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Sugar Land Mystery #2
Safe From Harm
In a new mystery featuring Texas minister Walker “Bear” Wells, a teen tragedy hits too close to home… The ominous text message Bear Wells received from his teenage daughter Jo simply “Come home.” The Texas minister never imagined he’d rush back to find her cradling the dead body of her estranged friend Phoebe. While the death rocks Sugar Land, the apparent suicide seems like an open-and-shut case. But nothing is settled in the Wells household, especially for Jo. The deeper she digs into Phoebe’s life, the more she realizes nobody knew her at all. Bear found it hard enough dealing with Phoebe’s skimpy Goth outfits, painful-looking piercings, and the outrageous scandals she brought to his idyllic Sugar Land congregation, but now it’s his daughter who’s acting out. Jo knows Phoebe caused major problems between her picture-perfect father and stepmom, but she has no idea what’s at stake or whose lives are in jeopardy. Bear’s painfully aware that his last private investigation resulted in a bullet wound, so when Jo sneaks out alone to confront her primary suspect, he’s not only praying that he’ll find her in time—he’s asking forgiveness for what he may have to do to save her.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2013
3 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Jaye Evans
6 books34 followersFaithful Unto Death, my first in the Sugar Land Mystery Series, won a 2010 William F. Deeck--Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers. Berkley Prime Crime picked the series up a year later. Faithful Unto Death came out June 5th, 2012 and made the Library Journal's debut of the month and the Houston Chronicle Ultimate 2012 Book List, and is an Agatha nominee for best first novel. Woo Hoo!
Book two of the series, Safe From Harm,has a March 5 release date. The Kirkus Reviews write "As charming and wry as Evans’ bright debut (Faithful Unto Death, 2012), filled with reasons to own dogs, love your children and your wife, and have faith" and from Criminal Element, "Evans is capable of achingly beautiful prose; at times, her writing is so lush and vivid that you just want to sit and stare at the pictures it paints in your mind." I'm at work on book three in the series and I'm very open to title suggestions. Anyone?
Book two of the series, Safe From Harm,has a March 5 release date. The Kirkus Reviews write "As charming and wry as Evans’ bright debut (Faithful Unto Death, 2012), filled with reasons to own dogs, love your children and your wife, and have faith" and from Criminal Element, "Evans is capable of achingly beautiful prose; at times, her writing is so lush and vivid that you just want to sit and stare at the pictures it paints in your mind." I'm at work on book three in the series and I'm very open to title suggestions. Anyone?
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 28, 2013
I am surprised how much I am enjoying this series..it is sweet and funny and I do not feel like I am being preached to..well done
April 15, 2024
Wow. This is a fantastic book about a beautiful family with 2 precious daughters and a strong faith in Jesus Christ. The father of this family is a minister and their church experiences the loss of one of their youth. I would never have expected this book to unfold the way it did, but wow, it was a fantastic and satisfying ending. I cried reading this book and was so angry at times, especially with the step-mom. I also felt some of the men in this book had less backbone than Jo. The 15-year-old defiant heroine, Jo, is such a brave girl. She yearns for justice, despite how hard and unsafe it can be. She stuck with her gut till the very end, resulting in justice being served. 4 things I took from this book: Family is everything. Go with your gut. Talk to God. Revenge is ugly.
September 3, 2013
Pastor Walker “Bear” Wells and his wife Annie Laurie get plenty of dinner invitations. But, being invited to Gina and John Redman’s house is always a special treat. This one was as well and the coolness of October evening had allowed the four to sit outside on the Redman’s back porch and enjoy the Texas evening. That is until the text from their 15 year old daughter, Jo, hit Bear’s cell phone.
“Come Home.”
That was the message. She doesn’t answer each time they call and the ten minute drive home by Bear and Annie is the longest in their lives. They arrive to find Jo in her bedroom, alone and unhurt, with the family dog, Bat Bear. But, Jo is not alone.
Dead in her arms is the child of a family they know. Phoebe Pickersley, a troubled child who was once Phoebe’s friend, is most definitely dead. What she was doing in their house and why will be almost as important as determining how she died. The fact she dead in their house to be found by Jo automatically makes Jo a suspect. The fact that they had clashed more than once in recent weeks, among other facts, makes Jo a suspect. A suspect who, like most teenagers, isn’t going to willingly tell all and has her own mind as to how to clear her name.
