The Montana Marshalls

I don't know that I ever reviewed a whole series of books at one time before, but there is a first time for everything.

 My actual review will be after this part:

  Susan May Warren is not an author I have read many books by. There are two reasons: A lot of her books have been just romance, which I steered away from for several years. The other reason: About 9 years ago, I read a book by her and was bothered by the use of a couple curse words in her Christian book. I sent her a polite email, and she defended it, saying "that is what that character would have said." I wasn't impressed, and quit reading her stuff.

 Somehow, I ended up on her email list and had been getting emails about this series each time a new book released. They sounded really good, but I hadn't seriously thought about reading them. Back in February, I was on my trip to Amish Country, Ohio. As part of the package deal I had got at the motel I stayed at, I had coupons for free things in the area: loaf of bread one place, a bottle of BBQ sauce another, cheese, etc. One coupon was 20% off a purchase at the small Christian bookstore in Sugarcreek, OH. They had this series of books, so I bought the first two. After I got home, I ordered the next two. After reading the first one, I ordered the 5th and last one.

My review:

  I don't need a book to be blatantly Christian to enjoy it. I like the absence of cursing, and the message of Christian books. As I read Knox, I wasn't sure it WAS Christian. There was a lot of beer drinking going on, and not much to indicate it was Christian. But it was good. Really good. So I kept on reading, and the books did become more Christian in content,  and less beer drinking. :)

  The Montana Marshalls are about a family of 6 siblings: Reuben, Knox, Tate, Ford, Wyatt, and Ruby Jane. For some reason, the oldest one, Reuben, did not get his own book. There is a lot to like about this series, and one things was that the characters are all in all 5 books, and the author set up the next story a book or two ahead.

 The books have a lot: suspense, assassins, special ops, CIA, and more. They go from rural Montana to Seattle, to Russia. They have country music concerts, covert ops, bombers,  family, fights,  and a lot of surprises along the way. I don't think I could have liked the series and characters more. This is a totally awesome series, and the author outdid herself. And no cursing :)

  I had two favorite characters: Wyatt Marshall, the hockey player, who goes to Russia to save the woman he has loved since he was a teenager, and comes back with more than he went for. (I am not going to say what...read the series!)  There is a really moving scene in there regarding him and his deceased father's Bible. My favorite character came on the scene in the 3rd book, Ford. York is the son of former missionaries who were killed when he was a kid. He was a Marine, CIA agent, and has killed a lot of people...all as part of his job. Slight spoiler here: He didn't consider himself a good guy, but ends up as the love interest of the only female sibling. The 5th book, Ruby Jane, ends up being as much his story as hers. As the author put it at the end of the book, for a man like him to realize it was possible for him to be saved, he had to forget his past...so he loses his memory in the last book, and it becomes the most Christian/spiritual of all five, and is the best of this awesome series. I highly recommend it, and it has caused me to buy her Montana Rescue Series, with the exception of #6. I was trying to get bargains, and not having any luck with it :)

Silent Shadows, Harbored Secrets #3 by Natalie Walters

Book description:

They're running from their pasts into an unknown future.
But first, they'll have to survive the present.

Nurse Pecca Gallegos moved to the tiny town of Walton, Georgia, to protect her son and escape the dangerous lifestyle that once defined her. When a series of strange circumstances evolves into threats, Pecca finds herself confiding in an unlikely ally--her stubborn patient.

Army veteran Colton Crawford is desperate to recover from the disorder that is ruining his life, and his instincts are on high alert when threats against his nurse and her son force him to take action. But Colton's involvement only ramps up the danger when he uncovers a family secret revealing that whoever is after Pecca is closer--and more deadly--than they realized.

Welcome back to Walton, Georgia, where everyone knows your name--but no one knows your secret.

My review:

 This is the 3rd and final book in this series, the first books by this author. The first book was a great debut novel, heading up a great debut trilogy.

  Silent Shadows is a book I have been eagerly looking forward to, after reading the other  two books in the series. The book is set in the same town as the others, and has a lot of the same characters as the other two. One new addition is Colton Crawford, a very likable and flawed character.

 Not only was the who kept a mystery throughout the book, but also the why. When those are revealed, it was a big surprise as to the identity of the bad guy, but also what he wanted. I did not see that coming at all. Kudos to the author.

 There was a lot of the suspense I like in books, accompanied by the expected romance. I loved the setting of the Home for Heroes, and the idea of it, along with the colorful characters that resided there.

