1. Carolina Reckoning
    Lisa Carter
    Abingdon Press / 2013 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$15.29 Retail Price$16.99 Save 10% ($1.70)
    3.9 out of 5 stars for Carolina Reckoning. View reviews of this product. 15 Reviews
3.9 Stars Out Of 5
3.9 out of 5
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4.3 out Of 5
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Value:
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Meets Expectations:
4.1 out Of 5
(4.1 out of 5)
87%
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  1. bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    a very good mystery set in the south
    August 12, 2013
    bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I love a good mystery and this is a good one.

    It opens with Alison Monaghan finding a photo in her husband's jacket pocket — a photo of Frank with another woman. She'd often suspected and now she had proof of a liaison while on one of his long trips as an airline pilot. She would confront him when he came home that evening from yet another of his flights. But he never comes home and the next morning the police are on her door step. Frank has been murdered.

    That sets the pace for the novel. The bad news continues as Alison finds out that all their money is gone. Life will certainly have to change for her and her teen-aged son and daughter. She is determined to find out who killed her husband and why, much to the dismay of the detective assigned to the case, Mike Barefoot.

    This novel takes place in Raleigh, North Carolina, a place foreign to my Pacific Northwest locale. I like to learn about a topic when I read a novel and learn I did. Frank was on the board of directors of an antebellum plantation historic park and Alison was a volunteer garden docent there. Lisa did a great job of revealing the society structure and character of the southerners associated with that park. They were high society and didn't tolerate imperfection, like having your husband murdered. Even Alison's children were made fun of by their classmates.

    I also got a peek into some of the unsavory history of the area too. Who your great grandfather was might determine your place in the ranks of society. Some of the cat fights these women had! That brings up the well developed characters. You could just feel the venom dripping off some of the women.

    My favorite aspect of the book was the Christian witness. Alison is not on speaking terms with God as the novel opens but she has a saving experience mid-novel. Sometimes authors add a little Christianity in a novel to make it "Christian." Not so in this one. Christianity is central to the story line, especially at its suspenseful end.

    There is romance too. The detective has feelings for Alison and it is entertaining to see them butt heads as the investigation proceeds.

    A good mystery, well developed characters, a little romance, learning about a part of the U.S., twists and turns and red herrings, Christianity essential to the story...this novel has all the aspects I want in a good novel. I highly recommend it.

    I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
  2. SallyinWNY
    western NY
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Good Debut
    October 31, 2013
    SallyinWNY
    western NY
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Carolina Reckoning is the debut novel by suspense writer Lisa Carter. It tells the tale what happens when a wife discovers proof of her husband's infidelity, only to have him die before she's able to confront him. When police discover Frank was fatally shot in his car, Alison automatically becomes the main suspect. There's little evidence with which to charge or exonerate her. Actually, there's very little evidence at all at first. Frank's briefcase and smartphone are both missing. Frank's death leaves Alison and her teenage children with nothing but questions and debt. Six months later, Frank's murder has become a cold case. Alison takes a job at Weathersby Historic Park, where it becomes immediately apparent that none of the directors can stand each other. Her daughter, Claire, is being bullied by members of her former social set. And the investigating detective has become a regular visitor at the family's home.

    There are two plots in Carolina Reckoning: the murder and the romance between Alison and Mike. By far, I preferred the murder mystery. More than once I thought I knew who the suspect was, only to be proven wrong. Who wanted Frank dead? Who shot at Alison using the same weapon that was used to kill her husband? The motive, when finally revealed, felt a bit confusing but these things are never straightforward. There are also a couple of red herrings thrown in for good measure. In contrast, the romantic element felt weak. I was surprised that an investigator would so easily cross the line from professional to personal in such a short time. Alison, despite being described as an 'abused' wife, also seems willing to quickly jump into another relationship and doesn't appear to have any concerns that Mike might turn out to be another Frank. The Christian theme of forgiveness runs throughout the book, as Alison goes through the process of forgiving Frank for his actions toward her while he lived. I particularly appreciated that she made a commitment to God early in the book, instead of it happening toward the end and just before the big reveal as is often seen in Christian fiction.

    Thank you to Abingdon Press for my free copy of Carolina Reckoning, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
  3. lcjohnson1988
    Indiana
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    October 30, 2013
    lcjohnson1988
    Indiana
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Mike Barefoot is a homicide detective in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has been assigned the Monaghan case. Frank Monaghan has been found shot in the head in his car just a few miles from home. Mike's first meeting with Frank's widow, Alison Monaghan, is when she is told for the first time about her husband's murder. He soon begins to rely on the God his granny had taught him about and surrenders his life to Him. As his investigation gets underway, he becomes more and more convinced that Alison did not murder her husband. He spends more time with her and begins discussing the case and soon they have formed a loose partnership to find the killer. Mike grows to love Alison and her two teenage children. However, after months pass, the killer still has not been caught and soon strikes again.

