Rising Darkness (Finding Sanctuary Book #3)

Nancy Mehl

Oct 2015 · Finding Sanctuary Book 3 · Baker Books

About this ebook

Romantic Suspense to Keep Readers Guessing Until the Last Page

Sophie Wittenbauer left her strict Mennonite hometown under a cloud of shame and regret. After a rough childhood, her teenage poor choices harmed others, leaving her with no choice but to change her life. Her entry-level writing job at a newspaper puts her in the right place at the right time to overhear office gossip about a prisoner who has information on a decades-old unsolved crime. While the other reporters write off the tip as the ravings of an angry criminal, Sophie can't ignore it because she knows the name of this prisoner from her old life.

Upon learning from the man that one of the other suspects is hiding out in the Missouri town of Sanctuary, she takes on a false identity to investigate and meets the young pastor of a local church--the very man she'd loved as a troubled teenager. As she gets closer to finding the suspect, will the truth of her own past come out before she discovers the identity of the criminal--or the very person she's seeking puts a fatal stop to her investigation?

Ratings and reviews

This is book three in the Finding Sanctuary series. I have not read the first two books and had no trouble following along in this one, therefore I feel it is a stand alone book. However, I do believe I missed some of the history of the town and some of the people in the town, that may have just made the book that much more interesting. If the first two are as good as this one I would recommend you read them all. This is a new author to me, her writing is suspenseful, romantic and thought provoking. She will keep you guessing as to what to expect next and who is behind all the problems. Sophie Wittenbauer is on the look for a great story so she can further her career. She has many issues she must deal with and learning to trust and believe in God is probably her biggest obstacle. When she runs into Jonathon will her plans all come crashing down and can she keep the memories from her past out of her mind? Jonathon feels like he knows this new comer yet can't place her. Will he be able to help her and keep his heart in tact. Will his past also be more than he can bear. Honestly I was not a huge fan of Sophie but loved Jonathon. Sophie grew on me as the story went on though. I was given a copy of this novel from net galley for my honest opinion.

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl is the third and final book in the Finding Sanctuary trilogy. Sophie Bauer (formerly Wittenbauer) used to be a conservative Mennonite living in Kingdom, Kansas. An incident forced her to leave and seek a new life. Sophie works at the St. Louis Times doing the obituaries and occasional restaurant review. Sophie wants to be a crime reporter and is working towards getting a college degree. One day Sophie comes across a letter from Tom Ford (Sophie knew him in Kingdom) who is in prison in El Dorado, Kansas. Tom claims a wanted criminal by the name of Terrence Chase is hiding out in Sanctuary, Missouri (of course, Tom wants something in exchange for giving Sophie this information). Sophie sees this as her chance to write a big story (and gain recognition) if she can find Chase. Sophie goes to Sanctuary (a very private town) under an assumed name and with a made up story to explain her presence in town (and so she can gain access to Church records). Sophie will have to face her past in Sanctuary (which was originally an all Mennonite town but is now mixed) especially when she comes face to face with Jonathan Wiese. Jonathan is a pastor at Agape Fellowship Church in Sanctuary and the only man Sophie ever loved (secretly as a teenager). Will Sophie be able to find Terrence Chase (without getting herself killed) and write her story? Can Sophie resolve her past issues? You will have to read Rising Darkness to find out. I found Rising Darkness to be a predictable novel (the mystery and the romance). I was hoping for a twist to make it more interesting (I would have been happy with anything that would have made the novel more interesting). While Rising Darkness is a part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone story. I give Rising Darkness 3 out of 5 stars. The writing is satisfactory, but not remarkable (I was not pulled into the story). I found parts of the novel to be very slow paced (and a little boring). It actually took me three different tries to get through Rising Darkness (I just never got into the story). The Christian theme is not mild in this book. There are many discussions about religion and theology throughout the book. The book ends without everything being resolved (which is frustrating). I did like Sophie’s growth during the book and how she is finally able to overcome her troubled and difficult youth. I received a complimentary copy Rising Darkness from NetGalley and The Book Club Network Inc. in exchange for an honest review.

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About the author

Nancy Mehl is the author of twenty-one books, including the Road to Kingdom and Finding Sanctuary series. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. Visit www.nancymehl.com to learn more.