This is the kind of situation that makes your hair turn grey as a parent. Following up on Faithful Unto Death this strong sequel brings back characters familiar to readers while adding a number of new ones. Character development is further established with the returning characters as we learn more and more about them. The new characters are multi-faceted complex human beings as well bringing a fuller richness to the book.
A religious faith remains a strong part of this series. As in the first book, there are no simple and easy answers regarding life’s troubles and events. While faith is referenced and always present through the book, there is not sermonizing and there is acceptance of other belief systems. That acceptance is not automatic as Pastor Wells learns both as a parent and as pastor.
At its core Safe from Harm: A Sugar Land Mystery is about familial relationships---- the good, the bad, and the flat out evil ugly. Flat out evil ugly is why there is a murder mystery at the heart of the book. But the book is more than just that. How we interact with each other during good times and times of great stress is a part of this complex mystery. In this series, families and personal connections matter and take precedence over many other things.
Those who choose to read this series in order will appreciate the character growth, complexity of situations, rich storytelling, and the fact that Texas author Stephanie Jaye Evans writes smart, complicated mysteries that provide very good reading.
Safe From Harm: A Sugar Land Mystery
Stephanie Jaye Evans
http://www.stephaniejayeevans.com
Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.penguin.com
2013
ISBN# 978-0-425-25346-5
Paperback (also available as an e-book)
360 Pages
$15.00
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
“Come Home.”
That was the message. She doesn’t answer each time they call and the ten minute drive home by Bear and Annie is the longest in their lives. They arrive to find Jo in her bedroom, alone and unhurt, with the family dog, Bat Bear. But, Jo is not alone.
Dead in her arms is the child of a family they know. Phoebe Pickersley, a troubled child who was once Phoebe’s friend, is most definitely dead. What she was doing in their house and why will be almost as important as determining how she died. The fact she dead in their house to be found by Jo automatically makes Jo a suspect. The fact that they had clashed more than once in recent weeks, among other facts, makes Jo a suspect. A suspect who, like most teenagers, isn’t going to willingly tell all and has her own mind as to how to clear her name.
This is the kind of situation that makes your hair turn grey as a parent. Following up on Faithful Unto Death this strong sequel brings back characters familiar to readers while adding a number of new ones. Character development is further established with the returning characters as we learn more and more about them. The new characters are multi-faceted complex human beings as well bringing a fuller richness to the book.
A religious faith remains a strong part of this series. As in the first book, there are no simple and easy answers regarding life’s troubles and events. While faith is referenced and always present through the book, there is not sermonizing and there is acceptance of other belief systems. That acceptance is not automatic as Pastor Wells learns both as a parent and as pastor.
At its core Safe from Harm: A Sugar Land Mystery is about familial relationships---- the good, the bad, and the flat out evil ugly. Flat out evil ugly is why there is a murder mystery at the heart of the book. But the book is more than just that. How we interact with each other during good times and times of great stress is a part of this complex mystery. In this series, families and personal connections matter and take precedence over many other things.
Those who choose to read this series in order will appreciate the character growth, complexity of situations, rich storytelling, and the fact that Texas author Stephanie Jaye Evans writes smart, complicated mysteries that provide very good reading.
Safe From Harm: A Sugar Land Mystery
Stephanie Jaye Evans
http://www.stephaniejayeevans.com
Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.penguin.com
2013
ISBN# 978-0-425-25346-5
Paperback (also available as an e-book)
360 Pages
$15.00
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
August 10, 2016
One October night Pastor Walker Wells is enjoying an evening out with his wife when he gets a terse text from his fifteen-year old daughter Jo saying come home. They never expect to see their teenage girl cradling the body of a dead friend, Phoebe.
Actually it would be more accurate to call this girl an ex- friend. She was as different from Jo as it was possible to be. On the one hand Phoebe seems to want to model herself after the girl with the dragon tattoo. She comes from a poor background, has been living in a trailer park and has been taking care of a terminally ill mother while her father lives in the lap of luxury with his new wife and two children. At first Jo's tender heart took pity on her but then these discrepancies and Phoebe's utter dependence on Jo caused a parting of the ways and they hadn’t seen each other for weeks.
By all appearances it appeared that this troubled young woman had taken her own life. Phoebe had recently lost her mother and moved in with her dad and his new family. After calling 911 as well as an acquaintance Detective James Wanderly Bear waits and thinks about Phoebe’s parents. Phoebe’s father and stepmother had moved to the upscale area of Sugar Land, Texas and were living in one of the more wealthy enclaves.They were members of Bear’s Church. While the family seemed well constructed on the outside, attending church, and successful at work on closer examination it was clear that the picture was flawed.
