| Title | : | Unspoken: (A Contemporary Crime Case Suspense Thriller and Clean Romance) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 450 |
| Publication | : | First published October 1, 2013 |
Unspoken: (A Contemporary Crime Case Suspense Thriller and Clean Romance) Reviews
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I know I shouldn’t complain about free books, but just over three months to approve a NetGalley request and nine days after the book’s release date. Excuse me…what? Now my reviewing queue is all out of whack, and I feel like I’ve been hung from the rafters by my ankles by a former NFL linebacker.
I suppose I should have counted on the fact that my request might have been approved, but I’m a writer, and I know how rejection works. If you don’t hear anything after a month or so (sometimes longer), you mark that particular request down as a no, and you move on with your life. I know I did. But I was tossed back in the game. So here we are you and I.
Before we stroll too far in this particular endeavor together, though, I should mention this novel is Christian fiction. So if that ain’t how you like to spike your punch bowl, then you might want to exit stage right, or duck and cover. I won’t be offended, but Jesus might.
All this novel needed was a funeral.
Faith reminds me of a blanket wrapped tight around you. It’s beautiful and comforting and wonderful and protecting. It fills your life with purpose and hope and promise, and it points you in the right direction, guiding you along a path better than the one you could have chosen for yourself. But it can be a thin veil, and when it shatters or tears apart, it’s completely ripped to shreds, and those wonderful, comforting feelings disintegrate into a cloud of dust. Charlotte is broken, and UNSPOKEN covers her journey to find her way back.
This book felt like it had a bit of an identity crisis. Sure, there was suspense, and there was romance, but I never felt like the two blended together as seamlessly as they should have. Instead of peanut butter and jelly, it was more oil and water.
I didn’t hate it, but I can’t say I particularly liked it either. In the end, I just sort of shrugged my shoulders and set the book aside, as I moved on to the next one.
I received this book for free through NetGalley.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads -
This pains me on so many levels to give an author I love so much such a low rating. Literally, I am sick to my stomach.
I'm a big fan of Dee Henderson. I think her O'Malley series was pure writing genius and probably defined the genre of Christian Romantic Suspense-- in my opinion.
But this book leaves me completely scratching my head. I have not read Full Disclosure (book one of the series) partly because it was a mixed bag of reviews and I didn't want it to taint my view of her writing-- reading all the negative reviews of Full Disclosure.
First of all, I stuck with the book 100 pages (20%) but had to give up. As an author, my TBR pile is too high to stick with a book I'm not enjoying. And sadly, this is what I have to say about Unspoken.
From the first 100 pages, it's not a romance (I didn't find any spark between Charlotte and Bryce), it's not a suspense (Charlotte's life is never in danger) so it's not romantic suspense either.
What it seems to be is a creative way to educate about coins and coin dealers which is why it generated two stars because that was at least somewhat interesting but honestly . . . after 100 pages . . . I'm like, "enough about the coins."
I will always respect and admire Dee Henderson for her O'Mally series and True Valor Series. Even The Witness-- which is one of her later works-- fits much more into what I love about Dee and I recommend reading those if you are a new reader to this author because she has written AMAZING stories.
However-- this one I cannot recommend.
Thank you Bethany House via Net Galley for giving me an ARC copy of this novel for review. Obviously, a positive review was not required for my copy of this story. -
I really wish Dee Henderson had stuck with her style of writing that she used in her previous books. I was hoping that Full Disclosure was an aberration and that this book would go back to the Dee Henderson books I love to re-read (O'Malley series and Uncommon Heroes series). Unfortunately I was wrong. I now know more about coins than I ever wish I did. And can there really be that many thousands of rare coins that are worth that much? I'm thinking that's a little on the fantasy side. I was really wanting more on the kidnapping, but that was a disappointment as well. Just some hints to get you going, but bam! nothing. I read some reviews from her Full Disclosure book and some mentioned that she must have been abducted by aliens. While that is funny, but totally unrealistic, I understand their frustration. What has happened to Dee? She went, what, a year or two without releasing any new books and then these? I'm hesitant to read her upcoming book Undetected. I'm afraid it will be a continuation of her two previous books. A big disappointment.
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Dee Henderson penned a beautiful novel with Unspoken. For some, the beginning may be boring, but for me it was fascinating and I’ll explain why.
Bryce Bishop is a businessman who owns a coin exchange/dealership. Charlotte buys the store front next door to his and thus their relationship begins, when she introduces him to a massive coin collection from her grandfather’s estate.
Now, the beginning of this novel is all about the coins. The grades, the different types, the quantity and their worth. Very little is mentioned about Charlotte’s past making you read on, begging to get a small snippet of information about her mysterious background.
I work in a bank and the information and knowledge Henderson describes these coins with fascinated me. I was definitely intrigued by this section of the book and as I mentioned above, some may find it boring, but I found it really neat!
