The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch is this week’s Reader Friday. Here’s the opening: Friday, August 24 Sharp claws scrape along my neck. Back and forth. Back and forth. Zzzzz5…zzzzzzz…zzzt
But first the photo and verse. The photo is one I took in Israel a few years back. I was standing on the side of the mountain where King Saul chased David from one side to the other. We hiked on higher and found the waterfall that provided water for David while he was running for his life. Walking where King David walked and where Jesus walked changed the way I read my Bible. It’s amazing to read scripture and picture the setting. I hope to go to Israel again one day!
Now for The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch. Here’s the cover and back copy:
On a remote Outer Banks
island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.
FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.
Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.
As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive.
My take:
Oh, wow! This book grabbed me from the opening pages and didn’t let go until the end! It kept me up the last night until 3 a.m. Jessica R. Patch has created a worthy villain for our heroes Tiberious Granger and Bexley Hemmingway.
Ty and Bex have history going back to when they were teenagers and in love. They were also under the control of Ty’s father, who was a David Koresh-type person. Ty escaped from his father’s compound and thought for years that Bex was dead only to learn not only was she not dead, but had kept him from his son for fourteen years. They had a lot to work through. And not just emotionally–a killer was after Bex and a Ty was on the FBI Strange Crimes Unit team who was trying to find him.
Oh, and did I mention there’s a hurricane out in the ocean threatening the Outer Banks where the book takes place? It’s a perfect setting for all the turmoil Ty and Bex go through. This story is full of creepy twists and turns, something Jessica R. Patch is a master at creating. The characters are well-drawn down to the villain. This is a book the reader will not soon forget.
The Garden Girls is the third book featuring the Strange Crime Unit. You don’t have to read the others since they are stand-alones. You can find buy links at Jessica R. Patch’s website!
Okay Readers, what are you reading this week? Leave your first line in the comments and I’ll enter you in a drawing for a book from my library…
The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch is this week's Reader Friday. What are you reading? Leave the first line in the comments on my blog and I'll enter you in a drawing for a book from my library! Share on X
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Comments 32
Fantastic verse and photo. Your trip to Israel must have been amazing. Imagine stepping in the footprints of our Biblical ancestors!
I loved The Garden Girls, so gripping! Great review, Pat!
I’m reading a nonfiction book on Daniel called Discovering Daniel by Amir Tsarfati. Tsarfati is an Israeli and a former IDF soldier. His perspective is educational! The first line: Outside your window, the view is black as pitch.
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I love the book of Daniel! I’ll hajve to check Tsarfati’s book, Priscilla!
That sounds like a really interesting book, Priscilla. Thanks for the mention.
That photo brought back a flood of wonderful memories. Love it! I hope you get to go back to Israel, too!!
“Sergeant Daria Gordon cruised her hometown of Kimbleton, Missouri, one last time before she headed back to the police station to clock out, ” is the first line of The Marine’s Deadly Reunion by Loretta Eidson. So good. Love Loretta’s books!
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I love Loretta’s books, too, Barbara! We’re in the same ACFW group and have roomed at several places together. 😉
I will be reading Jessica’s book very soon.
I will start this one in a few minutes: A Conflicted Betrothal by Denise Weimer.
Savannah, Georgia September 2, 1765
How are ye feelin’ this evening, sir?
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You will find The Garden Girls hard to put down, Paula!
Beautiful photo. This comes from Strawberry Lane by Jodi Thomas: A storm rattled the windows of the small Honey Creek Hospital, destroying any sense of calm within. Jackson Landry stood beside the bed, wishing he were anywhere but here.
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What an intriguing first line, Diana!
That photo and your comments about how it brings more meaning to your reading of Scriptures is amazing. I find understanding the context add so much to what I read. This is happening for me with the excellent series on Jesus’ life called The Chosen. Knowing what it was like to live in the Holy Land in Jesus’ time, and under Roman occupation helps me better understand what I read in the Gospels.
I loved Jessica’s book, too. It was a real thriller. I’m currently finishing up Mary Alford’s “The Last to Know” which you reviewed a few weeks ago. This is the first of her books I’ve read, and you’ve got me hooked on yet another author! I find her style is similar to Steven James.
Today, I will start “Shadow of Hope” by Susan Sleeman. The opening line is “He was at the front door, and he was going to kill her.” There. I’ll bet that got your attention!
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It really makes a difference in the way I read the Bible now, Tim. Especially the Gospels. To walk in Capernaum and be in a boat on the Sea of Galilee is amazing! And that first line did indeed get my attention! I have Shadow of Hope on my Kindle and hope to get to it soon!
Wow. You’ve got me interested. I haven’t read Jessica Patch before, but I will now!
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Oh, Kelly, I do believe you’ll enjoy her books. Once you read the first page of any of her books, you will be hooked until the end!
I have read this author before. I will definitely be getting this one.
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Judy, I think you won’t be able to put it down once you start it!
I enjoy when you share pictures from your trip to Israel. The verse suits the picture.
I have fallen behind on reading the books of various authors I follow, including Jessica Patch. For several years, I was able to snag them as soon as they arrived in the local library. I look forward to catching up, and this will certainly be one I look for.
I finished a couple of proofread jobs in the past week, including Susan Sleeman’s next book, Shadow of Doubt. It will be out in the next couple of weeks. I don’t have it handy so I can share the first line, but it’s even better than the last one.
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Susan Sleeman is a great writer, Edward! It sound as though you’ve been busy. 🙂
The Garden Girls is on my list to read, and I look forward to it.
“Your labwork looks fantastic, Darcy.”
Finding You by Amy Clipston
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Gloria, I think you’ll really enjoy Jessica R. Patch’s book!
Love this photo and verse! I have always wanted to travel to Israel but now due to physical limitations, seriously doubt that’s a possibility. But that’s okay – God is good! I do hope you are able to go again Pat!
“Joseph Russell was not his name. It was the one they had given him.” Terminal Velocity, bk #4 in the Last Chance Downrange series by Lisa Phillips.
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I hope you get a chance to go someday, Mary G. Deloes has taken a lady who’d recently broke her leg…so you never know!:
I love that scripture verse and it gives me chills whenever I read it.
I just finished The Garden Girls and am letting it all sink in before I write my review. Jessica Patch is indeed a master at this type of story and the cover….wow! Still deciding which is my next book to read. Maybe something fun and less intense.
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I unerstand why you’d like to let it sink ing, Gail! Jessica is indeed a master at writing creeepy, gritty stories!
I’m hope to read this soon.Blessings
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I think you’ll totally enjoy it, Lucy!
Marines don’t tuck tail and run at the first hint of trouble. (Explosive Reunion by Karen Kirst)
sounds like a good book
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It is, Jason!
I loved The Garden Girls!
I’m reading Cold Dead Night by Lisa Phillips right now.
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Me, too, Tera!
I’ve read the first two…can’t wait to read this one!
Trail of Threats by Jessica R. Patch
“Someone was watching.” 🙂
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Jessica knows how to keep a reader on the edge of their seats, Natalya!