Bear was glad he was not a cop because it was the lot of a policeman to look for the worst in people while he was always able to look for the best. Sometimes this made for an adversarial relationship especially when Wanderly assumed that Jo had to be a drug pusher and perhaps a user as well until proven otherwise, preacher’s daughter not withstanding.
What bothered Jo though was that she knew that Phoebe was a fighter above all things an that not only did she not use drugs she would not have committed suicide. Jo takes it upon herself to prove her case.
In an insightful way Evans shows with subtle humor just as being in a garage for a long time doesn’t make something a car, spending an appropriate time in church doesn’t make a person a Christian. There may be twisted personalities and murderers lurking among the pews.
There are many layers to this story and because there are twists and turns that will catch the reader unaware I don’t want to give anything away. Certainly Jo Wells is the smartest if a bit foolhardy heroine I have pinned my hopes on in a long time.
I recommend this book.
Actually it would be more accurate to call this girl an ex- friend. She was as different from Jo as it was possible to be. On the one hand Phoebe seems to want to model herself after the girl with the dragon tattoo. She comes from a poor background, has been living in a trailer park and has been taking care of a terminally ill mother while her father lives in the lap of luxury with his new wife and two children. At first Jo's tender heart took pity on her but then these discrepancies and Phoebe's utter dependence on Jo caused a parting of the ways and they hadn’t seen each other for weeks.
By all appearances it appeared that this troubled young woman had taken her own life. Phoebe had recently lost her mother and moved in with her dad and his new family. After calling 911 as well as an acquaintance Detective James Wanderly Bear waits and thinks about Phoebe’s parents. Phoebe’s father and stepmother had moved to the upscale area of Sugar Land, Texas and were living in one of the more wealthy enclaves.They were members of Bear’s Church. While the family seemed well constructed on the outside, attending church, and successful at work on closer examination it was clear that the picture was flawed.
Bear was glad he was not a cop because it was the lot of a policeman to look for the worst in people while he was always able to look for the best. Sometimes this made for an adversarial relationship especially when Wanderly assumed that Jo had to be a drug pusher and perhaps a user as well until proven otherwise, preacher’s daughter not withstanding.
What bothered Jo though was that she knew that Phoebe was a fighter above all things an that not only did she not use drugs she would not have committed suicide. Jo takes it upon herself to prove her case.
In an insightful way Evans shows with subtle humor just as being in a garage for a long time doesn’t make something a car, spending an appropriate time in church doesn’t make a person a Christian. There may be twisted personalities and murderers lurking among the pews.
There are many layers to this story and because there are twists and turns that will catch the reader unaware I don’t want to give anything away. Certainly Jo Wells is the smartest if a bit foolhardy heroine I have pinned my hopes on in a long time.
I recommend this book.
March 26, 2013
The second in the Sugar Land Mystery series involves what appears to be a tragic suicide by drug overdose. Phoebe, maybe-friend of Pastor Bear Wells's teenage daughter Jo, was a troubled kid, especially after her mom died of cancer. Her relationship with her new step-mom was far from ideal. But no-one, not least Jo, thought she would take her own life. But when Bear and his wife arrive home to find Jo cradling the dead girl in her arms, what other conclusion could they come to? Yet, as Bear, Jo, and Detective Wanderley dig deeper into Phoebe's life and family, not everything is as clear as it seems...
I enjoyed the first book, FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, but this one is even better. I was afraid that Bear Wells, the narrator of the story, was a borderline "Disney Dad" in the first book (you know: stupid, under the thumb of his wife, useless with the kids, kids always know better, etc.)--note, I said BORDERLINE: he wasn't that bad. But in this book, there are some very touching moments between Bear and his daughter where he shows himself to be a great father--not perfect, but certainly able to say the right things, and be there for her. And Annie Laurie, his wife, doesn't always get it right.
One thing I think makes this series stand out is how Stephanie manages to suck you into the lives of her characters such that the mystery is not always front-and-center, and I mean that in the best way possible. In fact, I found myself enjoying the book as much for the characters as for figuring out the truth behind Phoebe's death.
Any aspiring writer should be looking for novels that teach us, improve us. I think the way Stephanie writes her characters is an object lesson for us all. They pop off the page as 3D people, with good and bad qualities, ticks and quirks. Dialog flows naturally from their mouths, and none of is is out-of-character.