    Alison Monaghan has known deep inside that her husband has been unfaithful to her many times, but now she has proof. Then, the police show up and tell her he's dead. Now what is she to do? Her husband used to take care of everything and now, after reading his will, she discovers their finances are a mess. She needs a job, so she goes to work at a local historical site where she used to volunteer. She is incredibly angry and hurt at her husband's infidelity, but still feels no one had the right to kill him. She vows to discover his killer. As her search begins, she realizes she can't keep doing life on her own and gives her life to the God of her best friend. She begins reading through the Bible, attending church and praying. She finds a peace she has never known before. She finds love with Mike. She also finds out who killed her husband.

    I really enjoyed the plot and the mystery had plenty of twists and turns to hold my interest. One thing I didn't like was the two main characters almost simultaneously giving their lives to God. I thought the chances very unrealistic to happen in this manner. I read a lot of Christian fiction and am thankful for the Christian themes in this story, just not the timing of the conversions. I did like the relationship between Mike and Alison's children and his interest in their lives. I also liked the conflict between the two males interested in gaining Alison's affections. I am looking forward to more mysteries from this author and hope readers will take the time to take part in this mystery.
  4. jenilee220
    Ohio
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Carolina Reckoning
    July 28, 2013
    jenilee220
    Ohio
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Lisa Carter is another new author for me and I'm so glad to have discovered her writing.

    She has a way of mixing mystery with romance and with faith that is fun to read and very engaging.

    I felt fully committed to this story and to these characters while reading the book. I felt many emotions with them while appreciating the humor woven through the story. I appreciated the characters' quests for faith and their desire to know more about God. Their search for God was genuine and it was a pleasure to journey with them on the pages of this book.

    This is a book that will appeal to many different kinds of readers. All readers will find something great to love while reading and enjoying this fantastic story.
  5. Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    She wanted him to pay but not wind up dead!
    July 14, 2013
    Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    How would you feel if those suspicions you had of your husband were confirmed by finding a photo of them together in the pocket of his raincoat? Well for Alison Monaghan it is the proverbial straw that brings her to a breaking point. With her husband Frank being a bit of a control freak, she's finally going to summon the courage to confront him now that she finally has the proof she's been looking for. The only thing that causes her to reconsider is how it will affect their children, Clare and Justin now that they are in high school. Will it mean a messy divorce? How will she be able to provide for herself and her children since Frank has been their financial safety net all these years as a commercial pilot? All she knows is she has to deal with all the emotions she's been keeping bottled up all these years and tonight when Frank gets home, she's gonna let him have it.

    Only Frank never arrives home. Alison receives that fateful knock at the door all wives dread. And the news is just what she never hoped to hear. Frank has been found murdered just seven miles from their home and of course, like most detectives, Alison is their key suspect. Deep in her heart she wanted him to pay, but not like this. She never wanted him dead. But how can she deal with the fact she's not as upset as a wife should be? That is just the thing, Raleigh homicide detective Mike Barefoot is wondering as well. He's been working enough of these cases to know just how convincing wives can be after murdering their husbands. However the more time he spends investigating the case and getting to know the man Frank really was, the more he convinces himself that Alison had nothing to do with his murder. Now if he can only keep his focus on finding the killer instead of finding himself drawn to Alison's heart.

    In the latest novel from Lisa Carter, Carolina Recknoning takes the reader inside the murder of Frank Monaghan and the lifestyle he keep secretly from his wife and family. Alison doesn't believe she can move forward until she finds out more about the life Frank kept hidden from her including leaving them penniless and in more debt than she ever could imagine. Her children have their own problems to deal with living in wealthy neighborhood and being part of the affluent class of people in their city. Now all their friends suddenly turn on them they've known forever and the only thing any of them have is one another to survive in high school among the horrible things their friends say about their family. Is it possible to find hope in the midst of this crisis? Will their lives ever go back to normal again? But as the family is drawn into discovering who the murderer is, they suddenly find themselves with targets on their backs as well.

    I received Carolina Reckoning by Lisa Carter compliments of Abingdon Press for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. This novel really draws out the emotions to make you consider what you would do in this situation. How would you move forward? How can you bring yourself to forgive someone when they have hurt you beyond what you think you can bear? How can you forgive someone now that they are gone? This is truly a story about solving a crime but even greater than that is finding redemption for yourself. The family ultimately finds that a relationship with God is the only way they can salvage what is going on and it doesn't happen overnight. In fact, its a realistic portrayal of what happens in the life of a believer. Things don't get easy for them because they start going to church, in fact, it gets worse. They struggle with things just like we all do but there is a peace found when you know you hope is in God instead of what the world has to offer. I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars!
Displaying items 6-10 of 15
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