1. Gathering Shadows, Finding Sanctuary Series #1
    Nancy Mehl
    Bethany House / 2014 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$14.40 Retail Price$16.00 Save 10% ($1.60)
    4.5 out of 5 stars for Gathering Shadows, Finding Sanctuary Series #1. View reviews of this product. 34 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW211570
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  1. Jeanie
    Phoenix, AZ
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Exciting Full of Faith and Suspense
    March 15, 2015
    Jeanie
    Phoenix, AZ
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Wynter Evans wasnt her birth name. It was the name she chose and she used it on the air much as an author might have a pen name. Wynter was a local television news reporter, sent to do a story on unique Missouri towns with photographer Zac, who clearly didnt want to be there. She had decided to include the small, primarily Mennonite community called Sanctuary because of a young Mennonite man that was in a photo that her co-worker Megans mother had taken. It wasnt just any young man; he looked like an older version of her brother Ryan who had disappeared when he was 7, more than ten years prior. Even though the killer had never confessed to Ryans murder, the police had chosen to believe that Ryan was one of the young children who had been kidnapped and murdered about the time he was taken. After all these years, Wynter still hopes to be reunited with Ryan. After Ryans disappearance, her family had fallen apart her parents divorcing, her father remarried and her mother becoming a shadow of her former self.

    At the last minute, the boss called and told her to bypass Sanctuary because some of the people there didnt want to be filmed. Choosing to ignore Eds voicemessage, Wynter proceeded to the little town. The librarian who was previously enthusiastic about the visit now said that not only did the Mennonites prefer to not be filmed, but there were others who had moved there for privacy. Reuben, a man acting as honorary mayor (as much as was acceptable to the Old Order Mennonites) asked her to not take photos or films of anyone without their permission, which Wynter agreed to. He then assisted them in finding a place to stay with Esther, an older widow whose children had moved out.

    So begins the story one in which two of the primary characters, Wynter and Zac, are not believers in Christ. One of Esthers conditions for those who stayed in her home was that they attend services with her on Sunday. She told Wynter that she would pray for her situation with her brother.

    Threats begin to come to Wynter to get out of town. Photos put out by her station that she didnt have take but had been taken by her phone when she was out to dinner. Then a man was found murdered, and she was considered a person of interest.

    I very much enjoyed this novel! Nancy Mehl is an accomplished author who can write a great novel of suspense as well as a woman whose Christian maturity shines through her characters. She writes of those who dont yet believe with understanding, and her characters who do believe in Jesus are wise and discerning.

    Gathering Shadows is a terrific first novel in her Finding Sanctuary series, and already it is clear that this new series is even better than the previous books of Nancy Mehls that Ive read. I highly recommend this novel to older teens and women of any age who appreciate a good novel of romantic suspense with plot twists and challenges to the reader. Those who like reading about the small Mennonite communities as found throughout the US will definitely enjoy this series.

    This book was purchased by me and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All opinions are solely mine.

  2. Pam Burke
    Potosi, MO
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: Female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Suspenseful small-town fiction
    July 12, 2014
    Pam Burke
    Potosi, MO
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: Female
    I had previously read a series of Mennonite fiction by Nancy Mehl and enjoyed the books, but I think she has outdone herself with this new story. Gathering Shadows is a great start to her Finding Sanctuary series and left me anxious to read more.

    Wynter, Zac, Reuben, Esther (as well as others) are well-developed characters who all make the story come alive. Although certain elements of the plot are pretty obvious from the beginning, there is plenty of suspense to keep the pace exciting all the way to the end of the book. Watching the growth of the characters in their faith and in their relationships adds an enjoyable depth to the story. The Mennonite influence is definitely a part of this story, but not necessarily the most important part.

    An added bonus for me is the setting for the book. Although Sanctuary is a fictional town, most of the other towns mentioned in the book are real locations less than an hour's drive from the small Missouri town where I live. Relating to the places mentioned provides even more interest to a story.

    If you think you would enjoy a visit to a small town filled with secrets, give Gathering Shadows a try. A word of warning, though -- you might not want to start this book until you have time to enjoy the whole thing. You will likely have trouble finding a good place to stop.

    Thanks to Nancy and to Bethany House for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
  3. bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Mystery, suspense and romance
    May 25, 2014
    bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Wynter is stunned when a colleague shows her a old photo of a Mennonite family near the town of Sanctuary. The young teen in the buggy looked like Ryan, her younger brother kidnapped ten years ago. The photo had been secretly taken through a car window about six years earlier. Wynter was planning a piece for the television station about unique towns in Missouri and her colleague thought the photo would pique her interest. Wynter knew the first town she and her photographer would go to was Sanctuary, an out of the way town where people lived a simple life, both Mennonites and those not of the faith.

    Sanctuary is not as welcoming as Wynter had thought it would be. It soon becomes evident someone doesn't want her there. They will even murder to keep their secrets covered.

    This novel is a good combination of mystery, suspense and romance. Although I am generally not a reader of Amish style fiction, there are enough twists, turns and revelations in this novel that kept my interest and kept me reading. It was inspiring to see the effect the simple life lived in Sanctuary had on Wynter and her photographer, both psychologically and spiritually. It was also pleasing to see Wynter have an opportunity for romance, even if it did seem to happen quickly.

    Readers of Amish style fiction will like this book as will those who enjoy a good mystery. There are themes of restoration, forgiveness, and trusting God woven throughout. All in all, a very good novel.

    I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
  4. Robin Wallace
    Florida
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Gathering Shadows a Fantastic Read
    May 24, 2014
    Robin Wallace
    Florida
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Gathering Shadows

    Nancy Mehl

    Book Summary: Wynter Evans is a promising young reporter for a television station in St. Louis, but even a bright future doesn't take away her pain over the disappearance of her brother nine years ago. So when she stumbles across a photograph of a boy with an eerie resemblance to him, she can't pass up the chance to track him down. With research for work as her cover, she sets out with one of the station's photogs for the place where the picture was taken: the town of Sanctuary. Almost as soon as she arrives, she meets the town's handsome young mayor, Rueben King, and together they begin to uncover long held secrets that could tear the small town apart and change everything Wynter thought she knew about her life. As the truth of her family's past hides in the shadows, it's clear someone will stop at nothing to keep the answers she's searching for hidden forever--even if the cost is Wynter's very life.

    Review: The beginning cinched it for me. I was immediately drawn in with the kidnapping of Ryan! I really liked the mystery of Wynter's brother and who sent her the newspaper clippings. I hope to see Zac in another story. He was a great addition. There were so many memorable events and situations spread throughout the story it made the story more engrossing. It all ended up with a fantastic finally that was worth the wait. I enjoyed the relationship between Reuben and Wynter. The secondary characters like Wynter's dad and Esther were a tremendous addition that made each part of the book they were in more treasured. The suspense throughout the story was perfectly timed enough to make me jumpy. I am waiting for the next book in this series.

    I would like to thank Net Galley and Bethany House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
  5. Cindy Loven
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Greatly enjoyed this book
    June 30, 2014
    Cindy Loven
    Nancy Mehl has done it again. Another great book set in a small town. I love how she takes these small towns, and makes them such a vital part of the story. This book was great, lots of mystery and I didn't know who was behind all of it, until the end. What a surprise, I love suspense because I love trying to figure out whodunnit, but this was a blindside for me. Great writing, great details. Awesome story 5 stars from this reviewer.

    This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
Displaying items 1-5 of 34
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