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Rage and redemption lie at the heart of this mystery! As Dinah confronts doubt and troubling questions of faith, she will struggle to triumph in a story that highlights the redemptive grace of Christ to change even the most broken or evil life. The 3rd book in this Dinah Harris Mystery Series.
Well, it's 2 books for the price of one! You'll get a who- dunnit mystery suspense novel along with a well thought out apologetics novel all in one story. I guess the question is- do you like both packed into one? This is my first Dinah Harris mystery novel by Julie Cave. The character of Dinah Harris is a former FBI agent having been released from the FBI because of her alcoholic issues that resulted after the loss of her husband and son in a car accident. Dinah is a character who has come a long way in her healing from those days, but she is still learning how to deal and how to live out her new faith.
This storyline is truly intriguing - someone is bombing local churches and Dinah is called in by her former partner, who still believes in her, as a consultant on the case. I love the way the author uses the present and past and goes back and forth as a wonderful literary device to unfold the story piece by piece to the reader; it opens with the convicted bomber on death row and flashes back to a year ago when the case is unfolding. As the story is told and I don't want to give anything away here, but I believe the reader really does develop empathy for the "bomber" - unique because he/she is the "bad guy", but then again aren't we all?
As far as the apologetics side to the novel- there is plenty of it here. The author is logical and systematic in her delivery of the gospel message and its clear and very well laid out. I felt like the argument concerning the political side of separation of church and state was pretty drawn out and I felt that during this section of the book and even the later gospel arguments that I had switched to a Lee Strobel type of book. Here's the rub for me- as a Christian, I agreed with everything that was written and really appreciated the systematic and logical thinking that went into these parts of the book. As a fiction reader, it took me away from the story and for me that is a red flag because then I am looking at the writer's choices instead of staying in the story. But like I said before, if you like 2 for the price of 1, then you will really like this book.
Having jumped into the third book in this series without reading the first two always gives me a little disadvantage I feel, as I haven't read the character's entire previous story. So, I do want to go back and read the others. The author does a fine job at helping the reader know the main points of the character's back story. I just would like to read more and see for myself. So when it's all said and done, I did enjoy this book- lots of different sub plots going on that made the storyline interesting- some romance, political intrigue, and you can even brush up on your thoughts on separation of church and state arguments and apologetics thoughts. A lot packed in there.
Rating- 3.5 stars
Disclosure- I received a free digital copy of this book through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Pieces of Light is the third book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. I was a bit leery about diving into a fiction series without having read the first two installments. A lot of times an author builds off previous books, which is OK except when their subsequent offerings make little sense on their own. Fortunately, Pieces of Light is a stand-alone work, an enjoyable read all by itself, while benefiting from the depth of fleshed out characters and settings.
Julie Cave reminds me a little of fellow Christian authors Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker in that she doesn't pull any punches whilst delivering a riveting, yet relevant story. Her characters are flawed and deal with real-world problems. When I was a kid, I used to dread Christian film and fiction precisely because the characters, especially the protagonists, were so perfect and super spiritual once they got saved (which they inevitably did within the first few chapters or scenes). Cave's protagonist, ex-FBI agent Dinah Harris, deals with lingering alcoholism, dating as a Christian, and guilt over past sins while trying to solve the identity and motives of a church bomber. Cave also tackles uncomfortable issues like domestic violence and church hypocrisy with unflinching honesty.
This book is part page-turning thriller and part mystery with dashes of drama and thought-provoking dialogue thrown in for good measure. It is so well-written that, even though I figured out who the bomber was before the protagonist, I was still very much interested in why they resorted to terrorism.
As a Biblical Creationist, I was bemused to discover a further reason why Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis calls Julie Cave his favorite mystery writer. On page 188, I discovered Andy and Sandra Coleman of Genesis Legacy ( an apologetics ministry based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. I'm smiling!), who are experiencing the same sort of misinformation campaign and legal opposition from humanists and atheists to their proposed Ark Experience attraction in Kentucky that the real-world Ark Encounter has been subjected to. As you might expect, this book contains an excellent refutation of the false charges leveled against the Ark Encounter and reminds us that our Founding fathers fought for freedom of religion, not freedom from it.
Bottom line: It's an entertaining read with a solid Biblical worldview. Well worth picking up.
khale46
Posted August 10, 2011
I recently received Pieces of Light: A Dinah Harris Mystery written by Julia Cave from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my review. As I always enjoy reading a good book, and have rarely found any I review to be bad, I was excited to pick this one up.
The book is about Dinah Harris, a woman who has recently become a Christian and is trying to help solve the bombings of several churches. It touches on her new life as a Christian and many of the decisions she struggles to make. There are very relevant things within these pages regarding abuse, self esteem and those black/gray/white areas of being a Christian in today's world.
