack to never tell what happened. Spinning out of control Ivy ran from home to college never looking back.

Ten years later thanks to seventy year old Lu Ramirez, Ivy has cleaned up her life, has been off drugs for three years and has a seven year old son Montana. Gramma Lu as Montana calls her lived next door and cared for Montana when Ivy was stoned and pulled Ivy back from the pit of self-destruction. But now Lu is dying and Ivy doesn't know what else to do but go home to her parents even if it means facing the past.

Ivy's parents welcome her home and take care of the arrangements for Lu after she dies and starts to help take care of Ivy and Montana. Pete keeps hanging around pressuring her to make sure she keeps the pact. Also in her life is Bill Ziwicki one time classmate and drug dealer for the fab four. At the high school reunion feeling pressured by Pete, Ivy agrees to sit with the fab four. Reg and Denny get very drunk and Ivy suggests Pete should take them to their room. While gone Ivy dances with Bill with a start of a romance. Later Ivy worries about Pete being gone for so long so Ivy and Bill go to the guys' room to find all three have been murdered!

Bill and Ivy find themselves in the mist of a murder investigation and the police and FBI believe both murders are related and that Bill and Ivy are involved. And that is only the beginning.......

This awesome page turner was too good to put down! Not only is it a compelling story but you'll learn about God's unfailing forgiveness and grace. Between the pages is an awesome lesson of temptation and how sin leads to more sin. Author Kathy Herman has done an outstanding job of telling this story of suspense and intrigue. A perfect read for high schoolers and adults alike. Also included is a reader's guide perfect for a reader's group or even a Bible study as the teaching is that amazing. But what I really liked was the "Afterword", a letter written by the author to the reader that will have you stopping and analyzing your own life long after you've finished this book. So sit back and enjoy this awesome spellbinding tale and be prepared the ending is amazing!

Kathy Herman is an excellent author of Christian suspense and Ever Present Danger, the first installment in the new Phantom Hollow series, is no exception. It is a story of family, love, and the difficult path to escaping one's past.

Ivy Griffith made some horrible decisions in her life. When she was a teenager, she and her friends chose to do something that would have her living in fear and guilt for most of her life. Ivy ultimately runs away from her home and her parents, turning to drugs to ease her pain. When she returns to Phantom Hollow, many years later with her seven year old son, Montana, and a clean lifestyle, she is determined to set things straight with the people she has hurt over the years. Unfortunately, before she can bravely clear herself of her guilt, a tragedy strikes at her high school reunion, setting in motion the ultimate mystery.

Kathy Herman has this way about her, in which she can create characters that her reader can connect to, but spinning those characters into thrills and mysteries like no other. She also weaves great Christian values and Scripture into the stories, without being "preachy." I really love that most of her books are parts of series, that way I can keep up with the characters and still gets the thrills I love! If you've never tried Kathy Herman, I definitely recommend you giving it a try!