The middle to about 3/4 of the way through the book is when the thrill aspect makes a larger appearance, slowly diving into Charlotte’s past.
I also enjoyed the small side story with Paul and Ann Falcon throughout the book. Giving some added thrill with a cold case for Baby Conner that they were working on. It broke things up a bit and gives the reader another aspect to focus on.
Also, the secondary characters, John and Ellie, were so lovable and unique in their own way. I liked them just as much as the main characters, Bryce and Charlotte.
Overall, without giving anything important away, I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Dee Henderson! -
This is not one of my favourites from Dee Henderson. The first 40% included an overload of information on coins which was way too boring for me. The book could have excluded all that.
The only reason I kept on reading was the mystery surrounding Charlotte's kidnapping which was intriguing but at the end also disappointing because I thought a bigger secret etc would have been revealed. The main revelation I guessed early on.
The relationship between Bryce and Charlotte was different and at first I didn't like the development, but as the relationship grew, it grew on me too.
All in all an ok read. Nothing like the O'Malley series though. -
I’ve read almost all of Dee Henderson’s books. I loved her Uncommon Heroes series, and I loved the early books in the O’Malley series (I also loved the last one, but the three in the middle? Not so much). She also wrote two very good stand-alone novels, then didn’t publish anything for several years.
So when Full Disclosure came out last year, I was keen to read it—until I saw the reviews. I did eventually buy and read Full Disclosure, and found I agreed with all the critical reviews. I donated my copy to the church library where I can forget it ever existed.
So you will understand why I was apprehensive about Henderson’s new book, Unspoken. The blurb didn’t make it clear if this was related to Full Disclosure or not (and I see being related to Full Disclosure as a bad thing).
First, it seems to me that Henderson has already done the kidnapped twin plot in Danger in the Shadows (the O’Malley prequel). Second, the blurb was released at the same time as the revolting Castro kidnapping came to light, and it seemed pretty obvious what would have happened to the fictional Charlotte Graham, and that wasn’t something I want to read about. It seems almost voyeuristic. Abhorrent as this is, it also seemed that if this wasn’t what happened in Unspoken, it wouldn’t be true to life.
Unspoken wasn’t perfect. It is a sequel to Full Disclosure, and Paul Falcon and Ann Silver do feature, but Ann has mellowed in marriage and is a lot more of a relatable character. I found it odd that we had a romantic suspense novel that didn’t have a single scene from the heroine’s viewpoint. The book was written almost entirely from the male point of view: Bryce Bishop, Paul Falcon and John Key (Charlotte’s bodyguard, not the Prime Minister of New Zealand). It’s possible the book was too long and that there was too much information about antique coins (Bryce is a coin dealer; Charlotte has a collection to sell).
Henderson is still obsessed with writing about uber-rich characters. She might be making the point that no amount of money will fill the God-shaped hole inside us, but the pattern is starting to come across as unrealistic fantasy, in much the same was as Karen Kingsbury’s most recent novels. And I’m not entirely convinced by Charlotte’s about-face at the end. It felt a little as though Henderson had written herself into a corner and didn’t actually have an answer to her central question.
So what did I like about Unspoken?
I liked Charlotte’s central conflict, which takes the “why does God allow bad things to happen” question one step further. Charlotte’s view is that God is too willing to forgive—she doesn’t want anything to do with a God who would give a second chance to the men who hurt her. It’s an intriguing premise. I’m not convinced it was answered satisfactorily, but it’s an excellent question.
I liked the fact that Unspoken didn’t go into any detail about what actually happened during those four missing years, but instead trusted the reader to fill in the blanks.
I liked the writing. There was a poignancy, an almost-unbearable sadness about some of it, and even though we were never inside Charlotte’s head, I could understand her in a way I never understood Full Disclosure’s Ann Silver. Her background meant it made sense that she was insular, reluctant to trust others and had no intention of ever marrying. What would be character faults in anyone else were understandable in Charlotte, given her background.
And I loved Bryce Bishop. I have no idea why this man is still single at forty (except that this is a novel). He’s patient, loving and unselfish—everything a romantic hero should be (his only fault is that he is too perfect). So while I still don’t like Full Disclosure, I very much enjoyed Unspoken and would recommend it.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. -
Recently re-read this book for what was probably the fourth time. I truly adore these characters. Bryce is such a patient man. Especially given the circumstances from the beginning of the book and all the surprises sprung on him. I love Charlotte too. She has a little bit of a flair for drama that adds a lot of excitement to this book. I adore her loyalty to her friends. And her desire to protect her family. This is another book where I truly appreciate the spiritual depth but also the realism in the relationship between Bryce and Charlotte. I love their long talks but I equally love the times when they are together but silent. I love how they trust each other. I think I could re-read this book each month and never grow tired of it!
