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Dinah Harris Mysteries #2
The Shadowed Mind
A suspense-filled mystery which answers an ominous Who will be found worthy to live; who is the next victim? After the deadly investigation into the Smithsonian murders, Dinah Harris is now facing a daily battle to keep her sobriety while struggling to form a new career from the ashes of her former job as an FBI agent. From the shadows will emerge a cunning and terrifying killer, who carefully and methodically will decide whose life has value to society and whose does not. Using her profiling and security skills as a private consultant based in Washington, DC, Dinah uncovers a connection to the shadowy world of neo-eugenics, and those who publicly denounce the killings but privately support a much different view. Against this backdrop, Dinah must come to terms with her own past, as those associated with the deepening mystery face their own personal demons, and struggle with the concept of God’s inexhaustible grace and forgiveness. Old secrets are revealed, tragedies unearthed, and the devastating legacy of science without compassion is finally brought to light. The second in a powerful fiction trilogy!
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2010
9 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Julie Cave
7 books65 followersJulie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favourite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn’t long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realised she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, ‘What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?’ The result – and the answer to that question - is Julie’s maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Julie has one daughter and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 28, 2019
I found this book to be a great improvement over the first in this series. Not quite so preachy, the theme of eugenics fit much better with the mystery genre than that of creation vs evolution. The stakes seemed higher, and at times got downright scary.
Looking forward to the next one!
Looking forward to the next one!
November 11, 2010
"The Shadowed Mind" is a well-written, fast-paced detective suspense novel. It's the second novel in the trilogy, but you don't need to have read the first novel ("Deadly Disclosures") to follow what's happening in this one. However, the "whodunit" in the previous novel is somewhat revealed in this one, so I'd recommend reading them in order if both sound interesting to you.
The suspense came from trying to stop the killer before he killed again, personal danger to the main characters, and Dinah's struggle with alcoholism. A subplot with some secondary characters also created suspense by the stresses the daughter (Ella) underwent in dealing with her father's Alzheimer's Disease and her anger after learning a horrible secret about his past.
The characters were interesting, complex, and had realistic struggles. Dinah struggled with staying sober during a stressful case and with her quick temper.
The details about the police work, setting, and historical information relating to the case where excellent and interesting yet didn't slow the story down. These details brought the story alive in my imagination.
I don't think most people will figure out who the killer is before Dinah does, but it is possible to do so. Overall, I thought this was a more polished novel than the first one, but I still noticed some inaccurate, conflicting, or odd minor details. Like why did Cage and Dinah (who's on the case as a profile consultant) ignore that the profile she made of the killer didn't match their favorite suspect?
Dinah and several minor characters were Christians. Dinah and Ella struggled realistically with forgiveness and grace in their difficult circumstances and talked with other Christians about this struggle. Also, Dinah consulted a Christian about the Christian viewpoint of eugenics, but she also consulted a secular source and heard the views of several pro-eugenics characters. I felt the pro-eugenics characters were handled realistically.
There was no sex and no bad language. I'd highly recommend this well-written, suspenseful novel.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
The suspense came from trying to stop the killer before he killed again, personal danger to the main characters, and Dinah's struggle with alcoholism. A subplot with some secondary characters also created suspense by the stresses the daughter (Ella) underwent in dealing with her father's Alzheimer's Disease and her anger after learning a horrible secret about his past.
The characters were interesting, complex, and had realistic struggles. Dinah struggled with staying sober during a stressful case and with her quick temper.
The details about the police work, setting, and historical information relating to the case where excellent and interesting yet didn't slow the story down. These details brought the story alive in my imagination.
I don't think most people will figure out who the killer is before Dinah does, but it is possible to do so. Overall, I thought this was a more polished novel than the first one, but I still noticed some inaccurate, conflicting, or odd minor details. Like why did Cage and Dinah (who's on the case as a profile consultant) ignore that the profile she made of the killer didn't match their favorite suspect?
Dinah and several minor characters were Christians. Dinah and Ella struggled realistically with forgiveness and grace in their difficult circumstances and talked with other Christians about this struggle. Also, Dinah consulted a Christian about the Christian viewpoint of eugenics, but she also consulted a secular source and heard the views of several pro-eugenics characters. I felt the pro-eugenics characters were handled realistically.
There was no sex and no bad language. I'd highly recommend this well-written, suspenseful novel.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
December 2, 2010
WOW! Having read the first book, Deadly Disclosures by Julie Cave I was quite interested in reading the second book, The Shadowed Mind. Deadly Disclosures delves into Creation vs. Evolution with strong characters. It was a great read! However, Julie has out.done.herself with The Shadowed Mind!
Dinah Harris is a struggling-overcoming alcoholic who has recently rededicated her life to God. She and her partner now have another case. "The Killer" has taken the lives of people he deems not.worthy.of.living. He befriends these lonely, unsuspecting people and then just when they think he's their new BFF (Best Friend Forever) BOP! It's over! Julie and her partner have an incredible mystery to solve.
I absolutely loved this suspense/thriller/mystery! The theme of the book is also something that is close to my heart. Is euthanasia or eugenics really something one should consider? Do we, as humans, really have the right to choose who should live and who shouldn't? What is eugenics/neo-eugenics? You really need to read this fantastic book to find out!
A sub-plot of Ella who takes care of her aging-alzheimer father and then finds out his his horrible secret from the past is suspenseful and leads the reader to the clue in this mystery.
I can't say enough about this book! It was absolutely one of the best that I've read!
Julie did a grand-tastic job of research for this book! This isn't your "normal" thriller! I learned so much about subjects that seem to be taking place in our society today.
A Shadowed Mind can be read as stand-alone book but I suggest you read Deadly Disclosures first for it will help you understand Dinah's personal struggles.
A Shadowed Mind is a definite 5 star not.to.be.missed.read!
*I received a copy of this book from Master Books/New Leaf Publishing
to give a frank and honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Dinah Harris is a struggling-overcoming alcoholic who has recently rededicated her life to God. She and her partner now have another case. "The Killer" has taken the lives of people he deems not.worthy.of.living. He befriends these lonely, unsuspecting people and then just when they think he's their new BFF (Best Friend Forever) BOP! It's over! Julie and her partner have an incredible mystery to solve.
I absolutely loved this suspense/thriller/mystery! The theme of the book is also something that is close to my heart. Is euthanasia or eugenics really something one should consider? Do we, as humans, really have the right to choose who should live and who shouldn't? What is eugenics/neo-eugenics? You really need to read this fantastic book to find out!
A sub-plot of Ella who takes care of her aging-alzheimer father and then finds out his his horrible secret from the past is suspenseful and leads the reader to the clue in this mystery.
I can't say enough about this book! It was absolutely one of the best that I've read!
Julie did a grand-tastic job of research for this book! This isn't your "normal" thriller! I learned so much about subjects that seem to be taking place in our society today.
A Shadowed Mind can be read as stand-alone book but I suggest you read Deadly Disclosures first for it will help you understand Dinah's personal struggles.
A Shadowed Mind is a definite 5 star not.to.be.missed.read!
