A Bounty of Books

The Witnesses by Robert Whitlow is another great addition to his body of work. Mixing the present and the past, The Witnesses tells the story of a family legacy and how to use the gifts God has given us.

The central characters of The Witnesses are a young lawyer and his grandfather, who served in the German army during WWII. Both have a gift of seeing into the future. While the grandfather is haunted by how he has used his gift, the young lawyer struggles with how to use his gift in his career.

The Witnesses isn't quite as legal thriller as some of Whitlow's earlier novels. While the law is involved, the focus is more on the gift of seeing into the future and how to responsibly use that gift. Still, it's an engaging read with relatable characters. The blend between the present and the past is well done and not at all confusing. The imagery and secondary theme of second chances were refreshing and encouraging.

Those who have enjoyed Whitlow's other novels will enjoy The Witnesses, while those who are only interested in straight legal thrillers may not.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Breaking out of his normal legal thriller genre, Robert Whitlow's The Living Room tells the story of the dreams of Amy Clarke and how they affect her family life and work. Amy is a mother and wife who used to work as a legal secretary. Over the last couple of years, she has stayed home to write inspirational romance novels. The source of these novels are special dreams she has had since childhood where she is directly in the Lord's presence.

When the reader meets Amy, she is finishing her second novel and her life enters a time of flux. She goes back to work part time, her daughter faces a new threat at school, and her dreams change from something she can keep private, to something that directly get involved in the lives of those around her.The Living Room tells the story of this time in Amy's life.

The Living Room is a pretty good read. It has the same kind of tension that Whitlow's legal thrillers have that keep the reader guessing what will happen next. However, the story, characters, and dialogue are not as organic and natural feeling as they are in Whitlow's other novels. It was obvious he was out of his element writing from the point of view of a housewife. I don't think it is because Amy is a woman while most of his other novels feature a male as the protagonist; his Tides of Truth trilogy has a female lead and is just as good as any of his other stand alone novels. I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason, even though it is still a quality read that I would recommend, The Living Room lacks the natural flow that is normally one of Whitlow's strongest assets.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255