Lauraine reviews Susan Meissner's books

How about starting off the New Year revisiting a previously read author? I’m suggesting that because I have been reading through Susan Meissner’s impressive list of books and becoming more enthralled with her writing all the time. I read her earlier books, I’m not sure how many years ago and loved her writing then, but I didn’t continue to follow what she was doing. So, when I picked up two of her books at the Mount Hermon Writers Conference last spring, I was glad to go back to reading her.

I read Susan’s three Rachel Flynn mysteries and wanted more. Rachel Flynn is an attorney specializing in protecting children and families. Rachel is not supposed to be solving these crimes, but her rare sense of intuition throws her into the mayhem of mysteries. I wanted more after reading Widows and Orphans, Days and Hours, and Sticks and Stones, but there were no more in the series. How disappointing.

I went looking on the internet and discovered Susan’s standalone titles. The Shape of Mercy is a contemporary novel with a sub-story set during the witch hunts of Salem in the seventeenth century, which led to the burning and death of many falsely convicted women, most with no foundation of evidence, short of several young girls’ scary claims. The book weaves between a female researcher in modern America transcribing the diary of one such accused witch, and its author Mercy, by name. The book was engrossing. Hard to believe such things really happened, yet history teaches us they did. Reading The Shape of Mercy was uncomfortable. Could those kinds of things happen in our world today?

At the same time I downloaded, Why is the Sky Blue, because the title intrigued me. The Shape of Mercy is very good but this story is superb. A happily married mother of two children is abducted, raped and almost killed. If that is not bad enough, she discovers she is pregnant and by Lauraine Snelling

How about starting off the New Year revisiting a previously read author? I’m suggesting that because I have been reading through Susan Meissner’s impressive list of books and becoming more enthralled with her writing all the time. I read her earlier books, I’m not sure how many years ago and loved her writing then, but I didn’t continue to follow what she was doing. So, when I picked up two of her books at the Mount Hermon Writers Conference last spring, I was glad to go back to reading her.

I read Susan’s three Rachel Flynn mysteries and wanted more. Rachel Flynn is an attorney specializing in protecting children and families. Rachel is not supposed to be solving these crimes, but her rare sense of intuition throws her into the mayhem of mysteries. I wanted more after reading Widows and Orphans, Days and Hours, and Sticks and Stones, but there were no more in the series. How disappointing.

I went looking on the internet and discovered Susan’s standalone titles. The Shape of Mercy is a contemporary novel with a sub-story set during the witch hunts of Salem in the seventeenth century, which led to the burning and death of many falsely convicted women, most with no foundation of evidence, short of several young girls’ scary claims. The book weaves between a female researcher in modern America transcribing the diary of one such accused witch, and its author Mercy, by name. The book was engrossing. Hard to believe such things really happened, yet history teaches us they did. Reading The Shape of Mercy was uncomfortable. Could those kinds of things happen in our world today?

At the same time I downloaded, Why is the Sky Blue, because the title intrigued me. The Shape of Mercy is very good but this story is superb. A happily married mother of two children is abducted, raped and almost killed. If that is not bad enough, she discovers she is pregnant and

her husband says he cannot love a baby conceived by a monster. She refuses to abort the child, thinking since she has miscarried several others the odds of carrying this one are not good. How does a loving family of faith handle something like this? Finding adoptive parents seems the only solution, but then what: Forget the baby girl was ever born? Bury the feelings, and pretend it never happened?

Susan Meissner explores the deepest fears, feelings and faith of average people caught in a horrendous situation. Her writing is deliciously descriptive and haunting at times. I wondered what would I do in a situation like that. Choosing to trust God in all things is hard for us no matter what the situation. A mother’s love is central to this story and a beautiful example of God’s love with no strings attached. How hard it is to love like that.

Which of her books will I read next? I’m not sure, but I hope you enjoy and appreciate Susan Meissner’s writing, too. Her characters and stories will haunt you, so be prepared.

Book two, A Harvest of Hope, in the new series Song of Blessing, releases in the spring.

My calendar is always on my website, http://www.laurainesnelling.com. Facebook is my favorite method of contact, so come visit me.

I wish you all a Happy New Year full of adventures, love and the joys of reading and writing.