*I received a copy of this book from Master Books/New Leaf Publishing
to give a frank and honest review. All opinions are my own.*
August 30, 2022
Another page-turner that I found engrossing and enjoyable. Dinah Harris has left the FBI and spent some months in rehab, kicking her addiction to alcohol. Venturing out on her own, she has set up her own consultancy in criminal profiling.
She is approached for help by Samson Cage, a police officer she met briefly in Deadly Disclosures. He is disturbed by the murder of a young teen living on the streets - there is something too clean, clinical and professional about it. And the killer left a sympathy card on the body.
A series of murders ensue - apparently following the list on the website of a "Movement" advocating eugenics and targeting people chosen for their undesirable effects on society: homelessness, schizophrenia, disability, alcoholism, race. Dinah herself becomes a target when the killer realises the possibility of killing two birds with one stone - removing an alcoholic who happens to be getting close to uncovering his identity.
Woven in through the main story is a series of scenes with a middle-aged woman, Ella Barnett, who is struggling to care for her father as he starts to become violent in his dementia. The two plotlines converge when a copy of an old photo left with one of the sympathy cards the killer leaves at every murder is found to be the same as that in an old book that Ella's father is found sobbing and obsessing over.
The foreground theme of this novel is about eugenics and the background theme about how well it is possible to ever know another person. That secondary theme is evident in Ella's devastating discovery about her father and in the reason Samson Cage is allowed to work without a partner on his investigations.
She is approached for help by Samson Cage, a police officer she met briefly in Deadly Disclosures. He is disturbed by the murder of a young teen living on the streets - there is something too clean, clinical and professional about it. And the killer left a sympathy card on the body.
A series of murders ensue - apparently following the list on the website of a "Movement" advocating eugenics and targeting people chosen for their undesirable effects on society: homelessness, schizophrenia, disability, alcoholism, race. Dinah herself becomes a target when the killer realises the possibility of killing two birds with one stone - removing an alcoholic who happens to be getting close to uncovering his identity.
Woven in through the main story is a series of scenes with a middle-aged woman, Ella Barnett, who is struggling to care for her father as he starts to become violent in his dementia. The two plotlines converge when a copy of an old photo left with one of the sympathy cards the killer leaves at every murder is found to be the same as that in an old book that Ella's father is found sobbing and obsessing over.
The foreground theme of this novel is about eugenics and the background theme about how well it is possible to ever know another person. That secondary theme is evident in Ella's devastating discovery about her father and in the reason Samson Cage is allowed to work without a partner on his investigations.
January 25, 2023
Another good installment to the Dinah Harris series. I want to rave about these, and as far as the content and the basic storyline, I think they're actually pretty good. I feel like the weightier content might have been more skillfully handled, but as I stated in my review of the first book - it's not common for a light mystery to handle topics like eugenics, Creation vs. Evolution, and the fallen nature of man. So as far as that goes, I think the author is doing fairly well.
There were a few places where the choice of words made the writing seem a little amateurish. A typo or two made my neck-hairs stand on end...but overall, I wouldn't count this one out. It's entertaining and has a good message. I do appreciate that the author does what she can to prevent the reader from figuring out 'whodunit' before the end of the story, but I also feel like she works a little too hard at it. Rather than writing 'the killer' every time you refer to the suspect... whatever...there should be other ways. Those sections of the book got on my nerves and I felt like maybe he needed a nickname or that with a little more effort she could have told us more without putting all the cards on the table.
My issues won't stop me from reading the next one.
There were a few places where the choice of words made the writing seem a little amateurish. A typo or two made my neck-hairs stand on end...but overall, I wouldn't count this one out. It's entertaining and has a good message. I do appreciate that the author does what she can to prevent the reader from figuring out 'whodunit' before the end of the story, but I also feel like she works a little too hard at it. Rather than writing 'the killer' every time you refer to the suspect... whatever...there should be other ways. Those sections of the book got on my nerves and I felt like maybe he needed a nickname or that with a little more effort she could have told us more without putting all the cards on the table.
My issues won't stop me from reading the next one.
June 22, 2021
Every human life has value.
This was a very informative book for me. I’ve never really done much reading into eugenics, and it was so sad to read about its many horrors.
Ms. Cave’s books have the ability to just leave me speechless. She writes the plot of the book extremely well, and her religious points and arguments are very well-researched.
The suspense was very intense. So much for only reading a few chapters last night… That ending was just insane. Other than a few periods where I got distracted and a bit bored, the book largely kept my attention.
Yet again, no romance! Christian fiction books with no romance are so hard to come by, and although I missed that aspect slightly, it was so refreshing to not have that included.
Deep topics are discussed in this book so I wouldn’t recommend to those faint of heart and young teenagers.
This was a very informative book for me. I’ve never really done much reading into eugenics, and it was so sad to read about its many horrors.
Ms. Cave’s books have the ability to just leave me speechless. She writes the plot of the book extremely well, and her religious points and arguments are very well-researched.
The suspense was very intense. So much for only reading a few chapters last night… That ending was just insane. Other than a few periods where I got distracted and a bit bored, the book largely kept my attention.
Yet again, no romance! Christian fiction books with no romance are so hard to come by, and although I missed that aspect slightly, it was so refreshing to not have that included.
Deep topics are discussed in this book so I wouldn’t recommend to those faint of heart and young teenagers.
July 11, 2019
Have I ever mentioned that I love cliffhangers? No? Well, I do. So when Book One gave me a cliffhanger, I just had to read Book Two to continue Dinah's story. I was not disappointed. The mystery was enthralling and it had me hooked the whole way through.
The topic of the murders was also very thought-provoking; the book's argument is about eugenics. In this book, Dinah and her partner have to discern the truth: is it a good thing to rid the world of people who, well, waste their lives away or are disabled and bring shame to the earth?
Overall, I'm really glad I read this book; this series is helping me see controversial topics in a new light.
(Recommended for ages 14 and up due to mild violence and lots of conversations regarding eugenics.)
The topic of the murders was also very thought-provoking; the book's argument is about eugenics. In this book, Dinah and her partner have to discern the truth: is it a good thing to rid the world of people who, well, waste their lives away or are disabled and bring shame to the earth?
Overall, I'm really glad I read this book; this series is helping me see controversial topics in a new light.
(Recommended for ages 14 and up due to mild violence and lots of conversations regarding eugenics.)
January 4, 2012
At the close of Deadly Disclosures (book 1 in the Dinah Harris mystery series), Dinah Harris and her former partner Ferguson had just solved the Thomas Whitfield abduction case. Next up on Dinah's calendar was beginning a rehabilitation program to aid her in combatting her struggles with alcoholism. The Shadowed Mind (book 2 in the Dinah Harris mystery series) picks up Dinah's story about 6 months later. The now former FBI agent has completed her time in rehabilitation and is back home, trying to build a new life as a freelance criminal profiler and investigator. In many ways, you could say Dinah's life is better than it was before rehab, but that's not to say it is easy. Each day is a struggle as she continues to come to terms with the painful reality that her husband (Luke) and son (Sammy) are gone forever. The temptation of alcohol still lingers in her mind each day, but she is finding the strength she needs to resist giving in to that temptation through her growing faith in Jesus Christ and the support of the Christian mentor who was assigned to her through the rehabilitation center's outpatient recovery program.
