Another creepy cover to feast your eyes on.
Thanks to the publisher and author for the free copy in exchange for my honest review
SALVATION STATION – Kathryn Schleich (out this month!)
Book Description:
When committed female police captain Linda Turner, haunted by the murders of two small children and their pastor father, becomes obsessed with solving the harrowing case, she finds herself wrapped up in a mission to expose a fraudulent religious organization and an unrepentant killer.
Despite her years of experience investigating homicides for the force, Captain Linda Turner is haunted by the murders of the Hansen family. The two small children, clothed in tattered Disney pajamas, were buried with their father, a pastor, in the flower garden behind a church parsonage in Lincoln, Nebraska. But Mrs. Hansen is nowhere to be found—and neither is the killer.
In St. Louis, the televangelist Ray Williams is about to lose his show—until one of his regular attendees approaches him with an idea that will help him save it. Despite his initial misgivings, Ray agrees to give it a try. He can’t deny his attraction to this woman, and besides, she’d assured him the plan is just—God gave her the instructions in a dream.
Multiple story lines entwine throughout this compelling mystery, delving into the topics of murder, religious faith, and the inherent dangers in blindly accepting faith as truth. While Reverend Williams is swept up in his newfound success and plans for his wedding, Captain Turner can only hope that she and her team will catch the Hansens’ cunning killer—before more bodies surface.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
This is a solid debut! Not going to lie, this cover immediately drew me to this book and I couldn’t wait to see what was waiting for me inside. SALVATION STATION is the debut novel from Kathryn Schleich and I already can’t wait to see what she comes out with next. While thrillers all tend to have similar plots or at least a similar layout (especially if you’re a reader that frequents the genre), Schleich’s writing style is what kept me glued.
in Nebraska, Captain Linda Turner is on her newest case – investigating the death of Pastor Hansen and his children. They were found in the flower garden behind a church parsonage, and she is determined to find their killer. The Pastor’s wife is nowhere to be found and there’s no trace of the killer, but Turner finds information in the most surprising places that lead her down an unexpected trail.
Meanwhile, in St. Louis we meet Reverend Ray Williams and his church The Road to Calvary. To say his church is struggling is an understatement, but with the help of one of his followers, Susannah, the church begins to prosper and expand once again. Those around him aren’t so trusting in her motives for helping or her methods, but how could they stop it?
You’ll love some of these characters and really dislike some others. It will bring into question if there is redemption and where their morals are throughout the book, but they all brought something to the table. I think this is a great blend of mystery, suspense, police procedural, and it even brings into question the strength of faith and morality. I liked the mix of everything the author brought to the table and they each added their own layer to the story. Like I mentioned, I loved her writing style. Everything flowed wonderfully and I went through this a lot faster than I thought I was going to! I’ll be very curious to see what she releases next.
Jessicamap Reviews 