Original review from 2013
I finished this book in record time because it was so good! I loved seeing characters from Full Disclosure again! I also loved meeting the new characters in this book. Charlotte's life experiences made me cry more than once. She was kidnapped when she was 16 and held captive for 4 years. Her pain in unthinkable. But nonetheless she is a remarkable woman learning to live again. Bryce is equally enthralling. He is probably the most patient character Dee Henderson has ever created. But his patience makes him the best man in the world to help Charlotte begin to overcome her pain.
I love how Henderson always weaves a salvation story into her books. Whether the person is coming to Christ for the first time or coming back to Christ she always makes sure that is key part of each story she pens and that is probably one of my favorite parts of each of her books. Seeing Charlotte learn to trust in God again is amazing.
This story is so intricate and detailed that you almost can't even believe how some of the details end up fitting together. The crime and suspense parts are so specific and are a true testament to how great a writer Henderson is. The love between the characters is so amazing it made me tear up more than once. And that is not just the romantic love (though that was great!) but also the amazing friendships.
I cannot wait to read the next book she writes!
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Bethany House, in exchange for my honest review. -
I guess I'll go ahead & give this book 3 stars... I really enjoyed the basic story line, but I didn't really care for the way Henderson went about telling it. All the side story about the coins & stuff got really annoying & nearly drove me crazy. I honestly did not care to know all the information that she shared & most of the info didn't seem relevant to the story. As long as I was reading it almost non-stop, I did okay. If I ever put it down, though, it was very easy to forget about it and read something else.
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This seemed to be the book that would never end.
Many hours went into reading it .. i never could figure out exactly where it was going.
It was good but a bit exhausting too.
Heavy duty.
Happily let the Covid-19 pandemonium slide away as I immersed myself in this compelling tale for the last 4 days.
True crime feel. -
My Reflections:
Dee Henderson is known for her brilliant romantic suspense books, she is a solid writer who does her research. I must say she has done more than her share of research in this novel, let me tell you. I don't think I have learned that much about coins...ever...My husband loves coins and I often go glassy eyed when he talks about them, unfortunately this book talks about coins and the business of selling them more than my husband.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, as an avid reader I enjoy most books I read, unfortunately this one just didn't do it for me. Perhaps it was the complexity of the characters, the unhurried plot, or that the story continuously switches from character to character. It could very well have been the intertwining plots that distracted me from the main story.
That being said I did enjoy parts of the story line. One in particular was the point where we learn why Charlotte struggles with her faith, the questions she has about why God didn't protect her from her kidnappers and the aspects of forgiveness. This is serious subject matter, and I quite liked the way this faith message was delivered. I also enjoyed Bryce Bishops character, he was a genuinely nice hero, kind, patient, and a godly man willing to nurture Charlotte with respect and gentleness.
So in closing, I can't in all honesty recommend this book, It was extremely difficult for me to dredge through the 441 pages it took to complete the book and fulfill my obligation to write this review. That being said it could just be me, perhaps you are a fan of coins, long dialog and slow blooming romance? Don't let me sway you, decide for yourself!
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group". - See more at:
http://citygirlmovestothecountry-tany... -
This review contains some general spoilers!
This was pretty good (a lot better than Full Disclosure). Other reviews have said the got bored with the coin stuff, but I found all of that interesting so was happy to learn about it. I did however agree with those who suggested that Charlotte was a difficult character to fully empathise with. She kept her thoughts and emotions so tightly guarded that she was difficult to understand. Part way through the story Bryce states that he would be okay just being Charlotte's friend for the next fifty years, and by the end of the book it seemed that was actually a possibility (if not fifty years, then at least five or ten!) I found this pretty depressing (understandable in some ways due to the trauma she apparently endured, but which is never clarified!) but not particularly romantic. Some sort of epilogue set several years into the future would have helped I think, but unfortunately none was written so I was left feeling a little disappointed and depressed! A shame because otherwise it was a really enjoyable story! -
Well, I just wrote four negative paragraphs about this book for my review and then deleted them. It was a vent, I got over it and I feel better, and spared you what’s been said in all the other negative reviews, mostly about how long it was.
So instead, for my reasons (so I can recall some detail about the book in a few years) I'll give a slight summary, but I’ll consider it a spoiler.
Very different book. There were some interesting theological discussions I enjoyed and prayers by Bryce that were lovely.
Now I’m hoping the next in the series will have something other than a damaged woman. And I still don’t know who Marie is. She's mentioned cryptically as a well known reclusive artist in a few books, but no one just spills it. She's supposed to be the sister of one of the characters, who lives in New York, but then someone thinks she's really Ellie, but the answer to that was vague. Who is Marie?? It’s driving me a little batty. 😖 -
Much improved from
Before I Wake and this one actually is one of Henderson's newer ones! I was expecting it to fall short of my expectations, but it certainly didn't. I rated it four stars because I couldn't pull myself away from it, but from an honest viewpoint I think I'd give it more a 3.5 rating.
