Savannah Harris vowed to leave behind her old life as an intrepid investigative reporter. But when a friend raises suspicions about two migrant workers who’ve gone missing from the sleepy coastal town Savannah calls home, her curiosity spikes.
As ever more eerie incidents begin afflicting the area, each works to draw Savannah out of her seclusion and raise the stakes—for both Savannah and the surrounding community. Even as Savannah’s new boarder, Clive Miller, makes her feel things she thought long forgotten, she suspects he’s hiding something too, and he’s not the only one. Doubts collide in Savannah’s mind: Who can she really trust?
As secrets emerge and danger closes in, Savannah must choose between faith and uncertainty. One wrong decision might spell the end…not just for her, but for everyone around her.
Will she unravel the mystery in time, or will doubt get the best of her?
Christy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker who lives in Virginia. She’s married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious—but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado. She’s only won one contest in her life—and her prize was kissing a pig (okay, okay… actually she did win the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery also). Her current claim to fame is showing off her mother, who looks just like former First Lady Barbara Bush When she’s not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.
If you're fed up with all the sex and profane language in today's suspense fiction, Dubiosity is certainly the book for you. This is honestly scary as we partake in the thoughts of the man stalking our heroine, and suspenseful as we follow her knowing that she's in peril. She's a former pastor's wife who's lost her faith, and has also been an investigative reporter.
She rents out a building to a mysterious newcomer who has an agenda and also issues of his own. The two of them become interested in the disappearance of some migrant workers and in the death of an elderly worker who in his dying breath claims he's been murdered although he's been diagnosed as dying of cancer. Add to that the flattened pennies that show up at curious times and you have a spellbinding mystery. The writing and the plotting is right on, and the characters are well drawn. NetGalley provided a copy of this for review.
I have read Christian author books, Amish that kind of thing, in the past but never a Thriller.
This was very much an enjoyable read for me. Unexpectedly I sat here this afternoon chilling out and found myself suddenly at the end of the book. Its not that its short, it just took me by surprise that I would love it so much so I stuck with it.
I have never read anything by this author before, she is new to me, so I will be looking her other books up.
This is a 'clean' thriller, twist, turns, unexpected avenues, and hey, creepy in the fact, SOMEONE IS OUT THERE WATCHING YOU!!
Loved it!
Thank you goes to not only the author but to Waterfall Press via Net Galley for my copy.
Since the murder of her husband and baby daughter, Savannah Harris has withdrawn from journalism, faith, and friends, except for Marti, an activist for migrant laborers and Savannah's best friend since high school. When the migrants turn to Savannah for help in finding out what happened to two missing migrants and whether an older man was murdered, she puts them off until it appears that Marti has tried to commit suicide. Savannah is sure that cannot be right and determines to try to find out what has been happening as Marti had asked her to.
Clive Miller rents Savannah's carriage house from her so that he can search for who murdered his wife and framed him for the murder six years before. He's been released on a technicality and is living under an alias. Neither he nor Savannah wants to be attracted to each other, but attacks on Savannah drive them together. And then there's the flattened pennies that the police overlook at the crime scenes and the sick migrants.
This was the second time I've read Dubiosity. It was fast-moving and suspenseful, despite my knowing who the bad guy was. I enjoyed it.
Barritt rocks at setting up the suspense in Dubiosity. I was on the edge of my seat the whole ride.
Savannah is taking a break, grieving a personal loss, but she can't let go of the investigative reporter side of herself. Add Clive, the mysterious newcomer who needs a place to stay, and we've got amateur sleuthing in the making.
But the mystery is no joke. Migrant workers are disappearing - and dying. Savannah and Clive come at the crimes separately, but their investigations bring them to the same place. I did guess the culprit mid-story - but it was only a guess. And I was pleasantly satisfied when my guess was confirmed. :)
Dubiosity mixes a little romance in with the suspense, and a little God-guidance, too. I liked the variety, the characters, and the wide-eye-inducing scenes.
Christy Barritt, I've read a few of your books, and this won't be the last!
