TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:Thicker than Blood
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House
Winner of the
2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel Contest!
Christy Williams finally has her life on track. She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. But things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged younger sister, May, whom she abandoned after their parents’ untimely deaths. Soon, Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could May’s Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for? Will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it’s too late?
My Thoughts: Having just finished one of the slowest, most horrendous novels I've ever read, this was a welcome pleasure! One sister is trapped in a world of addiction and abuse and works in the book selling business, and one sister lives a peaceful and spiritual life on a ranch out west. The details of the book industry and ranch life were extremely interesting.
The emotions and internal struggles of each of the sisters were realistically portrayed and are engaging to the reader. As a work of Christian fiction, it wasn't preachy, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. One could say that the story was a bit formulaic, but I always argue that there's a reason for formulas: they work.