First, I liked how Charlotte and Bryce weren't cops or FBI or detectives or any such thing. They were more "normal" (well, except for the rich part :D). But to those who like Henderson's suspense books, this one will not fall short. I also like the progress that Charlotte goes through from the beginning to end.
The Spiritual content was very good. Lots of intense conversations and lessons in there about trusting God even when we feel like He has let us down. The only thing I wish that the characters had been shown going to church...and I realized they didn't even bless their food before they ate. That surprised me.
The romance was believable and moved at a good rate. I liked how there was an attraction from the beginning, but it wasn't in your face as you read it (No "She was so gorgeous" or "He couldn't stop thinking about her. What was wrong with him?" kind of comments). I wouldn't agree with everything in the couples relationship, but from a general Christian view it's "clean". There is one kiss before marriage, one or two mentions of sleeping together after getting married (that is basically how it is worded), and you get the insinuation that a girl was taken advantage of but no details are given.
My slow brain, but I just realized Grage Collier, the reporter mentioned in this book, is first spoken of in
The Healer, I believe. This report is also spoken of in
Before I Wake!! So neat. And Lisa from the O'Malley series is mentioned in passing. *squeal*.
My dislikes:
-A big chunk at the beginning is centered a lot around coins. Like there are some scenes that all they talk about is how much a coin is worth. Skim, skim, skim :) It was a little interesting.
-Toward the middle I started feeling like I was reading my Business Math!!! Lots of money talk, liabilities, checks to sign, blah, blah, blah. It was slightly more interesting than the coins, but only a bit more so.
-Bryce was just too perfect. I mean, he's really, really nice! I loved how much he cared for Charlotte, how much he prays, how godly he is, and just everything, but there was nothing bad about him. I think it would have been nice to see him struggling a little more.
All in all a pleasant read and I'm glad I read it. -
UNSPOKEN by Dee Henderson was an interesting read, but might be a little slow or too bogged down with details for some readers.
Charlotte Graham has survived one of the most notorious kidnappings in Chicago history. After being held hostage for four years, Charlotte was found, but remained completely silent about her ordeal. She now enjoys a life of anonymity and views the mass fortune left to her by her grandfather as a burden she wishes she didn’t have. When Bryce Bishop, a coin dealer comes into her life, things take a subtle shift. Charlotte is extremely private and slow to let Bryce into her world, but the more it becomes necessary, the more Charlotte realizes he is a man she can trust.
Bryce Bishop has no idea his introduction to Charlotte Graham is going to forever change his life. A business relationship soon turns to a very guarded personal relationship. Her true identity shocks Bryce, but also makes him even more committed to being a person she can rely on.
When a reporter decides to revisit her case, and has been able to identify her, Charlotte has no choice but to work with the reporter in exchange for her life of obscurity. But when the only outstanding assailant from Charlotte’s kidnapping resurfaces, and is a possible threat to her family, Charlotte puts everything on the line in order to have her ordeal finally over and protect those around her.
I did enjoy UNSPOKEN, but felt some of the in-depth descriptions and dialogue surrounding coin collecting and selling was more distracting then profitable. Charlotte is a hard character to feel attached to because of her much guarded persona. There is very little warmth emanating from her as a person. Bryce on the other hand, is the epitome of a modern day prince charming. The other characters of John, Ellie, Paul, and Ann are very anchoring to the story. And it was fun to revisit Paul and Ann from FULL DISCLOSURE.
Overall, I liked UNSPOKEN. Because I am a true fan on Dee Henderson’s I was willing to trudge through the slower sections. I do wish Charlotte and Bryce’s relationship was more developed at the end of the story, because I don’t feel the content at this point garners the description ‘romance’ book. While Bryce was the consummate romantic, we never were allowed as a reader to get into Charlotte’s mind or heart to see if her attachment to Bryce was more than her guarded psyche would allow. -
You will read a lot of criticism of this book in regards to the amount of time and detail on the coin collection in this book. The author did go into a great deal of detail regarding coins, the types and condition, which if you’ve not collected coins or lived with someone who has it’s definitely overwhelming. Having a husband who collects coins I could see him salivating over a collection like this. With that said the author did spend a lot of time on the coin collection aspect of the story. However, it provided the opportunity to see the character of Bryce Bishop which was important for Charlotte.
I really liked Bryce A LOT! I would consider him an all around solid guy. He was a businessman, teacher in his church, but most of all he was a man of integrity. It was also fun to watch him grow in his relationship with Charlotte. Charlotte was a very interesting character. She had a lot of baggage from her past but she was a survivor. She stepped out of her comfort zone by getting close to Bryce. In many ways John was my favorite character because of his no nonsense manner, but yet he cared deeply for Charlotte. I also LOVED the fact the Ann and Paul Falcon were a part of the story.
