Customer Reviews

Shadows on the Sand: A Seaside Mystery (Seaside Mysteries)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sometimes a story can catch you by surprise in it's quality. A book from a genre not known for it's serious tone can really catch your attention. This is the best way to describe my surprise upon reading *Shadows on the Sand* by Gayle Roper.

The story starts with a young restaurant owner, Carrie Carter (whose sister co-owns the restaurant), teasing one of her waitresses, Andi, about her boyfriend fighting with one of Andi's co-workers named Jase. As more customers hear about the boyfriend, more dislike him, and we in the audience are meant not to like him either.

It turns out that Jase is found murdered, with his body dumped in a lake, and Andi is suddenly terrified. No matter what Carrie does, the teen will not tell her what is wrong. Carrie and her friend, Greg, a former police detective whom she is dating, must race against time to discover Andi and Jase's secrets, as well as deal with their own.

This seems like a traditional set-up for a suspense romance, so I probably have plenty of rolled-eyes at this quick synopsis. In many ways, that would be a correct and expected reaction. I found myself becoming quite aggrieved at the over-used staples of the genre.

What made a difference is that the plot was actually *believable*. The author did not shy away from tough subjects, or gruesome details. That is not to say, of course, that Roper went overboard in any graphic ways, but just to say that she did not pull her punches either, as it were.

Besides the typical murder plot for a suspense romance, the book dealt with important real-world themes and problems. Adultery, cults, runaways, dysfunctional families, the need to forgive others, and the difference between cults and the truth of the Bible.

Instead of covering the reader's eyes, the author put on full display the depravity and wickedness of mankind, and how people can hurt themselves and others to such a brutal extent. She also, however, showed the amazing love of God, and what people who are in His image (Image-Bearers as author Randy Alcorn puts it) can do with His help.

This is much-needed in the realm of Christian fiction. Too many Christians do not know how to respond when people say that "religion is responsible" for "x" bad thing in the world. They don't know how to argue that just as the truth is different from a lie, so belief in Christ is different from a cult, radical Islam, Catholic pedophiles, pastors who rape their counselees, and other horrors.

I don't want to give readers the false hopes that Gayle Roper gives a guide to combating these slanders and misperceptions. She does not. She *does* however, mention the evils of these false teachers, and present a vivid case for how they must be battled in the field of ideas so that we may, if God wills it, win souls for Christ.

The other issue is one of forgiveness. At first it seemed like the typical Christian book of how the character is bad for not forgiving, but then the novel went in a unique direction. I won't spoil it, but it did raise some interesting points, and ones that I have thought on.

All in all, a good mystery, and one of the few suspense romance for me to be above-average happy with.

Highly Recommended.

MY REVIEW

Shadows on the Sand is a wonderful suspense, full of romance between Carrie and Greg. Carrie was owner of a small restaurant in Seaside, New Jersey while Greg was a property manager for an apartment building in the same little community. Both Carrie and Greg had a sad past but even though Greg had frequented her restaurant every day for about 3 years, they knew nothing about each other. You will enjoy their story as they struggle with the difficulties of everyday life and learning to love again in this small community of Seaside.

Shadows on the Sand is my first Gayle Roper book and I loved it!! I will sure be reading her books from now on. The suspense kept me reading this book until the end. I didn't put it down unless I really had too...which wasn't often. I just had to find out what happened next. I didn't figure out the killer, I would think I had him, and then read something that had me doubting. This is what makes it an amazing and wonderful book to read! And the part about the cult added even more suspense and drama to the book, well informing readers the dangers of falling for cults.

The romance between Greg and Carrie was just sweet romance! Carrie worked hard for what she ad, and was so very caring. She needed a man in her life to take care of her. Greg was so sweet and loveable you have to love him. I was heartbroken about the loss of his family and wanted so much for he and Carrie to find love they both so needed.

The Biblical content was well written into the story, teaching the reader grief, forgiveness and love. Grab a copy of this book and read it! You will not be disappointed; it is well worth your read. Shadows in the Sand is at the top of my list of summer reads.

