Flight of the Raven

Mysteries of Sparrow Island #2

by Ellen Harris

A small plane disappears from the sky above Sparrow Iland, and Abby knows she must do something to help. Together, she and Sergeant Henry Cobb, set off to hunt for survivors. They find the plane but not the passengers--who it seems don't want to be found. Abby's wilderness skills are put to the test as she and Henry go on a chase to try to uncover the secrets of the passengers' hidden pasts. An exciting, suspense-filled story, "Flight of the Raven" is a riveting tale of determination, ingenuity and courage.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Birds, Christian, Wilderness, Fiction

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Ellen Harris is a Southern mystery writer whose short stories have been featured in numerous anthologies and in publications such as Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Futures Mysterious Mystery Anthology, and Now and Then. Harris was born in Alabama, spent a number of years in Michigan, and now lives with her husband and their three children in North Carolina.

Reviews

[Thunderbolt Booklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a worth reading book. it was a slow calm read but with enough balance of action. I am more into action packed book personally but this was definitely worth it.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small plane disappears and Abby helps Henry, a police officer on the hunt for it, out on the islands. This hunt injuries Henry and wears both of them out. The hunt went on for most of the book and got too long. Mary gets a surprise service dog from her children and isn’t sure if she wants one. She also is deciding if she should break up with Henry or not.

[Kate Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really just expecting a light read but found the plot line of searching for the downed plane unexpectedly intriguing. thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can picture this story as a made-for-TV movie, with a young Roma Downey playing the lead as the tomboyish ornithologist helping to look for a downed plane. If that description sounds appealing, you will probably like Flight of the Raven, a gentle, Christian-based novel with likable characters and a splash of adventure. Personally, I like my story to have a bit more meat on its bones--more sense of danger and shades of gray--but I can't fault this book for accomplishing what it set out to do. A well-written inspirational and (slightly) suspenseful novel that will doubtless appeal to its demographic. Added bonus: I was a bit hesitant to try this, despite the birdy protagonist, because I was afraid it would be preachy, but it's not. The tone was sincere and rather sweet.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book (#2) had a bit more mystery than the first book--why did a plane crash and where are the two people who were in the plane? There is also a side story about a mobility assistance (Service) dog that Mary's children got for her. I enjoyed both--though the search and rescue story is a bit more compelling than the service dog part--I did enjoy learning all the things a mobility assistance dog can do, however, and I am glad that Mary learned to love Finnegan despite her early resistance to the idea of a dog. I am also glad that Henry and Mary worked through her fears about their relationship to come to an understanding.

[Joel Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my ten-year-old daughter. She rated it a four, which I think is a fair rating. We both agree that it starts out really slow and it takes a fair amount of pages before it captures the readers' interest.

Eventually, it does become very interesting, the author has a great vocabulary and obviously has done quite a bit of research into the San Juan islands and their flora and fauna, and the resolution to the mystery and adventure is satisfying.

[Lavender · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read in the series, and I enjoyed this one as much as the first. They are very well written. This was a good mystery with just a dash of religion thrown in. I am excited to read #3.

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very exciting book. This is a wonderful series.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, the best of the series...

[Deann Doolittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Christian cozy mystery

[Sandy Carmichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian mystery, quick, fun read set in the San Juan Islands.

[Karen Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too didactic and simple but has good messages about leaving God in control and not overthinking things.

[Debbie Beeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the service dog part of the story but the plane rescue dragged on way too long.

[Marybeth Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Light reading.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two of the Mysteries of Sparrow Island series, after "Whisper Through the Trees." I liked it better than the first book in that it was more exciting than the first book. I also liked the gentle way that it wove scripture into the story naturally, unforced. I wished there would have been less about Mary and the service dog so that I could get back to the more exciting "search and rescue" thread of the story, but I realize that perhaps those with more of an interest in service dogs would enjoy that more than I did.

It wasn't obvious to me that this was book #2, rather than further along in the series, until I read it.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a long time to get in to this book. It is very detailed and the subject didn't interest me much. I am not a big fan of mysteries, but it did end well. There were some twists and it was a nice story.

[Elaine]

book 2 in "Mysteries of Sparrow Island"

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the series so far. Very adventurous.

[Amanda Radak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wouldn't read it again but it was a fun cross country flight read.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in the (Mysteries of Sparrow Island) series written for Guideposts.
I liked this book and recommend it to anyone who likes birds, nature, mystery and Christian stories.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though nothing special, this book proved to be a decent read, though it took a little while to heat up. Hopefully, things get better as the series goes on.

[Samantha Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Similar to Nancy Drew, but I connected to the characters more.

[Stephanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good quick read for a mystery. Borrowed from the church library.