For myself, I had a little bit of a tough time with some of the storyline as I had not read the previous 2 books about Dinah. This is the 3rd and final book in the series, and I am one of those people who hates reading things out of sequence. So, I would have preferred to have read the books in order to get a better feel/understanding for the character(s). Also, although I agree with the idea behind much of the suggestive storyline, I felt it was a bit on the "preachy" side. I am a conservative Christian, but I like my books to be a little less evangelical. At times, it was a little "overpowering" and well, for me, annoying.
I think that Ms. Cave is an excellent author in the truest form. She pulls together great characters and has wonderful creative ideas and story lines. This book in itself was a great read overall. The story and the plot where exciting, suspenseful and very real. My only complaint was the excessive evangelical tilt to the book. It was definitely one that I wouldn't be able to recommend to my non believing friends. They would think it too obviously preachy.
I would give this book 5 stars for content and excellent writing skills, but overall a 3 1/2 due to the excessive evangelical overtones. Overall, it is a good read and I will be looking into grabbing the other 2 books in the series so I can catch up to speed on all that has happened to Dinah in the past.
sc2424
Posted July 18, 2011
Another mystery book to review! This book is a wonderfully clean, ethical mystery with spiritual teaching overtones throughout the book. It focuses on the main character, a new Christian named Dinah who is working with her former partner in the FBI to solve a series of church bombings. As the story unfolds, the reader learns more and more about Dinah as well as about the person responsible for the bombings. Sprinkled throughout the book were several harsh reality themes such as self abuse (cutting) and child/spousal abuse. There is also quite a bit of overt Biblical teaching on Christians dating non-Christians and also a clear salvation message at the end of the book.
The pattern of the book is a flip-flop back and forth between "present day" and a time one year ago. This is admittedly not my favorite format, but it is a type of writing that many people enjoy.
The book Pieces of Light is Cave's third book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Often I read books out of sequence, sometimes it's a drawback, sometimes it's just fine. For the most part, I thought the author did a good job of filling in background information that was missed by not reading the first two books. The one part that I thought I missed out on was the history with Senator Winters-I never really did understand how that whole story line fit in with the book, but I imagine had I read the earlier books it may have fit in better.
All in all, it was a nice read, I'd recommend it, but I think I'd suggest looking up the first two books in the series first.
I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher for the purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review.
Sarah94
Posted July 16, 2011
I cannot begin to say how great this book is, this is an excellent read, an edge of your seat Christian suspense that will have you wondering what next? and whodunit? This is not my first time having the pleasure of reading one of Julie Cave's books and I truly hope it's not the last as this book like the other one I have read served to both instruct as well as to entertain - and trying to do both of these in a fiction book can be near impossible but definitely can be done by the right person, and this person is Julie Cave.
Had I been able to sit through and read this book I would have easily spent all day reading it. From the first page to the last you'll find yourself wrapped up in Dinah's life and cheering from her both in her life as a recovering alcoholic and to telling a man she wants to spend her life with that she can't since he's not Christian. Some may think that mention of an attraction outside of Cincinnati called the "Ark Experience" may seem eerily familiar and even some of the Bible story seemingly redundant but if you keep in mind that Dinah is a 'baby' Christian and finding this all exciting then it will be exciting for the reader too.
Without being overbearing, Julie Cave, shares the love of God with both Christian and non-Christian's alike and can readily express what some of us all need to hear. Incorporating a Biblical worldview, the innerancy of Biblical authority, delivers the message of Jesus' act of Salvation and can even help Believers share their beliefs with naysayers, Julie has in fact done this all including keeping the reader entertained the entire time.
If you're looking for a book that you can actually call Christian fiction without just paying lip service to Christian, this is that book! Dinah has no fear of sharing her faith and even letting a man she wants to love know where she stands on being with an unsaved person. There is no lip service here, this is a fully Christian book that could also be enjoyed by those searching for the Truth and even those who may be skeptical of the Christian faith. Definitely a must read for the Christian who enjoys suspense but is tired of the passing triviality of a prayer here or a God there.
**I was provided a copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.
Melanie-Ski
Posted July 5, 2011
Pieces of Light is the 3rd and final book in the Dinah Harris series. Though this book can be read alone I feel it helps to have read at least the first book where you can see Dinah's journey to Christ more clearly. She was an FBI agent who lost her job due to alcoholism. Now a freelance crime consultant Dinah has her life back on track and is serious about being in relationship with Christ.
A bomber is targeting churches with homemade bombs and Dinah is hired to help her former FBI partner David Ferguson, and a bomb expert Aaron Sinclair, to try to piece together the puzzle and find the bomber. Intertwined in the story is a family devastated by domestic violence and the adult children who are still feeling the effects. The story line vacillates between the current time when the bomber is jailed and discussing his thoughts to 'one year earlier' where he is planning the bombings.
