The Gathering Storm: A Novel

Took me most of the book to figure it out. Very good!

Very clean with a lot of action. Teenagers could even read it without the worry of the filth that is in most books nowadays. I would definitely enjoy reading more books by this author.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Suspenseful Page Turner!

Stephanie Walker hadn¿t seen her famous songwriting father, Marty Walker, in 3 years. Not since her mother¿s funeral, so why has he shown up at her front door now? Marty made small talk till Stephanie asked why he was there. His request took Stephanie by surprise wanting her to go to Harrington Lodge, the home of his famous singing, current wife, Monica¿s family, a place Stephanie had never been invited but he needed her- that was not like her father. Marty never needed or loved anyone. But why now she had never met Monica or her family and to just show up unannounced something she could not do. Marty pretends to understand and goes upstairs to use the bathroom and than leaves. Stephanie angrily realizes her father has stolen the diamond necklace she has borrowed from her aunt and leaving a note in its place, knowing she would come after him. Stephanie drives through a raging rainstorm and arrives at Harrington Lodge. Blood boiling mad that her father has tricked her into coming, marches to the front desk and demanding to see Marty Walker the receptionist points the way, wondering if she should after seeing Stephanie¿s face. Stephanie bangs on the door demanding Marty to open the door but no one answers. But Stephanie hears someone behind the closed door. Opening the door she enters as she hears another door softly closing. Stephanie finds her father lying in a pool of blood. Her father dead, Stephanie finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation. Brad Wilson isn¿t sure if she¿s guilty or not but feels protective of her. But after her parents failed marriage Stephanie has sworn off men and God but what is it about Brad that has her questioning her decision? And who would murder her father? Why did he want her to come to the lodge? Who can she trust as all suspicion is laid at her feet, even though everyone at the lodge has reason to kill Marty? The author Barbara Warren does an awesome job with this mystery suspense novel, filled with twists and turns that keeps you guessing up to the very end as to who the murderer is and why Marty was killed. You¿ll be wondering too what other secrets Harrington Lodge holds. Also see how God moves within the lives of the characters and the teaching the story holds. A must read for teen girls and women who will greatly enjoy the romance that intertwines within the mystery but flows smoothly within the story but does not overshadow the mystery or suspense. This is the author¿s first novel and with the exceptional read of this book this reviewer can¿t wait to see what comes next!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Perfect Rainy-Night Read!

Here is a wonderful 'whodunnit' that kept me guessing, turning the pages, and losing sleep. Barbara Warren has crafted the perfect rainy-night read!

Great mystery!

The Gathering Storm is a pretty involved murder mystery. The whodunnit piece was very well done. Every chance I got, I grabbed the book to read more. That's a very good sign considering I have about thirty books to read. As far as characterization goes, the author did a great job keeping about ten different key players distinct throughout the book. The initial murder was abrupt so I didn't get to know the victim very well before he was no longer in the story. The daughter seemed to flip from hating her dad to refusing to stop until his killer was found. That switch-off didn't work so well for me. The fact that the plot was interesting and kept my attention made up for that small weakness. There were at least four people that I flipflopped over in regards to their guilt. The twisted ending suprised me, but that's good. I don't want it to be too easy to solve. The author did a bang-up job at making you get whiplash trying to decide who the killer was in their midst. The tale was enthralling and the faith piece was pretty good, too, though I did feel like the heroine transitioned too quickly to faith in Christ after resisting for so long. But that's just my opinion. It's certainly not enough to take away the overall entertainment value of this book. I sort of felt like I was in a Perry Mason show with occasional victims showing up and upping the anxiety a little more each time. For a murder mystery, this probably ranks as one of my favorites. It's original, fresh, and definitely worth reading, IMHO.

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