Nightshade by Ronie Kendig

This novel has a truly great premise. The first one third is excellent, you just can't put it down.  I appreciate how much work  went into the writing of Nightshade. The research is superb, and you get an excellent feel for how this motley crew feels being on the "out" rather than the "in" of Special Forces. Really good character development for the most part. The characters are not predictable per se, but do flirt with the edge of believability once or twice.

However, the problem of "love" entwined with "suspense/action" is very evident in the rest of Kendig's offering. It takes a genius to meld love and and action adventure. This one came close but the execution did not live up to the promise. The family scenes with Sydney and her brother and her mother just don't ring a perfect pitch. It isn't harmonized with the rest of the storyline, although it all does come together in the end. It has to, it's a romance... or is it?

Although, this is a great study in anger and pride management, the storyline seems to be cluttered with things that tend to block the flow of the story. When a story-blocker comes along, it is easy to close the book for the night, or simply skip several pages. But, don't give up on it because it does have a worthy ending. I give it two stars... I liked it, but it didn't WOW me.

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing

Nightshade Barbour Books (July 1, 2010)by


Ronie Kendig


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!!


This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series begins in July from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.


ABOUT THE BOOK

After a tour of duty in a war-torn country, embattled former Navy SEAL Max Jacobs finds himself discarded and alienated from those he loves as he

struggles with war-related PTSD. His wife, Sydney, files a restraining order against him and a petition for divorce. Max is devastated.


Then a mysterious a man appears. He says he's organizing a group that recycles veterans like Max. It's a deep-six group known as Nightshade. With

the chance to find purpose in life once again, Max is unable to resist the call of duty and signs on.


The team handles everything with precision and lethal skill...until they're called upon to rescue a missionary family from a rebel-infested jungle and avoid a reporter hunting their identities.


Will Max yield his anger and pride to a force greater than him...love?


If you would like to read the first chapter of Nightshade, go HERE.


Watch the trailer: