Pros: Fun main characters
Cons: Pacing
The Bottom Line:
Andi goes for ride
The pacing could be better
But fun overall
Limousines Can Be Fatal
Author Lorena McCourtney has written several mystery series
for the Christian market, and I have several of them. I think I've read one.
But the premise of her Andi McConnell series was so intriguing I had to give it
a try. And Your Chariot Awaits delivers on the promise.
Andi's life is falling about. Just before her sixtieth
birthday, her job is downsized and her boyfriend breaks up with her. In the
midst of all this, she gets the surprise of her life. A long forgotten uncle
has left her his limo. She really doesn't intend to keep it, but it is so much
fun driving it around town.
The fun disappears a couple days later when Andi thinks she
hears a noise outside. Going to investigate, she is knocked unconscious. When
she comes to, she finds a body in the trunk of her limo. A body that wasn't
there that afternoon. With the police zeroing in on her as a suspect, Andi
decides to investigate and try to find some other suspects for the police. Can
she clear her name?
The main characters in this book are a joy to spend time
around. In addition to Andi, there's Fritz and Joella. Joella is Andi's single,
pregnant neighbor, a real departure for a Christian series. In fact, she's the
only Christian character in the novel. Fritz is the has been star of a mostly
forgotten TV detective show. All three come across as real people, and I loved
every moment I spent with them. Plus they have a sense of fun that kept a smile
on my face as I read. There are some stand outs in the other characters, like
Andi's nosey neighbor, but they often weren't quite as developed as they could
have been.
The plot took it's time developing. The book took some time
setting the story in motion, but some background for the murder was included in
those pages. The story did get sidetracked a few times to make way for
characters moments. While those didn't advance the story, they were enjoyable.
Things did ramp up for the climax, which was very exciting and wrapped up all
the important plot points.
Since this is a Christian mystery, there is plenty of talk
about God, mostly of it coming from Joella. It never became preachy, but was an
important part of her character. The ending left things a little vague as far
as Andi is concerned, and I'll be interested in seeing how things develop in
future books.
Many Christian novels seem to suffer a little in the writing
department, and this is no exception. It works, but it doesn't flow quite as
well as it most novels. But that's a minor point as I still raced through the
book to find out how things would end.
Your Chariot Awaits is a fun debut. I will definitely be
getting Andi's other adventures to find out where her new limo takes her.
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