Dinah's work as a profiler was an important part of her life when she worked for the FBI and she is eager to put her skills to work again in the private sector. Her first consulting opportunity comes from Detective Samson Cage, who she had crossed paths with during the Whitfield investigation. Detective Cage is investigating the murder of a seventeen year old street kid named Lakeisha Tennant. While it wasn't unusual for violence and the occasional homicide in that part of Washington D.C., there was a unique piece of evidence found on the victim that convinced Detective Cage to engage services of an expert profiler like Dinah. Tucked in to one of Lakeisha's boots was a blank sympathy card with an old photo attached. It really wasn't all that much to go on, but it was a start.
Seemingly unrelated, in a different part of town, Ella Barnett is at home caring for her aging father John Barnett. John was formerly president of a large bank, but that was some years ago. John is now suffering from the later stages of Alzheimer's and his mind has retreated to a time long before Ella was born. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Ella to care for her father. She no longer feels safe taking him out in public as he often rambles on and on about searching for two boys named Peter and Henry. His need to find these two boys is a bit confounding to Ella, but it is downright scary to the people they encounter in public.
One final character I need to mention that first appeared in Deadly Disclosures is presidential hopeful, Senator David Winters. Senator Winters will do whatever it takes to further his political aspirations. With the way things ended following the Whitfield investigation, Winters is Dinah's sworn enemy and would like nothing more than to see her disappear forever. I won't give away any more of Senator Winters part in this story, but I have a sneaking suspicion he will show up again in Pieces of Light (book 3 in the Dinah Harris Mystery Series).
As the book progresses, these three disparate story lines will come together touching on the themes of eugenics and euthanasia, helping readers to come to terms with the question of whether or not there is intrinsic value in all human life, no matter how fragile or frail. In the midst of all this, readers will also be able to come alongside Dinah as she continues on her own journey of healing and faith, where she finally comes to terms with her catastrophic loss and the healing and restoration she continues to experience through her relationship with Jesus Christ.
I enthusiastically recommend The Shadowed Mind. It is a masterfully written tale that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat, but also challenges you to seriously consider many of the important faith and worldview issues we face in our world today. While I am always a bit nervous about the quality of follow up books in any series, this book is written with the same quality and passion we saw from Julie Cave in Deadly Disclosures. With the first and second books in the Dinah Harris mystery series under my belt, I can't wait to start reading Pieces of Light!
Author Information:
Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favorite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn't long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realized she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, `What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?' The result - and the answer to that question - is Julie's maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Since then, Julie has written and released the other two books in this trilogy, The Shadowed Mind and Pieces of Light. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Master Books for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
Dinah's work as a profiler was an important part of her life when she worked for the FBI and she is eager to put her skills to work again in the private sector. Her first consulting opportunity comes from Detective Samson Cage, who she had crossed paths with during the Whitfield investigation. Detective Cage is investigating the murder of a seventeen year old street kid named Lakeisha Tennant. While it wasn't unusual for violence and the occasional homicide in that part of Washington D.C., there was a unique piece of evidence found on the victim that convinced Detective Cage to engage services of an expert profiler like Dinah. Tucked in to one of Lakeisha's boots was a blank sympathy card with an old photo attached. It really wasn't all that much to go on, but it was a start.
Seemingly unrelated, in a different part of town, Ella Barnett is at home caring for her aging father John Barnett. John was formerly president of a large bank, but that was some years ago. John is now suffering from the later stages of Alzheimer's and his mind has retreated to a time long before Ella was born. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Ella to care for her father. She no longer feels safe taking him out in public as he often rambles on and on about searching for two boys named Peter and Henry. His need to find these two boys is a bit confounding to Ella, but it is downright scary to the people they encounter in public.
One final character I need to mention that first appeared in Deadly Disclosures is presidential hopeful, Senator David Winters. Senator Winters will do whatever it takes to further his political aspirations. With the way things ended following the Whitfield investigation, Winters is Dinah's sworn enemy and would like nothing more than to see her disappear forever. I won't give away any more of Senator Winters part in this story, but I have a sneaking suspicion he will show up again in Pieces of Light (book 3 in the Dinah Harris Mystery Series).
As the book progresses, these three disparate story lines will come together touching on the themes of eugenics and euthanasia, helping readers to come to terms with the question of whether or not there is intrinsic value in all human life, no matter how fragile or frail. In the midst of all this, readers will also be able to come alongside Dinah as she continues on her own journey of healing and faith, where she finally comes to terms with her catastrophic loss and the healing and restoration she continues to experience through her relationship with Jesus Christ.
I enthusiastically recommend The Shadowed Mind. It is a masterfully written tale that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat, but also challenges you to seriously consider many of the important faith and worldview issues we face in our world today. While I am always a bit nervous about the quality of follow up books in any series, this book is written with the same quality and passion we saw from Julie Cave in Deadly Disclosures. With the first and second books in the Dinah Harris mystery series under my belt, I can't wait to start reading Pieces of Light!
Author Information:
Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favorite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn't long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realized she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, `What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?' The result - and the answer to that question - is Julie's maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Since then, Julie has written and released the other two books in this trilogy, The Shadowed Mind and Pieces of Light. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Master Books for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
July 29, 2021
Compelling story, in-depth research.
Julie is a gifted writer who intertwines intrigue and the darkest of humanity with the Light of Christ’s redemption working on and through unlikely souls. She does a remarkable job painting the very real spiritual and cultural warfare that currently exists between secular humanism, atheism, and evolution and Christianity, the power of God in the life of believers, and the science behind Creation. In this book, the focus is more on the hideous role of eugenics and its devastating affect on society. As the story unfolds and grows in complexity, the appetite for discovery increases. This is the second in a trilogy.
Julie is a gifted writer who intertwines intrigue and the darkest of humanity with the Light of Christ’s redemption working on and through unlikely souls. She does a remarkable job painting the very real spiritual and cultural warfare that currently exists between secular humanism, atheism, and evolution and Christianity, the power of God in the life of believers, and the science behind Creation. In this book, the focus is more on the hideous role of eugenics and its devastating affect on society. As the story unfolds and grows in complexity, the appetite for discovery increases. This is the second in a trilogy.
January 15, 2019
Het tweede deel van deze serie is naar mijn mening spannender en beter verdeeld qua verhaallijnen. De dialogen hadden soms wel beter gekund. Ik kan een groei in de schrijverskwaliteiten van Julie Cave zien. Hopelijk zet die groei zich verder voort in het derde deel.
September 12, 2019
Good apologics
I can see this happening in our country right now. Jesus is the only hope we have. Thank you Julie Cave.
I can see this happening in our country right now. Jesus is the only hope we have. Thank you Julie Cave.
May 28, 2023
It's great to read a mystery novel written from a Christian perspective. The exploration of eugenics was eye opening. I look forward to reading more from this author.
December 7, 2024
A great read!! I would highly recommend it l!
