Troubled Waters

by Rene Gutteridge

Attending her estranged father's funeral seventeen years after leaving home, TV anchorwoman Macey is attracted to a neighbor and is haunted by painful memories in her efforts to help her mother out of a difficult financial situation.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Rene Gutteridge is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than eighteen novels, including the beloved Boo Series and Heart of the Country, her novelization release with director John Ward and Tyndale House Publishers. Her recent suspense titles include Listen, Possession and the award-winning Seven Hours project Escapement. She's been published by Bethany House, Tyndale House, WaterBrook Press, Thomas Nelson and B&H and novelized the successful motion picture The Ultimate Gift. She is teaming again with screenwriter Cheryl McKay for the romantic comedy Greetings from the Flipside from B&H and releasing her new suspense title, Misery Loves Company from Tyndale in 2013. Her romantic comedy Never the Bride won the 2010 Carol Award for Best Women’s Fiction. Her upcoming literary projects include the novelization of the motion picture Old Fashioned with Tyndale House Publishers and filmmaker Rik Swartzwelder.

Her adaptation of her novel My Life as a Doormat is in development with Kingdom Pictures and she is also a creative consultant for Boo, a film based on her best-selling novel, in development at Sodium Entertainment with Cory Edwards attached as director and Andrea Nasfell as screenwriter. She is also co-writer in a collaborative comedy project called Last Resort with screenwriters Torry Martin and Marshal Younger. Her screenplay Skid is currently in production and scheduled to begin filming in April of 2013. Find her on Facebook and Twitter or at her website, www.renegutteridge.com

Reviews

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent writing. Very poignant story of human frailty and the inability to forgive. This author takes you through an emotional realization of self-worth and the importance of forgiveness.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

A judgmental, preachy look at a heartbreaking situation with simplistic, one-dimensional characters.

[Nancy DeValve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Macey left home abruptly, her relationship with her father broken, her father unable to reach out for forgiveness, and her mother desperately striving to keep the peace by denying anything was wrong. This is a good story of healing and restoration.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

At times, I was very interested in these characters and their healing after sad circumstances years in the past. In general, the story drug and I didn't buy the way characters related to the central moral issue.

[Mi3sprouts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Least favorite of Rene’s books

[Clarice James · Rating 2 out of 5]

After I read LISTEN by Rene Gutteridge, I grabbed TROUBLED WATERS. I didn't enjoy it as much as LISTEN, but it's not going to stop me from reading more of her work. She's a good storyteller. SCOOP is by my chair now. What I liked about TROUBLED WATERS was that it didn't deal with anger, judgment, and forgiveness in a simplistic way. What I didn't like was that it was agonizing getting to that point. I felt like the author kept pulling her hand away as soon as I thought I had a piece of meat in hand. When the truth was finally told, it was in one big info-dump chapter.

[Susan Tuttle · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could have, I would have given 3.5 stars. I liked the healing message and sweet, slow pace of this book (think slow as in a lazy summer afternoon down south). Healing doesn't always come in a flash, and Rene allowed her characters to get their in their own time--which I loved. Still, I wanted a bit more from the ending (which I won't go into because I hate spoilers), but overall really enjoyed this book.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Troubled Waters really shows evidence of Gutteridge growing as a writer (I think My Life as a Doormat was her first noel). At any rate, this one is more on the serious side, dealing with very deep-seated challenges that the main character faces. It's a story about faith told within the context of real life situations. Despite its serious nature, I found Troubled Waters to be a good read, in fact, I finished it within two days of cracking open the cover. Well done Rene!

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm becoming more and more impressed with this author and the way her writing shows such variety. To say more about the subject matter would really give the story away since you don't know why Macey left her family until the end. I really enjoyed it.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recently got this again b/c I thought I hadn't read it. That is how unremarkable it was in my mind. A Christian (but not very religious) fiction book that can be read over a period of time, if you don't have time.

[Beth Lechman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will have you questioning your faith as well as decisions you have made in your own life. Macey goes home to Kansas for her fathers funeral and confronts all the guilt and anger she has harbored for 17 yrs since she fought with her father and left home.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Troubled Waters was a great,easy read. It took more than 3/4 of the book to find out her secret and it was what i suspected. Good read. I recommend it.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was enjoyable and quite well written for Christian fiction. It kept my interest and wasn't too preachy, which can be annoying. I would recommend it for a casual read.

[Kathleen Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice romantic fluff book for a rainy day and you are avoiding chores!

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excleent story of a woman running from hr past and her ties to her father. She returns home for his funeral and finds more than she imagined.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book addresses pride, forgiveness, reconciliation, faith, and family relationships. Heartbreaking at times, there is also encouragement and healing.