Sunday, April 1, 2012

Best Suspense Novel to Date! - Echoes of Titanic by Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark/5 Stars

When it comes to any novel about the Titanic, I know that things aren't gonna end well, for most, if not all, the characters.  And call me crazy, but I didn't even read the back cover blurb for this book before I dove right in.  I saw "Mindy Starns Clark" on the cover, and that's all I needed to know.  It was gonna be a great book, even if I had to will it to be so.  :o)  And of course, I was not disappointed.  Mindy's books always have this suspenseful "wow" factor that's different from any other suspense author I've read.  Thanks to that wow factor, Echoes of Titanic just might be the best suspense she's ever written! 

I normally share a little bit about each character in my reviews, but this time...I just can't do it!  There were so many layers to the story that to share how one character impacted it...well, I don't want to spoil a single thing!  I will say that the style of the book is one of my favorites, that being parts told in present-day as well as the past.  I love to have a little history any time I can get it, so this was the best of both worlds.

What was most impressive about Echoes of Titanic (besides the suspense) was the contribution made by Mindy's husband, John.  When it comes to the business world, I'm as clueless as they come, but evidently, the business world is John's home away from home.  His additions to the story were quite clear, mentioning stockholders, investments, and loads of money like it was his day job or something (which it actually is, I believe).  I'm sure it gave Mindy such great joy to be able to use her gift of writing and her husband's gift with finance to collaborate on a novel together.

I won't lie...I've been a tad hesitant about reading any of the Titanic novels that are releasing this month, mostly because I haven't wanted to read an entirely historical tale (too depressing and/or it'll be compared to the movie Titanic) or one that follows a survivor (tendency to be cheesy or over-dramatic).  Echoes of Titanic was a little bit of both, but it was neither depressing nor over-dramatic.  It was a great blend of mystery and history that had me glued to the pages for two solid days.  I'd love to see Mindy and John collaborate on a future novel together because their individual talents in this book simply made for a winning combination.  Highly Recommended!

5 Stars

Southern?  No
Sass?  No

Summary of Echoes of Titanic:

Kelsey Tate comes from sturdy stock. Her great-grandmother Adele endured the sinking of Titanic and made it safely to America, where she not only survived but thrived. Generations later, Kelsey works for the firm Adele founded nearly 100 years ago.

Now facing a hostile takeover, the firm’s origins are challenged when new facts emerge about Adele’s actions on the night Titanic sank. Kelsey tries to defend the company and the great-grandmother she has long admired, but the stakes are raised when Kelsey’s boss is murdered and her own life threatened. Forced to seek help from Cole Thornton, a man Kelsey once loved—and lost, thanks to her success-at-all-costs mentality—she pursues mysteries both past and present. Aided by Cole and strengthened by the faith she’d all but forgotten in her climb up the corporate ladder, Kelsey races the clock to defend her family legacy, her livelihood, and ultimately her life.

**Many thanks to Wynn-Wynn Media for providing a copy for review.



8 comments:

  1. Agreed! I kept finding myself reluctant to jump in.

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    1. After this one, I may dive into another one in the next 2 weeks...we'll see. :o)

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  2. Great review!! Eager to *hopefully* read/review this one soon!

    ~Amber

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    1. Thanks, Amber! It was marvelous...hope you enjoy it!

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  3. Oh, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this one! It is on my TBR pile. :)

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    1. I really did! Hope you can yank it out of that stack and read it soon. ;o)

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  4. I've been obsessed with the Titanic for ages (well before the movie even). I must check this out. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  5. Thanks for the recommendation! I am fascinated by the Titanic and the terrible tragedy that occured.

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