Over Her Head: A Novel (Faithwords) [Paperback]

Shelley Bates (Author)

Book Description

Series: Faithwords | Publication Date: May 23, 2007

Laurie Hale has the perfect life--and the perfect family to go with it--until her teenage daughter is accused of murder, and the life Laurie knows disappears.

Laurie Hale imagined fun, love, and success for her daughter, Anna. But when one of Anna's classmates is murdered and the police start asking questions, a very different future threatens everything Laurie values. Anna isn't the only suspect--a whole group of teenagers seems to be involved, but none of them is talking, and the community is in an uproar. Laurie's marriage bears the strain of the crisis, and her only ally is Janice, a wealthy woman from the church who refuses to let Laurie slip away quietly. Ultimately, Laurie must face her fears: What if Anna really was involved in Randi's murder? And what kind of person is Laurie if she can doubt her own child's innocence?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When a 14-year-old girl dies in a mysterious drowning accident quickly ruled a homicide, the small town of Glendale and its tight-knit Christian community are thrown into chaos. Laurie Hale, the respected leader of the local women's Bible study group, is not only the woman who found the body but also the mother of Anna Hale-one of the prime suspects in the case. As the town rumor mill kicks into high gear, Laurie's confidence in her daughter's innocence begins to crumble. Waves of guilt threaten to take Laurie under, but "She had to trust her daughter. She had to. Otherwise their family would splinter and fall apart." As Laurie's worst fears about Anna seem to become a reality, the narrative begins to take on a soap opera feel, with Bates (A Sounding Brass) coming down heavy on the teen drama and corresponding parental angst. Though the setting, plot and characters may feel familiar to the mystery genre, readers will likely get swept up in Bates's story anyway, wanting to know just as badly as Laurie and company: who really killed Miranda Peizer?
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Review

"As tragedy unravels a community and a church, a good woman is forced to face the stark truth of her own faith in Shelley Bates's Over Her Head. Once more, Shelley has created a compelling story of crisis and spirit." -- Bestselling author Mary Jo Putney

"Every mother and her teen daughter should read Shelley Bates's Over Her Head together. Powerful. Moving. Uplifting." -- Lyn Cote, author of the Women of Ivy Manor series

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (May 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446694932
• ISBN-13: 978-0446694933
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,714,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shelley Bates holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, where she teaches as adjunct faculty. She was the winner of RWA's RITA Award for Best Inspirational Novel in 2005, a finalist for that award in 2006, and, writing as Shelley Adina, was a Christy Award finalist in 2009. Three of her books have shortlisted for the American Christian Fiction Writers' Carol Award for book of the year. Writing as Adina Senft, she is the author of the Amish Quilt trilogy from FaithWords. Of her fiction, publisher and industry blogger W. Terry Whalin has said, "Readers will be lost in the vivid world that Shelley paints with incredible detail and masterful storytelling." A transplanted Canadian, Shelley returns there annually to have her accent calibrated. Between books, she enjoys traveling with her husband, playing the piano and Celtic harp, and spoiling her flock of rescued chickens.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What to Take on a Bus, July 17, 2007

By 

Pamela Tracy Osback "Pamela Tracy" (Scottsdale, Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Over Her Head: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

I recently travelled from Dallas to Phoenix by bus. I took four books with me. The first one I pulled from my bag as I settled back into those not-so-comfy Grayhound seats was Over Her Head by Shelley Bates. I chose it first because I knew it would be good. I wasn't disappointed. This book deals with the quest to have the perfect family only to find that everything is no so perfect. The heroine is developed and likable, especially for her flaws. What mother wouldn't wish the shoe was on the other foot. One of the most charming threads in a book that cannot be described as charming (death of a teenager, blackmail, rife in the church)is how the person you least consider 'friend' material is sometimes the 'friend' you need most. If Christian fiction continues to deliver as this book did, I may have to change my buying habits.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate, Compelling Read, July 25, 2007

By 

Reader "Blue Crab Books" (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Over Her Head: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

Once drawn in, I could not put this novel down. I found Over Her Head to be a satisfying read, and identified with the heroine who puts herself out for church and community, finds herself questioning her own faith and the friendships of others. Shelley Bates does a masterful job weaving all the elements of inspiration and conflict, from the adult level to the teens. I highly recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Haunting Story, July 2, 2007

By 

Cara Putman (Lafayette, IN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Over Her Head: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

Laurie Hale as the perfect life - and the perfect family. Her husband has a great job, she's active in leadership at her church, and her children seem happy. Then a girl dies in a freak episode that soon has the town buzzing with gossip and animosity. Rumors fly that Laurie's daughter was somehow involved in the death. What if Anna really was involved in Randi's murder?

I couldn't read without wondering how I would react. I like to think I have rock solid faith in God, my family, my friends. But how often has that faith been tested? I could also imagine all too well what it would be like to have a child go through an experience like Anna's. This book falls in the women's fiction genre. It is haunting and worth your time.