This book is definitely PG, though it's certainly geared more toward an adult audience in style. There's no profanity, no sex--another object lesson to those who think great novels need copious amounts of both to be worthwhile. I would have no problem letting any of my teens read this book. I highly recommend it to fans of cozies, and also anyone who likes stories with strong, well-written characters.
I'm looking forward to the next visit to Sugar Land--it can't come soon enough! :)
I enjoyed the first book, FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, but this one is even better. I was afraid that Bear Wells, the narrator of the story, was a borderline "Disney Dad" in the first book (you know: stupid, under the thumb of his wife, useless with the kids, kids always know better, etc.)--note, I said BORDERLINE: he wasn't that bad. But in this book, there are some very touching moments between Bear and his daughter where he shows himself to be a great father--not perfect, but certainly able to say the right things, and be there for her. And Annie Laurie, his wife, doesn't always get it right.
One thing I think makes this series stand out is how Stephanie manages to suck you into the lives of her characters such that the mystery is not always front-and-center, and I mean that in the best way possible. In fact, I found myself enjoying the book as much for the characters as for figuring out the truth behind Phoebe's death.
Any aspiring writer should be looking for novels that teach us, improve us. I think the way Stephanie writes her characters is an object lesson for us all. They pop off the page as 3D people, with good and bad qualities, ticks and quirks. Dialog flows naturally from their mouths, and none of is is out-of-character.
This book is definitely PG, though it's certainly geared more toward an adult audience in style. There's no profanity, no sex--another object lesson to those who think great novels need copious amounts of both to be worthwhile. I would have no problem letting any of my teens read this book. I highly recommend it to fans of cozies, and also anyone who likes stories with strong, well-written characters.
I'm looking forward to the next visit to Sugar Land--it can't come soon enough! :)
March 31, 2013
In this second installment of the Sugar Land Mysteries Preacher “Bear” Wells, his wife Annie Laurie, and their teenage daughter Jo get wrapped up in a death the rocks the town. Bear and his wife come home to find their daughter cradling the dead body of her friend Phoebe. Everyone believes Phoebe committed suicide, but Jo just can’t believe that. Why would Phoebe kill herself in their house?
Bear wasn’t comfortable with Jo’s new friend but Annie Laurie saw the good in her and the tragedy in her life. Phoebe’s mother has just died and she was forced to move in with her father, her stepmother and their children. Her father seemed to have a perfect life but all is not what it seems to be. Jo finds herself caught up in the mystery of this family and Phoebe’s death. Bear just hopes he can protect his daughter.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is not a mystery that hits you right in the face. The author has written a story that engages you in the characters first and the mystery is the subplot. We were introduced to these imperfect characters in Faithful Unto Death and quickly became invested in their lives. I like that there is a real family story outside of the questionable death of the teenager.
Jo has teenager issues and has disagreements/fights will her friends. She is starting to date and her dad is having trouble coping with that. Annie has a big heart and it sometimes leads her down the wrong path. Bear tries to take on everything himself but his family and Detective Wanderly work hard to keep him in check. The church volunteers are not all as they appear. Some are better and some have secrets and issues. The characters are true to way things are in life.
This is a mystery wrapped up in a very heartfelt story driven by wonderful characters. I highly recommend this book and the first in the series as well.
Bear wasn’t comfortable with Jo’s new friend but Annie Laurie saw the good in her and the tragedy in her life. Phoebe’s mother has just died and she was forced to move in with her father, her stepmother and their children. Her father seemed to have a perfect life but all is not what it seems to be. Jo finds herself caught up in the mystery of this family and Phoebe’s death. Bear just hopes he can protect his daughter.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is not a mystery that hits you right in the face. The author has written a story that engages you in the characters first and the mystery is the subplot. We were introduced to these imperfect characters in Faithful Unto Death and quickly became invested in their lives. I like that there is a real family story outside of the questionable death of the teenager.
Jo has teenager issues and has disagreements/fights will her friends. She is starting to date and her dad is having trouble coping with that. Annie has a big heart and it sometimes leads her down the wrong path. Bear tries to take on everything himself but his family and Detective Wanderly work hard to keep him in check. The church volunteers are not all as they appear. Some are better and some have secrets and issues. The characters are true to way things are in life.
