The Sheriff's Surrender by Susan Page Davis

While I enjoy an excellent mystery and most excellent character developments which make we care deeply what happens to them, this novel didn't quite hit that mark. Don't get me wrong. This was a rather fun read, but was not up to par. It wasn't exactly gripping. While reading it, it really does keep your interest. However, after you've put it down, you are not really motivated to pick it back up again because there are parts which could have been really funny or sweetly tear-jerking, but didn't quite make it.

On the other hand, when the saloon owner and local Madame made friends with the members of the ladies shooting club, I did sit up and cheer a bit. That did leave open the question of a person's lifestyle and belief in Jesus and how it meshes with Biblical teaching. It is GREAT that a church opens its arms to the sinner, but what is the church doing about helping the sinner make that 180 degree turn of repentence into the lifestyle that Jesus would have us live for Him?

I am not saying that Christian Fiction should be the preaching tool of the 21st century. I am saying that as Christians no matter what we do, we should keep our eyes on the goal Jesus set for us in the Great Commission. That is one of our purposes here on earth, and it is one way we bring glory to God which is our ultimate purpose. It pushed a lot of my reading buttons, but not all of them, therefore this is only about two stars.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Sheriff’s Surrender

Barbour Books (December 1, 2009)

by

Susan Page Davis


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books. My young adult novel, Sarah's Long Ride, also spotlights horses and the rugged sport of endurance riding, as does the contemporary romance Trail to Justice. I took a vocational course in horseshoeing after earning a bachelor's degree in history. I don't shoe horses anymore, but the experience has come in handy in writing my books.

Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters

For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer, covering local government, school board meetings, business news, fires, auto accidents, and other local events, including a murder trial. I've also written many profiles and features for the newspaper and its special sections. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. We're so glad we did. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!



ABOUT THE BOOK


Gert Dooley can shoot the tail feathers off a jay at a hundred yards, but she wants Ethan Chapman to see she's more than a crack shot with a firearm. When the sheriff of Fergus, Idaho, is murdered and Ethan is named his replacement, Gert decides she has to do whatever she can to help him protect the citizenry. So she starts the Ladies Shooting Club. But when one of their numbers is murdered, these ladies are called on for more than target shooting and praying. Can Gert and the ladies of Fergus find the murderer before he strikes again?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Sheriff’s Surrender , go HERE