But the thing I liked most about this book is the overall theme of it. As you read Charlotte’s story and learn more about her time in captivity you begin to understand her pain and her dilemma when it came to God. It really caused me to think how would I feel if I had been Charlotte. Would I be any different than she was? Or would I be even more skeptical? I also put myself in Bryce’s shoes. How would I respond to Charlotte’s questions? For me that was the strength and message of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, in that it made me think. Yes it does go into a great deal of detail on coins and the other items of this massive estate that can be overwhelming. For those not interested in coin collecting may find themselves skimming that part.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Bethany House for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was expected to give my honest opinion. -
A few friends told me that they didn't really enjoy this book, so I went into with low expectations. However, I really enjoyed it. It's different than Dee's normal books. There's not a lot of suspense, but there's plenty of character development.
Charlotte was the victim of one of a nationally known kidnapping. After her rescue, she forged a new identity for herself and refuses to speak about her ordeal. When her grandfather leaves her a fortune, she's determined to give it away. Bryce is a coins dealer who takes on part of Charlotte's inheritance of coins. When a term of the will requires they work closely, more closely than they expected, they are thrown together. Will Charlotte trust him with her past so that they can find the last kidnapper who has been on the loose for twenty years?
It took me a little while to get to like Charlotte, but I liked Bryce from the beginning. I loved his strength and patience with Charlotte's quirks. They both grew as characters and were sweet with each other.
I also liked the coins aspect. I learned a lot about coins and thought it was an interesting addition to the solving an old kidnapping storyline.
I think what confused some readers was that the back cover mentions a reporter doing a story on Charlotte, and that storyline is very minor in the book.
So, ignore the back cover and just enjoy the storyline!
I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own. -
PG
This book WAS. SO. LONG! I finished it about 2 weeks ago but it was so awful I didn't want to relieve it again!
There are three parts. If the dust jacket caught you like it caught me, let me save you some time. The first two parts you, the reader, are introduced to Bryce and then Charlotte. Bryce has a coin shop and Charlotte has recently inherited A LOT of coins from her grandfather. Charlotte goes into business with Bryce where she sells him the coins and he resells them, i.e. they make a lot of money.
Charlotte has a murky past where she was kidnapped and the cops didn't find her for 4 years, but her and Bryce start up a relationship and they fall in love, sort of, and get married (Charlotte has to get married in order to inherit even more gobs of money).
Fast forward to page 297 and start reading from there.
This book had about 3-4 different sub-stories that were obviously going to connect in the end and they did. Seriously, skip the first two parts and start at page 297! The last part was good and almost made reading this book in its entirety worth it.
**I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to read and review. -
Although I liked the story well enough, it was difficult to stay invested in it. It contained too much telling and little action. This one, as well as the previous one (Full Disclosure), are so different from the O'Malley Chronicles and the Uncommon Heroes series that I wouldn't know they were written by the same author.
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Bryce Bishop is a coin dealer who is bored - at least that's what he tells God in a brief prayer before his life changes drastically. Charlotte Graham is the inheritor of her Grandfather's vast, vast, estate and wealth. She has ALOT of coins to sell. But she is also the subject of the most infamous kidnapping in Chicago history. She was missing for four years before she was found and she has not spoken to anyone about what happened during those four years. She changed her identity and with the help of her friend and bodyguard she had rebuilt her life and found a profession she loved that allowed her to remain anonymous. Now she finds herself burdened with managing her grandfathers estate. After some detailed research she secretly approaches Bryce with the option of being the outlet she needs to sell her coins. The price of the coins is so good he can't pass up the opportunity. And so begins a relationship like none he has ever had.
I have been a fan of Dee Henderson's for years but this is not one of my favorites. I did like the relationship between Bryce and Charlotte and how patient and tender he was with her. And I felt for Charlotte and how ugly those four years of her life must have been. And I admired her strength of character and the way she was able to re-build her life. Her struggle with God was real and believable. And I loved the characters of her bodyguard John and her friend Ellie. They did so much to support her and keep her safe.
However, there were WAY too many details about the coins!! And I just felt like the vast wealth they talked about from her grandfather's estate was so unbelievable! Maybe because I just can't imagine having that much wealth...lol. I listened to this story on Audible and maybe that's why it seemed to just go on and on and on about the coins. If I had been reading a print copy, I probably would have skimmed the majority of the first part of the book.
All in all, it had a good story line that for the most part I enjoyed. It just could have been a little shorter with less details on the coins. -
I absolutely LOVED this book. It is captivating, intriguing, and contains fleshed out characters and an interesting plot. I bought this book at a local Christian bookstore, and when I first saw the size of the book, I wondered if it would take me a week to read. I finished it in two days! I did NOT want to put it down.