August 3, 2021
Summary: Dinah Harris, a former FBI agent who has just recovered from attempted murder, is now on another case, this one just as dangerous as the last. A shadowy killer has emerged with no identity clear to Dinah and her new partner, Detective Samson Cage. This killer is slowly and methodically killing specific types of people according to a list found in an article. This list includes people with mental illnesses, physical disabilities, schizophrenics, alcoholics, criminals, and many more. As the killer knocks off a person that features one of these characteristics, Dinah receives a threat that she’s next. Racing against the clock, Dinah and Samson need to figure out who this killer is. They research his killing methods and patterns, but one thing sticks out. Strange cards are found on each of the bodies with quotes about eugenics on them, and in one of these cards is a photo of two boys. Doing some research, Dinah figures out that this killer wants to ‘stop the cycle’ and kill off these ‘undesirable’ people so that they can’t reproduce. And the photo of these two boys connects to a book called ‘The Lost Boys.’ Trying to track down a copy proves harder than they thought, as it’s out of print and only two bookstores in the country have a copy. And to top it all off, there’s another mini storyline going about Ella Barnett, who has a dad that has Alzheimer’s and can’t remember anything about her, only that there are two boys named Henry and Peter that he needs to apologize too. Ella is driven crazy (figuratively) by her dad, but one day she finds out something about him that shakes the very foundations of her world. How do these two storylines tie together? And what about the threat that Dinah received? Also stay tuned for the more in depth revealing of the culprit from the previous book!
Worldviews: If you want the full backstory on how I found these books, then read my review of the first book in this series. Julie Cave is a Christian author, and this book carries a strong Christian worldview on this heavy topic of eugenics, which is not too “preachy”, but wonderfully concise and clear.
Foul Language: No bad words.
Violence: There was definitely a bunch of violence. Now don’t get scared when I say this, because it’s not overly gory, at least from my perspective. I mean, this is an FBI murder mystery novel, of course there’s going to be violence. I will advise caution for a few murders. Okay, at least 4…… that looks really bad, yes, but there wasn’t a lot of graphic detail. It was very….clean? Anyways, the point is there was not much graphic detail.
Romance: Literally zero. We have like one scene where we meet Samson’s wife, Emily, but that’s it.
Alcohol: Dinah was an alcoholic, and still battles the temptation to drink, but she’s connected with a counsellor/mentor who keeps her accountable, and she’s been through rehab. She’s obviously not perfect, and there is a scene where she does give into her temptation to drink, but she repents of it the next morning after she wakes up with a huge hangover.
Rating and recommended age level: I’m rating this 5 stars. This is like my favourite out of the entire series and quite possibly my favourite mystery. There was just the right amount of suspense, mystery, and the plot just kept me guessing. The ending blew me away and left me staring at the book like, “Seriously??? The bad guy was HIM????” Y’know that feeling? Plus this book addresses the heavy topic of eugenics, and I like it when I can actually learn something without it being boring. Which is exactly what this book gave me. I learned a whole lot about the horrific practices back in the days and the consequences they have even today, and how some people still want to hold to them. It’s terrifying. In a good way. This book just helped raise my awareness about these issues that may show themselves in subtler ways today, but are just as dangerous as they were back in the day. Overall, I love this book so much. You have to read it. It’s one of those books where your life will not be complete without reading it.
Worldviews: If you want the full backstory on how I found these books, then read my review of the first book in this series. Julie Cave is a Christian author, and this book carries a strong Christian worldview on this heavy topic of eugenics, which is not too “preachy”, but wonderfully concise and clear.
Foul Language: No bad words.
Violence: There was definitely a bunch of violence. Now don’t get scared when I say this, because it’s not overly gory, at least from my perspective. I mean, this is an FBI murder mystery novel, of course there’s going to be violence. I will advise caution for a few murders. Okay, at least 4…… that looks really bad, yes, but there wasn’t a lot of graphic detail. It was very….clean? Anyways, the point is there was not much graphic detail.
Romance: Literally zero. We have like one scene where we meet Samson’s wife, Emily, but that’s it.
Alcohol: Dinah was an alcoholic, and still battles the temptation to drink, but she’s connected with a counsellor/mentor who keeps her accountable, and she’s been through rehab. She’s obviously not perfect, and there is a scene where she does give into her temptation to drink, but she repents of it the next morning after she wakes up with a huge hangover.
Rating and recommended age level: I’m rating this 5 stars. This is like my favourite out of the entire series and quite possibly my favourite mystery. There was just the right amount of suspense, mystery, and the plot just kept me guessing. The ending blew me away and left me staring at the book like, “Seriously??? The bad guy was HIM????” Y’know that feeling? Plus this book addresses the heavy topic of eugenics, and I like it when I can actually learn something without it being boring. Which is exactly what this book gave me. I learned a whole lot about the horrific practices back in the days and the consequences they have even today, and how some people still want to hold to them. It’s terrifying. In a good way. This book just helped raise my awareness about these issues that may show themselves in subtler ways today, but are just as dangerous as they were back in the day. Overall, I love this book so much. You have to read it. It’s one of those books where your life will not be complete without reading it.
December 20, 2010
I was thrilled to win this book from Goodreads and I am happy to report that Ms. Cave hit this one out of the park! The Shadowed Mind captivated my attention from the very first chapter, where Ms. Cave introduces three compelling storylines. First, there is the fascinating ex-FBI agent, Dinah Harris, who struggles as she fights the urge to give in to her alcoholism and stumbles through a career change. The second storyline evolves around dear Ella Barnett, who is a compassionate, yet extremely overloaded caregiver to her father, John Barnett. John suffers from mid-to-late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The last gripping storyline is the one that introduces us to the killer. The few paragraphs that Cave writes in Chapter 1 are fleeting glimpses of three very different situations and as you read on, you may feel as if you are reading individual stories for a bit (about Dinah & Cage, Ella & John Barnett, and the killer). The beauty of this novel is that Ms. Cave has done a beautiful job of intricately weaving these people’s lives together in astonishing ways.
This book was written to be enjoyed. When I first saw the word eugenics I was terrified that I would get lost reading this book! Thankfully, Julie has made the learning process very enjoyable as she plopped 98% of the questions I had swirling around in my head right into the dialogue between Dinah and many of the eugenics experts. I was as horrified as Dinah when I learned that it involved the involuntary sterilization of individuals that were blind, deaf, alcoholic, deformed, homeless, insane, orphaned, poverty-stricken, and epileptic.
Dinah partners with Detective Cage in search of a killer who leaves sympathy cards with eugenic-laced quotes with his victims. While Dinah and Cage grow close, but not too close, they spend a lot of time searching for answers. Dinah pushes Cage to share why he works alone and Cage clams up. Dinah fights her urges to drink, misses a mtg. with her sponsor, lies about attending church, and eventually spirals out of control when she receives her own sympathy card saying “You’re next.”
Ella Barnett finds Dad in the attic bawling over a book, The Lost Boys, written by two boys who were wards at the Albans Orphanage Asylum. She reads the book in sections at a time, because the way that the warden abuses the boys is so inhumane that she must stop and take breaks. After enduring the heartbreak of reading about how the boys survived through corporal punishments, such as ear boxing or ruler lashing, she grows sicker when they discuss going to the warden’s office. The warden would lock them in a closet as solitary confinement for days, where there was no room to stand up straight or lie down. Or during inclement weather, he would make them stand outside for hours on end, all while starving for days. These punishments didn’t come close to the beatings; from the warden and from student fighting that the warden had arraigned. But… the reason why the book makes John Barnett cry nearly made me drop my book!
