Review: Healer of Carthage

Healer of Carthage
By Lynne Gentry
Howard Books, 2014


Summary

A 21st century doctor
A 3rd century plague
A love out of time
 
First-year resident Dr. Lisbeth Hastings is too busy to take her father’s bizarre summons seriously. But when a tragic mistake puts her career in jeopardy, answering her father’s call seems her only hope of redeeming the devastating failure that her life has become.
 
While exploring the haunting cave at her father’s archaeological dig, Lisbeth falls through a hidden hole, awakening to find herself the object of a slave auction and the ruins of Roman Carthage inexplicably restored to a thriving metropolis. Is it possible that she’s traveled back in time, and, if so, how can she find her way back home?
 
Cyprian Thascius believes God called him to rescue the mysterious woman from the slave trader’s cell. What he doesn’t understand is why saving the church of his newfound faith requires him to love a woman whose peculiar ways could get him killed. But who is he to question God?
 
As their different worlds collide, it sparks an intense attraction that unites Lisbeth and Cyprian in a battle against a deadly epidemic. Even as they confront persecution, uncover buried secrets, and ignite the beginnings of a medical revolution, Roman wrath threatens to separate them forever. Can they find their way to each other through all these obstacles? Or are the eighteen hundred years between them too far of a leap?

Ruins of Carthage

My thoughts

Authentic from a historical perspective, realistic from an emotional standpoint, challenging and relevant for us today are just a few ways to describe Lynne Gentry's debut novel, Healer of Carthage, book one in The Carthage Chronicles series. Although I rarely read a novel where time travel is involved, I enjoyed this story to the point of barely being able to put it down. So I will say that if you're a fan of early Roman history, you will love this story; and if you're not a fan of early Roman history (like me), you will love this story!
 
I can't begin to imagine the hours of research involved, because Lynne's writing incorporates a few actual historical figures and shows an impeccable knowledge of Ancient Rome and its medical practices. The story is primarily plot driven, yet characterization is strong. Lisbeth is a bright, driven, 28-year-old medical intern whose god is science. Cyprian is a handsome Roman noble who is struggling to abandon his pagan beliefs for his newfound faith. With his hard edges but kind heart and generosity, he is such an appealing figure! There is strong chemistry between Cyprian and Lisbeth, and this element is handled very well; romance fans will love it. The supporting characters of Magdalena and her Down-syndrome child, Laurentius, also add much depth to the story.

One of the most gripping scenes was when Cyprian and Lisbeth attended a day of games at the Carthage sports complex, a colossal structure built by Rome to intimidate their conquered provinces. As thousands of spectators beheld unimaginable cruelty and death with something akin to apathy, I felt like I was reading words of warning to us today. "No one in the stands moved. Screams of innocent women and children would echo from this place for generations, and yet not one spectator in the seats would lift a finger to stop the barbarism. Deaf ears. Blind eyes. . . . Good people doing nothing. The fall of every civilization playing out before her very eyes."

_______________

 

"The cost of true courage is great,
and few are willing to pay the price."

- Lynne Gentry

 

_______________

 
I also felt Lynne's words often presented a challenge, conviction in their very essence as I was forced to examine the strength of my faith. For with the edict to bow the knee to Rome's Emperor and the rise of persecution, Ancient Rome was not a comfortable place for Christians. Caecilianus, bishop of the church in Carthage, speaks these words to a gathering of Christians:  "Because Christ suffered for me, I will do what I can for him. . . . Brothers and sisters, stay the course. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, even to the point of death."
 
As the story progresses, Lisbeth learns more about Cyprian's God and wonders if He could have sent her there for a purpose - with this conclusion:  "Shame on her if she stood by and did nothing." And that's something that every reader will have to ask and decide.
 
The narrative comes to a satisfactory conclusion, but readers may have a hard time waiting for book two in the series. Healer of Carthage is a strong debut by Lynne Gentry and I highly recommend it to all readers. An interview with Lynne + giveaway will follow soon. 

