Saturday, January 28, 2023

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT by Christina Suzann Nelson, Reviewed by Paula and Kim


PAULA'S REVIEW
A child missing for 36 years. How could Faith not help discover what happened to her friend Heather. Someone must know something. “After all these years, there was no time to waste in finding them. A family needed answers. Faith needed answers.”

This was an exceptional story written from three points of view: Heather tells of her summer of 1987. Her mother, Dora, and her best friend, Faith, are looking back at that fateful summer.

Dora has not navigated the last 36 years well. Her other daughter, Brooke, asks for help from Faith who does a podcast called WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Finding herself at loose ends for the summer, she agrees to return to Deep Valley, Oregon to try and find those answers that were never resolved.

This book is more than a mystery. It is a look at types of grief and how grief is handled or mishandled. And a continuing look at how grief shapes our lives. It poses solutions for coping through steadfast faith.

I have enjoyed several books by Ms. Nelson and she always makes me rethink my priorities as well as spinning an intriguing and complex story.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House on behalf of the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and a strong faith thread 5 stars and a strong faith thread

KIM'S REVIEW
What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson is a deeply engrossing story that I literally did not want to put down. I was so invested in these characters and this story that I had to find out what happened that summer all those years ago.

Faith, Nate and Heather were best friends the summer they were 10. Thirty six years later, Faith comes back to Deep Valley, where Nate and Faith work together to try and solve the mystery of Heather's disappearance all those years ago. This story not only solves the mystery, but explores grief and how different people grieve differently. I normally don't like to read stories that are so heavy, but this author has such a wonderful writing style and ability to tell such engrossing stories that I knew I had to give it a try. I'm so glad I did.

What Happens Next is the third book I've read by Ms. Nelson. I have enjoyed all of them. I'll definitely be reading the rest of her backlist and whatever she writes next!

*I received a complimentary copy of this story. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is light. 
 

BackCover Blurb:
Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne has made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. But all that changes when she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast.

Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her, and her older daughter intervenes, she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter's belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.

As the investigation moves forward, the two women uncover desperate secrets, and Faith and Dora must face the long-hidden truth before they can begin to move forward.

Award-winning author Christina Suzann Nelson masterfully leads readers on a journey of discovery, healing, and friendship in this suspenseful and poignant tale. 

Bethany House Publishing, January 17,2023
Available in digital ebook, paperback, or audiobook:

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