The killer targets people who he feels are essentially unworthy of living. He begins by murdering a drug addict, followed by a severally mentally impaired man, a homeless woman, and ending with a police officer who suffers from late stages of disease that has rendered him impaired. The revelation of the killer was great for me (and the build up almost drove me crazy!). I wasn’t sure who it was going to be, so bravo again, Ms. Cave. I had lots of good guesses and “he” was one of them, but not my first pick. I found myself completely wrapped up in this amazingly well-written story that I would recommend to anyone who loves to read murder/mysteries! There was an air of mystery throughout the entire book, which made this book a memorable and lightning fast read. It definitely falls under the are-you-kidding-me-right-now-I’m-reading category for me and I am looking forward to reading Deadly Disclosures and Pieces of Light!
This book was written to be enjoyed. When I first saw the word eugenics I was terrified that I would get lost reading this book! Thankfully, Julie has made the learning process very enjoyable as she plopped 98% of the questions I had swirling around in my head right into the dialogue between Dinah and many of the eugenics experts. I was as horrified as Dinah when I learned that it involved the involuntary sterilization of individuals that were blind, deaf, alcoholic, deformed, homeless, insane, orphaned, poverty-stricken, and epileptic.
Dinah partners with Detective Cage in search of a killer who leaves sympathy cards with eugenic-laced quotes with his victims. While Dinah and Cage grow close, but not too close, they spend a lot of time searching for answers. Dinah pushes Cage to share why he works alone and Cage clams up. Dinah fights her urges to drink, misses a mtg. with her sponsor, lies about attending church, and eventually spirals out of control when she receives her own sympathy card saying “You’re next.”
Ella Barnett finds Dad in the attic bawling over a book, The Lost Boys, written by two boys who were wards at the Albans Orphanage Asylum. She reads the book in sections at a time, because the way that the warden abuses the boys is so inhumane that she must stop and take breaks. After enduring the heartbreak of reading about how the boys survived through corporal punishments, such as ear boxing or ruler lashing, she grows sicker when they discuss going to the warden’s office. The warden would lock them in a closet as solitary confinement for days, where there was no room to stand up straight or lie down. Or during inclement weather, he would make them stand outside for hours on end, all while starving for days. These punishments didn’t come close to the beatings; from the warden and from student fighting that the warden had arraigned. But… the reason why the book makes John Barnett cry nearly made me drop my book!
The killer targets people who he feels are essentially unworthy of living. He begins by murdering a drug addict, followed by a severally mentally impaired man, a homeless woman, and ending with a police officer who suffers from late stages of disease that has rendered him impaired. The revelation of the killer was great for me (and the build up almost drove me crazy!). I wasn’t sure who it was going to be, so bravo again, Ms. Cave. I had lots of good guesses and “he” was one of them, but not my first pick. I found myself completely wrapped up in this amazingly well-written story that I would recommend to anyone who loves to read murder/mysteries! There was an air of mystery throughout the entire book, which made this book a memorable and lightning fast read. It definitely falls under the are-you-kidding-me-right-now-I’m-reading category for me and I am looking forward to reading Deadly Disclosures and Pieces of Light!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2010
The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave, was a great! I am a huge fan of mysteries, and this one is over the top, with a few clues here and there, and a killer who seems to think he has the right to decide who lives and who dies based on their "value" to society! The author doesn't just give us an interesting murder mystery, but she also taught me about a subject that I knew virtually nothing about!
Dinah Harris, a recovering alcoholic, was one of the best profilers the FBI had, but they let her go because of her alcoholism. So she decided to hang out her shingle and use her skills on a consultancy basis. The first call she gets is from Detective Sampson Cage. There has been a murder,and he wants Dinah to help him figure out who the killer is.While there doesn't seem to be alot of clues with the first murder, just an old photograph. Soon there is another murder, and the clue that is left soon leads Dinah to believe the person committing the murders is somehow connected to the teachings and beliefs of neo-eugenics. Can Dinah figure out who is committing the murders?
While we get to see how the murderer operates in this novel, figuring out who he was wasn't so easy, because of the types of victims he chose, it was relatively easy to murder them and not be detected. I felt sad for the victims, who were down on their luck, and then someone comes along whom they think they can trust only to be murdered by that person.
Dinah was a christian who comes off as a very down to earth normal person. She is far from perfect, and her problem with alcoholism is something she struggles with on a daily basis.
The secondary story of Ella and her father, who was suffering from Alzheimer's, was interesting, and tied in to the main story at the end.
While this is the second story in the Dinah Harris mystery trilogy, it can easily be read as a stand alone work. The author provides enough information to allow you to read this story without feeling lost. I found the topics discussed in this story, such as euthanasia, alcoholism, and neo-eugenics, to be very well done, and I for one intend to learn more about neo-eugenics.
If your a fan of suspenseful mysteries, that also have a good christian message look no further, pick up the Dinah Harris mystery series,you won't be disappointed.
Book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Dinah Harris, a recovering alcoholic, was one of the best profilers the FBI had, but they let her go because of her alcoholism. So she decided to hang out her shingle and use her skills on a consultancy basis. The first call she gets is from Detective Sampson Cage. There has been a murder,and he wants Dinah to help him figure out who the killer is.While there doesn't seem to be alot of clues with the first murder, just an old photograph. Soon there is another murder, and the clue that is left soon leads Dinah to believe the person committing the murders is somehow connected to the teachings and beliefs of neo-eugenics. Can Dinah figure out who is committing the murders?
While we get to see how the murderer operates in this novel, figuring out who he was wasn't so easy, because of the types of victims he chose, it was relatively easy to murder them and not be detected. I felt sad for the victims, who were down on their luck, and then someone comes along whom they think they can trust only to be murdered by that person.
Dinah was a christian who comes off as a very down to earth normal person. She is far from perfect, and her problem with alcoholism is something she struggles with on a daily basis.
The secondary story of Ella and her father, who was suffering from Alzheimer's, was interesting, and tied in to the main story at the end.
While this is the second story in the Dinah Harris mystery trilogy, it can easily be read as a stand alone work. The author provides enough information to allow you to read this story without feeling lost. I found the topics discussed in this story, such as euthanasia, alcoholism, and neo-eugenics, to be very well done, and I for one intend to learn more about neo-eugenics.
If your a fan of suspenseful mysteries, that also have a good christian message look no further, pick up the Dinah Harris mystery series,you won't be disappointed.
Book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2011
All men are created equal. Or are they? One of America's core beliefs is about to be challenged. There's a killer on the loose who is intent on making a point. Those deemed unworthy – the prostitutes, mentally ill, alcoholics, and homeless – are all lower on the evolutionary scale and ought to be eradicated. Former FBI Agent Dinah Harris is hired by the mysterious Detective Samson Cage to assist in the investigation and gets a crash course into the world of neo-eugenics. As a recovering alcoholic, staying sober is hard enough. But when the killer targets her personally, the stakes are higher than ever before.
The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave is the second book in the Dinah Harris trilogy. In my opinion, it is better than the first book though I do recommend reading them in order. Dinah Harris is a deeply intricate character that captures and holds the attention of the reader. Half-mystery and half-suspense, this book keeps the reader guessing about the killer's identity. There is also a sub-plot that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Dinah's part of the story until the very end. I am always impressed when an author writes so well that I can't predict who did it until the chosen moment of revelation.