What I loved: The characters were interesting and believable, and they had depth of character that we as Christians should emulate. Bryce was gracious, understanding and patient with Charlotte even though she had issues that made her hesitate to let herself fall in love. John and Ellie were loyal and completely concerned about others' needs first before themselves. There were several plots including secondary characters who were also noteworthy and fascinating to meet, and each plot contained encouraging principles about God and life in general. I loved the way Ms. Henderson portrayed the concept that even though we sometimes don't understand why God lets unpleasant things happen to us, He still loves us. We just have to trust Him.
Even though the book was longer than her usual books I still give it five stars. Overall it was an awesome read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good, clean novel without cursing or inappropriate sexual content. I've always enjoyed Dee Henderson's books, and this one will be added to my list of favorites. -
I made it to about halfway through the tapes and just couldn't listen anymore. This book droned on and on, was so nitpicky about boring details, and preached, preached, preached. When I decided to finally stop listening, I took the last tape out of my car player, but then I reinserted it and tried fast-forwarding through some of the parts so I could get to the end and find out what happened to Charlotte/Ruth. This didn't work either. I found I just didn't really care. It's a shame because the writer really does seem to have a pretty good handle on the pen. She just picked a really boring, drawn out avenue here.
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The problem is money. And secrets.
Kidnapped at age sixteen and rescued at twenty, the victim changes her name and attempts to live a quiet life, developing her skills as a sketch artist. But family events have their own agenda. Now Charlotte Graham needs an unnoticed way to dispose of the family fortune.
Bryce Bishop, the owner of a successful coin shop in Chicago, is restless and bored with his life. Until Charlotte arrives one evening with an offer of coins too good to be honest. Assured she has the right to sell them, he agrees to her terms. And is drawn into her tiny circle of confidants.
Charlotte’s layers of secrets. An infant kidnapping case gone cold. The terms of her grandfather’s will. All this and more is exposed to the reader as Charlotte learns to trust – and love.
Ms. Henderson presents a well-crafted Christian suspense with just the right amount of romance and journey to faith. -
Love how Henderson combines suspense, romance, and a beautiful message of God’s love in this book! She does such a great job of giving you information about the crime without diving into every sordid detail.
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Hello Friends! Today, I get to review a book by one of my all time favorite authors, Dee Henderson! I've loved her books since I was a teen, and I've read them all at least twice...or more. For those of you unfamiliar with her books, you need to start with her O'Malley series, (the final book in said series was just published earlier this spring) and go from there. Her latest book, Unspoken, follows last fall's release, Full Disclosure.
Summary: Eighteen years ago, at the age of twenty, Charlotte Graham was born. Before that, she had been known as Ruth, the girl who was kidnapped at sixteen and held for four years before being released. No one knows what happened during those four years, and if she has her way, no one will. Now, at thirty-eight, Charlotte is content to live out of the public eye and keep to herself, a hard thing to do, now that she finds herself the owner of one of the largest storage facilities in the USA. Sure, she has friends, but they are very few, mostly limited to the two in charge of her protection, John and Ellie.
Enter Bryce Bishop, coin collector, and savvy businessman who isn't afraid of hard work. Owner of Bishop Chicago, a high end coin dealership, he meets Charlotte one evening after an interesting phone call from the head of the FBI's Chicago unit, and close friend, Paul Falcon. Paul instructs Bryce to trust Charlotte. Confused, Bryce quickly learns that she has bought the storefront next to his, and has filled it with some of the most valuable coins Bryce has ever seen. She wants to sell them to him - all of them. Not only that, there's more.
Bryce decides to give her a chance, as he is intrigued by her coins, and her past. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes he cares for Charlotte. She, on the other hand, is plagued by her past, her wealth, and a pesky reporter who is threatening to write a tell-all about her kidnapping, and place her in harms way once again. Together, they must learn to trust God, and each other, in order to survive what is coming next.
What I loved: Charlotte and Bryce are extremely well written. I enjoyed getting to know them, as well as John and Ellie. I also liked hearing from more characters from previous books - Paul and Ann, even Gage and his back story is the same as in the O'Malley's. I also enjoyed the leisurely pace this book had. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't in your face, it just kept you wanting to read more. Paul and Ann's secondary cold case that they are working on is a fun addition, and does help keep the story moving.
I thought it was very interesting that much of the action in this book takes place off set. You hear about it, but it isn't happening where you are. For some, that may be a little bit of a let down, because Ms. Henderson's other books are little more action filled. For others, it's a nice change of pace.
