Blog Tour: The Spirit of Grace by Terry Lynn Thomas: A Book Review

The Spirit of Grace by Terry Lynn Thomas

Publication Date: November 26, 2017

HQ Digital

Series: Sarah Bennett Mysteries, Book One

Genre: Historical Mystery

Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House, despite allegedly witnessing the fatal fall. There was talk of foul play, dark whispers, and sidelong glances, all aimed at Sarah, prompting her family to send her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco, under a cloud of suspicion. Now, on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s murder, Sarah has been summoned home. Convinced of her innocence, she returns to Bennett House, hoping to put the broken pieces of her life back together. But when another murder occurs shortly after her arrival, Sarah once again finds herself a suspect, as she is drawn into a web of suspicion and lies. In order to clear her name, Sarah must remember what happened the fateful night her mother died. But as she works to regain her memory, the real murderer watches, ready to kill again to protect a dark family secret.

    My Review: Sarah Bennett is sent to live in an asylum under the suspicion of murdering her mother. A year later, Sarah returns home to find that her father is a famous novelist and has a new wife. These new changes make Sarah feel like a stranger in her own home. Just as Sarah tries to settle into her new routine, she learns that her grandmother has been murdered. As Sarah tries to find her grandmother’s murderer, Sarah is thrust into the secrets of her family and of her past.

    When we first meet Sarah, she is emotionally scarred from her mother’s death. She clings onto her fierce determination that she was innocent of her mother’s murder. Throughout the novel, Sarah is trying to find peace with herself and her past. Sarah suffers from depression, but she eventually overcomes it. As a sleuth, Sarah does very little investigation and most of the answers come to her very easily. Still, I was immediately drawn to Sarah’s mysterious past and eagerly awaited for Sarah to heal from her trauma.

     Overall, this novel is about loss, secrets, and recovery. There were a few flaws in the novel. I found the romance to be very underwhelming and lacked development. The mystery was very predictable. I already knew who the murderer was as soon as the character entered the page. I also wished that there would be paranormal scenes in the novel because it was the most intriguing aspect of the book. Despite these flaws, it was a very entertaining cozy mystery to read on a cold stormy night! I recommend this for fans of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, Silent on the Moor, and Girl at the Grave.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Amazon

About the Author

    TERRY LYNN THOMAS grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, which explains her love of foggy beaches and Gothic mysteries. When her husband promised to buy Terry a horse and the time to write if she moved to Mississippi with him, she jumped at the chance. Although she had written several novels and screenplays prior to 2006, after she relocated to the South she set out to write in earnest and has never looked back.

Terry Lynn writes the Sarah Bennett Mysteries, set on the California coast during the 1940s, which feature a misunderstood medium in love with a spy. The Drowned Woman is a recipient of the IndieBRAG Medallion. She also writes the Cat Carlisle Mysteries, set in Britain during World War II. The first book in this series, The Silent Woman, came out in April 2018 and has since become a USA TODAY bestseller. The Family Secret was released in March 2019. When she’s not writing, you can find Terry Lynn riding her horse, walking in the woods with her dogs, or visiting old cemeteries in search of story ideas.

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Giveaway

     During the Blog Tour, we are giving away one eBook of each title in the Sarah Bennett Mysteries series! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. 

Giveaway Rules:

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Sarah Bennett