Broken Bonds

Miracles and Mysteries of Mercy Hospital #7

by DeAnna Julie Dodson

When Chris Breck comes to Mercy Hospital in search of answers regarding his family tree, his mother’s dear friend Joy is there to help! Chris desperately needs a kidney transplant,but the cousin who volunteered to donate one turns out to be genetically unrelated to him. In fact,even the DNA evidence shows that Chris is his father’s biological child,he is not related to his father’s parents. Chris’s grandma insists she gave birth to Chris’s father at Mercy Hospital. Did she go home with the wrong baby?Did someone try to cover up the switch?
As Joy and her friends try to help Chris solve this latest mystery,they soon learn that Chris’s father may not be the only child born at the hospital whose birth record was falsified. Joy is willing to risk her job to find out the truth,no matter who’s involved?

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

DeAnna Julie Dodson has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with four spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her first books, In Honor Bound, By Love Redeemed and To Grace Surrendered, are a trilogy of medieval romances and have just been redesigned and freshly edited for Kindle. She is also the author of the contemporary mystery, Letters in the Attic, and has recently signed on to write another Annie's Attic Mystery: The Key in the Attic, due out in 2012. Her newest books, yet to be released, are A Dinner of Herbs, a Civil War drama, and a 1930s English mystery, Rules of Murder. Civil as an Orange, her current work in progress, is the sequel to Rules of Murder. You can find out more about DeAnna and her books, including sample chapters, at her website: http://www.deannajuliedodson.com/

Reviews

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another read with a completely intriguing mystery. I really enjoyed it but the nature of the mystery as well as the eventual reveal also made me a bit sad. Great read overall!

[Victoria Marie Lees · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broken Bonds by Deanna Julie Dodson is part of the cozy series Miracles & Mysteries of Mercy Hospital. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, at Christmastime, Joy Atkins, who works in the gift shop at the hospital, is the main amateur detective in this story. She’s helped along by fellow hospital friends: Evelyn Perry, Anne Mabry, and Shirley Bashore. Each has their own job at the hospital.

The author rachets up the tension in the mystery by hanging it on a medical emergency—the need for a compatible kidney donor for Joy’s friend’s son Chris Breck. And also, the need for heart surgery for an ailing, favorite doctor at the hospital. But Dodson doesn’t stop there. She mingles her mystery around family drama and secrets that weigh people down.

The mystery builds, as cozies do. Joy and Chris try to find out what happened when Chris’ father was born almost 50 years ago at the hospital. A wide cast of characters thwart and misguide them as they delve into the why of the crime in question. Clues are vague. Some of the players are dead.

Dodson’s Broken Bonds has a great surprise ending. But I’m not going to tell you about it. You should read the book for yourself. Have a beautiful day!

[Debra Fansler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the setting of theses books in Charleston. Silly little mysteries.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book in the series.

[Rebecca Kleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. I enjoyed the story and the mystery to figure out.

[Emily Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a wholesome little mystery story nothing crazy a very good bedtime read