Book Review: STORM AND TEMPEST by Lisa Phillips and a book-giveaway!

Marji Laine here. And I just had the most delightful Saturday, crocheting on a new baby blanket and listening to an amazing suspense by bestselling author Lisa Phillips. I can certainly see why she's a bestselling author! 

There are so many things to unpack with this story, so let me start with the cast. What a list of players she has here. Now, I'm not gonna lie - there are stories that I've read with a large cast like this that completely confuse me. I lose track of who's who and have to look back or rewind the recording to figure out what's going on. 

Such was NOT the case with this extensive story population. Lisa Phillips creates unique players who feel visible, touchable. Each leaves a special impression with hints of their backgrounds, issues, and challenges. The narrator, Cynthia Farrell, helps with this. She doesn't do crazy-different accents or voices, but each had its own personal consistency - an edge or lilt - that clearly identifies the characters. The author and narrator combine incredible talent to make this story seamless and so enjoyable. 

Now as to the characters, there were a couple of rarities in this story - detours from the typical stories that I read. First, though this was full of romantic hints, the couple in question was married. I find most of the books I read are in the initial stages of a relationship - at least at first. And I didn't miss that "initial stages of the relationship" element at all. The change was refreshing and real. 

The second delightful change of pace was that the entire book was from the hero's perspective. Most of what I read is either from the female point of view or begins and ends in the female's perspective with the hero's viewpoint alternating or tossed in here an there. This story dug deep into Jax's psyche, revealing his weaknesses, his growth, his faults, and changes of opinions and attitudes. To say Jax is a full, rich character is putting it lightly. And he wasn't alone. We lived through quite a lot with several of the characters, though only through interaction with Jax. But with all they dealt with, seeing the depth of the characters wasn't hard. 

And they dealt with plenty! A missing person became a cover-up that seemed to infiltrate every area of Jax's life and his family. A team of misfits assembled to help him some from his background and some from a team that his wife had worked with for some time. But their enemy was unseen and insurmountable. I found myself on the edge between hope and "there's no way" over and over. And the climax caught me off guard but was so satisfying. 

Now here's the catch: this is book 13 of the series. I've not read any of the others (but I will!) and yet, I didn't have any trouble getting into this book and fully enjoying every step of the way. You can get your own copy RIGHT HERE! 

Have you ever read a series out of order? Did you like it? I'd loved to hear about it! Let me know the last book from a series that you've read and you just might win a copy of my book A TROLL FALLS. It's a mystery set 1948 Dallas, Texas, and based on the little-known fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red, complete with real places, people, and situations. Wanna know more about A TROLL FALLS? Click HERE. 

Wanna win a copy? Leave your answer in the comments and don't forget to include your email address.