I received this book free from the publisher Waterbrook Multnomah to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55

I must admit, I had my doubts when I found out that this was in the Christian fiction genre. I am not the most religious person and I tend to keep my distance from conversations about religion. I was raised Catholic, did very well in my Religion classes, and even participated in a couple of bible studies and rosary crusades. But do not totally subscribe to the whole religion thing. I have beliefs and I respect other people's beliefs (as long as they do not shove theirs down my throat). I just want to get that out of the way.

Having said that, I did enjoy reading this book. The story is set in Seaside, New Jersey where locals frequent a quaint cafe owned by Carrie Carter. Carrie and her sister Lindsey have an unstable past which they eventually overcame. Carrie is not-so secretly in love with one of their regulars, Greg Barnes. Some years ago, he lost his wife and children and succumbed to alcoholism to dull his pain. But the former cop rose above all that.

The town is rocked by the murder of a local boy which happened to be Carrie's dishwasher. Then one of her waitresses disappear. Greg realizes her feelings toward Carrie. Carrie's past comes back to haunt her. With everything happening all at the same time, will anything be resolved?

Basically, the book is divided in to two stories. One about Carrie and Greg and the other is the actual "mystery" as referred to in the title. Point of view shifts from Carrie to 3rd person and in some chapters, the "killer". I am guessing the Carrie/Greg plot is the B-story. It was cute, a nice distraction from the whole murder mystery storyline, sort of the fill out the book. A good balance between romance and suspense. The chapters where the killer was the one talking were in italics and it did keep me guessing who he was. The twist about his identity was a surprise.

The characters were great as well. Carrie, so vulnerable and unsure. It was easy to relate and sympathize with her. I really wanted her to be happy. I could relate to Greg's grief over losing his family. Everybody grieves differently and no matter what they say, the pain never really goes away completely. The author did a good job of assembling the mishmash of characters in Carrie's Cafe. She definitely covered all the bases from the geeky guy (Ricky) to the wise old timer (Mr. Perkins).

Although there is one part of the book that I did not appreciate. In fact, it kind of offended me a little bit. I did not agree with the way users of social networking were portrayed. Not all "avid" users of social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube are gullible individuals, harassing people we read about in those sites. I may be spoiling a bit here but I doubt if news spreads about something happening locally, especially in a small town, people will camp out in front of the scene of the crime or follow around a victim or a suspect asking him or her what happened. In real life. Talk about invasion of privacy. I know all about what being "Twitter famous" is all about but it is not at all how it was portrayed in this book. We "avid" social network patrons have a word for those overly invasive... creepers. And those of us who practice netiquette loathe to be bunched in with them. But I digress. This is another discussion altogether.

Having mentioned that this is a Christian Fiction story, there was not much quoting from the Bible as I first thought. It was not at all preachy. There were conversations with God and that did not bother me at all. Their internal struggles and conversations helped moved the story along and that's what matters.

Rating: 3/5.

Recommendation: It is a good book club read. A nice book to accompany a pleasant afternoon.

It's been a while since there has been a new original book from Gayle Roper so I was anticipating this book very much. It's been a while since I've read a good mystery and I know I can get one from Roper's books. From the cover of the book, as well as the description of the story, I wasn't expecting religious cults to play a huge factor in the plot. Cults are something that both interest and disgust me at the same time. I never can understand how people get sucked into them. I found it incredibly sad at how Andi was forced by her parents to leave her home and join the cult. Reading about the polygamous marriages and how they were making young teenage girls get married to older men was despicable. I felt that Greg's reasons for why men and women join religious cults were good explanations yet very sad at the same time. I feel like religious cults are something that needs to be brought up more because Christians need to know when God's words are being twisted and used incorrectly and not get swept up by things that sound like they are right.

While I enjoyed the story a lot, I felt sometimes that the book was going in many different directions and didn't know which one it wanted to stick with. There were times it felt like a cozy mystery, then a romance story, then suspense, then women's fiction. The different points of view that kept changing threw me off a bit too. One chapter would be first person perspective from Carrie's POV and then it'd switched to Andi's third person POV, not to mention the murderer's side of the story as well. I wasn't a big fan of how the murderer was introduced. I felt it was way too obvious and not beneficial to continue from their POV after we had already met and figured out who it was. The last thing that irked me was how people who used twitter were portrayed in this story in a negative light. As far as I know, the author isn't active on Twitter so unless she is just lurking, I don't think she really knows how to use it. The Twitter users were portrayed as rude with bad social skills and glued to the Internet 24/7. Also the false misconception of how everything you do must be posted on Twitter is used again here. It bothered me because if someone actually uses the service then they know it is not like that at all.