I applaud Cave for her boldness in tackling the topic of neo-eugenics. In way of warning, I think that politically liberal readers will probably take offense at some portions of this book. The book takes obvious stabs at prevailing liberal philosophies. From mocking evolutionary beliefs to quoting Obama's “no longer a Christian nation” statement, the author attacks ideologies and defends her own. Personally, I agree with the author's beliefs. I just feel it necessary to warn of the prevalent conservative bias that may cause some readers to discard the book rather than considering Cave's argument.
I recommend reading this book with an open mind.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from New Leaf Publishing Group as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave is the second book in the Dinah Harris trilogy. In my opinion, it is better than the first book though I do recommend reading them in order. Dinah Harris is a deeply intricate character that captures and holds the attention of the reader. Half-mystery and half-suspense, this book keeps the reader guessing about the killer's identity. There is also a sub-plot that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Dinah's part of the story until the very end. I am always impressed when an author writes so well that I can't predict who did it until the chosen moment of revelation.
I applaud Cave for her boldness in tackling the topic of neo-eugenics. In way of warning, I think that politically liberal readers will probably take offense at some portions of this book. The book takes obvious stabs at prevailing liberal philosophies. From mocking evolutionary beliefs to quoting Obama's “no longer a Christian nation” statement, the author attacks ideologies and defends her own. Personally, I agree with the author's beliefs. I just feel it necessary to warn of the prevalent conservative bias that may cause some readers to discard the book rather than considering Cave's argument.
I recommend reading this book with an open mind.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from New Leaf Publishing Group as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
January 1, 2011
A Dinah Harris Mystery
Julie Cave
2010
Master Books a Division of New Leaf Publishing
Fiction/Suspense/Mystery
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Dinah Harris has been through the wringer, a high profile, profiler with the FBI, she finds herself fired. Her alcoholism has finally cost her, her job. After solving the murders of the Smithsonian staff members, and showing up in public drunk, she was too much of a liability to the FBI. So after going into rehab, and giving her life to God, Dinah is ready to start living again. Sober. She starts up her own business as a consultant, to help police or other agencies with crimes they have trouble solving.
She soon finds herself immersed in a case with Detective Samson Cage. Someone is killing what would appear to be to the killer "the undesirables." Trying to glean out the people he feels has nothing to offer society. As she and Detective Cage investigate this case and learn more about eugenics and what was driving this mad killer.
Struggling with her alcoholism and her anger issues, Dinah and Detective Cage seem to be an odd pair. He is rarely ruffled, and seems to be in control of himself at all times, and Dinah who seems to constantly battle her anger issues, they indeed are an odd pair. But getting to know each other and working closely Dinah learns things about Detective Cage run much deeper than the surface appears. Trying to figure all that out, on top of finding a killer, keeps Dinah on her toes.
Julie Cave has brought another awesome book, and I so excited to finish it and write this review. Her first book Deadly Disclosures was an awesome book, and really pegged our government and society, as does this one. I truly enjoyed this book, and they just get better each book, and I cannot wait for Pieces of Light due out in June of 2011. 281 pages $US 9.99 5 stars
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
Download the first chapter of Pieces of Light at www.juliecave.com
Julie Cave
2010
Master Books a Division of New Leaf Publishing
Fiction/Suspense/Mystery
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Dinah Harris has been through the wringer, a high profile, profiler with the FBI, she finds herself fired. Her alcoholism has finally cost her, her job. After solving the murders of the Smithsonian staff members, and showing up in public drunk, she was too much of a liability to the FBI. So after going into rehab, and giving her life to God, Dinah is ready to start living again. Sober. She starts up her own business as a consultant, to help police or other agencies with crimes they have trouble solving.
She soon finds herself immersed in a case with Detective Samson Cage. Someone is killing what would appear to be to the killer "the undesirables." Trying to glean out the people he feels has nothing to offer society. As she and Detective Cage investigate this case and learn more about eugenics and what was driving this mad killer.
Struggling with her alcoholism and her anger issues, Dinah and Detective Cage seem to be an odd pair. He is rarely ruffled, and seems to be in control of himself at all times, and Dinah who seems to constantly battle her anger issues, they indeed are an odd pair. But getting to know each other and working closely Dinah learns things about Detective Cage run much deeper than the surface appears. Trying to figure all that out, on top of finding a killer, keeps Dinah on her toes.
Julie Cave has brought another awesome book, and I so excited to finish it and write this review. Her first book Deadly Disclosures was an awesome book, and really pegged our government and society, as does this one. I truly enjoyed this book, and they just get better each book, and I cannot wait for Pieces of Light due out in June of 2011. 281 pages $US 9.99 5 stars
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
Download the first chapter of Pieces of Light at www.juliecave.com
December 31, 2010
I won this book through http://goodreads.com, a first reads giveaway. The book was described as a Pro-Christian mystery. The main character, Dinah Harris, is a former FBI agent who is struggling with alcoholism. The problem with the story is that Dinah was totally unbelievable as an Ex-FBI agent. Most of the characters in the book were poorly done or they were a stereotype.
It's clear that Julie Cave is using the mystery to push the Christian and creation science points of view. The problem is that it reads like she wrote the Bible verses, “sermons” and the creation science view of evolution first then tried to make a mystery fit around it. This made for a clunky story with weak characters who had little ability to investigate a crime. There were times that the action in the story was out of place and irrelevant to the story, except for the fact it was putting forth the creation science view.
There was one storyline in the book that I really enjoy (for awhile). It was about a woman named Ella who was the sole caregiver for her farther who suffers from Alzheimer's. Reading this storyline you got a real feel for the love and dedication it takes to be a caregiver, along with the exhaustion, frustration, embarrassment, anger, guilt and all of the other emotions that goes along with it. But as this story folded into the mystery it lost some of it's potential. This storyline showed how faith, your minister and your church community could help you through tough times, it also became a story of forgiveness. This was the only part of the book, in my opinion, that Julie Cave did a seamless job connecting the story and getting her Christian views across without it feeling forced. (Forget about the mystery and write more stories along these lines).
As far as mysteries goes I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
It's clear that Julie Cave is using the mystery to push the Christian and creation science points of view. The problem is that it reads like she wrote the Bible verses, “sermons” and the creation science view of evolution first then tried to make a mystery fit around it. This made for a clunky story with weak characters who had little ability to investigate a crime. There were times that the action in the story was out of place and irrelevant to the story, except for the fact it was putting forth the creation science view.
There was one storyline in the book that I really enjoy (for awhile). It was about a woman named Ella who was the sole caregiver for her farther who suffers from Alzheimer's. Reading this storyline you got a real feel for the love and dedication it takes to be a caregiver, along with the exhaustion, frustration, embarrassment, anger, guilt and all of the other emotions that goes along with it. But as this story folded into the mystery it lost some of it's potential. This storyline showed how faith, your minister and your church community could help you through tough times, it also became a story of forgiveness. This was the only part of the book, in my opinion, that Julie Cave did a seamless job connecting the story and getting her Christian views across without it feeling forced. (Forget about the mystery and write more stories along these lines).