Wow, what a ride! I've been a fan of Christy Barritt for years and her newest novel doesn't disappoint!
This inspirational read is an equal mix of mystery and romantic suspense. It seems like everybody has a secret. Oh, and there's a psychotic stalker/killer on the loose. The author did a great job by keeping you guessing who the bad guy was through the entire book. The tension was sky-high.
I loved the characters, especially the hero and heroine. They both had to overcome obstacles to reach their happy ending, but they definitely earned it.
I love this author's writing style. It sucks you right into the story. No lie, there were times that I sat down to read one chapter, only the find that 50 pages had flown by.
There were also some great spiritual truths presented here. All in all, I loved this book. Can't wait to see more from this author.
(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an unbiased, honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
Christy Barritt is an awesome mystery writer and I've enjoyed other books I've read by her so my expectations for this book were high. It didn't disappoint! There was no lack of suspense and action with this book - it was great!
Dubiosity. Definition: doubt, uncertainty. (I loved the way the author used words and definitions in this book. It was different and cool. I also love the cover!)
I really liked both of the main characters and felt like they complemented each other well. They were both dealing with tragedy from their past and therefore could understand each other's pain. Although he was still struggling with resentment and the desire for justice, Clive was strong in his faith while Savannah was still struggling with disillusion in God for what had happened to her husband and baby girl. She comes to the realization that while she had believed in the evidence that God was real, she had not developed a relationship with Him and had not developed a faith in God that would transform her. I loved that! (That could preach! LOL)
The suspense in this story was pretty much up front the whole time! You know Savannah's in danger because we occasionally get a glimpse through the eyes of the stalker/killer! And the thread of mystery in Clive's story soon becomes tangled with the mystery Savannah has been drawn into. There were several possible villains that kept me guessing and second guessing myself. I did get aggravated at Savannah the way she naively kept telling everyone her suspicions. I was like, really?!, you're telling him/her that?! LOL And I felt like there were a few threads that didn't get resolved but overall this was a really good suspense that kept me riveted to the story!
Former investigative reporter, Savannah Harris is trying to forget the world after her husband and child are killed. Clive Miller, becomes a boarder at her homestead for a couple of months for income.
When Savannah's best friend ends up beat up and in a coma and migrant workers who work for local big farmer is he a suspect, Landon Kavanaugh, end up going missing; Savannah's old skills of investigating get dusted off. The only thing is who doesn't want Savannah snooping around and why?
I got annoyed with Savannah's character in that she just sounded, I'll say a little off. So many curious things were happening and it seemed like she had a disinterest in happenings until Clive got her involved. Like there are several break-ins in the area and she suspects that someone has been in her home MULTIPLE times and yet still never locks her door. Or she doesn't want to talk and literally runs away from people or evades them. Ah I start to question the common sense of this character.
The first half of this started slow and had way to many chapter cliff hanging moments. By the second half the plot was redeeming itself with suspense. Will be trying to finish this series at some point.
Kinda hard for me to slog through. The premiss was exciting and I was geared up for a great read, then things slowed way down. I’m sure others will enjoy it more than I did!
I liked the story and the mystery but, I don't want to be preached to about God. If I wanted that, I would go to church or read a book about religion/God. I would keep reading her novels, but I'm afraid to have to hear her characters drone on and on about how important God is.
Christy Barritt has a winner here. I love suspense and mystery, so I expected to like this book. Considering my husband is a huge fan of Ms. Barritt's work, I had high hopes for a well-crafted story.
She didn't fail.
Dubiosity combines multiple plots in a seamless, flawless story of secrets, murder, and a twisted mind behind it all.
I'm one of those obnoxious people who usually doesn't make it through half the book before I figure out who did what and usually why. So, when I find a book that not only keeps the why in the dark as well as the who, I'm in heaven. I had three main suspects throughout the book, and the one I WANTED to be the guilty party wasn't. That's some seriously good writing right there. When an author can make you suspect someone, make you suspect someone else, and then add a third suspect to your list, and only one of those three people you really DON'T want to be guilty--and then they are... that's a fun read. Another proof of Barritt's excellent storytelling is her turns of phrases. Careful, skillful use of words created suspicions in the most unlikely of times and places.