There are subplots in the story, Dinah having feelings for Aaron Sinclair, the first man since her husband's death and the newness of being a Christian in a possible relationship with an unbeliever.
We have the US senator, Winters, making his showing in this novel, again trying to rid the world of Christians and promoting the separation of church and state.
This novel was busy. I enjoyed it and it kept my interest and the pages turning, but in some sense there seemed to be too many themes running their gamete in just one novel. Having read the whole series I loved seeing Dinah grow in her relationship with Christ and in her own personal forgiveness of herself. I loved the references to the Creation Museum and The Ark Experience that is being built as that is in my 'backyard'. Looking forward to more books by Julie Cave in the future.
Well, it's 2 books for the price of one! You'll get a who- dunnit mystery suspense novel along with a well thought out apologetics novel all in one story. I guess the question is- do you like both packed into one? This is my first Dinah Harris mystery novel by Julie Cave. The character of Dinah Harris is a former FBI agent having been released from the FBI because of her alcoholic issues that resulted after the loss of her husband and son in a car accident. Dinah is a character who has come a long way in her healing from those days, but she is still learning how to deal and how to live out her new faith.
This storyline is truly intriguing - someone is bombing local churches and Dinah is called in by her former partner, who still believes in her, as a consultant on the case. I love the way the author uses the present and past and goes back and forth as a wonderful literary device to unfold the story piece by piece to the reader; it opens with the convicted bomber on death row and flashes back to a year ago when the case is unfolding. As the story is told and I don't want to give anything away here, but I believe the reader really does develop empathy for the "bomber" - unique because he/she is the "bad guy", but then again aren't we all?
As far as the apologetics side to the novel- there is plenty of it here. The author is logical and systematic in her delivery of the gospel message and its clear and very well laid out. I felt like the argument concerning the political side of separation of church and state was pretty drawn out and I felt that during this section of the book and even the later gospel arguments that I had switched to a Lee Strobel type of book. Here's the rub for me- as a Christian, I agreed with everything that was written and really appreciated the systematic and logical thinking that went into these parts of the book. As a fiction reader, it took me away from the story and for me that is a red flag because then I am looking at the writer's choices instead of staying in the story. But like I said before, if you like 2 for the price of 1, then you will really like this book.
Having jumped into the third book in this series without reading the first two always gives me a little disadvantage I feel, as I haven't read the character's entire previous story. So, I do want to go back and read the others. The author does a fine job at helping the reader know the main points of the character's back story. I just would like to read more and see for myself. So when it's all said and done, I did enjoy this book- lots of different sub plots going on that made the storyline interesting- some romance, political intrigue, and you can even brush up on your thoughts on separation of church and state arguments and apologetics thoughts. A lot packed in there.
Rating- 3.5 stars
Disclosure- I received a free digital copy of this book through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
I couldn't put this book down, it is a real page turner. The events in the book are fictional, but appeared to be so very real. They could really happen!
Loved that Dinah is totally living a Christian life. She is a remarkable character, and felt so sorry for all that she had been through.
The book opens at the Funeral of a man who was much loved by his Church, and spent the rest of his time terrorizing his family. Your mind rages against this man's brutal attacks on innocent children.
The book shows that one can go from being totally controlled by Satan to belonging to God. The journey was horrific and the losses were great, but there is God's light to be received.
There are three books in this series, this is the first one that I have read, but want to read the other two! You don't need to have read the first two in order to enjoy this one!
I received this book from New Leaf Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
JoyAnneTN
Posted June 24, 2011
Detective Dinah Harris hunts down a serial bomber targeting religious icons and buildings. The bomber is on a mission to rid the city of religion and establish a 'new world order'. Can someone so intent on ridding the world of God experience redemption? What lies behind his hatred of God? Will his darkened soul search for pieces of light?
The first two books of the series, Deadly Disclosures(link to product page) and The Shadowed Mind(link to product page) reveal the amazing grace of God while showcasing a world losing sight of Him. In Pieces of Light, Cave's continues her compelling storylines using believable characters and realistic situations to:
Identify the importance of living under the authority of the Bible
Deliver a Biblical worldview perspective to current events
Illustrate the power of Jesus's sacrifice and desire to redeem every life
Provide believers a resource easy to share with skeptics.
My thoughts...
Dinah Harris is a former FBI agent. She is asked by an old friend at the agency to consult on a bombing case. Dinah is a growing Christian whose life hasn't been smooth sailing, a recovering alcoholic she has the perfect opportunity to speak of her faith with an inmate at the prison she meets with to obtain information for her book.