Despite everything I said above, I really did enjoy this story. It's a good mystery and despite the beachy looking cover, it's not really a light read at all. As I mentioned earlier, there are dark things mentioned in this book that a lot of Christians don't really want to think about or read about in their books. This appears to be the first book in a series so I'm hoping that we will be returning back to Seaside for more adventures in the future.

Carrie Carter's crush on ex-cop Greg Barnes is no secret to anyone except the object of her affection. As she serves him coffee every day, she yearns for him to notice her. After the untimely death of his family, Greg quit his job and closed himself off from the world around him. Hence, Carrie is no stranger to his indifference. When Jase, the dishwasher at Carrie's café, goes missing, Greg and Carrie are drawn into the case and into each other's lives. As they grow closer, secrets buried in their pasts threaten their new found friendship. Will the emotional baggage of their lives prevent them from finding love? Can they both lay the past aside and step into a new time of life?

Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper combines sand, sun, and mystery as the backdrop for a contemporary love story. While I loved the small-town, homey feel of the story, the plot never really hooked me. I started reading and then put it down without returning to it for several days. This is unusual for me. I love to read and usually once a story hooks me, I return to it whenever I have a spare moment. In the beginning Carrie seemed kinda pathetic. However, I liked her more as she progressed and developed through the book. Supporting characters such as Mary P and Mr. Perkins added a wonderful depth. I recommend this book to fans of Christian fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Multnomah Publishers via FIRST Wild Card Tours. I was not required to write a positive 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."

I was very intrigued when I saw that this book, "Shadows on the Sand" by Gayle Roper, took place in Seaside, New Jersey. Being a Jersey Girl, I was drawn to the book just by sheer geographical location. My curiosity got the best of me wondering if the author could truly write about a place that I'm familiar with. I've read Christian fiction romance before, but never Christian fiction mystery/romance. Not thinking I would like this type of book, I chose it anyway because of the setting...Seaside, New Jersey. I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I enjoyed this book.

Gayle Roper wrote in such a way that there was a true balance between the mystery storyline and the romance storyline. Never once did I feel that there was too much mystery or too much romance. It was refreshingly balanced. As I read, I truly enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, and just how they fit into the little quaint town and café that Ms. Roper introduced me to. I loved how the Word of God was continually sprinkled thought out the entire book in good times, as well as bad times.

And, if all that wasn't enough, Gayle Roper painted a beautiful picture of Seaside, capturing all the things I love about it. As I read, I could actually smell the sea air, hear the gulls call and feel the spray of the ocean. In my mind's eye, I could visualize the boardwalk at Seaside, the bridge that connects the island to the mainland, the county college and mall where one of the characters got a job. I have never felt so connected to a book as I did while reading "Shadows on the Sand".

If you like Christian fiction mystery and/or romance books, this book is definitely for you. I highly recommend it.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

This was the first book I've read by Gayle Roper. This book is a nice read. I enjoyed the characters as well as the storyline. It was slow in some places but for the most part I was able to stay focused on what I was reading and the further I read the more interested I was. It has mystery, romance, secrets, healing, murder, grief, abuse, faith, anger, forgiveness, loss and love. I didn't care for the Twitter parts as they seemed out of place in this book. I think it would have been a better read without. I reccommend this book to anyone who wants a nice Christian mystery with romance. I look forward to reading Gayle's other books.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review of my own words and freely expressed opinions.

About the Book: She serves him breakfast at her cafe every morning ... but he never seems to notice her. Carrie Carter's small cafe in Seaside, New Jersey, is populated with a motley crew of locals ... although Carrie only has eyes for Greg Barnes. He's recovering from a vicious crime that three years ago took the lives of his wife and children--and from the year he tried to drink his reality away. While her heart does a happy Snoopy dance at the sight of him, he never seems to notice her, to Carrie's chagrin. When Carrie's dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries ... and into her life. But when Carrie's own painful past becomes all to present, her carefully constructed world begins to sink. Will the fragile relationship she's built with Greg implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry?