But a good story--an exciting story--isn't enough if it isn't well told. Barritt did everything I love in a good story and none of what I dislike. As an author, I have my own writing pet peeves that often get in the way of my enjoyment of the story. Things like repetitive phrasing, sentences starting with "It was he/she who," or non-varying sentence structures grate on my nerves. Most authors usually have at least ONE of those things at least once or twice. Either Ms. Barritt didn't have them at all, or she wrote such a well-crafted story that I didn't notice. Either way, it was fabulous.
But, aside from the interwoven and suspenseful plots, she created several fascinating characters. Savannah is a delightful mix of strong independence and broken vulnerability. I found her grief and the way she held herself responsible for the criminal actions of others due to her own struggles to be realistic and a perfect blend of beauty and raw emotion.
Clive's own situation, so similar to hers, illuminates the differences in how two people who both once claimed faith in God handle adversity. For some it drives them away from their faith while others are pulled back into fellowship with the Lord.
But even the minor characters were well developed and deeper than one would expect. I want to know more about several of them--Marti and Lucia in particular.
So, if you love exciting story lines with interesting characters, Dubiosity is the book for you. And... I say we all beg Ms. Barritt for a sequel. And FAST!
Curiosity is a weakness for Savannah Harris. She may have pushed it down due to events dealing with her past as an investigative reporter, but when her friend points out the disappearance of migrant coastal workers, she can't ignore the pull. She has to find out what's going on.
Clive Miller has his own secrets. He's able to convince Savannah to let him rent a guest house on her property, but he's decidedly vague about the rest of his life.
The question remains: will Savannah discover the reason for the missing immigrants? Is it possible Clive's secrets are part of it all? And will she be able to resist her own feelings in the process?
I enjoyed this stand alone novel by Christy Barritt. It had the feeling of a Love Inspired book, but with an additional perspective that I think added a lot to the book. I did, however, find myself wanting more in the way of character development. I got a sense for Savannah and Clive, but had wished there was a little more tension and a little more emotion involved in them, separately and together. As true to other books I've read by Christy, she has a great mystery that does keep you guessing.
I recommend this, as I do all of her novels, to fans of romantic suspense that isn't too heavy on "scary" suspenseful details, involves a good mystery, and has sweet romance involved.
Also, this cover is amazing! Just had to say that.
Originally posted on my blog: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2015/02... ____________________________ I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.
Dubiosity is a romantic suspense set in the eastern shore region of Virginia. Savannah Harris moved there to escape her past and the tragedy that altered her. She is pulled into a string of mysterious happenings at the large farm next to her property. Then a boarder moves into her guesthouse and she senses someone watching her.
This book uses Savannah's journalistic skills to dig to the bottom of a 6 year-old murder, migrant worker disappearances and potential environmental hazards. It also delves into the prison's we put ourselves in when we believe we should be punished for something that happened in the past. More than that, it's about coming to realize that we can abandon our doubt and move to a position of faith.
Readers of romantic suspense who like layers of emotion will thoroughly enjoy this novel.
Christy Barritt does it again! This book does not disappoint! It is a page turner I didn’t want to put down. IT IS A MUST BUY! It’s a little creepy, yet, adventurous and exciting! Savannah’s story is so sad and I wanted so badly for things to work out for her. It is creepy to know that people can watch you like that without your knowledge but I know it happens. Even after all Savannah had been through in her past she was able to pull from her ‘old self’ and become the investigative reporter she was meant to be. I loved the ending and was glad justice was served! It was a great book!
Note: I was gifted this book by Christy Barritt for an honest review and all opinions are my own.
I listened this audiobook through the Kindle Unlimited program. Actually, I listened to all three books in the series, and they were all great. I enjoyed Christy Barritt's earlier books, especially the Squeaky Clean series, but this new series is even better. Ms. Barritt's writing has matured from "entertaining" to "enthralling."
