Stealing Jenny [Kindle Edition]

Ellen Gable (Author)

Book Description

After three heartbreaking miscarriages, Tom and Jenny Callahan are happily anticipating the birth of their sixth child. A neighbor, however, is secretly hatching a sinister plot which will find Jenny and her unborn baby fighting for their lives.

“Stealing Jenny is a gripping novel filled with engaging characters, a compelling mystery and a message which underscores the precious dignity of life. I literally couldn’t put it down and give Stealing Jenny my highest recommendation.” Lisa M. Hendey, author of “A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms”

“Ellen Gable is a masterful storyteller.Stealing Jenny is a smoothly written, chilling tale of gripping suspense. There are terrifying moments and heart-wrenching moments. Catholic faith and hope are tested. Above all, the sacredness and privilege of precious new life is made indisputably evident I never wanted it to end!” Therese Heckenkamp

“Stealing Jenny will keep you on the edge of your seat and probably destroy your sleep pattern as you stay up to find out what happens." Sarah Reinhard, author, “Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families”

“Stealing Jenny is my favorite kind of fiction: a thought-provoking psychological suspense novel in its own right, with a life-affirming message that adds even more to its depth. Another finely-plotted story and a cast of very real and well-drawn characters which highlight Ellen Gable’s ability to write beautiful Catholic fiction in any genre.” Krisi Keley, author, “On the Soul of a Vampire,” and “Pro Luce Habere”

“I could not put it down! I highly recommend this book.” Donna Piscitelli, award-winning author

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ellen Gable Hrkach lives with her husband and their five children in Pakenham, Ontario. This is her third novel. Her second novel, In Name Only, won a Gold medal for Religious Fiction in the 2010 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards. She and her husband create the Family Life cartoon which currently appears in Family Foundations magazine.

Product Details

• File Size: 314 KB
• Print Length: 208 pages
• Publisher: Full Quiver Publishing (September 8, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005M4K4S2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,128 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #9 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Religious & Liturgical
  • #16 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Religious & Liturgical

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Emotionally Moving, Suspenseful Must-Read! September 13, 2011

By Therese Heckenkamp

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I first read the back cover of "Stealing Jenny," Ellen Gable's latest novel, I was intrigued by the promise of a suspense-filled contemporary story involving the kidnapping of a young pregnant mother. I was not disappointed. "Stealing Jenny" was everything I'd hoped, and more!

From page one, I was pulled into the story. Jenny Callahan, a young Catholic mother of five, is nearing the end of a precarious pregnancy and longing to cradle her new baby safely in her arms. With only days to go until the necessary scheduled C-section, Jenny is unaware of the unbalanced woman who is stalking her and plotting to tear this baby away from her at any cost.

When Jenny is kidnapped from a rural bus stop, her three-year-old son is the only witness. Jenny's stunned family is desperate to find her. The abduction quickly becomes a high-profile case, with news media hounding the Callahans. Father Paul, the parish priest, offers comfort and assistance to the Callahans, and he leads a public rosary for the intention of Jenny's safe return.

Meanwhile, Jenny awakens to find herself in a living nightmare: chained to a cot in a remote cabin, at the mercy of a sad, sick, and desperate woman. If Jenny can't escape before her labor begins, she and her baby are both in extreme danger of death.

When I had to put this book down, I literally could not wait to pick it up again. The perfectly-paced story features a stellar cast of believable characters. Jenny is the main character point of view, but the author skillfully shifts to other character viewpoints including those of Tom (Jenny's husband), Chris (the Callahan's oldest daughter), Denise (the villain), and Sergeant Kathy Romano (in charge of the investigation). Also, the story is interspersed with well-timed, poignant flashbacks of Jenny and her husband before they were married, which add to the richness of the story.

"Stealing Jenny" is a smoothly written, chilling tale of gripping suspense. There are terrifying moments and heart-wrenching moments. Catholic faith and hope are tested. Above all, the sacredness and privilege of precious new life is made indisputably evident.