As far as mysteries goes I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
January 5, 2011
The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave
Reviewed by Moirae the fates books reviews.
Against this backdrop, Dinah must come to terms with her own past, as those associated with the deepening mystery face their own personal demons, and struggle with the concept of God's inexhaustible grace and forgiveness.
Old secrets are revealed, tragedies unearthed, and the devastating legacy of science without compassion is finally brought to light.
(Synopsis provided by good reads )
This is the first book by Cave I have read. This is also the second book in the series. I enjoy reading mysteries and was excited to read this one. It is a Christian novel and I haven’t found many good Christian mystery novels. But I enjoyed this one. I never found the book to be preachy which is important for some readers.
My one complaint about the book is the lack of clues for the reader to string together to come up with the conclusion. If you are the type that wants to solve the crime before the book ends, I would suggest you read Agatha Christi or Stephen King or authors who have mystery that one can solve while reading.
The characters are believable and the dialogue is decent. The character development was really good and the writing style was amazing.
I would read more books by this author as well as recommend this author to other readers of mystery.
Over all rating:
*** 3 out of 5 stars
Cover art:
I thought the cover art was a little odd.
Obtained
I won this book from Goodreads first reads.
Reviewed by Moirae the fates books reviews.
Against this backdrop, Dinah must come to terms with her own past, as those associated with the deepening mystery face their own personal demons, and struggle with the concept of God's inexhaustible grace and forgiveness.
Old secrets are revealed, tragedies unearthed, and the devastating legacy of science without compassion is finally brought to light.
(Synopsis provided by good reads )
This is the first book by Cave I have read. This is also the second book in the series. I enjoy reading mysteries and was excited to read this one. It is a Christian novel and I haven’t found many good Christian mystery novels. But I enjoyed this one. I never found the book to be preachy which is important for some readers.
My one complaint about the book is the lack of clues for the reader to string together to come up with the conclusion. If you are the type that wants to solve the crime before the book ends, I would suggest you read Agatha Christi or Stephen King or authors who have mystery that one can solve while reading.
The characters are believable and the dialogue is decent. The character development was really good and the writing style was amazing.
I would read more books by this author as well as recommend this author to other readers of mystery.
Over all rating:
*** 3 out of 5 stars
Cover art:
I thought the cover art was a little odd.
Obtained
I won this book from Goodreads first reads.
February 7, 2012
This is the second book in the Dinah Harris series and it is as interesting to read as the first one.
What I enjoy most about these books are the characters, especially Dinah, who is as flawed and wonderful as anyone you might meet in real life. She truly carries the story and steals every scene she’s in. She seemed a bit more passive in this book than in the previous one, but that might have been done intentionally, to demonstrate the change she’s gone through. Cage, the other main character in this book, was quite funny in his straight-laced manner. They complemented each other very well.
Now, what I had the most trouble with was, again, the chunks of this book that were mainly preaching. I don’t mind reading Christian books, but when the sermonizing gets in the way of the story it does begin to bug me a bit. No, I don’t agree with everything said about Darwin and his contemporaries and I definitely don’t agree that throughout the ages the Christian religion has remained free of racism and all kinds of prejudice (the Inquisition, anyone? Or the Crusades?) while the rest of the world has not, as some of the characters claim, but what bothers me the most is that I was yanked away from the engrossing plot many times to ponder all of this. It just felt forced.
Overall, the story was entertaining. If you are not bothered too much by a bit of preaching, then this one is a good choice for mystery lovers.
What I enjoy most about these books are the characters, especially Dinah, who is as flawed and wonderful as anyone you might meet in real life. She truly carries the story and steals every scene she’s in. She seemed a bit more passive in this book than in the previous one, but that might have been done intentionally, to demonstrate the change she’s gone through. Cage, the other main character in this book, was quite funny in his straight-laced manner. They complemented each other very well.
Now, what I had the most trouble with was, again, the chunks of this book that were mainly preaching. I don’t mind reading Christian books, but when the sermonizing gets in the way of the story it does begin to bug me a bit. No, I don’t agree with everything said about Darwin and his contemporaries and I definitely don’t agree that throughout the ages the Christian religion has remained free of racism and all kinds of prejudice (the Inquisition, anyone? Or the Crusades?) while the rest of the world has not, as some of the characters claim, but what bothers me the most is that I was yanked away from the engrossing plot many times to ponder all of this. It just felt forced.
Overall, the story was entertaining. If you are not bothered too much by a bit of preaching, then this one is a good choice for mystery lovers.
May 3, 2011
Dinah Harris is back in her second novel, this time as an independant consultant after her release from the FBI. Trying with God's help to get her alcoholism under control, she is nervous about starting her own business. Her first case comes through Detective Sampson Cage who is trying to find a serial killer with a message. Seems this serial killer is into neo-eugenics, or survival of the fittest of the human raise. Leaving his 'calling card' at each death of those who seem unfit to reproduce or make a positive impact on the world and must be gotten rid of.
This story has a secondary story within of a daughter Ella and her Father who is suffering severe alzheimers and the guilt Ella is feeling as she tries to care for him. I love how these stories intertwine throughout the novel.
The subject of Neo-genenics was a new concept to me and I appreciated the research that Julie Cave did to provide the reader with a basic idea of what lies behind it. It was a scary subject to read about and consider that there are people out there with similar views. I didn't care for this novel as much as her previous simply because of this subject matter. I love suspense but serial killers kind of wig me out :)
Still a fantastic novel and I am excited to read her 3rd one coming out this summer!
This story has a secondary story within of a daughter Ella and her Father who is suffering severe alzheimers and the guilt Ella is feeling as she tries to care for him. I love how these stories intertwine throughout the novel.
The subject of Neo-genenics was a new concept to me and I appreciated the research that Julie Cave did to provide the reader with a basic idea of what lies behind it. It was a scary subject to read about and consider that there are people out there with similar views. I didn't care for this novel as much as her previous simply because of this subject matter. I love suspense but serial killers kind of wig me out :)
Still a fantastic novel and I am excited to read her 3rd one coming out this summer!
December 30, 2010
Julie Cave impressed me with her first book, Deadly Disclosures, however her second book, The Shadowed Mind is even better in my opinion.
It’s exciting to me when an author writes a fantastic debut and then is even better the second time around. Little known subjects such as eugenics and underground extreme martial arts are key parts of this riveting story which I found fascinating. This story and its characters interested me so much, it made for a quick read because I wanted to get to the end and find out “who done it”!
If you haven’t read the first book in the series, I do think it would be helpful to do so just to have more background information on Dinah and fully understand what makes her tick. As a recovering alcoholic, Dinah still struggles with sobriety. No longer an FBI agent, Dinah sets up her own consulting firm hoping that her legendary profiling skills will take her down a new career path. Her first case quickly evolves into what appears to be a serial killer with a strange agenda.
Fans of mystery and spine-tingling suspense will not want to miss out on Julie Cave’s second book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. The third book, Pieces of Light is expected to be available in June 2011.
It’s exciting to me when an author writes a fantastic debut and then is even better the second time around. Little known subjects such as eugenics and underground extreme martial arts are key parts of this riveting story which I found fascinating. This story and its characters interested me so much, it made for a quick read because I wanted to get to the end and find out “who done it”!