This is a mystery wrapped up in a very heartfelt story driven by wonderful characters. I highly recommend this book and the first in the series as well.
December 1, 2013
Safe from Harm is the second book in the Sugar Land series, and it's better than the first one. Pastor "Bear" Wells and his family find themselves involved in the affairs of a church family, when Phoebe, the teenage daughter of that family, adopts Annie Laurie as her surrogate mother. Phoebe's just moved to live with her dad and his 2nd wife, and she is intensely unhappy. Her stepmother resents her, so Phoebe latches on to the Wells family. One evening when Bear and Annie Laurie are out, they receive a panicked call from their daughter Jo who has just found Phoebe dead in her bedroom. The police think Jo may know about Phoebe's death than she's telling.
The pace of the novel is fast, and while some of the events seem a tad over the top, I was hooked. In some ways, this series is reminiscent of the Jan Karon Father Tim series, in that the protagonist is a sincere man of faith. Both Father Tim and Bear understand the realities of being human and thus in need of understanding and love, not judgement. It's also refreshing to see clergy portrayed as real people, with their own human foibles. And I also appreciate the fact that, like the Jan Karon books, Christians are portrayed as people of love. And like the Karon novels, it's NOT a preachy book!
The pace of the novel is fast, and while some of the events seem a tad over the top, I was hooked. In some ways, this series is reminiscent of the Jan Karon Father Tim series, in that the protagonist is a sincere man of faith. Both Father Tim and Bear understand the realities of being human and thus in need of understanding and love, not judgement. It's also refreshing to see clergy portrayed as real people, with their own human foibles. And I also appreciate the fact that, like the Jan Karon books, Christians are portrayed as people of love. And like the Karon novels, it's NOT a preachy book!
July 12, 2013
Wow! And I thought her *first* book was good - this one got a 5 because I can't go any higher.
Ms. Evens' characters are such real people - I swear I know them all. The story is so very real that I laugh, cry, get angry and rejoice right along with the people in it.
Unlike traditional "cozy" mysteries where the local police are idiots and only our plucky heroine can possibly figure out 'who dunnit' - and oh, here's her grandma's fudge recipe - Bear Wells, the protagonist, is simply in the midst of the story. A very effective detective works the crime scenes, not a bumbler. And Bear's occupation as a pastor enables him to be places and talk to people as a confidant instead of as just a nosy neighbor.
I am already waiting for the next installment in this series.
Ms. Evens' characters are such real people - I swear I know them all. The story is so very real that I laugh, cry, get angry and rejoice right along with the people in it.
Unlike traditional "cozy" mysteries where the local police are idiots and only our plucky heroine can possibly figure out 'who dunnit' - and oh, here's her grandma's fudge recipe - Bear Wells, the protagonist, is simply in the midst of the story. A very effective detective works the crime scenes, not a bumbler. And Bear's occupation as a pastor enables him to be places and talk to people as a confidant instead of as just a nosy neighbor.
I am already waiting for the next installment in this series.
July 20, 2013
Evans ably avoids the sophomore slump with the second book in her series about Walker Wells. Wells is the pastor of a suburban, Texas Church of Christ. As with first book "Faithful Unto Death" Wells is a real man with real, flawed people in his congregation. If you think books about a pastor are automatically saccharine Christian-Fiction, they are aren't.
The book begins with the tragedy of Phoebe Pickersley's death. Phoebe is the dark, troubled teen that parents want their daughter to avoid. The Wells family has tried to be friendly and supportive of Phoebe, but she hasn't made it easy. Evans does an admirable job of creating a character that we feel for in her troubled situation without making her an innocent.
The book begins with the tragedy of Phoebe Pickersley's death. Phoebe is the dark, troubled teen that parents want their daughter to avoid. The Wells family has tried to be friendly and supportive of Phoebe, but she hasn't made it easy. Evans does an admirable job of creating a character that we feel for in her troubled situation without making her an innocent.
March 19, 2013
Another wonderful book in this mystery series set in Sugar Land by a local author! "Bear" Wells is a minister and comes home to find his daughter holding the body of one of her former friends in her arms, dead from an apparent suicide. Bear and his sometimes friend Detective Wanderley try to fit the pieces together of this young girl's tragic life, which included a a mother dying of cancer, a father who deserted her, and a stepmom from hell. Full of local Houston flavor and great, well developed characters, I cannot get enough of this series! I finished it in two days. Everyone in Houston should pick up both books in this series. I'm hoping for third.