Lynne Gentry

Lynne Gentry has written for numerous publications. Her newest novel, Healer of Carthage, is the first in The Carthage Chronicles series. She is a professional acting coach, theater director, and playwright with several full-length musicals and a Chicago children’s theater curriculum to her credit. Lynne is an inspirational speaker and dramatic performer whose first love is spending time with family.

Meet Lynne online at lynnegentry.com, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Thank you to Howard Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Scraps of Evidence

Scraps of Evidence
By Barbara Cameron
Abingdon Press, 2014


Summary

Tess has taken some ribbing from her fellow officer, Logan, for her quilting hobby. He finds it hard to align the brisk professional officer he patrols with during the day with the one who quilts in her off-time. Besides, he’s been trying to get to know her better and he’d like to be seeing her during those couple nights a week she spends with her quilting guild.

Then one afternoon Tess and Logan visit her aunt in the hospital and she acts agitated when Tess covers her with the story quilt. Aunt Kathy seems to be communicating a message to them about Tess’s uncle. There’s a story behind this quilt, they realize, one that may lead them to a serial killer. Will they have a chance to have a future together or will the killer choose Tess for his next victim before they find him?


My thoughts

Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron is a stand-alone novel, part of the popular Quilts of Love series, which features titles by several different authors. This is a departure from the Amish fiction that most readers probably expect, yet Barbara's excellent writing style and storytelling ability are very much present here.  And certain similarities to Amish fiction - such as the quilting theme and small-town setting - make this story seem familiar and comfortable.

Barbara does a great job creating a sense of place and conveying the essence of St. Augustine, Florida, oldest city in the United States. "Five countries had flown their flag; five countries had spilled blood to grasp a city and state that was an entrance to the continent and untold riches." And I had to smile at Barbara's accurate description of Florida's dress code:  "Shorts and flip-flops were the uniform of the day and at night, you wore your better shorts and flip-flops."

St. Augustine Lighthouse

I was drawn to the characters of Logan and Tess from the very beginning. As police detectives, they are very competent, intelligent, and professional. Both are Christians who have dealt with the loss of a loved one in the past, but with different reactions. The faith element is more understated than in Amish stories, but we do see Logan's faith grow through the witness of Tess - and isn't that what Christians are called to do?

The mystery was well done and its fast pace held my attention throughout. I suspected who the killer was early on - and if it was pretty easy for me to figure out, I'm sure most readers will also. Although that may frustrate some mystery fans, it in no way lessened my enjoyment, because I enjoy the step-by-step progression of solving the crime. I also loved the plot twist involving the quilt, a key factor in the solution, and slightly different from other Quilts of Love stories in the way it was used.

The only thing missing for me was the denouement or final wrap up. I'm used to murder mysteries where plenty of attention is given to explanation of crimes and the killer's motivation, but none of that was included here - and I so longed for it! I also wondered that there was no resolution to the fact that Logan and Tess were dating, something that I don't believe is allowed "on the job," as it would put each partner at risk.

In spite of those negatives, this story has Barbara's great writing style that I've come to expect and love, as well as an entertaining storyline and gripping mystery. I greatly enjoyed Scraps of Evidence and don't hesitate to recommend it to all readers. I would love to see more of this style from Barbara.

Barbara Cameron

Barbara Cameron is a best-selling author who has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple joys of the Amish. She is the author of more than 38 fiction and nonfiction books, three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Barbara is a former newspaper reporter. Some of her non-fiction titles include the “Everything Weddings on a Budget Book” and “Her Restless Heart: A Woman’s Longing for Love and Acceptance.” Cameron currently resides in Edgewater, Florida.

Learn more about this book and the series at the Litfuse Blog Tour page and the Quilts of Love website. Meet Barbara online at barbaracameron.com and Facebook.

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Abingdon Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Carriages on King Street, St. Augustine