Another excellent book! Christy is really good at creating suspense and building it slowly but not too slowly. I had to put this down last night I was actually getting a little scared. The ending surprised me which is a great thing. Get this book!!
After the accident that killed her husband and daughter, Savannah wants a change and moves to Cape Thomas and quits her job as an investigative journalist. While her new job as a textbook editor doesn't give her any joy, she doesn't feel like she deserves happiness so this works for her. When she posts her carriage house for rent on impulse and ends up with a handsome stranger renting it, she questions if she made the right decision but can't leave him on the streets, since during harvest season there's no available rentals. When one migrant worker dies after claiming he was murdered, and 3 more disappear, Savannah can't help but question if there's something else going on at the migrant workers camp. When those secrets and the secrets of her new tenant seem to keep mounting Savannah feels her old investigative skills rising back to the surface. Can she return to doing what she loves without anyone close to her dying? I really enjoyed this book. Prior to this I had only read books that were light hearted that this author wrote and so to read a suspense book by her was different, but I really enjoyed. It has some chapters that give you a hint as to what the antagonist is doing which gives the book a more intense feeling, and it was ultimately the last few chapters before I knew for certain who was behind it all.
Trust is always an issue. Savannah has been living a life where she just sorta exists. Then she is called to the beside of a dying man and he tells her he has been murdered. Since she was previously a reporter, this catches her interest. Still, she is just going to ask a few questions. Things happen quickly and events happen that pull her into the drama quicker than she ever expected. She doesn't believe what the 'evidence' suggests about her best friend. She unintentionally took on a renter, Clive, who intrigues her. There is something more to him but she isn't sure what is going on with a lot in her life. There are more questions than answers and the author takes you for a ride where people aren't who they say they are. Some are hiding for good reasons and others for personal gain. It is difficult to know who to trust. It was a 4/5 for me. I enjoyed it and really look forward to more from this author.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
This is an excellent book! I love to read mystery, crime drama books. All to often those type of books are filled with vulgar language and sex. Christy' s writing is fabulous and proves that great mystery, crime drama books can be written without using trash. Thank you, Christy. I love this genre, but don't always read it. I look forward to reading more of your books. The characters in the book are well developed and engaging. I didn't want to put this book down. It was nice that Savannah and Jack worked through their tragic pasts. They worked out their issues with their faith to have a closer relationship with God. I highly recommend this book.
Good squeaky clean Christian romance suspense/mystery novel. The story was good, the plot was good, and the characters were well developed. It was slow going at first, but then I was hooked. I am kinda disappointed with the last 3-4 chapters. The author put so much thought into creating such a great storyline with many twists n turns with so many different branches coming off it that when it was time to wrap it up and end the book it left so many random pieces unanswered. All n all, it was a good book. Kept me interested and engaged. I'm definitely interested in reading the next book in the series.
It is also the name of Christy Barritt's novel which is published by Waterfall Press.
Savannah Harris is an ex-investigative journalist and ex-pastor's wife who is presently working as a textbook editor. She is filled with doubt in many areas of her life because of the tragedy that resulted from digging too deeply into secrets that certain people wanted to keep hidden. As a result, she lost her baby daughter, her husband, her journalistic fervor, and her faith. Now a childless widow, her investigative abilities are called upon again when a dying migrant farm worker requests her presence at his deathbed and tells her that her that he was murdered. He utters the name of a prominent business man, the owner of a local farm, but without any explanation before he passes on. Savannah cannot believe her ears and is reluctant to look into the matter. However, with the disappearance of three more migrant workers and the mysterious attack upon the migrant workers' advocate, Marti, who happens to be Savannah's best friend, Savannah can no longer ignore that something illegal and dangerous is happening to the migrant workers at the farm where they work. It becomes more apparent that the threat is real when Savannah discovers flattened pennies in locations connected to the migrant workers who have died or disappeared, and then in the presence of her own home.