July 19, 2013
Liked this one even better than the first. There was more family angst, more humor (pugs plus a Newfoundland), more drama and still that core of faith with the minister protagonist, but not preachy, not "inspirational". Just people's hearts, breaking and healing and hanging in there. Evans just gets better and better, (oh, and she knows Texas too)
August 31, 2013
I have really enjoyed reading both books by Stephanie Jaye Evans. So fun to read about Sugar Land and I enjoy the antics of Bear and his family. Never a dull moment in the home of this Church of Christ preacher! Looking forward to #3!
July 26, 2013
Nancy Drew for adults. Nobody is THAT good. The only thing missing in this book was white hats for the good guys and black hats for the bad. I couldn't even finish it. I just skimmed to the end. Although I probably didn't have to--black hat did it.
August 6, 2015
Sometimes it is hard to explain just why I like or don't like a book. I LOVED this book - just as much as the first in the series. Engaging, clean but not "preachy", and hard to put down? Finished in two days.
October 6, 2013
Good character development and loved the twists and turns! Was fun to recognize local places author wrote about.
June 10, 2013
This book was better than the first one in the series and I really liked that one too.
April 29, 2020
I read the first book in the series years ago and enjoyed it. I thought this one was even better with the heart wrenching opening chapter. The humor is gentle and the descriptions of the characters (even the minor ones) scenes well done. I rather enjoyed a narrator who was not the one detective but observing the exploits of others. I'm sorry to find that there aren't any more!
March 9, 2017
Sure wish there were more of this series--I have enjoyed both of them (and hearing the author at TLA several years ago). But--"Bear" does not sound or act like any Church of Christ ministers I have known.
August 19, 2015
I began Stephanie Jaye Evans’s Safe from Harm with great expectations. After reading the first third of the novel, I was enthralled. I found the story totally engaging, peppered with well-wrought characters who begged me to find out more about them. So why, ultimately, was I disenchanted when I finished the book? Here is a mildly gripping novel, set on my home turf, the Houston, Texas, area. The villainess is perfectly delicious and the wounded teen character is unappealing yet wounded enough for her to win our sympathy. The main character, Church of Christ minister Bear Wells, is an upstanding citizen, full of the compassion you’d expect from a man of God, yet full of enough worldliness that he doesn’t strike you as a goody-two-shoes. His fifteen year old daughter Jo is full of teenage angst. So what’s not to like? My objections are two-fold: (1.) I wanted the main character, as they do in most mystery novels, to relentlessly analyze the crime while eventually solving it. Bear, however, is clueless, it seems. Doesn’t even seem to know there’s been a crime. (2.) Judging from her headshot, the author is a dog lover, for she is pictured with two pugs, and they are mentioned in her bio. Now, I’m not a dog lover. I am mostly not a dog owner lover, rather. I don’t throw a book against a wall simply because it has a dog character. But Bear owns a giant Newfoundland whom he takes everywhere, imposing him on strangers without ascertaining if said strangers want a giant dog in their midst. Like most dog owners, Bear thinks his dog is a darling and everybody should like him and want him around them. Compounding this is the fact that Bear’s secretary has two obnoxiously boisterous pugs that Bear dogsits from time to time. And they get carted around as well. Deliver me! I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t want to encounter a dog on a walk through a park; I certainly don’t want them cluttering up a well-told mystery when they truly offer no addition to the plot or the solving of the crime. So what, for me, was a fun read turned into a tedious tale of a minister/father who didn’t seem to be very good at either job, and a minister/father/dog owner who was irresponsible. After all, even I know that dogs should not be fed people food, but that seems to be the only kind of food these dogs are fed. I want my heroes to be good, kind, considerate, and intelligent. Maybe that’s just me. I’d bet that a lot of people—dog lovers especially—would eat this novel up.