Ellen Gable is a masterful storyteller. At 201 pages, "Stealing Jenny" is the perfect length for an intense day of uninterrupted reading. I wished the novel was longer, not because it wasn't complete in itself, but because it was such an enjoyable read, I never wanted it to end. I'm rooting for a sequel!

Reviewed by:
Therese Heckenkamp
Author of "Past Suspicion"
and Reviewer for:
Catholic-Fiction.com
TraditionalCatholicNovels
and Ivory Tower Press

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and thought-provoking--the best kind of fiction! September 14, 2011

By Sarah Reinhard VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Stealing Jenny will keep you on the edge of your seat and probably destroy your sleep pattern as you stay up to find out what happens. But beyond being a great suspense, it's also an excellent example of morals in action and family life redeemed. As a fan of Ellen Gable's work already, I'm now officially getting a t-shirt!

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Improving Author September 25, 2011

By ruthjoec

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When Ellen Gable asked me if I would like a review copy of this novel, I made sure she had read my reviews of her earlier books: Emily's Hope and In Name Only. I had read gushing reviews of those books from other Catholic bloggers and, to put it simply, I didn't share those gushing opinions, and wanted to make sure she knew it before she sent me a review copy.

So, what about this one? Well, for one thing, I don't read many thrillers, and that's what this is. When I do read thrillers, they tend to be of the Christian variety, and for them, the ending is usually a forgone conclusion. This shares that characteristic--I never really doubted that it would end the way it did.

The basic story line was good and the book was hard to put down. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it.

It is clearly faith-based fiction. The couple in the story are devout Catholics who have a large family. The parish priest visits and mentions that the parish ladies are holding adoration to pray for Jenny. We learn that the couple engaged in pre-marital sex, and headed to confession thereafter. That encounter lead to pregnancy, and of course abortion was never considered. Jenny talks to the priest about forgiving the one who hurt her, and in the end, is able to do so.

I wouldn't call it an overly religious book but there were clearly things Gable wanted to work into the story even though, in my opinion, they had little to nothing to do with the story. We learn that two of their pregnancies were so close together because they weren't doing a good job with NFP observations--something that really didn't have anything to do with this story. When the police search her room, they find Jenny's NFP charts. We learn that even though she has a large family, Jenny mourns the loss of her fertility.

I liked the contrasting flashbacks. We learn about Jenny's courtship, pregnancy and marriage, as well as about her nemesis' early sexual activity and first pregnancy. Clearly, history had a lot to do with why things were the way they were today. I found the way Jenny met her husband to be somewhat unrealistic, but I guess it could have happened.

My bottom line? Gable is getting better as a writer; each of her stories has gotten better than the one before it. She is too clearly trying to teach about Catholic sexual morality and other Catholic topics. The writing style in general is more in line with low-priced self-published I've read on Amazon than with books put out by major publishers, but the bottom line is that this was an enjoyable read. If I had ordered the paperback from Amazon for $12.99, I would have been disappointed; had I downloaded by Kindle version for $2.99, I would not have been. Grade: B-

More About the Author

Ellen Gable is a novelist and freelance writer living in Pakenham, Ontario, Canada. She is the author of the Amazon Kindle Bestseller, Stealing Jenny, a contemporary thriller about a pregnant woman who is kidnapped. Her other books include Come My Beloved (a book of true courtship stories), In Name Only (Gold Medal winner in Religious Fiction in the 2010 IPPY Awards) and Emily's Hope (Honorable Mention, 2006 IPPY Awards). The Kindle editions of her novels have been in the top ten of the Religious & Liturgical Drama category since February, 2012. Ellen is currently Vice President of the Catholic Writers Guild. She is a reviewer for CatholicFiction.net, a monthly columnist for AmazingCatechists.com, a contributor to CatholicMom.com and she blogs at http://ellengable.wordpress.com. She and her husband are the creators of the Family Life cartoon which illustrates Catholic family life, a topic she knows much about as the mother of five sons ages 13 to 25.