Isabelle and Michael are siblings that were physically abused by their prominent father who was well respected in the church. Even in their adult lives they are very much suffering because of their childhood. Isabelle marries a man that is abusive. Michael has anger issues.
The characters are realistic, the suspense and mystery are in abundance which makes it hard to put the book down. I especially liked the way the book started... in the mind of the bomber.
A wonderful story containing good teaching for the Christian reader. This was the first book by Julie Cave I have read and I truly enjoyed it. I give it 5 stars.
I received this book free from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
MarineCorpsNomads
Posted June 21, 2011
Pieces of Light is the final installment of the Dinah Harris Mystery trilogy. If you haven't read the other books in this series, you'll want to read those before jumping into this final book. Yes, the books can be read as stand-alone books, but everything really does build from one book to the next. Because of that, things make more sense if you already know the history of the characters from the previous books.
In Pieces of Light, we join back up with Dinah Harris as she's starting to pull her life back together. She's confronting her past issues and learning what it means to be a Christian. All too quickly her new found faith is put to the test..
In this final installment, Dinah is brought in as a FBI consultant to help with a series of church bombings. As they follow the clues and try to solve the mystery, Dinah finds herself dealing with some demons from her past. Instead of running from those issues, she's able to use them to help her reach out to others.
The book goes back and forth between the real time story (written by the bomber who is in jail) and a year previous while the case was being worked. Some new characters are introduced while old friends reappear.
Julie's books are very clearly Christian and pro-creation. She doesn't hold anything back in her writing, so you definitely know her worldview based upon the stories. She weaves in current events as well as "what if" type scenarios that make you take a hard look at what is going on in our society. It's fiction, but it has enough realism that it's a little eery at times.
I look forward to seeing what Julie decides to write next.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Master Books/New Leaf Publishing to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own.
DianeM21
Posted June 15, 2011
This is the third book in the Dinah Harris series. I had read the first book, but the books stand alone and need not be read in order.
How much do we know about our neighbors and friends; do we see their hurt and pain, then turn our backs because it's easier than getting involved? Isabelle and Michael are two such broken souls. They have been physically abused by a tyrannical father who was so highly thought of in the community and his church that when Michael, at age 15, finally summons the courage to ask for help from his priest, he is rebuked and upon his return home, is so severely beaten by his father that he is hospitalized for 2 days. His sister, Isabelle, hasn't faired much better, having married an abusive man who controls her every action. To relieve her pain, she has taken to cutting herself.
Former FBI Special Agent, Dinah Harris, a self-professed "new Christian" is called upon by her former partners to consult on a case involving a domestic terrorist who is bombing churches in DC.
The parallel story featuring Dinah's nemisis, Senator Winters, is interesting and entertaining and brings clues to the bombers targets, and does shed light on secular humanists, it wasn't vital to the main story and to me did little more than lay the groundwork for another book (not a bad thing, at all) since it veered off course at the end to me.
Dinah uses her newly found faith to witness to not only the bomber, but to Agent Sinclair, Ferguson's handsome new partner, to whom she is attracted, but cannot have a relationship with due to his not being a Christian. Will both men find their faith? by the end we know about one, but the other, we will have to wait for the next Dinah Harris book. I for one am anxious to find out!
BobFarrell
Posted June 8, 2011
This is the first book I have read by author Julie Cave and is the third book in her Dinah Harris Mystery series. The way she develops the characters is in such a way that you do not feel like an "outsider looking in "if you have not read the first two novels. The book shows the failure of human beings and religion and shows what true Christianity is and should be( a relationship with JESUS). Mrs. Cave captures the tensions that exists between Christians and Secular Humanists in the United States well. The story has bits in it that reminds me of Sean Penn's film "Dead Man Walking" and Steve Taylor's song "Innocence Lost" as her main character shines the light of JESUS even though she is a young Christian. I look forward to reading her other novels.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BobFarrell
Posted June 8, 2011
This is the first book I have read by author Julie Cave and is the third book in her Dinah Harris Mystery series. The way she develops the characters is in such a way that you do not feel like an "outsider looking in "if you have not read the first two novels. The book shows the failure of human beings and religion and shows what true Christianity is and should be( a relationship with JESUS). Mrs. Cave captures the tensions that exists between Christians and Secular Humanists in the United States well. The story has bits in it that reminds me of Sean Penn's film "Dead Man Walking" and Steve Taylor's song "Innocence Lost" as her main character shines the light of JESUS even though she is a young Christian. I look forward to reading her other novels.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 8, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Rage and redemption lie at the heart of this mystery! As Dinah confronts doubt and troubling questions of faith, she will struggle to triumph in a story that highlights the redemptive grace of Christ to change even the most broken or evil life. The 3rd book in this Dinah Harris Mystery Series.