Spiritual Application: I also appreciated the struggles that the characters dealt with, especially about trusting God, and the struggle with forgiveness. I felt that Ms. Henderson dealt with the "why do bad things happen?" and "why should I believe in a God that allows evil men forgiveness?" questions extremely well. Bryce was very patient with Charlotte as she worked through these issues, and while there isn't a good answer to these questions, (easy yes, good, not so much), they were treated with respect, and gave the characters, and the reader much to think about. Forgiveness is a crazy hard wonderful thing. It's easy to forgive little stuff, but the big stuff, especially when it's been done to us, is HARD. God forgives everyone who asks, and the idea that someone who harms a child could be forgiven and enter heaven is horrible to me. Yet, I have to remember that sin is sin. I too am stained and dirty, and God still forgives me. If God didn't forgive something big like that, then it would mean that it is bigger than God, and nothing is bigger than Him. Forgiveness is something that we can only do with God's help, because only he is bigger than what has been done to us or by us. Without forgiveness, we would be just as lost an alone as those who have wronged us. What a precious, humbling gift!
What I didn't care for: There wasn't as much of a mystery as I thought there would be. I also wish more had been done with Gage, or with Ellie's past. The first part, while interesting, was a bit slow at times, thought I must admit, I learned a LOT about coins and coin collecting!
Overall, a great read! A little different than her previous ones, and if nothing else, you should at least read Full Disclosure before reading this book, if you haven't already. If you enjoy a cozy mystery, a tiny hint of romance, or coin collecting, you'll like this book!
Happy Reading!
Sarah
http://sarahksbookreviews.blogspot.co... -
Kidnapped as a child, Charlotte Graham has never spoken of the years she was held captive. A very independent woman, she seeks privacy and avoids the media spotlight at all costs - even to the point of having her twin sister speak out. Yet when Charlotte inherits a massive estate from her grandfather that requires liquidation, she realizes that her sheltered life may soon be over. As part of the estate, there are millions of dollars of coins that she seeks to move. Bryce Bishop owns a very successful coin shop in Chicago. A phone call from the head of the Chicago FBI begins his relationship with Charlotte. Bryce agrees to buy the coins from her. As he gets to know her, he's more and more fascinated by this very private woman. But he's concerned that her past will hold her back. Will she find the way to at least speak of those events from when she was kidnapped?
I've read every one of Dee Henderson's books, and have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one. With this one, the back of the book leads the reader to expect something other than what this book is actually about. While I found the first half of the book to be very tedious and boring, the second half reminded me of what I came to expect from a Dee Henderson book.
In the first half of the book, the reader gets a very deep education on the ins and outs of trading rare coins. I feel that that section and the massive amounts of detail on the coins could have been cut by 75-100 pages and the story would have moved along nicely. As it was, I struggled quite a lot to wade through those pages and chapters. Sure, it was interesting - for the first several pages, but after that, I felt that it was tedious and caused the story to drag. While I'll admit that I found the detail of the coins fascinating, at first, because of my father's coin collection, I really did have to struggle to get past all of the details and what seemed to be repetition. She has coins. He buys them. He sells them. Repeat many times over.
The second half of the book felt much more like what I've come to expect from a Dee Henderson book. The action was fast paced and storylines collided into a dramatic conclusion. There was also the aspect of Charlotte finally speaking about the events that happened to her while she was kidnapped. For me, that provided a closure that she definitely needed.
Still, the book was good. Just hang in there through the first half which deals with the coins in extreme detail. Also, ignore the back cover as it implies that the reporter's story about the kidnapping is very important to the story - it's not. This was different than Dee's other books because of the relationship depth she develops between Charlotte and Bryce. It's not the best one Henderson has written by any means. And I'd also not recommend starting with this book unless you've already read some of her other works.
I read this book for pure pleasure. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Recommended to fans of romantic suspense, Dee Henderson, Irene Hannon, Lynette Eason
Rating - 3.5 stars - It would be a 4 star rating if the part involving the coins was not so tedious. -
Charlotte Graham is a woman with a horrific past. She has changed her name in an effort to distance herself from the horror and memories, but she'll never truly be able to put her years in captivity away completely. If dealing with that stress wasn't hard enough, she has to contend with liquidating her grandfather's estate. Her friends and business associates, Ellie Dance and John Key, have skillfully come up with a plan to assist her in this endeavor. Ellie is not only Charlotte's best friend, but she also manages Charlotte's art career. John has become as close to Charlotte as a brother and is her former bodyguard and current head of security. Running away from the past, attempting to liquidate millions of dollars’ worth of inventory (most of it in rare and mint condition coins), and donate funds to worthwhile charities is a very tall order. Before Charlotte meets Bryce Bishop, she is struggling with all three. Bryce Bishop is the owner of Bishop Chicago, a rare coin dealer. His business was chosen based on background provided by Ellie and John. But a tentative business relationship quickly becomes much more.