Clive Miller is doing a little bit of investigating of his own at the farm. He is Savannah's new boarder, staying at the carriage house on her property while he tries to discover who murdered his wife six years before in the Cape Thomas area. He has a tight timeline; he has other obligations that require him to be elsewhere in a short while, and there is also the danger that people will find out who he really is before he gets the information that he wants. When Savannah is threatened in her home, Clive offers his help. Their attraction to each other grows as they spend time with each other, both helping each other in investigating the happenings at the farm. However, Clive is a believer and Savannah is filled with doubt about the existence of God since He allowed such horrible tragedy into her life. She still feels guilty about her past actions which led to the deaths of her husband and child. Clive, on the other hand, must keep his motives for finding out who murdered his wife as a means of redemption, rather than for revenge and retribution.
The stakes are raised when their adversary explodes Savannah's car, in an effort to deter her from continuing on with her investigations. The murderer of Clive's wife leaves behind a necklace to convey the message that someone knows who Clive really is, and also to gloat about her murder. Savannah finds out Clive's true identity. Will she be able to figure out who is responsible for the deaths, kidnappings, and attacks in the Cape Thomas area? Is it Clive? Is it the farm owner? Is it one of the migrant workers? Or is it someone else entirely?
"Dubiosity," is an apt title for this book. Savannah is filled with doubt about the existence and goodness of God. She is doubtful about whether she can use her journalistic gifts for good since it had resulted in so much pain and death for her personally. She is doubtful about whether or not the migrant worker's death was murder. She is doubtful about whether the farm owner could be guilty because she perceives him to be a good man. She is doubtful about Clive once she finds out who he really is, even though she has been able to get a good gauge of his character after spending time with him.
In this spirit, I found that the Scripture that is inscribed at the start of the book to be totally appropriate. It reads: Stop doubting and believe. - John 20:27. This is necessary for Savannah to break through in her struggle with the Lord, and also in how she sees herself, her talents, and her future. She needs to believe in the existence and goodness of God. She also needs to see that without God, she can do nothing (see John 15:5). For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Dubiosity captured my attention from beginning to end. As the novel unfolded, I was able to cross a few candidates off from the "Guilty" list, but I still went back and forth for a while. There is a number of characters that I have not mentioned in this review who were possibilities as the mastermind behind the dark activities in Cape Thomas. I was pretty much kept in the dark until the end, and even then, because of what happened, I was unsure until the heroine was able to wrangle the confession out of the guilty party. This was a great romantic suspense story that I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to read.
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of "Dubiosity" from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
3.5 stars. This was my first book by Christy Barritt. After reading the description, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book. I do love suspense and mystery and it was a “free” book on Kindle Unlimited so I decided to go for it. It was an enjoyable read although the bad guy was kind of obvious pretty early on. Although I have to admit that I thought he was only involved and not the main perpetrator. So she did trick me there. Overall, it was a good read but not one of my favorites. However I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series.
Savannah Harris is a former journalist who moved to Cape Thomas after the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter. She quit her job to try to alleviate feelings of guilt over their murders. When questions are raised about the death of a migrant worker and two other who went missing, Savannah feels her reporter instincts reawaken. After her best friend appears to have attempted suicide Savannah is fully invested in figuring out what's going on and protecting the people of Cape Thomas.
An intriguing suspense story with a bit of romance mixed in.
Solid story that kept me guessing till the end. Having multiple offenders gave the story both complexity and sometimes a bit of confusion. The book did feel rather claustrophobic at times with everything happening among a very small group of people. The number of interwoven people and experiences did at times strain credulity. Still, it is an enjoyable read and the characters stand up as real and meaty. I hope the series opens up some without losing the personal struggles that make the story work so well.
Savannah is a widow running away from her old life as an investigative journalist. However, when she is called to the death bed of a migrant, who claims foul play, she can't resist asking questions, and the magnetic pull of the mystery envelopes her.
Meanwhile, Savannah is being stalked by a psychopath obsessed with her. Although there was an obvious red herring, I figured out who this was before he was revealed .
Clive or Jack is the love interest, and he is a widower investigating the murder of his wife,they collide when Jack temporarily rents her property. This one has plenty of suspense and great character development. Jack and Savannah were an ideal match.