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October 18, 2016I'm not sure how to rate this. I didn't read the first book and so I am not sure if what I didn't like about this one was carried over from the first book and I missed some of the humor. I was drawn in by Phoebe's story and it kept me hooked. However, I was distracted and confused that the book tried to be humorous in other parts. It felt like 2-3 different books going on at the same time when all I wanted was the Phoebe story line. I was extremely confused as to why the dog was a main character. I'm not sure I have ever read a book when the dog had to be mentioned every few pages (what he ate, where he was, his walks, on, and on, and on). It became really weird and I skipped those sections and had to scan the page for when the dog's section was over. I love dogs and have read about them before in books but never like this. It is not an over exaggeration in the least to say the dog was a main character because he was. Also, I understand to a point that Jo felt responsible for what happened to Phoebe but I don't think it realistic that she would go back to the trailer for a 2nd time knowing Dewitt was there. Yes, she is a teenager and distraught I just didn't find it realistic. Also, this drug on at a certain point and got boring because it got bogged down with the family and things that weren't important. I did really like the Phoebe/ Liz story line though. I thought the affection between father and daughter was overdone. She was only 14 but I just don't see her holding his hand and sitting in his lap as much as a real father/daughter would and who would want that to be realistic?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2016
When I read Faithful Until Death by Stephanie Jaye Evans I loved the story for several reasons. First, it is set in Sugar Land, Texas. Yes, Sugar Land, two words. As a resident of Sugar Land for more than twenty years, I could locate all the places mentioned in the story, but I could also relate well to the type of people who live in the various neighborhoods, and to Bear Wells, the humble, kind-hearted gentle giant of a Church of Christ preacher. I lived there. I don’t live there now. The book rang true. All the way. It could happen, finding a body on the golf course during a morning jog. It could, surprised it hasn’t. Secondly, there was a Newfoundland dog. I’ve always wanted a Newfie. So I wrote one in my book, Deadly Thyme. They are great dogs – great as in huge, and great as in dogs who love humans and other animals. If you have a 180 pound dog, that’s a good thing.
This week I finished reading Safe From Harm and I loved that preacher Bear Wells is having trouble with his teenage daughter again. Only this time, she is trying to figure out what happened to her friend, who wasn’t a friend. She insists it was not suicide. But every time she attempts to find out more, she ends up looking down the barrel of a gun, with her father watching in horror, not knowing how to prevent his daughter’s death. It’s so well written. Truly. I recommend this author’s books. She’s so good. There was so much humor. I loved the pugs. I take that back. I adored the pugs. And I was truly surprised to find out who the killer was.
This week I finished reading Safe From Harm and I loved that preacher Bear Wells is having trouble with his teenage daughter again. Only this time, she is trying to figure out what happened to her friend, who wasn’t a friend. She insists it was not suicide. But every time she attempts to find out more, she ends up looking down the barrel of a gun, with her father watching in horror, not knowing how to prevent his daughter’s death. It’s so well written. Truly. I recommend this author’s books. She’s so good. There was so much humor. I loved the pugs. I take that back. I adored the pugs. And I was truly surprised to find out who the killer was.
July 2, 2016
Had a hard time putting this one down. Walter "Bear" Wells is pastor of a large Church of Christ in Sugar Land, TX. (Houston suburb). When the teen daughter of a church member comes to live with her father and stepmother trouble starts. She is a troubled girl with no easy background and a stepmother who is a control freak. Bear's daughter Jo befriends her, and then "unfriends" her after a spat. One night Jo comes home to find the girl lying dead in her room. Jo becomes determined to prove it was not suicide, despite her parents and the local detective telling her this is a bad decision. This rebellion on the part of his youngest daughter is nothing Bear and Annie Laurie have had to deal with in the past.
Evans presents the story with edge-of-your-seat tension while including the humor of everyday life (caring for a friend's spoiled pugs while she's out of town). An excellent novel and I'm said to see there is no 3rd one in the series scheduled for publication yet.
Evans presents the story with edge-of-your-seat tension while including the humor of everyday life (caring for a friend's spoiled pugs while she's out of town). An excellent novel and I'm said to see there is no 3rd one in the series scheduled for publication yet.
May 25, 2014
I rarely give five-star reviews, but I couldn't give any fewer stars to Safe From Harm. I love Stephanie Jaye Evans's Sugar Land Mystery series. The characters are real, facing realistic situations and the plots are well thought out. A traditional mystery in every sense, there are no cutesy gimmicks, just a solid story with a great final twist.
February 6, 2016
The author has an enchanting voice that carries you easily through the entire book. I did not want to put it down but one must sleep and one must go to work. So I finished it in two sittings. I am enamored with the protagonist, Bear, a modern day Texas minister who is like Sidney Chambers without all the baggage. I hope there will be more in this series.
September 19, 2015
Loving Sugar Land Mysteries
These books make me laugh out loud. And the story lines are great, with suspense and humor mixed very nicely.
These books make me laugh out loud. And the story lines are great, with suspense and humor mixed very nicely.
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