If you haven’t read the first book in the series, I do think it would be helpful to do so just to have more background information on Dinah and fully understand what makes her tick. As a recovering alcoholic, Dinah still struggles with sobriety. No longer an FBI agent, Dinah sets up her own consulting firm hoping that her legendary profiling skills will take her down a new career path. Her first case quickly evolves into what appears to be a serial killer with a strange agenda.
Fans of mystery and spine-tingling suspense will not want to miss out on Julie Cave’s second book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. The third book, Pieces of Light is expected to be available in June 2011.
June 18, 2011
This is the second book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Dinah is still recovering from her recent firing from the FBI and has decided to contract out her services. She received a call and off she goes. The first body is a young girl found in an alley with no obvious trauma except a snapped neck. The only clue the killer left is a sympathy card with a cryptic message. Can Dinah solve this one before anyone else loses their life?
This book focuses on eugenics and euthanasia. The killer is bound and determined to "cleanse" the location where he resides. There is heavy dialogue concerning Christianity and the reasons that euthanasia and eugenics do not fit into the Christian religion. I learned many of the historical aspects of these topics while reading this book (even though it's a work of fiction, the history is correct).
I thought I had the killer figured out fairly early on only to find out I was way off! I love when I can't figure it out before the author reveals the culprit! This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat! I do recommend this book to all who love a good mystery and can appreciate dialogues in Christian living!
This book focuses on eugenics and euthanasia. The killer is bound and determined to "cleanse" the location where he resides. There is heavy dialogue concerning Christianity and the reasons that euthanasia and eugenics do not fit into the Christian religion. I learned many of the historical aspects of these topics while reading this book (even though it's a work of fiction, the history is correct).
I thought I had the killer figured out fairly early on only to find out I was way off! I love when I can't figure it out before the author reveals the culprit! This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat! I do recommend this book to all who love a good mystery and can appreciate dialogues in Christian living!
December 27, 2010
Julie Cave has a great future in Christian fiction. I was really impressed with her book The Shadowed Mind. I read it in less than two days. I simply couldn’t put it down.
While fiction, Cave deals with some heavy stuff in The Shadowed Mind. The main topic underlying the storyline is eugenics, including the controversial debate over euthanasia, and the discussion of whether nurture or nature is supreme in dictating a person’s destiny.
Cave lands solidly on the sanctity of life, and does so with logically sound reasoning. And with the scriptural principles found throughout the book, as well as Scripture itself, The Shadowed Mind is a great read, and is free from a lot of the crud that mainstream fiction seems to include by default.
I loved reading The Shadowed Mind, and plan on purchasing the other books in this series by Julie Cave, one of which won’t be released until June. Until then, I’ll have to pick up her first book and be content. Sigh.
Well done, Julie!
While fiction, Cave deals with some heavy stuff in The Shadowed Mind. The main topic underlying the storyline is eugenics, including the controversial debate over euthanasia, and the discussion of whether nurture or nature is supreme in dictating a person’s destiny.
Cave lands solidly on the sanctity of life, and does so with logically sound reasoning. And with the scriptural principles found throughout the book, as well as Scripture itself, The Shadowed Mind is a great read, and is free from a lot of the crud that mainstream fiction seems to include by default.
I loved reading The Shadowed Mind, and plan on purchasing the other books in this series by Julie Cave, one of which won’t be released until June. Until then, I’ll have to pick up her first book and be content. Sigh.
Well done, Julie!
March 6, 2011
It’s been six months since Dinah Harris and the FBI parted company. Her last case, which she came to think of as the Smithsonian murders, with the FBI had forced her into rehab. Now she’s beginning over as a freelance consultant-after all she had been a top profiler.
Once again Julie Cave has composed a tightly woven intricately plotted page turner, her clearly outlined characters skillfully lead you through the story.
Early one morning Dinah anxiously answers the phone to Detective Sam Cage looking for her opinion on the murder of street kid—in his experience it doesn’t seem typical. Could this become a string of killings?
As the bodies add up new theories are put to the test. Could the murderer think of his acts essentially as mercy killings? Is it possible that there is a movement in favor of “Social Darwinism” in the city? Dinah and Sam seem to be finding more and more questions.
Once again Julie Cave has composed a tightly woven intricately plotted page turner, her clearly outlined characters skillfully lead you through the story.
Early one morning Dinah anxiously answers the phone to Detective Sam Cage looking for her opinion on the murder of street kid—in his experience it doesn’t seem typical. Could this become a string of killings?
As the bodies add up new theories are put to the test. Could the murderer think of his acts essentially as mercy killings? Is it possible that there is a movement in favor of “Social Darwinism” in the city? Dinah and Sam seem to be finding more and more questions.
January 24, 2011
Another gripping mystery by Julie Cave, The Shadowed Mind does not disappoint. Following on from her investigation of the Smithsonian murders, Dinah Harris is called on as a private consultant to help solve another string of grisly murders while dealing with the repercussions from her last case. The topic of neo-eugenics features heavily in this book and I found that though disturbing, it was certainly eye-opening to learn about a topic that isn't much discussed anymore. Cave also touches on euthanasia, a controversial topic that is certainly current in today's society. The book is well researched and I really appreciated the Christian principles resounding throughout the book while dealing with such controversial issues. A gripping mystery, a thrilling ride and a topical eye-opener, The Shadowed Mind ticks all the right boxes!
June 23, 2011
In Deadly Disclosures readers were introduced to Dinah Harris, a troubled and discredited FBI agent who is brought in to assist the FBI when the secretary of the Smithsonian goes missing and is found dead. Dinah Harris is back in book 2, Shadowed Mind, this time dealing with a killer determined to rid society of 'undesirables' and a secret organization called The Movement. Once again, Julie Cave has written a tight, suspense-filled thriller that will keep the reader guessing as to the identity of the killer until nearly the last page is turned.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Book Review: Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave, Dinah Harris Mystery book 2 - San Francisco Christian fiction | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/christian-fic...
June 25, 2024
I love how Julie delves into the darker side of humanity that many Christian novels tend to shy away from. Her writing is griping and keeps you on the edge of your seat. In this books she keeps changing between three perspectives, which I found intriguing, and unlike some authors who flip perspectives it was easy to follow along while keeping you wondering how it will all tie together. This books deals with those who believe that people who are “unfit” should not be allowed to live, and shows the great contrast between that belief and God’s mercy for everyone. I love the series so much I bought both books for my mom in law for Mother’s Day. She loved them as much as I do! I cannot wait to being reading Pieces of light and I would highly recommend the entire series to any one who loves Christian fiction or suspense novels!
March 3, 2014
This second Dinah Harris Mystery was better than the first. It was interesting and informative and written well. I was kept in suspense until the very end, which says a lot as I can usually figure out the "who done it" half way into a mystery. (Too many CSIs). The only down side was some of the long explanations. Though pertinent to the story, they sometimes got a bit tedious. There was also a side story that I'm not sure needed as much detail it was given, but did not take away from the story. I am looking forward to reading the 3rd book.
I would give this book 4.5 stars if the rating scale would allow it. I definitely would recommend this book.
I would give this book 4.5 stars if the rating scale would allow it. I definitely would recommend this book.
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