Caught In A Bind

Amhearst Mystery #3

by Gayle Roper

People don't vanish into thin air. Yet that's what happened to Tom Whatley, the husband of one of Merry Kramer's coworkers at The News. And in his place? A strange corpse lay in the Whatleys' garage.As if a missing-person/murder case weren't challenging enough, a beautiful new rival was rattling Merry's faith in her blossoming romance with artist Curt Carlyle. And Merry's search for the scoop put her directly in the path of a killer...spelling potential doom for this spunky sleuth.

Genres: Mystery, Christian, Christian Fiction, Love Inspired, Fiction, Love Inspired Suspense, Romance

200 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Gayle Roper rejoices every day that she gets to be a writer because she's in love with story. Even on the days that words rebel and have to be coerced onto the paper, there is nothing else she'd rather do. When readers like her work, it's like God says, "See? I knew what you were wired to do." When her books win awards like the Carol Award (Caught Redhanded) or the RITA Award (Autumn Dreams), the Holt Medallion (The Decision, Caught in a Bind, Autumn Dreams) or the Reviewer's Choice (The Decision), it's icing on the cake. And she gets to teach others how to write at conferences too. She spends a lot of time smiling. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America and is the best-selling author of Hide & Seek and more than forty other books.

Reviews

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Perhaps the thinnest mystery of the three, but there is good character development...mostly.

Merry and Curt's relationship is threatened by a possessive business connection of his. Merry, as usual, is self-centered and doesn't listen to Curt as he shares about doors opening for some good connections in the art world. And, as usual, is determined/foolhardy in the face of danger but a waffle about Curt's love for her. She needs a counsellor to walk with her through all of the damage Jack caused in their six-year-long relationship before being in another serious relationship. Also, her prayers tend to come out as "God is my helper when I do stupid things."

The literal overnight transformation of Randy, the son of Merry's co-worker, is far-fetched. If he had been both abrasive and caring earlier on in the story (rather than just a jerk), it might have been more believable. You really want to give the kid a spanking in the first half of the book but he becomes pretty likeable by the end.

Overall, I'd say the theme of this book was trust (trusting God, trusting your partner, trusting your gut, not trusting a habitual liar/abuser, etc). Hopefully fictional Merry matures more as a person and as a Christian (bringing all of your unsaved friends to church doesn't magically fix their problems/personalities) in her happily ever after world.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give it a 3.5 if they had the choice. It’s a very light read that is more inspirational than suspense in my opinion. I thought by the cover that I’d be deeper into an intricate mystery.
Overall, for people who are looking for Christian options in novels, this is a good, easygoing read.

[Challice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series! Its a cute quirky one that was just enjoyable.
Gayle Roper knows how to write meaningfully. I love the conversations the characters have and it resonates deeply with me. This book touches on spousal abuse, infertility, teen pregnancy, and adoption. Its beautiful.
I reread these books over and over again as a teen and I really enjoyed a deeper insight as an adult.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great series! I've so enjoyed reading the romance between Curt and Merry! So many times when reading a romance, the couple get together at the end then we don't get to see the rest. Even though they are madly in love, they still have issues. They fight and say stupid things. They are insensitive to others. But their love carries them through, and I think that's the important message in these books.

I so enjoy the Merry and Curt scenes. Curt is such a sweetheart and gets so frustrated at the risks Merry takes. But he can't help but love her!

There is a side story in this book about spousal abuse. The author does so well in showing us several different angles on this issue.

I'm so sad that I"m about to read the final book. I wish this could go on forever!

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merry Kramer's co-worker is having a rough week. First, her husband vanishes. Then he's accused of stealing money from his work. Finally, a dead body shows up in her garage. Can Merry figure out what is going on? I love these characters, and the book drew me in even on a reread. However, I found the sub-plot about spousal abuse often became preachy and slowed down the book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed like a simple story. It caught me off guard at first as it seemed whimsical and sassy, then turned serious, then religious. Granted, life is like that, but this book was too short and simple to pull it off.

[glenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off with the case that the main character (who was mentioned in the first book) encountered. It was a dragging read for me at first (coz I did not read the first book) but once the story progresses it was fun and the author has a way of catching the reader with its wit. A fun read!

[Lynnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I couldn't put this book down! Very good - mystery, tension, love, faith. Great read!

[Shawn Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! She can really weave a story line!

[Lonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books! Gayle's writing has a depth that you usually don't find in Steeple Hill books. I cried, I laughed, I sighed :-)