Unspoken was an intriguing story but a slow read for me, and the speed had nothing to do with the length of the book. It may be related to the fact that the beginning of the story was bogged down with plenty of technical details and jargon relating to numismatology. There were also plenty of subplots going on, such as a cold case investigation into a kidnaped baby that occurred around the same time that Charlotte was being held captive. There's also a burgeoning romance going on between Charlotte and Bryce. Family drama is added to the equation when it is revealed that Charlotte has a twin sister that was also kidnaped but released after twenty-four hours. Eighteen years after Charlotte's release, her twin sister has decided to share as much information as possible on the ordeal with an investigative reporter. (Told you there was a lot going on.) I think that subconsciously I had difficulty with this story because it is more Christian fiction than inspirational fiction. I admired the incorporation of prayer and trust in God that was portrayed by Bryce, but his prayers are alternatingly addressed to God and then Jesus. That may be off-putting to some readers and enticing to others. So I guess what it boils down to is did I enjoy the story and the characters? The answer is a yes with some reservations. Some of the dialogue and transitions in the first half of the story didn't seem to flow as well as it did in the latter half of the story. Some of the subplots were a bit convoluted (one character is presumably in her late thirties/early forties and has worked as a rare coin dealer, homicide investigator, and is now an author . . . seriously?). Even with these relatively minor objections I found Unspoken to be a good read that incorporates murder, kidnappings, torture, rare coins, the art world, philanthropy, romance, intrigue, family drama, secrets, loss of faith, and religious inspiration. -
I was looking forward to Dee Henderson's latest release with great anticipation. Unspoken, while not a part of a series, per se, does follow up on Paul and Ann Falcon's story from Full Disclosure, but only as a background to the story that Bryce Bishop lives through.
The story is intriguing as it starts out with Charlotte Graham but is never written from her point of view. She was involved in a crime that was supposedly solved. She had been kidnapped at 16 and released four years later, changed her name and never spoke of what really happened.
Bryce Bishop is a God-fearing man who runs a successful coin business. Charlotte approaches him with the opportunity to purchase and resell, at a significant profit, millions of dollars worth of valuable coins she inherited from her grandfather. Neither knows at first that their partnership was set up by her security agent and her best friend.
Bryce had been bored and praying for release from that when Charlotte mysteriously appears in his life. She's a mystery that he slowly begins to uncover as he falls in love with her. Charlotte is not quite so convinced that they could be anything more than friends.
As Ann and Paul Falcon work on trying to solve a cold case, and an investigative reporter digs into Charlotte's past, it soon becomes clear that the two crimes are intertwined and that the criminal is still at large and a threat to Charlotte and her family as well as others. Can she, with Bryce's help, come to help with the investigation? Can she also managed to answer the hard questions that plague her faith of where God was in the midst of terrible pain?
This book was evidently heavily researched and I admire Dee Henderson for that attention to detail. The story itself is a slow-moving one. While dubbed romantic suspense it does not reach the level of intensity of previous stories she has written and is in essence more of a love story with a mystery woven in. Written only from Bryce, Paul and Anne's perspectives, it is missing some intensity by not giving Charlotte's point of view and perhaps letting us in to her deep inner struggle that goes beyond the words she shares with Bryce or her friends.
While the ending was nice and all the loose ends were tidied up - it left me wanting more and in a way feeling cheated that there was only that hint of the healing that Bryce had been praying for. Unlike Full Disclosure, this part of their relationship was not explored further, but with the mystery solved, I suppose that was just not going to happen in at least this book. Maybe Bryce and Charlotte will show up in the next book and we can see how their relationship develops as the backdrop to another story. -
Dee Henderson is known for her romantic suspense books, most notably the O'Malley Series. I read most of that series and was never a big fan, I found them over the top and cheesy, but after that she wrote a few that I loved, such as The Witness. So I am very familiar with her writing. You could count on her a for fast paced story with a healthy dose of suspense and romance, and, last but not least, believable characters that kept your interest.
Well. Let me tell you, all that has changed in the last two books. I read Full Disclosure and was determined to like it but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Maybe that was an anomaly. I'm willing to try again so I picked up this book, Unspoken. If you're into dry and boring you should grab this. Having sleep troubles? I have the solution! I do not care about old coins and how they are bought and sold, or how much each is worth, but you get a very good lesson here. That's all fine if you're setting up the rest of the story for a chapter or so, but it continues on for it seems like a third of the book. There are pauses for more business transactions and 'deep and profound' thoughts and visits with the couple from Full Disclosure, and they still have strange conversations, it seems. The story really takes its sweet time to get moving.
When the story finally does seem to be getting off the ground, there's just too much dialogue and thinking and descriptive writing for it to be anything but what I call 'hard slogging'. Think of trying to run through sticky, need deep mud. There, that aptly describes this book. And the end.
See how I did that? Stopped mid sentence? Totally the feeling at the end of the book but more irritating when the book is 441 pages long! It left things unfinished that I would have clarified much earlier on.
I didn't like how the book kept flipping back and forth between people. Tell it from one, maybe two people's point of view and leave it at that. I know that Charlotte, the main character, went through terrible trauma and was subjected again to major stress but she just felt too cold and unemotional to be a main character.
Yes, I was very disappointed in the book. I was looking forward to reading it but I won't be reading with the next one.
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
