Nothing But Trouble by Susan May Warren (review)

A few weeks ago, I blogged on Susan's latest book, Nothing But Trouble. Today I am posting the delayed review. Not because it took me so long to finish it—it didn't. And not because I've been trying to find nice things to say about it. I'm not!! I even had the chance to tell Susie in person how much I like this first book in her new series. I'm already waiting for the next one to release!

But I was scheduled to do two blog tours for Nothing But Trouble, so I saved my review for this post.

As I said in my earlier post, I always know when I pick up one of Susie's books, I'm in for a great read. My first experience with her books was with one of her very first books for Barbour when I was asked to proofread it. And since then I've looked forward to each of her releases with anticipation.

P. J. Sugar is a delightful character, flawed and always in trouble, it seems. And not always trouble of her own making. She feels she can never quite measure up to her family's expectations, and whenever trouble arises, people start looking for her, blaming her before the facts come out. Under that cloud, P.J. leaves her hometown right after her high school graduation and doesn't ever plan to return. . . . Until her sister coaxes her back to babysit P.J.'s nephew while his mother is on her honeymoon.

From the moment she arrives in her hometown, trouble dogs her footsteps. Her nephew proves a challenge from her initial introduction, her sister's new in-laws (or would you call them out-laws?) present interesting opportunities for her people skills, and her best friend's husband is accused of murdering one of their former teachers. Mix in her old boyfriend, now a cop in charge of solving this murder and the pizza guy P.J. keeps running into and we have a perfect mix just bursting with trouble.

As P.J. works through her newest challenges, she also learns a lot about herself and her God. And she's surprised, and pleased, as she uncovers the truth about her past as well as seeing what God has planned for her future. When confronted with the real murderer, P.J. realizes who and what is most important to her and how much she is willing to give in order to protect those she loves.

I highly recommend this book, which is much more about life than solving a murder. (Though it ranks high on my murder mystery books as well.) If you'd like to receive a free copy of this book, leave a comment, and I'll have a drawing to pick the winner next Wednesday.

To follow the rest of the blog tour, go here.

Nothing But Trouble by Susan May Warren

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Nothing But Trouble
Tyndale House Publishers (May 1, 2009)
by
Susan May Warren


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. Her favorite fir-lined spot, the north shore of Minnesota, is where she met her husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living.

The north woods easily became the foundation for her first series, The Deep Haven series, based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. Her first full-length book, Happily Ever After, became a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.

As an award-winning author, Susan returned home in 2004, to her native Minnesota after serving for eight years with her husband and four children as missionaries with SEND International in Far East Russia. She now writes full-time from Minnesota's north woods and the beautiful town that she always dreamed of living in.

You can sample a chapter of each one of Susan's novels, on her website, HERE.



ABOUT THE BOOK

PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:

1) After traveling the country for ten years hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that's become her life, she needs a fresh start.

2) The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister's wedding is Boone—her former flame and the reason she left town.

3) Her best friend's husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota, has seen in more than a decade.

What PJ doesn't know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she'll uncover much more than she bargained for—a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start she's been longing for.

It's not fair to say that trouble happens every time PJ Sugar is around, but it feels that way when she returns to her home town, looking for a fresh start. Within a week, her former teacher is murdered and her best friend's husband is arrested as the number-one suspect. Although the police detective investigating the murder—who also happens to be PJ's former flame—is convinced it's an open-and-shut case, PJ's not so sure. She begins digging for clues in an effort to clear her friend’s husband and ends up reigniting old passions, uncovering an international conspiracy, and solving a murder along the way. She also discovers that maybe God can use a woman who never seems to get it right

If you would like to read the first chapter of Nothing But Trouble, go HERE



Review is coming! I love Susie's books. And this one started off with a bang. :) Not disappointed; looking forward to finishing it soon.