Book Review: Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock

Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: September 27, 2011

The town of Serenity, Texas, has become a safe haven for Carny Sullivan after she left the world of a travelling carnival far behind. When con man Logan Brisco arrives in town with a gleaming smile and a promise of riches for all who invest in a future amusement park, Carny's instincts tell her that what he's offering is a scam and she vows to protect the town, and especially her son, from his plans. However, as time goes on she begins to question whether her instincts are right and starts to fear she is losing something else of great importance to her - her heart.

Terri Blackstock has provided an entertaining read in Shadow in Serenity. The book was somewhat of a departure from her most recently published works in that this book was less of a suspense thriller (there's no shooting or dead bodies in this one) and more of a high-paced drama. The characters are well-fleshed out and have interesting pasts, and their faith journies are well-developed and believable without being preachy.  The author acknowledges that this book was previously published in the mid 1990's prior to her decision to write fiction exlusively for the Christian market, and that she re-wrote the book to include more Christian themes. I believe she did a good job, as I was initially worried that these themes might feel "tacked on" to the book; instead, they felt like a natural part of the character's development. I didn't find a lot of surprises in the book, but it was definitely an enjoyable read. A solid recommendation, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This review is based on an electronic copy provided by the publisher via netgalley for the purpose of completing this review.