About the Book

 

Book: Counter Point

Author: Marji Laine

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: November 2016

Someone is determined to finish the final assignment of a murdered hitman.

Her father’s gone. Her diner’s closing. Her car’s in the lake. Cat McPherson has nothing left to lose.

Except her life. And a madman’s bent on taking that away. Her former boyfriend, Ray Alexander, returns as a hero from his foreign mission, bringing back souvenirs in the form of death threats. When several attempts are made on Cat’s life, she must find a way to trust Ray, the man who broke her heart.

Keeping Cat safe from a fallen cartel leader might prove impossible for Ray, but after seeing his mission destroyed and several godly people killed, he knows better than to ignore the man’s threats. Cat’s resistance to his protection and the stirring of his long-denied feelings for her complicate his intentions, placing them both in a fight for their lives.

How can a small-town girl survive when ultimate power wants her dead?

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About the Author

 

Marji Laine has completed seventeen years of homeschooling, but with her publishing business, her various volunteer activities, and her large family, she will likely never live a life of leisure. When she does find spare time, she enjoys watching sports and Hallmark movies and mysteries, loves having game night with her family and friends, and enjoys talking “shop” with other authors. You can usually find her in her favorite recliner, plucking away at her keyboard with her rescue fur-babies at her feet or at www.MarjiLaine.com.

More from Marji

 

COUNTER POINT takes place in a small town in East Texas. A family-owned diner provides the backdrop for many of the scenes. The owner, Cat McPherson, makes a point of smiling and chatting with everyone who stops by. Even the superior and difficult Mrs. Heath—of the Heath’s Point Heath’s, make no mistake. Mrs. Heath might think she’s all that, but she is still dependent on Cat’s diner for a slice of her favorite Magnolia Pie.

 

Have you ever had a piece of this custard paradise? Smooth, creamy, and with the minutest crisp of a glazed caramel on top of it. I can practically taste one now. This favorite of mine had to go into my book. I first tasted a Magnolia Pie (my adopted grandmother called it Buttermilk Pie because Magnolia Pie sounded too southern and she was from New Jersey) at a Christmas Eve celebration. It was my instant favorite.

 

I’ve searched for my grandmother’s recipe through old books that she gave me and a collection that she and several others put together when I got married. Sadly, I cannot find that original recipe that she used. But I think it must have been something like the one I was thinking of when I included Magnolia Pie in my book. Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to enjoy a virtual slice of pie with you!

Magnolia Pie

 

Ingredients:

 

3 eggs at room temperature

1 stick of softened butter

1½ cups white sugar

3½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the eggs until foamy.
3. Cream together sugar, butter, nutmeg, and flour. Add the eggs and other ingredients, beating until smooth.
4. Pour into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool completely or chill before serving.
   
   

My Review

 

Christian suspense is a genre I gravitate toward as someone who has always enjoyed mysteries. Trying to find a clean thriller or mystery in secular fiction is often like searching for a needle in a haystack, especially among those published within the last few decades. Reading Christian books instead (hopefully!) removes the profanity and vulgarity while still conveying the darkness of this world and, most importantly, shining the light of Christ and the joy of salvation. Rarely do I pass up an opportunity to review a book from this category, and most of the ones I’ve read have lived up to my expectations, so I was eager to read this first book in the Heath’s Point Suspense series.

Marji Laine’s “Counter Point” contains interesting elements that make this story in some ways different from others I have read. I try to stay away from plotlines about drug cartels because they don’t appeal to me personally, although I understand that they are an important topic to consider and approach from a Christian viewpoint. Something that really stood out to me about this book is the missionary aspect. Although it is not difficult to consider the dangers that the missionaries themselves may face, I had not really considered that their families and loved ones back home might also be endangered. As in this narrative, sometimes missionaries break up cartels or otherwise threaten the livelihood of corrupt authority figures. Prior to reading “Counter Point”, I did not realize that the risks might extend beyond the missionary station itself.

Each chapter opens with a Scripture verse epigraph, which keeps the focus on God through trials, loss, and frightening situations. That in itself is a lesson worthy of recognizing. Multiple times throughout the narrative, the Lord’s divine intervention becomes evident, drawing awareness to how often He intercedes for us through “coincidences” and in ways we don’t even realize. One issue I did have with the novel, however, was the characters. I did not feel much of a connection with any of them and found them incongruous and somewhat stereotypical. They do not seem to have much depth or dimension and more or less follow foreseeable paths. The interactions between Cat and Ray seem to go in circles, with Cat being too puerile for her age. Cat’s late father’s will does not make sense with what we are told of his nature. Nevertheless, the characters do have redeeming qualities and do lead others to Jesus. I love the ministry of sunset dinners, feeding the homeless suppers and letting them know they are seen, and how Laine makes it clear that this can be missionary work as well. You don’t necessarily have to travel to be one of Jesus’ disciples; He can and will use you no matter what your circumstances!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

 

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