About the Author: Gayle Roper is an award winning author but I wanted you to know about her as a person. Gayle is married to to Chuck Roper and has been "for more years than seems possible!". Gayle and Chuck live in southeastern Pennsylvania where they enjoy their family of two great sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and the world's five most wonderful grandchildren.

Gayle is a convinced believer in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior. This belief informs her world view and is evident in all her stories. She and her husband carried this belief with them years ago as they helped plant a church with seventeen people. That church has now grown to over two thousand. As Chuck says, "next to our family, it's been our greatest adventure." When she's not writing, or teaching at conferences, Gayle enjoys reading, gardening, and eating out every time she can talk Chuck into it. Want to know more? Check out her website and learn all about her by clicking here.

My Thoughts: I have to admit that it was hard to read this book in the beginning, but after the first few chapters I was hooked and could not put it down. I am not a huge mystery fan and have never read anything by Gayle Roper yet I was pleasantly surprised by the plot and character development of this story. It was nice to find a mystery novel that tells a story without the use of sex and foul language. In Shadows on the Sand, Gayle Roper does an excellant job of spinning an intriguing, captivating story that keeps the reader guessing and turning pages in anticipation of what is yet to come. Just when I thought I had figured out the story, there would be a twist that would throw me off guard and I would find myself guessing once again. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romantic mystery story.

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. All thoughts are 100% my own and I was not required to write a positive review

My Review: I would call this a comfortable novel. It is one of those that you can curl up in front of the fireplace with a cup of cocoa and just enjoy the story. I loved the characters, especially Carrie. She is a woman who faced horrible atrocities as a child at the hand of a mother who cared more about the next drink than her daughters. She was determined to protect her little sister and her strength lead her to Seaside. Carrie is a far from perfect which is another reason why I liked her. Greg Barnes makes a great counterpart and love interest for Carrie. He is another flawed character, dealing with the demons from his past that threaten to keep him alone without love.

The main plot line deals with murder and a dangerous cult led by a leader known as, Michael the Archangel. Along with solving a murder this book also contains a lovely romantic story between Carrie and Greg. But the most important plot is the importance of dealing with the hurts in one's past.

If you enjoyed Gayle's "Caught" series you will enjoy this book. If you've never read Gayle Roper but like a mystery tied up with some romance you should enjoy the story. It's not as intense as a Terri Blackstock or Brandilyn Collins, it is similar as a Ginny Aiken or Virginia Smith mystery.

Disclaimer: I did receive this book from the publisher.

Synopsis: She serves him breakfast at her café every morning...but he never seems to notice her.

About: Carrie Carter, the owner of a hopping small cafe in Seaside, New Jersey, is in for more than just taking care of her amusing and yet hair brained cafe patrons, serving tons of coffee and watching out for her little sister Lindsay. Her story becomes entangled with Greg Barnes, a widower and ex cop, the one who makes her heart do a fierce snoopy dance at the sight of him in her cafe.

Alongside Carrie's pitter pattering heart, a very much so pieced together family, and an interesting past there is a deep mystery ready to be uncovered. When Carrie finds out that her dishwasher has been murdered and that her young waitress, named Andi, has disappeared she finds that Greg is ready and willing to be on-the-case alongside her. But Carrie will have to deal with her own past, with a little help from Greg and God of course, before they can solve anything, mystery or otherwise.

Final Thoughts: I might have just been converted to Suspense Literature by Ms. Roper. I've never been one who's enjoyed Suspense or Mystery novels all that much, but this book changed my mind about halfway through it's 309 pages. While the constant drum of the word Tweet/Twitter was sprinkled about throughout the story a little more often than I would have liked, and the snoopy dance analogy that was used to describe Carrie's fluttering feelings for Greg Barnes drove me a little batty at times, these things all ended up helping the story and aided in tying things up nicely in the very end, to my shock.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review of my own words and freely expressed opinions.