Customer Reviews

Whirlpool (Julesburg Mystery Series #1)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was in the airport traveling and purchased Whirlpool in Cinncinati's airport in the Christian section of the bookstore there. I don't usually read mysteries, so I was pleasantly surprised at the depth and intricacy of the plot. I cared about the characters from page one and I really loved the romantic element weaved throughtout the story. The ending was terrific and very satisfying! Now I'm going to have to read more books by this fabulous author. I'd recommend Whirlpool to anyone who loves a great mystery with engaging characters and an intelligent plot.

Stefanie Canfield is trying to adjust to the hard changes her life has thrown at her recently, including a divorce and the death of her mother. When the mill she co-owns with her ex burns to the ground, she finds herself in the unpleasant position of being a suspect.

Ryan Harrison never wanted to return to Julesburg, but his job as arson investigator brings him back. The only bright spot is a reunion with childhood friend Stefanie. But their relationship becomes strained when she finds out what his job is. The fact that he is trying to bring her back to God doesn't seem to be helping. When she is accused of murder, however, all bets are off.

This is an intriguing book that is equal parts mystery and romance. The author does a good job of balancing the two elements. As a die hard mystery reader, I felt the mystery aspect was a little weaker then it could have been. The first chapter is a little rough while giving us the background we need to understand the characters. However, these two elements only dampened my enjoyment slightly. I got so caught up in the story and characters that I couldn't put the book down. The spiritual sub-plot felt natural and added another layer to an already engrossing book.

Christian fiction fans rejoice! There's something in this wonderful book for everyone. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

I really liked the Ivy Malone novels and so I decided to try the Julesburg series. I was very disappointed. The heroine in Julesburg is not anywhere near as engaging as Ivy Malone. She comes off as a bit whiny. And not too bright. The author has the heroine do things that are just plain stupid merely to advance the plot. I'll skip the rest of the books in this series.

Loved the Ivy Malone novel, it was great, so I thought I'd try this series. It is well written, but the story did not sit well with me at all. Stephanie came off as awfully gullible, niave, and dingy (lacking any common sense whatsoever) for someone her age with her responsibilities and background. It is amazing she trusted Damon over Ryan. Ugh. I almost didn't finish it.
I think I'll give the rest of this series a skip.

Arson investigator Ryan Harrison recalls his childhood friend Stefanie Canfield's glint of mischief and rebelliousness with affection. But that look has been replaced by shadows and disillusionment because she has lost faith in her God, in marriage, and in herself. He returns to the small town of Julesburg to investigate the suspicious burning of the town's plywood mill. Proving arson would earn him a nice promotion. Ryan had no idea that his childhood friend in an equal partner in the company. Now duty must come before friendship, even if the investigation opens a chasm between them that friendship can scarcely span.

Stefanie's marriage resembled a business merger more than it did a union of hearts. Hunter's initial displays of interest stunned the "Porky Princess", despite her subsequent weight loss. Now the owner of the Fit `n' Fun health club, this svelte divorcee still bears the scars of her marriage, her husband's cheating with Trish, and her rejection in favor of the "other woman". With her ex-husband's carefully constructed alibi in place, suspicion falls on Stefanie when arson is proven at the plywood mill. The financial problems surrounding the mill provide adequate motivation, and a lack of an alibi provides opportunity.

Stephanie endears the false accusations of arson even when the insurance investigator turns out to be her childhood friend. But when her nemesis appears in public wearing her mother's necklace, Stefanie reacts. Unfortunately, stress brings about blackouts and Stephanie does not remember trying to snatch the necklace from Trish's neck. Witnesses recall every detail, however, when Trish later turns up dead. Stephanie believes she left Trish alive, but with her blackout episodes, even she is not absolutely certain of her innocence.

Stephanie's struggle to prove her innocence and to recover her spiritual beliefs provides a refreshingly human heroine in WHIRLPOOL, the first of The Julesburg Mysteries series. Stephanie could have too easily fallen into the trap of martyrdom given her ex-husband's treatment and the loss of her mother to cancer. Instead, she proves herself to be tenacious yet spiritually disillusioned, strong yet capable of foolish choices. With maturity and insight, Stephanie confronts the challenges of struggling with injustice and self-doubt. Moreover, author Lorena McCourtney includes inspirational touches and spiritual struggles without a heavy hand that could detract from the narrative; instead, the inspirational passages move the plot along as well as deepen the characterizations. WHIRLPOOL is a satisfying read appropriate for inspirational as well as mainstream readers, coming very highly recommended.

After reading the Ivy Malone mysteries by this same author (and really enjoying them) I was looking forward to the Julesburg series. This first book in the series was a disappointment to me--I'm hoping the other two will be better. After a very ho-hum beginning the story line did pick up a little. The only redeeming quality was the awesome dog--otherwise I probably would not have finished the book. Most of the way through it I kept thinking to myself "how ridiculous."

I ordered this book for my Kindle. I have read several books by Lorena McCourtney and looked forward to reading this series. I found the story entertaining and enjoy Lorena's style of writing. I look forward to reading the next installment.

I liked the way the author included the need to put Jesus in our every thought and action - the emotions of feeling God has let us down is something we have all felt at some time and I appreciate the author keeping that real and working with it.
I'm not a suspense murder reader but this one was not gory and had a good message.

My wife loves romance christian and is always trying to get me to read them which I'd rather eat aluminum foil first - but I DID like Whirlpool because it wasn't SOooo sappy that my teeth were on edge. Still wouldn't recommend it to guys but it is borderline if a guy is really looking for a christian book to read with mystery. - I like the way it is done in a REAL setting.

I loved the mystery in this book, and the author did a good job balancing the romance and mystery in the story. The Christian subplot felt natural and added to the story. Stephanie did seem to act too impulsively and dig herself deeper into trouble, but to be fair she was under tremendeous stress even before the events of the story. Overall, a very good story, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

-Lisa Hall Deckert