Book Details:
Authors: Julie Cave
Publisher: Master Books (2011)
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 304
ISBN: 978-0890516089
Recommendation:
Review Date: 2/8/2012 by Shaun Tabatt
Rating: Highly Recommended
Review:
I’ve heard it said that you can’t keep a good girl down and that seems to be the case with Dinah Harris. She is at it again in Pieces of Light, book three in the Dinah Harris Mystery series published by Master Books. When we last saw Dinah at the close of The Shadowed Mind, she had just wrapped up a case with detective Samson Cage, where they worked together to bring down a serial killer, who was intent on single-handedly bringing his own brand of neo-eugenic justice to bear on those he considered undesirable in the lower rungs of Washington D.C.’s societal ladder. As luck or fate would have it, the work of an expert profiler is never quite done and it is time to move on to a new case.
Since the time her career came to an abrupt halt at the bureau, Dinah has been working as a consultant, offering her profiling skills for hire. Her next client is none other than Ferguson, her long-time friend and former partner from the FBI. Ferguson has recently been promoted to the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge for domestic terrorism. This new position gives him the leverage to bring in an outside consultant to assist with an investigation. When the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church falls victim to a bombing during evening mass, Ferguson hires Dinah to help him and Special Agent Sinclair track down the person or persons responsible for this heinous crime. As one bombing turns into two and then three, it becomes clear that it will take the very best of Ferguson, Sinclair, and Dinah’s sleuthing to apprehend those responsible.
At first glance, you may think that Pieces of Light is just another suspenseful mystery novel. While I acknowledge that it most certainly is that, it is also much more. As you work your way through the book, you will be exposed to several seemingly disparate story-lines that run parallel for a time, but as expected come together at the end of the book, brining the story to a riveting conclusion. It is no secret that Julie Cave is not afraid to expose the ills of modern society as evidenced by the difficult topics she took on in Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind. Pieces of Light is no exception. As we get to know the various characters in the story, we encounter spousal and child abuse and see some of the long-term ramifications for those affected by it. One of these victims finds release through self-mutilation and consoles herself through cutting.
If you are familiar with the earlier books in the series, it is not a huge surprise when Senator David Winters surfaces again in this story. Ever since their first encounter in Deadly Disclosures, Senator Winters has considered Dinah a personal enemy. He is up to his old tricks again, always ready to back whatever cause will pad his back accounts the most. Senator Winters could have benefited from a dose of reality from the book of Proverbs. His personal character continues to be tarnished by the corrupt circles he runs in and the wicked games he plays. In Pieces of Light, his former sins may come back to haunt him when justice comes about from an unexpected source.
Another exciting element in the novel is that readers are able to continue following Dinah’s own journey of faith. Over the course of the first two novels, we watched Dinah’s life unravel in the midst of debilitating grief and rampant alcoholism. Her life turns an important corner, when she accepts Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. It is only by His saving grace that she is able to pursue sobriety and find healing from the pain she felt from the loss of her husband and son. In Pieces of Light, Dinah is pursing a life of deeper faith. We see her regularly spending time in prayer and Bible reading and come to understand how precious it is to her. She also regularly attends church and is part of a weekly women’s Bible study. When Dinah unexpectedly encounters a new love interest, she must come to terms with what that means in light of her memories of her late husband and son. More importantly, she must make a decision about whether or not she will choose to yoke herself to a non-Christian and set relational boundaries and standards as prescribed by God’s word.
I trust readers will develop a soft place in their heart for the Dinah Harris character as I have over the course of reading all three novels in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Many thanks to Julie Cave for her continued willingness to delve into difficult subject matter in her novels. Just in case you have not realized it yet, I will let you in on a little secret. The main character in her books is not Dinah Harris, it is Jesus Christ. In Pieces of Light as well as her two previous novels, Julie continuously weaves a message of hope, proclaiming the power of Jesus’ sacrifice and His desire to redeem every life from even the darkest of sins and the most hopeless of circumstances. With two very clear gospel presentations in the book, this message resounds loud and clear.
I sincerely recommend Pieces of Light and the other novels in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Each of theses novels reads fine on its own, but readers will get even more out of the stories if they read them in chronological order. If you are already a Christian, you will be both challenged and edified by what you find in these pages. If you are a non-Christian, I trust you will see the message of the gospel that Julie has woven into the story. Let me close by taking a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to Julie Cave for writing these great books and Master Books for publishing them. Now that Julie is a blessed mother of two little ones, I know her free time for writing is probably a bit more limited these days, but I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Dinah Harris.
Author Information:
Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favorite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn’t long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realized she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, ‘What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?’ The result – and the answer to that question – is Julie’s maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Since then, Julie has written and released the other two books in this trilogy, The Shadowed Mind and Pieces of Light. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.
Where to buy:
Related Media:
- Julie Cave Web Site – www.juliecave.com
- Julie Cave on Facebook – www.facebook.com/julieacave
- Julie Cave on Twitter – www.twitter.com/julieacave
- Book Trailer
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Master Books for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