   In addition to the suspense and romance, Silent Shadows is also very inspiring and encouraging. There is seven year old Maceo, with a prosthetic leg who manages to overcome that handicap. As much as I hate football, there was am moment where I found my eyes watering. No spoilers :)

 And the big takeaway of  the book was Colton's experience. Slight spoiler: because of his disorder, he ended up in a town meeting people he would never have met (think romance...), and came up with a plan for his life that he never would have if it were not for his disorder. This is a review, so I won't go into what all I got out of that......but it was a great message to put in a suspense novel.

 I loved the ending, and the author tied up the whole series quite satisfactory. She has proven in this trilogy that she has earned a place among the other great suspense authors who are at the top of the market. I am looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.



I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

About the author:

Natalie Walters is the author of Living Lies and Deadly Deceit. A military wife of 22 years, she currently resides in Hawaii with her soldier husband and their three kids. She writes full-time and has been published in Proverbs 31 magazine and has blogged for Guideposts online. In addition to balancing life as a military spouse, mom, and writer, she loves connecting on social media, sharing her love of books, cooking, and traveling. Natalie comes from a long line of military and law enforcement veterans and is passionate about supporting them through volunteer work, races, and writing stories that affirm no one is defined by their past. Learn more at www.nataliewalterswriter.com.


 Silent Shadows is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

 Thanks to Revell for the review copy.


                                                                       Book #1

Book #2

Kings Falling, The Book of Wars #2 by Ronie Kendig

Book description:

As the Race for the Book of the Wars Escalates
the World Teeters on the Brink

Leif Metcalfe and his team, dubbed Reaper, need to recover the ancient Book of the Wars if they hope to stop the Armageddon Coalition and their pursuit of global economic control. But their attention has been diverted by a prophecy in the book that foretells of formidable warriors who will decimate the enemies of ArC. While Iskra Todorova uses her connections in the covert underworld to hunt down the Book of the Wars, Leif and Reaper attempt to neutralize these agents but quickly find themselves outmaneuvered and outgunned.

The more Reaper tries to stop the prophesied warriors, the more failure becomes a familiar, antagonistic foe. Friendships are fractured, and the team battles to hold it together long enough to defeat ArC. But as this millennia-old conspiracy creeps closer and closer to home, the implications could tear Leif and the team apart.

My review:

  I have loved this author's books from the first one I read and reviewed eleven years ago. She just keeps getting better with each book and series, and I am always amazed at the plots and ideas she comes up with.

 This is the second book in The Book of Wars series, and it kept me on the edge of my seat as much as the previous one did. As with her other series she has written, she has come up with a unique and colorful cast of characters that are back in this book......something I really like about her books, as you get attached to the characters and they stay throughout the series. Most of them at least.

  Kings Falling seemed to have even more action and suspenseful moments than Storm Rising. There is a lot more at stake in this book, and there were more than a few surprises I didn't see coming. Among all the action and fighting, the author gives time to relationships, and I even enjoyed that part of the story.

  To write three books about a book that doesn't exist and all that comes with it must take a great imagination and ingenuity. As I read, I did truly find myself marveling at the amazing and complicated plot the author was spinning. But that doesn't mean it is hard to read. Far from it.

 I am not one that is bothered if Christian fiction isn't blatantly Christian...and this book is not. If any of the main characters are Christians, I don't remember picking up on that...but Kendig is proof that an author can write a fast-paced novel that is so awesome and you don't want to put down, yet avoid cursing and smut. Some of her characters may curse, but it is just stated, not spelled out. And I appreciate it that an author like her writes the kind of fiction that I can loan to my nieces, nephews, or someone at church.

 Kings Falling is a masterpiece of political intrigue, special ops, and suspense. I loved everything about it, though it does have a cliffhanger ending that has me wanting to read the last book coming in November.

 I highly recommend Kings Falling, but the books should be read in order.

I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.


About the author:

Ronie Kendig (www.roniekendig.com) is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 20 novels.

She grew up an Army brat, and now she and her hunky hero are adventuring on the East Coast with their grown children, a retired military working dog, VVolt N629, and Benning the Stealth Golden. Ronie's degree in psychology has helped her pen novels with intense, raw characters.

Kings Falling is available from Bethany House Publishers.

Book #1

Book #3 (coming November 2020)