I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It is Christian fiction, for which I normally do not care. There are a few things that kept me from giving this one 4 looks, and 2 looks (for that matter). All of the typical trappings of Christina fiction are there: constant undercurrent of belief and talk of God and Jesus Christ; believers trying to convince nonbelievers (although Blackstock is not heavy-handed about this one, thank goodness); getting through hard times on faith and prayer. Pretty standard stuff for Christian writers. The one thing that caused me to almost give 2 looks were the irritating characters. Blair is a pain in the rear. She is so opinionated, headstrong, stubborn and prideful that she is almost a caricature rather than a personality. Morgan whined through 3/4 of the book about not having her husband around. Jonathan was just an ass for most of the book. What saved this book for me was the last half. The story was so compelling, fast-paced and surprising that I literally could not put it down. I found myself smiling at plot twists, raising my eyebrows at revelations and was completely satisfied at the end. Another saving grace is that not everything in this book was tidy, much like life. Everyone didn't live happily ever after, but continued with trials and tribulations. Too many Christians like to portray perfection once you accept Jesus as your Savior, but that's simply not true. Jesus provides a way to get through life, not escape from it. Blackstock understands this and uses it well in this book. I will read more by this author.
I give this book a three star because it has a solid mystery that made me stay listening until the bitter end. Bitter end, you ask? I bought this book in a frenzy of audible.com $4.95 sale clicking. I didn't read the reviews or look at the author's website before buying the book. If I had KNOWN the author was a CHristian author, I would have passed it by. The rampant evangelism in the book had me wishing I was reading it and could skim through all the dogmatic crap just to find out "who did it." I was kind of disappointed that I had the right person pegged all along, and the red herrings were all just there for fluff. I found myself actively gagging when one character looked at another and saw he was a "true Christian and not capable of committing murder"--and multiple references to "knowing it in her/his heart." There were a few procedural issues with the police chief as well. Once I start reading a book, I have a hard time putting it down unless it is extremely awful, and that is why I kept listening to the book. She needs to work on her portrayal of non-Christians. I found her agnostic character flat, bland and completely unrealistic, her portrayal of a hippie-looking judge unbelievable and the basic motive for the murders sketchy. And I listened to the whole damn thing. There was enough there to keep me engaged through my many eye-rolls.
What do You think about Cape Refuge (2002)?
Murder and corruption. Folks on the Island want Hanover House shut down. They're being told, among other things that some of the tenants living there are not good for the safety of the Island. Not all the Island residents feel that way however. Then there's Sadie who turns up and who appears to be a young runaway. The name Cape Refuge sounded like a good place to be. A place of safety. Then she hears of a double murder on the Island and the police want her off the beach. She can't very well get a job looking like she does. She can't afford her next meal. She needs a shower and a place to sleep. Cade doesn't want to put his long-time friend in jail for the murders but it was his weapon and he was seen by so many people just that morning in a heated discussion with them. Besides Jonathan has quite a temper. Then there's Gus who, not long ago, got out of prison. He's been living at Hanover House. There's also Rick. Things just don't add up with him. Where'd the scars come from on Blair's face. She was always told it was a small grease fire that caused them so many years ago. She's one to speak her mind. Sometimes to the dismay of her sister Morgan who wants to see Hanover House remain open.
—Elaine
Cape Refuge - great readThis was my first book by Terri Blackstock. I really liked it. It was full of suspense, good characters, joy, sorrow and a witness to God. The author wrote about people dealing with quite a variety of problems. Most found God to help them through their lives. But some were too busy being bad. Terri's writing put God in her character's lives but did not shove them onto the reader. She allows God center stage when He needs to be there. I highly recommend this book. I am off to read the next one in this series.
—Barbara J. Harbison
This novel is an example of good Christian fiction. The author referenced Christian beliefs throughout the story, so it was believable as the story progressed. It was kind of predictable, but it worked in this instance. Good characters, and plot and story line. Sad, but realistic, because bad things happen to good people every day. Disbelief and doubt are present in our society, too. And it's a good reminder to keep our eye on the Lord and trust in him with all our might, mind and strength. I think I'll look into the sequel.
—Loraine
